Those magic words!
Posted: 22 Jun 2009, 10:51
As you know Bob has been undergoing training (or more to the point I have been undergoing training on how to train Bob!)
He is walking at my side or even just behind me most of the time now and last night when we were having our evening walk/train three people were walking towards us along our normally quiet lane. Bob still wants to meet everyone in typical lab style so I said "Sit Bob, stay" and he sat immediately and he stayed. One of the people said those magic words "What a well behaved dog!". I really never expected to hear this description of my lovely Bob - you can imagine how it made me feel.
It has been slow progress after the initial successes but he really is getting there now. He spends much more of his time on our walks watching me for silent instructions and instead of trying to lead me where he thinks we should go he waits to see where I am going to take him. The progress has been so slow that I hadn't really noticed until the last week or so.
He really is becoming the dog that he deserves to be.
The trainer says that I have to continue our quiet walks with no disruptions for at least another four weeks before I venture forth into places where other dogs are likely to be. The idea being that it becomes second nature for Bob to pay more attention to me than to other dogs which should make him much calmer. (He has also said that Bob needs a little friend but I cannot convince Malc!)
He is walking at my side or even just behind me most of the time now and last night when we were having our evening walk/train three people were walking towards us along our normally quiet lane. Bob still wants to meet everyone in typical lab style so I said "Sit Bob, stay" and he sat immediately and he stayed. One of the people said those magic words "What a well behaved dog!". I really never expected to hear this description of my lovely Bob - you can imagine how it made me feel.
It has been slow progress after the initial successes but he really is getting there now. He spends much more of his time on our walks watching me for silent instructions and instead of trying to lead me where he thinks we should go he waits to see where I am going to take him. The progress has been so slow that I hadn't really noticed until the last week or so.
He really is becoming the dog that he deserves to be.
The trainer says that I have to continue our quiet walks with no disruptions for at least another four weeks before I venture forth into places where other dogs are likely to be. The idea being that it becomes second nature for Bob to pay more attention to me than to other dogs which should make him much calmer. (He has also said that Bob needs a little friend but I cannot convince Malc!)
