3/25/2010

I work with Padre a little bit each day, several sessions lasting no longer than 5 minutes.  We've worked on hand/nose touches, sit, down, wait for dinner.  He understands sit really well, and will now do it with a verbal command.  I've started using a hand signal as well.  Padre gets ultra excited during his mini training sessions.  I usually sit on the step from our mud room into the sun room when we train, and he'll jump and bounce off of me, barking like crazy.  Yesterday I got mad at him because he was carrying on like a crazy dog.  I kinda yelled and grabbed at his collar, and it freaked him out a little.  Won't do that again, because it set us back a bit.  He didn't want to get close enough for me to reach him, and I don't blame him!  Last night I pulled out my copy of Susan Garrett's "Ruff Love".  Great little book, but I'd forgotten most of what I'd read in the past.  So this morning I implemented mini time-outs when Padre started carrying on with his excitement, and jumping and barking at me like a lunatic.  All I did was look away and stop any activity, just for a minute.  It worked like a charm.  It took the edge off of his excitement just enough to get his head back, and he worked eagerly.  We mainly worked on hand touches this morning, as well as waiting for dinner.  He does that really well now.  In a little while I'll head down to the barn to grab another crate so he can be crated when I can't have 100% attention on him.  I also have to pick up all his toys so I can control his access to them.  Puppy boot camp is starting in earnest!

I have also been working on house training Padre.  As long as I take him out immediately after he eats and then about once an hour he does really well.  The other day it was really rainy, and although he doesn't mind going out in the rain, he doesn't seem to want to do his business in it.  So he waits until he gets back inside.  Using the crate will help immensely!  Now I have to find our long lead so we can do outside work.  He has some very bad habits that I intend to finally control.  He likes to eat poop - dogs and cats.  He doesn't seem to mind whose it is.  Of course I go berserk when he does it, giving him a reaction that he interprets as attention.  Using the lead and having control will work well.  By the way, I regularly pick up dog litter in the dog yard, but can't always get it all.  And I can never tell where the cats go!  I do the best I can, but Padre has a hell of a nose!