I absolutely love getting out every morning with my labrador Simon and walking or hiking. I have explored places on our island that I may never have done with out him… his needs combat the lazy voice in my head that urges me to just sleep a little bit longer!  I like to balance on leash walks or hikes with off leash opportunities for him. Our plan this morning was to go to a nice off leash area. So, despite the rain - torrential at times-  off we went! We walked along paths today that were frequently littered with horse droppings. I know many other dog lovers out there who struggle to keep their dogs away from such a delicacy. Some trainers have even said they have met dogs that have been impossible to train out of indulging in a buffet of horse droppings. I have worked very hard at this with Simon and, mostly, we have success. The success started with the teaching of a ‘leave it’ cue. Building a strong foundation with this cue is key, as it is with any cue. So, do not be tempted to move fast in training ‘leave it’ - do not skip steps or add more difficult tasks than your dog is ready for.  Remember, we want to try to set up our dogs to succeed in their training as often as possible. We build upon success as we train and challenge our dogs when we see them easily succeeding at any given step along the way. So start easy with the ‘leave it’ cue and build up to being able to pass by the horse dropping buffet! These days I am particularly humored when I see Simon look at the droppings, lick his lips and then look to me in anticipation of his reward. Sometimes I still reward with a treat and sometimes I reward with verbal praise or some goofy play. Here is a training handout that I hope will be helpful to you and your dog to master this very useful behavior!  leave-it.pdf

Walking in the rain this morning with my dog, Simon, I was in a contemplative state. Simon was enjoying off leash freedom and my mind was free to wander. I began thinking about the dogs I met last evening, the start of the new class session. In particular, I was thinking about meeting Libby and Theo. Two dogs who had been kept in cages early in life. Libby’s cage was so small that she could not stand up. Both Libby and Theo’s bone structure was significantly affected by living in such poor conditions. Both had other challenges to overcome as they adjusted to living with humans who would love and care for them. But, what struck me was the great resiliency both dogs displayed. Their ability to love (and I do believe dogs experience feelings- if you doubt it, check out Patricia McConnell’s and Marc Bekoff’s work) their people after experiencing abuse at the hands of other peopple was stunning. Their ability to be around other dogs and participate in class was also apparent. As I walked, thought about these two dogs. and watched Simon display the pure joy of being out and about in the world- I was grateful once again to be able to share my life with dogs. I was grateful that dogs are so adept in adjusting to living with another species (us!) and mostly, I was grateful that they give us a second chance when we mess up. (more…)

When Simon and I headed out to walk yesterday morning the temperature was clinging to the ten degree mark - one certainly does not think it a good day for swimming. Simon, on the other hand, thought it a marvelous day for a plunge into the refreshing waters of the stream we were passing. Thinking he was going down to have a sniff, I let him continue down the bank to the sides of the stream. On his return I noted a dampness about him, ah, yes my little fella had gone for the Labrador plunge, and then a zesty slither through the snow! What could be better if you happen to be a dog that was bred to plunge into the icy waters off Canada.  It was a wonderful morning for a walk and today was as well. Keeping a brisk pace kept me warm and so I was delighted to watch Simon explore smells, hop about and practice our off-leash recalls. We also like to play hide-n-seek and he finds me every time! I actually must be quite sneaky if I am to successfully hide at all, which is great as it shows me that the time we have spent on developing focus is paying off. I love having a dog that, when walking off leash, likes to keep tabs on where I am and frequently checks in with me - critical skills to have if we are to one day compete in agility trials. 

An absolute glorious morning walk along the ocean this morning. The sun shining, the waves breaking and lots of great smells for Simon. He was going wild smelling like mad - we passed a nice fresh batch of coyote scat, lots of tracks and then Simon discovered a coyote carcass underneath some low conifer branches. I had noticed the raised hair along Simon’s back, so went over to see what had triggered this, and there lying on the ground was the body of a coyote. Interestingly, as we looped back past the carcass, Simon did not even glance in its direction. Which started me thinking about how our dog’s percieve death- too much to write about this evening. I also wondered what Simon learned from that carcass, suspecting that he knew a great deal more about that animal than I did. I suspect some of these thoughts have grown out of the wonderful book I have been reading - Minding Animals: Awareness, Emotions and Heart by Marc Bekoff. I highly recommend it. (more…)

We had a beautiful new layer of snow fell over the evening and it was absolutely stunning on our walk this morning. Simon headed out to one of our favorite places to walk - a place where it is ok for him to be off leash and to run and roll in the snow to his heart’s delight. Yet, soon after heading out I spotted a coyote crossing the pond below us. I decided to clip Simon’s leash on, pretty sure that when he caught the scent of the coyote he might want to investigate a bit closer than I was comfortable with! The coyote crossed the pond, and started up the slope opposite of where Simon and I were walking. She/he looked back at us and paused a number of times. We, in turn, did the same. The coyote spent a bit of time with her/his snout in the snow and then she/he settled down in a sitting position facing back across the pond towards us. I’m not sure if the coyote was waiting for another to join her/him, checking out Simon and I a bit longer, waiting for a small mammal to betray itself under the fresh layer of snow or just enjoying the day. I decided to keep Simon on his leash and we continued on our way. As I predicted, when we got to the place where the coyote had crossed our path, Simon caught the scent and went wild with interest. Meanwhile the coyote sat and observed. When we looped back, the coyote was no longer sitting in the field. I am so grateful to live in a place where I see wild animals and today’s sighting was enhanced by the mist rising off the ice covered pond, the fresh snow cover, the trees laden with snow, the quiet, the sun just starting to shine and being with Simon.  (more…)

Our time out this morning was beautific! Simon’s Nonni came with us making it an extra special day. There was a nice fresh cover of snow, and some new smells for Simon. He got to romp about off lead and did a great job at returning when asked. A few games of hide-n-seek are always a good compliment to the walk, and a great way to reinforce ‘focus’.  We played ‘go get Nonni’ and ‘go get mommy’ and boy oh, boy did Simon spin with glee when he got to us. It is such fun when we humans remember that all of training can be a game for our dogs and usually we all benefit from the levity that comes with the game approach. Think of how you currently ask for a ‘come’ and notice the qualities of your voice and your body posture. Now, try to re-imagine it as if ‘come’ is the most fun game on the planet and notice how different your voice and body posture are. Have fun with your dogs today and give them an extra cuddle for allowing you to experience the lighter side of life!

Simon and I walked with Larry today. Weekends are nice as Larry usually does not have time before work to join us. The morning already had a warmness about it that made us think it will be a rather hot, humid day. OK, after the unseasonably cool August weather we have been having. Simon had a blast running through the woods and leaping up into the air. He is quite proficient in the classic “four foot stab”. We met a nice man out jogging and Simon was able to display polite greeting behavior… well he only lept into the air once and did not jump on the man : ) Tempering Simon’s joy at meeting all walks of life has been quite a process. It is nice to see he is learning to practice self-control! Wonderfull recall back to me!