Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Light Bulb Moment

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Yesterday I hinted at a light bulb moment I had during our Tuesday night training class.

If there was an incident or comment that caused it to happen, I can’t put my finger on it.  All I know is I was struck by an epiphany.

I don’t work with my dogs enough.

Granted since we started taking this class, I’ve gotten better with practicing, but I still haven’t set time aside each day to work with the dogs.

I can’t expect Delilah to know what I want her to do, when I’m not consistent with my requests.

It’s not like I don’t attempt to train my dogs, it’s just that once I teach them a command, I expect they know it and then I sort of don’t reinforce it as frequently as I should.

Which brings me to our recall.

How in the world do I expect Delilah to return to me, if I only ask her for it right when she’s found a really enticing smell?

It’s not like Sara hasn’t drilled this into my head.  How many times have I heard her say, I call my dogs back about 75 times a walk?

So how is it, that it never sunk in before?

I’m reminded of learning my multiplication tables, I said it so many times over and over again that it is ingrained in my memory.

Seven times seven is forty-nine.

Which is exactly what I need to do with the dogs, I have to work it over and over again until it is second nature.

I want to work it so much that my dogs come back to me every couple of minutes all on their own.

Is that even possible?

Do you have a training schedule set aside for your dog?  How frequently do you reinforce your commands?

The bigger question is, where do you find the time?

Team Delilah

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I wanted to share something really amazing that happened at Delilah (and my) training class last Tuesday.

The class is held in a smallish size gymnasium.  I’m very grateful the class is small because it gives us a bit of room to spread out and not be too close to another dog.

It was our next to the last class and Jackie, our instructor had a little Rally ring set up.  Just to give people a small taste of what Rally is all about.

Before we had the opportunity to do Rally, Jackie stated she was going to test us with our leave it command.  (Coincidentally this is also the class where I had my light bulb moment of everything I’ve been doing wrong, but that is a post for another day.)

I watched as Jackie, armed with a squeaky toy and a handful of treats approached each team in turn.  For whatever reason Delilah and I were last.  I stood facing Delilah, waiting anxiously,  worried that I would fail Delilah and myself.

Finally it was our turn.  From the corner of my eye I saw Jackie approaching from my right, I can’t tell you how close she actually came but I would guess it was within three to four feet.

I had Delilah focused on me, by having a treat in my right hand, with my right fore-finger resting on the tip of my nose.  Our gaze was intent, there is no other way to describe it, I didn’t dare look away.

Squeak.

Delilah’s head shifted slightly to her left.

Eck!  Look, I said.

Snap her head turned back to me.

Squeak, squeak.

Look. That’s right, stay focused on me.  Good girl, you’re doing fantastic.

I heard the handful of treats drop, but neither Delilah nor I looked, or even flinched.

Our eyes were locked and Team Delilah rocked.

Follow-Up Friday

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For those new to the blog, my follow-up Friday provides me with an opportunity to update or revise a post from the previous week.

You know sometimes you post about something and you need an update but it doesn’t warrant a whole blog.  Or sometimes someone made a comment that really resonated with you.  Yup, Follow-Up Friday baby!

Please feel free to grab the badge and join me in recapping or wrapping up your week.   It doesn’t matter if you do it every week or just once in  a while.

Drifting – Author’s Note:

This week I was back at work and found I did much less drifting.  I was more focused on getting done what needed to get done.

I caught up on the blogs in my google reader, managed to get most blog posts up in a timely manner.

Walking the dogs wasn’t too bad.  Monday I gave them a quick walk after work.  Tuesday was training class so I left Sampson’s walk up to Hubby.  Wednesday was too hot to walk during the day so Hubby and I had a quick walk around the block at dusk.   Last night we ran into our walking friend and her dog and ended up going to check out her house, where the dogs got some swimming in.

This time my friend was able to show Delilah how to get into the pool.  Her first couple of returns were a little panicked as she tried to find a way out, but by her third time in, she knew right where to go.

Here is a little video I took of her fetching a toy.

I’m not sure if you can see in the video but she opens her feet so wide, it almost looks like a duck’s foot.

Here Here! – Author’s Note:

When Delilah and I were at training class on Tuesday, our instructor commented on how well she was doing.

Yes she really is.

I really have hope.

Did You Ever Have One Of Those Days – Author’s Note:

When you are having a day like I was, it is sometimes hard to spin it and find the positive, but somehow you need to.  So here is how I spun that.

Work – The little rush to clean the office resulted in me finally getting the majority of my desk cleaned off.  I finished it up yesterday morning.  I switched my phone and calculator and found that I like it much better.  The phone cord is no longer interfering with my mouse which is causing me much less stress.

The Screen – The best thing is that Delilah did not hurt herself in her frenzy to get the cat and the bonus is I get a new screen out of the deal.  The best part is Hubby recently learned to repair screens and the cost will be minimal.

It’s all about the positive here at Stone Manor.

How was your week?

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