Sat May 9, 2009
I have a personal trainer now. Wilbur.
It has been raining in the north east for fully a week. But I have kept him busy. If I did not, I would not be able to do anything. Meeting friends, playing with other dogs at work, especially his favorite friends CCI pup Zack (12 weeks) and Konar (18 months, turning in in a few weeks).
Yesterday I had to teach 21 4th grade girl scouts. I do that all week, and intermittently introduce him to smaller classes to older (grades 2 & up) kids). He is so wonderful with children. As obnoxious as he has been playing with other dogs, he is calm, sweet and gentle with children. I wonder if Mo and Steff have children, or exposed him to children from day one?
The biggest achievement has been the reward of working him with my cats. The cats, used to dogs like Fynn and Tomba but not devildogs chasing them in play, wait on the stairs or landing whenever I come home. After much work and hot dog bits, he does an automatic sit-stay at the top of my stairs as we enter my apartment. He waits for me at the top of the stairs. I know he is waiting for a reward, and he sure gets it, and so do I.
I bought a baby pool, and even though it was just a window of non-rain today, we went for a walk, rolled in pachysandra, dove in a few puddles and played in the kiddie pool to end the session. The good thing about the pool is that it removes the mud. Yet always training in between.
He has calmed down a great deal, and played appropriately at last puppy class and in the last week. I have been learning how to roll with and work with him, so I am sort of proud of both of us.
He does not miss me when another CCI puppy raiser keeps him for the day, nor when a friend held him on leash in the school as I unloaded my car. Excellent for a service dog.
Things to work on: not getting over excited with other dogs; basic training (coming along nicely); not worrying about things (worrisome things usually resolve themselves with maturity or training); not eating stones and goose poop. Eating the grass and leaves I can work with, as it won't kill him. The stones worry me, and the goose poop: well.
Pictures and video: http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v51/ejg220/Wilbur/
