BIG DAY FOR JOSHIE!!! Off leash in the woods for the first time!! I’m so proud of him!!!
Dogs running crazy in tall grass never fails to make me yell “LAND SHARK HOOOOOO!!!”
Pit mixes are unfairly judged. It’s just a fact. (Even though most of my pittie clients have anxiety based issues.) So us pittie parents have to be extra vigilant. Ennio is learning to hold behaviors in a highly distracting environment. And she’s ROCKING IT!!
LENNY (always in upper case because he’s just that cool) crying for me after I left. He and his sister Cam were two of the OG Rhode Dogs. They haven’t been coming for a while but now they’re coming back for Old Dog love visits as they’re getting older and their family wants them to have as great a life as they can while they’re still here. Once a Rhode Dog Always a Rhode Dog.
Havoc scares most people and animals he encounters but is terrified of this small turtle. He’s a big scared lovebug.
Swimming days are here!! At least that’s what the labs say.
Josh being the benevolent sheriff - making sure no one is getting out of order or playing too rough. Love watching the personalities come out as they get comfy.
Haaaaave ya met Josh??? It’s his first day.
Slo-mo (but not really) bird chase with shore birds moving away while grumbling like old men playing checkers in the park.
Let’s check in on Tucker’s progress shall we?
LOOK AT THAT PERFECT DISTRACTED RECALL!!!!!!!! Who’s the star of the day? TUCKER!!!
Y’ALL!!!!! AGGIE IS WALKING CALMLY ON LEASH! AND IN A STORE!!!! I’ll stop yelling now but this is a huge huge huge deal!! She is my white whale - the dog who has challenged me the most every step of the way. Patience and a few years is finally paying off! Shoutout to her mom Wendy for making not giving up on her. Or me.
Tucker Our Dog of Perpetual Motion. Water + Labs 🟰 instant ZOOMIES!!!!
Tucker is the first new Camp dog of 2023! He’s a spirited smart boy!! Gonna show ya a little of how the sausage is made with this one.
Sahi and Bo are the RECALL stars 💫 of the day!! Stay tuned for public group recall classes coming this spring. Your dog can be a Rhode Dog too!!
Dogs love of snow is … well quite frankly it’s baffling. I hate the stuff. But they’re love of it makes me smile. Here’s your moment of Zen.
When you’re families are BFFs and you get to go to camp together, your day is magic.
Twice this week I’ve had doggie parents thank me for bringing joy to their dogs - and that makes me so so happy! Sharing some of today’s joy. Nothing better than autumn in New England woods with dogs who have rock solid recall - which includes staying with me until released. Stay tuned for off leash group training classes!!!!
Not all labs are graceful swimmers. Some are just really enthusiastic! (I threw a rock and somehow Biscuit came back with a stick!)
HUMPREY GOES IN!!!
Water and dogs go together, right? Not necessarily. Dogs can be cautious around water because of the way their eyes work - I won’t bore you with all the science unless you ask - and Humphrey has been cautious about going into water. Took him to the beach where things were a little clearer and he followed Angus* right in!!
*Some of you may remember Angus from being helped by Pinto to be comfortable in larger stores. Angus is paying it forward now. I match dogs for the occasion. Part of the magic.
Bo’s mom has a fabulous saying - “Bo would swim in a teacup if he could.” But when the tide is low Bo also searches for … whatever he was searching for.
River Time!!!
As the weather gets warmer we do the off leash portion of Adventure Camp near clean running water or some super secret beach areas. Dogs and water = a great time!!! Then they’re tired and ready to focus for the inside ‘school’ portion.
WAIT ….
Basic obedience behaviors are the building block for everything! I use WAIT when the dog is going to then do a movement command - in this case “Get in”. The door to the car was wide open before I released them to get in.
**Yes they are hot and panting but note the water - they had just had water and got more once they were in the car. Safety first!!!
Creeper Alert!!
Ennio lives with 2 cats. Seems she’s learned a couple of things. Sorta.
Frolicky Beach Day #TBT
I’ve had COVID this week (FIRST time I went inside a restaurant in two years to eat and I got it - but thank Science for vaccines and boosters!) so here’s a relaxing throwback to a beach off leash session at Adventure Camp a couple of years ago. Enjoy!!!
Let’s talk about jumping …
Jumping is one of the most common behaviors I work with. It’s also one of the hardest to break. Why? Because so much of what we normally do to stop the behavior is actually reinforcing the behavior to the dog. And … all those people who say “Oh it’s OK I don’t mind!” Grrrrrrr! It’s up to us as their people to speak for our dogs and tell them “No it’s not he’s under training…” and then explain what they should do. It can happen!!! This was all in one session … because the groundwork had been laid.
