Half Full

Having a puppy with you 24x7 provides literally hundreds of training opportunities everyday. Whether we take the time to notice and provide the necessary positive/negative reinforcement is up to us. It's much easier to prevent a bad canine behavior from starting than reshaping the undesirable.

Generally our hard work and vigilance goes unnoticed. Others only see when our puppies misbehave or fail to do what we ask. That being said, we have had repeated positive experiences at the veterinarian's office.

Our vet, Dr. Mike, like to toss kibble to the dogs. Monte is a retriever, not a catcher, and the kibble always bounces off his nose ending up on the floor. Unlike other labs, Monte LEAVEs it alone, even after Dr. Mike told him he could GET IT. We told Dr. Mike that he won't eat it off the floor and he was impressed and he continues to test him each time we visit.

Those of you raising a "starving" Labrador know that they will chew on and eventually eat anything and everything. It seems as though they will explode before they stop eating, so getting a dog to resist a food temptation is the Holy Grail.

We began with the Puppy Choice game and he eventually got it. However, it doesn't work as well for food or food-like substances already on the ground. In this case, I see the glass as half full.