Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Leash Burn and Other Training News

You might know that last week I opted to blow off Week Five of Dewi's basic obedience class in favor of Mr. Clean.  You might also know that my sweet, lovable and handsome Dewi occasionally pulls on leash like a yoked ox when in the presence of new dogs, people and places.  Hmmm.  Well, let me just skip on to the things he did well in Week Six of class last night:
  1. Stay in place (30 feet/twice)  Awesome!
  2. Down on command
  3. Sit (except for once when the Mastiff interrupted)
  4. Perform the "Dewi Dance" (however unprompted, which is a no-no)
  5. Look adorable
  6. Befriend others
Other than that, I got leash burn on my hand about 30 minutes into class.

Things I learned:
  1. Don't skip class unless I'm prepared to deal with Dewi reacquainting hurling himself with toward long-lost friends.
  2. Run Dewi until he nearly drops within two hours of class time.
  3. Get better treats (maybe a slab of raw bacon?).
  4. Wear a glove if more than one week has passed between classes.
Oh, Dewi; you know I love you, crazy man!!!
Does this look like the face of a crazy man?

5 comments:

  1. See, he did great! Considering how you described the last class, he was a champ.

    I'm thinking Red Dog Mom has something with the steak pieces. Slim Jims might not be enough to tame the not-so-savage beast.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, he'd probably love rare steak. Wish I didn't also love rare steak - I might eat some, too. :(
    That little 36-lb. corgi pulled so hard that my back, arms and hands ached after class.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ladies! That is why all the good handlers keep the bait in their mouths - snacks for you and the dog! Poor Georgia has to subsist on pork sausage and steak out of my pockets since I don't really care for meat.

    What kind of leash are you using for the D-man? Maybe switch to something that doesn't burn when ripped through your palm? Have you tried using a halti on him? I have one you can borrow, if you'd like.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm sorry, but any kind of food that's going in my mouth is going to be ingested, not given to the dog! That's why my kindergarten report card surely said "does not share well with others." ;-) I think I was a corgi in a past life.

    ReplyDelete
  5. RDM - They'd only get the gristle. I'm with Builder Mama, unless it tastes awful, it's gettin' swallowed. That's why I keep the Slim Jim on my hip; I'd eat that, too.

    I don't have a head collar and honestly, I don't know much about them. I'll let you know though if I decide to go that route. (Thank you!) We're not allowed to use them in the basic class - only flat collars.

    ReplyDelete

We love comments almost as much as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Thank you!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...