At Sunday’s class at an outdoor park/path along Boulder Creek, Lilly did remarkably well considering the amount of human traffic, including bikes, scooters, and skateboards. And, she even did OK at first when she noticed the wildlife in the area.
When she got nervous about an unfamiliar dog in class, I actually told her to look for squirrels in the trees to take her mind off him. She lost focus for a while, but her mood brightened.
When we went for a group walk, she noticed but didn’t pursue the ducks in the creek.
When she saw a rabbit hopping away under the bushes, she did her best to play LEAVE IT anyway.
But, as we made our way back to the parking area as a group after an hour of work, Lilly went into overload. We tried hanging out on the grass when she went on alert, but all was lost.
Not only were there ducks RIGHT THERE in the creek. There was a squirrel sitting at the bottom of THAT tree. And, there were rabbits hiding in THOSE bushes.
The trifecta of distraction.
I was not amused. Lilly tuned me out completely. If anything, I was merely the vertical log attached to the end of the leash. Even with fleece gloves on, I got rope burn. I tried moving her away. I tried LEAVE IT. No deal.
So ended a relatively decent training day (more on that tomorrow) in utter, abject embarrassment and failure.
I know that the rule is to lower criteria when distraction is high, but I don’t know how much lower my expectations can get than acknowledging I exist or NOT ripping off my arm.
Did I mention that her treats that day were dried duck breast? (Got a good deal on a big bag at Costco) And, well, truth be told … a plush duck is one of her favorite toys.
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