Last weekend, we had a prolonged storm, where snow kept coming for several days in a row. Since the roads were somewhat clear Sunday afternoon, Lilly and I ventured out to class in
Boulder, which for us is a pretty long drive. On the way home, we narrowly missed getting in a VERY BAD car accident. …
A couple interesting things happened this week, including a dog barreling straight at Lilly in class. Here’s the full update. …
One of the challenges of training a dog to run agility is teaching her that having something move beneath her is fun (or at least fine). Since Lilly still won’t do a full-height teeter,
I’m certainly no expert. However, I thought these tips on training that motion is OK around the house might help. …
Last week, a fellow dog gal caused a bit of a stir when she complained online about a strange woman at the dog park verbally and physically correcting her very sensitive dog. The woman
made high-pitched greeting, so the dog jumped up on her. Granted some people accept that more than others, but this woman used what many consider old-fashioned, punitive tactics (yes, those touted on
TV). She completely scared the dog, who is now highly sensitized to similar looking people and the dog park. …
Thanksgiving weekend Lilly came unglued while playing outside. We had our usual game of fetch going in the middle pasture. As she ran toward the fence to get her ball, she stopped dead
in her tracks. The hair on her neck and her butt stood on end. She growled and crouched and slunk. It wasn’t that our neighbors were working on the fence. She didn’t care about 2 men being so close.
Something else caught her eye, and she would NOT relent. …
As she often does, Lilly went shopping with me on Saturday. Many of the little stores on our “main street” allow dogs, so while I cruised for a few final gifts, Lilly came along. She
befriended a woman in one particular store, delivering a gentle POKE with her nose to the woman’s hand when offered and accepting being petted and praised. Hey, who wouldn’t want that? Then, as the
woman left the store, she said something that brought tears to my eyes. …
The biggest lesson I learned from Lilly this week is that you can’t assume any behavior is rock-solid on every single day. It’s all too easy to get complacent or to take our brilliant
dogs for granted. We cut back on treats. We verbally fuss on them less. We assume that they are the same minute to minute, day to day. And, that’s simply not the case. …
I like to think I’m pretty self-aware. I know why I am the way I am. And, I think I know my motivation. Yet … if I had a nickel for every time someone questions my motivation for continuing to work and hope with Lilly, I’d be a rich girl, who could quit her job and just be a full-time puppy mom. Now, I really do think about the why and how of everything I do with Lilly, but for some reason, it always catches me off guard a bit when someone suggests I give up, back off, step back, stop trying so hard.
My grandmother’s house, which for all the usual purposes was my “childhood home,” had a round traffic pattern. As a kid, I could run from kitchen to front room to hall to den to
kitchen. When you’re little, that’s some serious fun. Well, my current house also has a couple of round-running spots. I’ve started using the carpeted one upstairs to practice high-speed heeling (and
frankly to burn off some energy). …
There is one truth that rings clear when training Lilly. If what I’m asking makes sense, she catches on very quickly. Sometimes, it’s just 3-5 clicks. Sometimes, it’s just 10 minutes. And, she’s totally on board. Other times, I’m clearly doing something wrong, and she simply doesn’t get it.
