In this installment, Seva works on Drop from a standing position and Recalls.
Training #2
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Micro Blog #2
• On June 14th, Seva weighed 22 lbs, officially doubling her weight since we got her on May 11th. Of course, now she weighs 27.5 lbs.
• Some of Seva’s well-earned nicknames: Bear: she looked remarkably like a little polar bear when we brought her home. Especially when she ran and her rear end swung side to side. Berserker: she, like all toddlers, has two speeds, berserk and crashed. Bitey McBite Bite: self-explanatory. Dingo: like Bitey McBite Bite, but with jumping and pawing, not to mention the lunge and grasp with teeth!
• Scott and I avoid disposable everything. A single roll of paper towels lasts us 6 months. Well, it did before the dog. We went through 6 rolls in 5 weeks. Yikes! Can you say, “house training”?
• We now think Seva is house trained! We’re going on two weeks without an accident.
• This dog is sun-phobic. She will watch a tossed ball to see where it lands, and only chase it if it lands in the shade. I’m not kidding!
• Prepare to be bowled over by the cutest bear around!
Fluffy baby bear. 8 weeks.
She still looks like a bear! 14 weeks.
(Thanks, Scott, for the great action shots!)
Cheesy Rice
Something amazing is happening in Seva’s brain, right now! Just like in humans, her synapses are firing constantly, forming the mental pathways that will shape her personality and worldview for the rest of her life.
Trainers take advantage of this developmental stage to shape desirable behaviors. Some of these shaped behaviors are contrary to natural, typical dog behavior. For example, if you’ve been around dogs, you’ve probably been warned not to bother the dog while it’s eating. This is because dogs “resource guard.” They instinctively signal ownership by growling or snapping at anyone who approaches them while eating or enjoying a prized treat, like a new found stick.
In this video, Seva is 9 1/2 weeks old. She illustrates several service dog behaviors.
Scott and one of our children have also put their hands in her food bowl while she is eating, and she is just as nonchalant. The ability to accept people other than her main handler is important, since ultimately she will belong to someone else.
Wag Walk & Run
Yesterday, Scott and I ran 5k at the Helping Paws Wag Walk & Run in Purgatory Park, Eden Prairie. The weather was cold and rainy, a complete turn around from the hot and humid day before. At least no one had to worry about overheating!
I’ve never seen so many dogs in one place, and plenty of retrievers in the blue vests. Something wonderful that sets this apart from other dog-centric events is that there is a clear community presence. Helping Paws has a mission and everyone involved in the organization shares that focus and drive. Several people have told us that “you come for the dogs, but you stay for the people.” That is already apparent.
Walk Walk & Run
Seva stayed at home, since she is too young to run. Actually, she is too young to handle this kind of crowd. She would have gone berserk with all those people and dogs around.
The starting gate.
There were signs for “Fast Runners,” “Casual Runners,” and “Walkers.” We put ourselves in the “Casual Runners” group. Most of the dogs were in this group and many of them passed us on the way. The thing about running with dogs, as we discovered, is that they have to stop and poop on the route, giving us a chance to pass them!
On the trail.
Scott began with an adrenaline surge, so we started fast. I kept up with him more or less and ran my fastest 5k ever. Now, this personal best is, well, a best, but I owe it all to Scott. Being sleep deprived by a puppy who gets me up several times a night for the last ten days and having a big day right before this–my graduation from an MFA program–I was really tired! All in all, it was a great run. I ran a little faster than I would have liked and Scott ran a little slower than he would have liked, and we finished together in under 31 minutes.
Scott & Alida post-run.
There were vendor booths, a fire truck, and demos. We saw a disc dog demo that was pretty cool. This dog’s concentration as it tracked the disc was amazing. It even ran up its human’s back and launched off him to catch a disc.
The dog is being spun around by the disc.
The big leap off the back.
We’ll definitely run again next year. Don’t tell the kids, but we’re planning to volunteer their services, as well! And by then, Seva will be able to join the fun.
Seva in her Wag Walk & Run 2012 bandana.