With that we meet the core of our Training Challenge for week. Since “real life” made my big plans to go to the farmers market unfeasible, I planned my “real life” tasks so I could take Maizey with me every where I went on Friday afternoon.
That meant she went into the local farm/ranch supply store for Bullies, and to a clothes store where she rode in the cart while her crazymomlady spent 45 minutes shopping for a new Dog Duffle for the trip. She also practiced waiting in the parking lot of the post office (no dogs allowed in there). As an aside mehusbandy gets double props and many thanks for meeting me there and sitting with her since it was too hot to just leave her in the car.
It’s always amazing to me how much training we do on these little jaunts out. To illustrate how many opportunities there are for challenging things I tried to see things from her viewpoint. Take CalRanch for example: getting out of the car means sit nicely for seat belt undone, sit and wait for okay to exit the car door (both fit into our Day to Day skills for boundary Zen), LLW into the store included 2 cars and a family of three walking past, a man coming past her with a cart, bails of hay and manure (even I could smell them!) Inside the store is a whole new set of challenges: At the counter she had to sit and down while I exchanged something. In total there were 3 younger women and 2 older women with their husbands who wanted to greet her (perfect for CGC#1), At this point we met a lab and a tiny dog of unknown origins (more to come on that later), then walking back to the dog section there were toys, a rocking chair, too many people to count and finally the park it next to the bully’s. (LLW, ZEN and CGC 1) And that list doesn’t even count the skills used while paying and leaving.
As for the clothes store that presented its own set of training opportunities. But let me just sum it up with the 4 year old in the cart that was hollering, “I wanna pet the puppy!! I wanna pet the puppy! Can I pet your puppy!?!” Now for some pups that may not have been a challenge, but Maizey LOVES kids. Must be cause their faces are more convenient for face hug smothering.
So for her the little kids were the biggest challenge. She knows she must be quiet in the stores with carts. (Could a shopping cart be a contextual clue?) And she was perfect, but when we saw the little kids she would wine very quietly as if she “just can’t stand it! There is a little 2legged friend crazymomlady!” (Which again fits into our CGC prep #1.)
"Seriously, who would not want to be smothered by this face?"
I am very proud of my little social butterfly. She did very well on what was actually a lot challenging stuff. It made me more determined than ever to keep helping her and who knows maybe she will learn that some 2legged friends are okay with not being smothered in Cavalier ears!
Next weeks Training Challenge: Week 3-who knows what we will come up with in the vastness of the Back Hills!
TRAINING CHALLENGE WEEK: 2
DATE and TIME: August 12, 2010 afternoon
LOCATION: CalRanch, Post Office Parking Lot and clothes store
SKILLS TRAINED: sit for meet and greet-#1 CGC; LLW; On the Road L3 tests: L1sit, down, target and zen, Two dog reacting: used holding her with stop it cue
SUMMARY: Sliding doors make a stunning distraction and blow LLW out of the water. USE DOORS AS DISTRACTION FOR L3 LLW. In CalRanch one lab and one little scrappy dog on leash came around corner of check stand. I picked her up, she reacted but ??on fear amount. I held her and did muzzle hold. She barked at them, but quieted. ??on effectiveness of holding her, but was easier in that pinch. Passed L1 sit, down, zen and target (L3 OTR) in post office parking lot. Post office also fit the bill for CGC #8 and our “solitude is sweet” daily task. was in clothes store for 40min. she ride in cart. Did perfect. Loves Kids, high on distraction scale.
