Life has been happening, the weather has been too cold for outdoor work, and Glimmer’s lessons have fallen a few days behind schedule as a result. However, the great thing about my boot camp is that it works with life’s flow, not against it. So, onward we go!
Glimmer has shown she needs a lot of work with her loose-leash heel. She is still tending to pull slightly ahead on the walk, and when she sees people – especially, children, which are her absolute favorite humans – she becomes very excited and starts pulling hard on the leash to go and meet them. I love that at five years of age, she still has a puppy-like joy with people, but at the same time, she is five years old and she knows better than to greet with that kind of excitement. So, I have a lot of work to do with her to get her back on track.
That’s the thing about training. It doesn’t stop just because you’ve completed an obedience basics course. Lessons must be practiced consistently throughout the dog’s entire life, or your dog will become complacent and lazy about rules, boundaries, and limitations, and start practicing unwanted behaviors.
This week, because the temperatures are too cold for us to work outdoors, Glimmer is working on everything from a very basic “sit”, to games such as color and object recognition and “find me.” Making lessons fun and interesting is important to draining out mental energy as well as physical energy.
Have a great day, everyone, and remember: Stay calm and lead on…