Day 11: Rainy Day Fun and Training Games

Margaret was a little more tired than usual this morning - her "take the froth off" Chuck It Fetch games in the meadow didn't last long and she was ready to lie down and chew the ball rather than run after it.  

We did some  Breakfast School training but she was a bit half hearted - and since we have been training for 10 days straight, I thought she might need a little break.   She was happy with that, and anyway, we had bigger plans for later in the morning.

At 11am  people and dogs arrived for Puppy Social - this time it was a small group, with just two of her friends from the last social, Kate and Tresi. The three dogs were evenly matched play partners and they played and played -- all over the side yard, meadow and along the trails.

We took them up into old growth forest on the ridge and they played on fallen logs, chasing each other and clambering over stumps, and eventually heading down a steep slope to the river. It was a marvelous hike, with lots of opportunities for off leash recall as well as socialization. The only problem was that the weather was turning rainy, so no photos for this one.

When we got back to the house, Margaret was throughly ready for a nap - and even took herself to her crate for a good long snooze.

She slept most of the afternoon, but eventually woke up ready to rock n' roll again.

We used her new found energy for some more training - brushing up on all the basics but paying particular attention to Bed, Stay and Leave It, since they are more sedentary types of activity.

With chicken as her reward, Margaret was very happy to practice - and progressed so well with her Stay exercises  that I could even make it half way down stairs without her getting up at all (very hard because the stairs lead to the front door and Margaret does not want to be left out of any outdoor fun).

Margaret really loves to work -- using her brain to solve training challenges makes her happy.  

 

Good Stay!

Lastly, because Margaret seemed to have got a second wind and was restless, I got out some Nina Ottosson puzzle toys. At first she was confused about what to do, so we took it step by step.

She  loved  playing with the Brick - a puzzle that involves pushing little covers back with her nose or paws, to reveal the treats hidden beneath them.

 But all good days come to an end, and Margaret is now snuffling happily in her dreams, tucked up in her crate ready for the night.