Rainy Day

Somehow, rain and thunderstorms seems to follow our little puppy class. And if you know what rain and thunderstorms do to a dog’s attention span you also know it isn’t a good thing. Rain always seems to make Larry act all funky. He especially doesn’t like to be outside in it. At our apartment complex, he walks over to where the covered sidewalk and the grass meet and just sticks his backside out when he has to go potty, leaving his head under the dry walkway. You can only guess how the rain makes Larry feel about doing his puppy training. Add that to the fact that Merlin wanted to play and you get a very distracted Larry. But, I’m amazed at his “sit” and “stay.” He even drops his favorite rope chew toy when I give the “leave it” command. He’s getting much better and now catches on more quickly to new tricks. Friends and family have even been commenting on how good he is.

But this week’s homework could prove to be the most challenging yet. I’m supposed to be taking Larry somewhere that he’ll be around other dogs and try to get him to follow my commands despite all the distractions of new things to sniff. I’m nervous but I think it’ll give Larry a little something new. Maybe it’ll at least tire him out and he’ll stop destroying his toys, like the tennis ball he ate last week. He actually consumed the tennis ball … and the fuzz out of the middle of his other toy … and a Rolo.

Next week is graduation! Check back for class photos!

Spring Break

Class was cancelled, but it hasn’t been a dull week around the Larry Young residence. Monday, he went to the vet’s for THE surgery. He got neutered. I took him in at 8 a.m. and we went through a check-up. Then it was time for him to go back and get ready for surgery and for me to leave. I gave the leash – rather unwillingly – to Larry’s favorite vet tech and bent down to give him a goodbye hug and kiss. But he was already off through the door, leaving me alone to sulk off to the car.

All morning, I could just imagine Larry with a little IV in his paw, lying out on a surgical table. I hoped he wasn’t afraid or mad at me for leaving him there. Finally, the vet called around 11 a.m. to let me know that Larry was out of surgery and I could pick him up at 3 p.m. At 2:59, Jake and I pulled into the parking lot, excited to see Larry and talking about how he would probably be very drowsy and cute. We signed the paperwork and the receptionist called on her little headset “I need Larry Young in the waiting room.” I was thinking about how they were probably having to wake him up and pick him up out of the kennel to carry him in. Then, Larry appeared around the corner, pulling on the poor vet tech at the end of the leash. He ran across the waiting room and skidded on the tile floor as he tried to stop in front of me. We were given his pain medication and told to restrict his activity level for 10 days – no playing, no jumping. Jake and I laughed at the lady. She didn’t appreciate that.

As soon as we got home, Larry was back to his old habits: jumping up on the couch, dragging his toy around the house and eating my plants. I told Larry that if he was well enough to play, he was well enough to do homework. So, we’ve been practicing “stay” a lot to get ready for next week’s class.

Ice cream social

After missing last week’s class for a vacation, Larry was more than ready to get back to his friends this week. Merlin even sent Larry an e-mail telling him all about the homework he missed. This week, we all huddled under the park’s picnic shelter as a heavy rain fell, which seemed to distract all the puppies from going over everything we’d learned up until this point. So, with the puppies more interested in the rain and playing, we took a break. Our trainer brought special doggie ice cream for the pups. The flavor was only explained as “original” so we all wondered what dog ice cream tasted like. When I was “double dog dared” to taste it, I had to give it a lick. From now on, I promise to trust the “Not for humans!” warning label. But Larry loved it! I tried to explain brain freezes to him so he’d stop eating so fast but it somehow got lost in translation.

We allowed the puppies to get out their playtime before starting back to work while all the parents chatted. For us, class has become a kind of puppy-parent support group. We discuss our best tips for teething and potty training and all get relieved when we learn our puppy isn’t the only one with a certain weird habit. Then, we got back to the “stay” command which Larry is picking up on very well. He always tries as hard as he can to sit still but he’s so excited about the upcoming treat that it’s difficult for his little attention span. But, “leave it” is, by far, my favorite command. After a rocky start, he’s gotten much better and will even drop his beloved tennis ball. I tried to use this to teach him to fetch but, overall, Larry just doesn’t understand why I continue to throw his toy. After he retrieves it a few times, I throw it and he gives me these “Why did you do that? It’s annoying!” looks. He far prefers to sit unhindered on the snuggly chair with his blanket to play with the tennis ball.

By next week, Larry must be able to “sit” while I walk about 30 feet away from him. I anticipate lots of homework time.

Report cards

This report card is for: ­­­­­­­­­Larry Young

S = Satisfactory, N = Needs Improvement, S = Unsatisfactory

Comes to class on time - S
Demonstrates self control - N – except if he is tired!
Controls talking/barking - S
Respects others - S – Larry plays well with others!
Respects trainers - S
Plays nicely with others - S – very good playtime manners
Cooperative - N - sometimes Larry is VERY cooperative – needs consistency
Accepts responsibility - S – especially if it involves Liver
Listens attentively - S – Most of the time Larry listens, unless the other dogs are
playing
Follows rules - N – Larry is still learning about rules and consequences-
May need stronger and more clear boundaries at home
Follows directions - N - Again, clearer directions from Mom and Dad would help Larry in this area.
Stays on task - S – although Larry’s attention span is about 10 minutes
Completes homework - S
Attendance - S

Additional Comments – Larry’s genetic characteristics are truly starting to show themselves. He has the Dachshund’s sense of humor, the Beagle’s love of a good game and the nose of both breeds! Amanda, you have your hands full! But with clear direction and lots of boundaries while Larry is learning, he will turn out to be a wonderful dog that will always entertain you!

Remember that rewards for a job well done can be things other than liver – a game of chase, a walk, a ride in the car to visit the park, snuggling in front of the TV – those are all wonderful rewards that will lessen Larry’s demand for liver as his paycheck!

We can see Larry is actually calming down and listening better. Keep focused on Larry earning your attention, and he will truly start to learn his lessons quicker and be more reliable in the performance of commands he knows.

Report card completed by Lake Norman Natural Dog Training’s Fran Iwanicki.