There is something about the angle of the sun when Lilly and I walk in the morning that casts a funny shadow. You know those cartoon wolves or coyotes that are always sneaking up so
that all you see is their shadow approaching? Well, that’s what Lilly’s shadow looks like to me, at times. I like to pretend that it’s a reflection of her true, more confident self. I may have
written about this before, but this time I have photos. See what you think. …
Lilly is learning to be sweet to the mules next door. We’ve been training looking at them without barking or trying to get a rise out of them. If she looks or stays calms, then she gets
treats. I even let her race them along the fence line, as long as she’s quiet. They seem to seek her out, sometimes standing at the fence looking for her. Yesterday, I called for her outside and
found the cutest thing. I think she’s adopted them as her sheep. …
Lilly went to our Sunday drop-in class for the first time in a few weeks. It was the first time we tried some of the strategies from the book “Control Unleashed” in a class setting.
There were a few challenges since there were many new dogs in the class, so it was a big group. Here’s a rundown of our efforts. …
If you watch the Discovery Channel shows of underwater life, you’ve likely seen images of jellyfish puffing their way along in the water — expanding and contracting with a simple
grace. Well, I think Lilly must dream of such things because I watched her the other night as she slept on the loveseat next to me, and her foot (all things) amazed me. …
Due to weather and travel schedules, Lilly hasn’t been to class in several weeks. So, we’ve been training on our own. Lilly did snark at some dogs on a walk. It’s the first time in a
long time, so I was a little bummed about that. But, the rest of her work went pretty well. Here’s an update, along with photos, of some of our breakthroughs. …
As part of our background work using ideas from the new book “Control Unleashed” by Leslie McDevitt, I went in search of a portable mat that I could use for Lilly’s mat training and
relaxation work. Here’s what I chose. …
Sing along with me — ye, of the Mr. Rogers generation. These are the contacts in our neighborhood … in our neighborhood … in our neigh-bor-hood. One of my made-up strategies for
getting Lilly used to performing agility in public settings is to use things we find on our walks (especially in town) as obstacles. I figure if I can get her to do various agility-like things while
other people and dogs are walking by, while cars are zooming past, that it may someday translate onto the training field or the competitive ring. So, here’s a photo tour of a …
Lilly awoke this morning with an oval bald spot on one of her rear legs. I’m 99.9% sure it was not there yesterday. A quick check online, and my best guess is ringworm. Tom’s going to
break out the black light when he gets home so we can see if it glows, but I’m pretty sure that’s what it is. Crap! …
Once again, due to weather, we missed our Sunday class. It took place at the indoor facility, but since Lilly does not yet feel comfortable there, I’m not going to risk accidentally
making it a “bad” place in her eyes. So, we stayed home. We did, however, pop by on Saturday for a little solo work in the parking lot. Here’s how that went. …
As I’ve mentioned, Lilly’s recall at home has suffered of late, especially if she thinks she has to come inside. The problem got worse over the summer, but we seem to have turned a
corner. …
