The Beginning of a Long Journey - Update Week Three

[Sue & Lily Grace]

I am slow reporting on last week's training class because I was trying to think of something positive to say.  I can't think of one thing to say.  We hit a wall and I was frustrated and I'm sure Lily Grace was too.

She did so well with her sit/stay's at home.  She will sit without breaking for quite a long time.  I have never tested beyond 5 minutes and then I have released her.  Her down/stay is a work in progress and at home she will keep breaking before the 2 minute goal but we are working on it.  

Wednesday night was a rainy night to start with and the class is held way out east where they do not believe in street lights.  I do not do a lot of night driving and was frazzled by the time I got there.  Lily immediately saw a friend from her day camp and things went down hill from there.  I could not keep her focused on me.  She would not stay down and kept popping up.  After a while we went out into the parking lot to practice leash walking.  Now, this is not where we are the most compatible.  She will not walk and it is a constant tug of the leash to get her to move.  Well, my Lily Grace did nothing but pull trying to get to her dog friend Hudson.  This was the wall that I did not even want to try to conquer.  My frustration level peaked and I wished I was home out of the cold drizzle.

Our goal for next week is to walk our dog up to someone they know that has another dog and they are to stay sitting and relaxed.  Now, if there is a repeat of her actions with Hudson, this is never going to happen.   I am starting with people she knows and will try the sit and stay before she dissolves into puppy wiggles on the ground.  

I may have started her in this class to young.  She did not go to a puppy socialization class because they were mid cycle when I brought her home.  She is 17 weeks today and has changed so much in the 7 weeks she has been home.  We will try again next week.

[Sue & Lily Grace]

Lily is the last in a long line of dogs in my life but she is only the second pup. My Cassie, which I lost last February was 8 weeks old when I got her. I guess she was an old soul from the beginning. In her short life she was very easy to train, never destroyed anything and could always be trusted. All my other dogs were shelter dogs and were mostly trained. I found this breed dog because I wanted a dog that had Cas' intelligence that I believed came from her poodle mix. Lilly is so smart butI think that I am pushing her too fast. She picked up things so quickly that I kept asking for more.

As I am reading all the comments, I can clearly see what I am doing wrong. I am not sending her clear signals. If one thing does not work, I quickly try something else. Gosh, this is hard. She is so good at her training in the house. I am going to take a step back and not expect the same outside. We will work slower and hopefully I can remember to keep my body language calm and consistent.

Thank you all. I have to remember she has been home only 7 weeks and has come a long way in such a short time. This is a training period for me too and in another 7 weeks I will look back and be amazed at where we now are.

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Awesome !!  You sound much better already.   Just keep on and keeping on and you will have a wonderful dog.  Lily is one lucky dog to have gone home with you.