We spent this morning relaxing and listening to the thunder. Both dogs were snoozing on their Placemats and did that for a few hours. Bailey tried to wander off a few times but might have just been getting a little bit warm because she was happy to sleep with her paws on the mat but the rest of her off of her bed.
Ace did very well with his bike ride today. He needs plenty of verbal warning about when the bike will slow or turn but he is responsive and does not rush the bike. We ran him next the the bike with a pinch collar on and he fell into step nicely and was happy about the exercise. Whenever I was getting ready to turn I would slow the bike slightly and get his attention. "Ace, this way!" was usually enough for him to respect the front wheel and turn with me. I may use a heeling stick (similar to a horse riding whip) to help him with left turns when I am turning towards him. A tap on the shoulder to encourage him to respect the front wheel may help fix any hesitation he has about turning on the inside of the bike. If his owners are planning to bike with him regularly I would highly recommend investing in a bike leash. Usually made out of metal it is a stiff leash which keeps the dog a certain distance away from the back wheel and behind the front wheel to make biking safe. Training is still necessary to keep the dog from pulling the bike out from under the rider but these leashes can make it fun and very easy to enjoy a ride with your high caliber dog, like Ace.
Bailey, Bailey, Bailey. She is such a sweet girl but is proving to be a Mastiff through and through. She knows her commands and enjoys the training but she is not as demonstrative as some other dogs are. She is just so relaxed about everything. She does things at her own pace and with her own spin on them. She does not lay down and sharply prepare for her next command. Today she literally laid down and went to sleep in the time it took me to walk across the yard to do a Come command. I had to go back to her and wake her up to finish the workout. Once she opened her eyes she thumped her tail happily and was glad to Heel again. She may not ever be as sharp as the Border Collie down the street or the German Shepherd in the police car but she also won't ever have to deal with the stress of excess energy. She would rather smell the air and watch the world go by (and chase the occasional cat) than actively partake in everything around her.
Ace did very well with his bike ride today. He needs plenty of verbal warning about when the bike will slow or turn but he is responsive and does not rush the bike. We ran him next the the bike with a pinch collar on and he fell into step nicely and was happy about the exercise. Whenever I was getting ready to turn I would slow the bike slightly and get his attention. "Ace, this way!" was usually enough for him to respect the front wheel and turn with me. I may use a heeling stick (similar to a horse riding whip) to help him with left turns when I am turning towards him. A tap on the shoulder to encourage him to respect the front wheel may help fix any hesitation he has about turning on the inside of the bike. If his owners are planning to bike with him regularly I would highly recommend investing in a bike leash. Usually made out of metal it is a stiff leash which keeps the dog a certain distance away from the back wheel and behind the front wheel to make biking safe. Training is still necessary to keep the dog from pulling the bike out from under the rider but these leashes can make it fun and very easy to enjoy a ride with your high caliber dog, like Ace.
Bailey, Bailey, Bailey. She is such a sweet girl but is proving to be a Mastiff through and through. She knows her commands and enjoys the training but she is not as demonstrative as some other dogs are. She is just so relaxed about everything. She does things at her own pace and with her own spin on them. She does not lay down and sharply prepare for her next command. Today she literally laid down and went to sleep in the time it took me to walk across the yard to do a Come command. I had to go back to her and wake her up to finish the workout. Once she opened her eyes she thumped her tail happily and was glad to Heel again. She may not ever be as sharp as the Border Collie down the street or the German Shepherd in the police car but she also won't ever have to deal with the stress of excess energy. She would rather smell the air and watch the world go by (and chase the occasional cat) than actively partake in everything around her.
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