Penny goes to School - weeks four, five and six
I've neglected to report on the past few weeks' training sessions . . . except for each week's class topic, they have pretty much been more of the same -- Penny barks a lot, but will do anything for a treat from the instructor.
In the fourth session, we learned about Loose Leash Walking combined with Take It and Leave It, Come when called, and Stay.
Loose Leash Walking is still a work in progress, even for Keli, so Penny is making slow progress in that area. Fortunately for me, she weighs less than 15 lbs. so I can control her when she pulls. But she does comprehend the idea of "Leave It" -- when we find something icky on the street while we're walking, she'll sniff, but will continue walking when I tell her to leave it. We'll keep working on that one with both Westies, probably forever.
Surprisingly, Stay was not that difficult for her -- as long as there is a treat involved. Come when called was part of our homework.
After class, our instructor suggested I try something called Rescue Remedy with Penny, to calm her down for stressful situations (like visiting the PetSmart). It's a homeopathic stress relief remedy, intended for humans but used for dogs. I thought out loud, "It's worth a try and if it doesn't work for her, I'll use it before class." The first GNC I visited was sold out -- it must have been a pretty stressful week in town! We finally found it at a different GNC store.
About an hour before the week five class, we gave Penny two drops of the Rescue Remedy. I didn't notice anything different at first; she did seem a little more subdued on the ride to class, but she's usually pretty calm and quiet in the car.
In week five we covered Combining Come When Called with Sit. The class exercise to demonstrate this cue was amusing. Our instructor brought us out into the store and we all took turns calling our dogs, who were attached to a really long training lead. The dog is supposed to come to us and sit in front facing us. I didn't really get to see how the other dogs behaved, since Penny was barking, as usual, and I was trying to distract her and quiet her. It didn't seem as if the Rescue Remedy made much difference.
When it was our turn, she came to me but sat sideways looking up at me. She would not sit facing me. I think she does that because when we practice Sit at home, she's usually next to Keli and they end up facing each other. Now I have to correct both of them.
After that exercise, we returned to the training room for a little while and at that point I noticed Penny was looking a little sleepy. Maybe the Rescue Remedy was finally kicking in. She behaved well for about 3 minutes at a time, then returned to barking at the other dogs. {sigh}
I'd say it was a minor improvement, so before the next class I gave her the Rescue Remedy half an hour earlier than before.
In week six, we learned about Sit for Greeting, which means no jumping on visitors. The verbal cue is "Off". We're still working on this with Keli, too; after six years she's just about got it. We started teaching Penny Off ever since she came home; she is learning, but we have a long way to go.
During class, our instructor practiced walking up to each of the other dogs, who of course behaved nicely and sat right away. Penny needed more convincing and didn't grasp the concept until she waved a treat in front of her nose (or stepped on the leash so she couldn't jump). Our homework is Loose Leash Walking combined with Sit for Greetings. I have a feeling this is another behavior we'll be working on for a long time to come.
After all, we are still working on house training . . . and we're so close to achieving that one, after 3 months . . . but that's a post for another day. . .
Next: Weeks Seven and Eight
In the fourth session, we learned about Loose Leash Walking combined with Take It and Leave It, Come when called, and Stay.
Loose Leash Walking is still a work in progress, even for Keli, so Penny is making slow progress in that area. Fortunately for me, she weighs less than 15 lbs. so I can control her when she pulls. But she does comprehend the idea of "Leave It" -- when we find something icky on the street while we're walking, she'll sniff, but will continue walking when I tell her to leave it. We'll keep working on that one with both Westies, probably forever.
Surprisingly, Stay was not that difficult for her -- as long as there is a treat involved. Come when called was part of our homework.
After class, our instructor suggested I try something called Rescue Remedy with Penny, to calm her down for stressful situations (like visiting the PetSmart). It's a homeopathic stress relief remedy, intended for humans but used for dogs. I thought out loud, "It's worth a try and if it doesn't work for her, I'll use it before class." The first GNC I visited was sold out -- it must have been a pretty stressful week in town! We finally found it at a different GNC store.
About an hour before the week five class, we gave Penny two drops of the Rescue Remedy. I didn't notice anything different at first; she did seem a little more subdued on the ride to class, but she's usually pretty calm and quiet in the car.
In week five we covered Combining Come When Called with Sit. The class exercise to demonstrate this cue was amusing. Our instructor brought us out into the store and we all took turns calling our dogs, who were attached to a really long training lead. The dog is supposed to come to us and sit in front facing us. I didn't really get to see how the other dogs behaved, since Penny was barking, as usual, and I was trying to distract her and quiet her. It didn't seem as if the Rescue Remedy made much difference.
When it was our turn, she came to me but sat sideways looking up at me. She would not sit facing me. I think she does that because when we practice Sit at home, she's usually next to Keli and they end up facing each other. Now I have to correct both of them.
After that exercise, we returned to the training room for a little while and at that point I noticed Penny was looking a little sleepy. Maybe the Rescue Remedy was finally kicking in. She behaved well for about 3 minutes at a time, then returned to barking at the other dogs. {sigh}
I'd say it was a minor improvement, so before the next class I gave her the Rescue Remedy half an hour earlier than before.
In week six, we learned about Sit for Greeting, which means no jumping on visitors. The verbal cue is "Off". We're still working on this with Keli, too; after six years she's just about got it. We started teaching Penny Off ever since she came home; she is learning, but we have a long way to go.
During class, our instructor practiced walking up to each of the other dogs, who of course behaved nicely and sat right away. Penny needed more convincing and didn't grasp the concept until she waved a treat in front of her nose (or stepped on the leash so she couldn't jump). Our homework is Loose Leash Walking combined with Sit for Greetings. I have a feeling this is another behavior we'll be working on for a long time to come.
After all, we are still working on house training . . . and we're so close to achieving that one, after 3 months . . . but that's a post for another day. . .
Next: Weeks Seven and Eight
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