Day 9: Coming and Going

Today our focus was on recall, and leash walking in a high distraction setting, with Stay and other basics thrown in for good measure!

We also worked on barking at potential "intruders" (voice sounds from my computer, knocking sounds), demand barking (when she wants something),  modulating  excitement (expressed in attempts to get on the sofa, stealing things etc),  and general teenage defiance.  

We began with some long distance off leash recall on a trail - she loved this lesson and came flying to me when I called her. Sometimes I hid out of sight to make things more interesting and sharpen up her intention to keep me in view.  She came back promptly when I called 100% of the time, from any distance - otherwise I would have leashed her immediately. She really doesn't like to have me out of her sight for long, and is increasingly responsive to her call words (Margaret COME!) Or, when she is not as fast as I would like or if the recall is more challenging I use PUPUPUPUPUPUPUP! in a high excited tone. That almost always does the trick so I am careful not to use it unless I am sure she will come, and I have extra good treats with which to reward her.

Pupupupupup!!!!!!

 All that recall training had an added benefit  - it wore her out! She threw herself down when we got back into the meadow and chomped on a clod of grass.

The second part of the day was a trip to Florence to do some leash walking training in new places. We drove to my friend's house to pick her up as I had to take her to the hospital for a treatment. While she was there, Margaret and I drove to the boardwalk in Old Town,  where there are always plenty of things, people and dogs to serve as distractions.

The first thing that happened when we go out of the car was  Margaret getting freaked out by a bag on someone's tow bar. She barked and barked, so we took it slowly until she realized "Silly me, it's just a bag!"

No big deal - it even delivers treats!

 Margaret did some lovely leash walking and Sit Stays.

Then I let Margaret have a good sniff around before we got down to more training.

When we got to the boardwalk, Margaret saw something else that freaked her out - old posts sticking out of the water.

I don't know what she thought they were but she barked and barked, backing away, tail tucked. Again we needed to take things slowly and get her used to them, by moving away and then moving closer as she got braver.
 

 Since this was turning out to be a useful socialization opportunity, we took a walk down a ramp made of metal grating.

Then we walked along the floating docks between the boats and Margaret checked everything out.

 Margaret had another look at the posts from another angle - not so scary this time, but still weird.

 There were other things to take her mind off them though. Lots of fishy smells around fishing boats!

 By now the posts were old hat.

 We walked up a wooden ramp next

 Then we walked through the town, checking out odd and interesting things.

Very. Odd!

 

One of the places we walked today

Same street - other direction

Margaret practiced saying hi to some people, and a couple of nice dogs, and was good about ignoring people and dogs unless I gave her permission to greet. She still wants to jump but is less intense about it and often doesn't jump at all.

In the late afternoon, we took my friend back to her house, and spent some time with her and Sy. My friend is recovering from abdominal surgery so it was important that Margaret didn't jump on her.
She did well, with plenty of help from a short leash, lots of guidance, and hot dog! She practiced her indoor manners in a new house, and lay quietly next to me on leash while we ate dinner.

By the time we got home, Margaret was ready for her own dinner, and was soon out like a light after her big day!