Our friend Teddy is almost done! We are preparing for Teddy to be picked up tomorrow and I am very pleased with how his workouts went today. I pushed him pretty hard today trying to "stress test" his new commands. He knows what he needs to know now but he is not acting like the new knowledge is permanent. He still gets flustered and confused sometimes (usually when he is unsure if he is supposed to Down or stay sitting when I do an implied stay from an Auto-Sit) but most of the time he just needs a verbal correction and it becomes more clear to him. His people will need to be very clear and consistent in the first week he is home to make it clear that Teddy's obedience skills are his new way of life and not just tricks.
We used the stroller a lot today. At first Teddy was frightened of the stroller and tried to hop away from it. It did not take long, however, to have him Heeling/Auto-Sitting, laying Down on command, and even doing an Implied Stay next to the stroller while I went and picked an apple and then returned to him. The Implied Stay was by far the hardest thing for him after the initial fear of the stroller monster was overcome. I was able to walk him with the leash draped around my shoulders (keeping both hands free to steer the stroller but also making it easy for me to pop Teddy if he forgot himself and started walking too far ahead of me). He will now be able to take walks with his whole family without putting the infant in danger.
Right now Teddy is curled up on his Place mat in front of the fireplace looking very warm and picturesque. I think I will send him home with a training tab to make it easier to hold him accountable in the home for the first week. A training tab is a small leash about 6" long that the dog wears like a neck tie. It makes it possible to still correct the dog in the house without having him drag a leash. I think this will be helpful in the house where he still struggles with things like hopping up on the couch or slowly sneaking/oozing off of his Place mat.
I will miss this guy. He has been an absolute joy to teach. While he posed his share of challenges he made a shining example of a dog who was bred to work with people. He has been eager to learn but not so fawning that he wouldn't put forth his own...input about the decisions that I was making for him. Plus, he sings sometimes which always makes me smile.
Tomorrow we are working him a few last times, taking his videos and his glamor shots, and running a brush over him to make sure he goes home as pretty as a dog who spent a week on a farm can look. One thing is for sure, Angela the garage cat will miss her snuggle buddy!
We used the stroller a lot today. At first Teddy was frightened of the stroller and tried to hop away from it. It did not take long, however, to have him Heeling/Auto-Sitting, laying Down on command, and even doing an Implied Stay next to the stroller while I went and picked an apple and then returned to him. The Implied Stay was by far the hardest thing for him after the initial fear of the stroller monster was overcome. I was able to walk him with the leash draped around my shoulders (keeping both hands free to steer the stroller but also making it easy for me to pop Teddy if he forgot himself and started walking too far ahead of me). He will now be able to take walks with his whole family without putting the infant in danger.
Right now Teddy is curled up on his Place mat in front of the fireplace looking very warm and picturesque. I think I will send him home with a training tab to make it easier to hold him accountable in the home for the first week. A training tab is a small leash about 6" long that the dog wears like a neck tie. It makes it possible to still correct the dog in the house without having him drag a leash. I think this will be helpful in the house where he still struggles with things like hopping up on the couch or slowly sneaking/oozing off of his Place mat.
I will miss this guy. He has been an absolute joy to teach. While he posed his share of challenges he made a shining example of a dog who was bred to work with people. He has been eager to learn but not so fawning that he wouldn't put forth his own...input about the decisions that I was making for him. Plus, he sings sometimes which always makes me smile.
Tomorrow we are working him a few last times, taking his videos and his glamor shots, and running a brush over him to make sure he goes home as pretty as a dog who spent a week on a farm can look. One thing is for sure, Angela the garage cat will miss her snuggle buddy!
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