Delilah and I are up to something. Can you guess what it is?
This is the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop, hosted by BlogPaws.
By Jodi
By Jodi
Today we’re joining our friends at 2 Brown Dawgs for This ‘N That Thursday.
Many thanks to 2 Brown Dawgs.
As 2 Brown Dawgs says, “This ‘N That Thursday is for those times when you want to post about unrelated topics or each topic isn’t quite long enough to make up a whole post. It can be anything you want, so feel free to grab the button and join us!”
When I started to see the signs to join LaCrosse, I knew the time was coming when we’d once again be sharing our field. When at all possible I go home at lunch and walk the dogs, just to avoid the hassle. But there are some days when I just can’t.
Monday was such a day so Hubby said he’d go with me. Much easier with one dog per handler.
Normally I avoid the field during LaCrosse like it was the plague, but since Hubby was with me, we took a hard trail which would take us through the field on our way out of the park.
Just as we approached the field I saw a dark flash fly across the rocks, I thought to myself is that a dog?
Sure enough about a minute later a black dog that looked like a Labradoodle came tearing down the trail, followed by her owner.
As soon as I saw the dog charging at us, I dropped Delilah’s leash. Sophie tore past Delilah and me and charged at Hubby and Sampson.
“I’m so sorry” panted her owner, trying desperately to grab her dog, “she was just running with the boys.” The good news is she was friendly and just full of energy wanting to burn it off, the bad news was that she kept avoiding her owner’s grasp.
She was running back and forth between us, then would zip out and run around us in a circle, always coming back to Delilah.
Guess what happened?
Delilah and Sophie started playing!
Woot woot!!
Perseverance pays off….Just be the dog.
Our nosework classes have become progressively harder. Tuesday night for our last run, Ariane made it super hard. It took Delilah some time but she’s methodical and eventually she found her treat.
This is This ‘N That Thursday Blog hop hosted by our friends at 2 Brown Dawgs blog, go ahead. Hop along.
By Jodi
As often happens someone leaves a comment that really gets me thinking. On Thursday’s post when I made a complaint about Delilah’s recall, Carol said, “Why not use “READY” as your emergency recall?”
And 2 Brown Dawgs said, “I have discovered a new recall with Storm. I have been saying “cookie time” when it is time for her gigantic cookies. Even if she is distracted in the yard she comes a running. That did not take long….lol….2 days I think.”
Both of these comments have been rolling around in my head for the last couple of days.
Maybe I’ve missed the whole point of recalls. As I learned it, a recall was for my dog to stop whatever they were doing and come sit in front of me.
Here’s a show stopper, I stopped asking them to sit in front of me a long time ago. I figured what’s the fun on a walk if you have to stop whatever you were doing to go sit in front of someone.
BORING.
Besides I hate asking my dogs to sit in dirt or puddles if that’s what happens to be in front of me. I mean they are sitting on their tuchas and well, it’s a delicate spot after all.
No, when I want my dogs to come sit in front of me I say, “FRONT.”
As you know I have a lovely area for walking the dogs off-leash. I also have Delilah who has run off on me a few times.
I’ve said this before, I think I sometimes confuse myself and in turn the dogs, with my commands. Sampson’s recall is “Come,” so when I first started working with Delilah I chose “Here” thinking there might be times when I only wanted one dog, but as it turns out they both respond to both commands.
Reinforcement is the best way to train so I recall my dogs frequently when we walk, by saying “Here” or “Come,” but if I pay attention to what I’m doing I notice I also talk to them.
A LOT.
I talk to them like they are people and capable of understanding what I’m saying. I do this because I know that most of the time they DO know what I’m saying.
I’d like to go this way. Wait up, big guy. Stop. Come on pretty girl. Hey…hey…hey. Wait a minute, I have to pick up this poop.
And when I see that I’m losing Delilah, they all come out. Every. Single. One.
Well not the wait a minute I have to pick up this poop, (although with Delilah that might actually work) but you get the point, I panic. Blind panic.
Surprised? I didn’t think so.
So it’s more about training me than them, isn’t it? I mean they already know what all those words mean. I know this because they RESPOND to them.
So what’s been rolling around in my head?
The words EMERGENCY RECALL.
Does this mean you have more than one recall?
Like your regular every day “hey come on over here” recall and then your “holy shit I need you here five minutes ago” recall?
I’m rolling around the idea of “Cookie Time” in my head. Like randomly out in the yard or in the house singing out “Cookie Time” and then giving them something really yummy, that they don’t get on their walks. Like dehydrated turkey hearts.
Then testing it on a walk.
What do you think? Do you have more than one recall or do you strictly adhere to one? What rewards do you give your dogs when they return to you? I ask this because my dogs don’t care much for tugging, or toys which is why I use food.
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