Frankie and Geno kicked off today doing some obedience! The rotated through a variety of cues including sit, down, stay, and come. Both did great! We were able to challenge Geno by jumping around while he worked on stay and we challenged Frankie by requiring her to hold sits and downs for longer durations!
Opal continued working in down today! We moved to the front lobby and practiced in a high distraction environment! Opal did a great job consistently responding to the down cue! She had moments of distraction but did well at reengaging after she patrolled the windows! For the last five minutes of her session we practiced loose leash walking in the parking lot! She was awesome and when she’d pull, she would recovered quickly back into the correct position following the “with me” cue!
Blue and Felix teamed up for a zoomie fiasco! These two best friends are super silly- give them a wide open space to run around together and you’re in for some great entertainment! Felix very quickly found a stray tennis ball that he insisted was only going to remain safe if HE carries it. Blue taught Felix and I about how to hunt like a fox by listening closely to a leaf pile and then pouncing onto it! By the end of their time both boys were exhausted!
Blue is working on his portfolio for art school! He completed our turkey paw painting today and was a distinguished gentleman the whole time! He was very patient allowing us to clean his paw between paw prints and managed to keep the paint off his white fur!
Daisy worked on her doorway manners and learned the leg weave trick today! She kicked off her session needing a brief refresher on what a sit-stay is because the prospect of going outside made the door opening too exciting for her! Once she was ready we started with short sit-stays while the door opened and closed and were able to build up to the door opening and the handler walking outside while she sat patiently! Daisy was a natural when it came to using her herding breed genetics to learn the leg weave trick! She had fun and was engaged with learning!
Delilah and Daisy were off to the races during enrichment! They practiced their sit-stays and recall while racing around the field! Their race style was more delicate and thoughtful than the chaotic speed of other groups of racers! The girls enjoyed their game of chase and be chased and both were super responsive to the recall cue! They were more inspired to run when I ran along with them— hopefully they’re tired! I know I am!
Poppy the painter made her turkey paw art today! She worked very hard to mix the perfect balance of blue, orange, and pink for each paw print and charged a steep treat price for each one. She turned into a wiggle butt every time she was praised and enjoyed many pets throughout her session!
Bugs and Kona worked on loud noise desensitization! They were exposed to the leaf blower, a tin bowl dropping, and fireworks sounds played on a speaker. Kona started off unsure about the leaf blower soon she discovered that being brave meant treats! Kona wasn’t at all phased by the bowl dropping or the fireworks and approached both scenarios without any hesitation! Bugs was worried about the leaf blower so we had big sister Tilly come out and show him it was nothing to worry about! He worked up his courage slowly and eventually made it over to the leaf blower to check it out! He conquered the firework noises very bravely!
Delilah started composing her opening routine for the next season of dancing with the stars! She learned how to do a leg weave in which she passes between the legs of her handler while they are walking! She got the hang of it quickly and we were able to reduce the use of a lure by the end of the session! Delilah wants her routine to be perfect so we also worked on her spin both while on four paws and while standing, and her bow!
Frankie had a great time with the spinning puzzle toys! She quickly discovered that if she tipped the blue one on its side, all the treats would fall out. The purple puzzle required more thought; you could see her brain working as she figured it out! When the treats came flying out, she felt so proud and happy! What a smart pup! Chili had a great day practicing loose leash walking and visiting his favorite friends, the goats. He was eager to say hello, which made it challenging to stay focused. To help him, we used direction changes and encouraged him to sit and make eye contact. He quickly learned that walking nicely on the leash would get him closer to the goats. Once he refocused, he walked great for the rest of the time, and his goat friends were excited to see him!
Opal showed up with lots of energy today! She worked very hard on her leash skills, sit-stays, and recall! We also started working on an eye contact cue “look” to give her more tools to cope with situations that make her nervous! She was excellent and engaged throughout her session!
Making new friends is fun, but making new goat friends is even more exciting! Spending time with goats is always a favorite activity, and there’s so much to explore! Copper and Bebe were really curious about all the different smells. They acknowledged the goats at first, but then spent most of their time with their noses to the ground. Barry and Frankie were all about playtime! These goofballs had a blast tumbling around together and sharing tasty treats with their new friends. The goats also showcased some of their playful skills!
