Day: 4
Session: 2
Confine dog (double amount of training time): crated 2 hours
Two 30 min or one 60 session: 30 minute session
Location #2, pattern: Schoolyard, square pattern
Leash Length: 5′
Distractions: minimal – sock
Soak time: 5-10 minutes
Sit on the dog: 45 minutes
Bradley and I returned to the schoolyard this evening for his second correct companion training session of the day. At first I was freaked out because I thought he had forgotten all his training. There was a lot of drop-and-running going on. But after a couple of minutes, he seemed to remember how its done. It was still hard to keep track but after all was said and done there was definitely less drop-and-running than yesterday.
I thought I noticed something yesterday but wasn’t sure. Today I am sure though: Bradley is starting to walk and stop on my cue. When I walk, he walks. When I stop, he stops. He’s also looking at me a fair amount when we’re walking… almost like he’s paying attention to me.
Distractions were practically non-existent, which is unusual because that is typically a hot-spot for dogs. Bradley still found something to distract him though. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that he was panting a lot near the end of the 25 minute session, but because it was dark, it took me a couple of seconds to see that it wasn’t his tongue hanging out of his mouth but actually a child’s pink sock. Yum!
Today’s session flew by thanks to the latest TWiT podcast, so I gave him a couple extra minutes of soak time while I milled about and listened.
As I type this, Bradley is getting sat on and from the looks of it, he is tuckered.