Puppy Wrangling

Friday evening, we attended the Custom Canine Howliday Party. Cooper's behavior was excellent given the food, children, and canine distractions. We even attempted a few STAYs which he did perfect. The most difficult STAY occurred after the group photo.

The highlight of every event is the Puppy Wrangling photo. The group tries to get a photo of all the puppies, without handlers. It is a good test of their obedience and our patience. Cooper did well, but none of the photos did. Believe it or not there was always something moving. Next time, a movie showing the process would be more entertaining.

Saturday is reserved for puppy play time at the Dog Den. Most of the dogs from our Teenager Class were in attendance. It was nice to see them being dogs. We watch while Cooper visits each and every dog. Eventually he paired up with a Pit Bull puppy and they spent the duration of class sparring. The staff at the Dog Den do a great job refereeing and explaining proper play to the owners - biting and barking are not always bad.

After playgroup, we stopped to pick up Cooper's birthday present and we spent some time with Mac and Griff. The three youngsters enjoyed running through the snow and sliding into the snow. Even Cooper made a trip down the slide. Every time one of his boys would slide, Cooper heard the noise and went running to greet them (another movie opportunity).

The remainder of the day was spent visiting Lisa's mother in the Platteville Hospital. It was a challenge for Cooper to be quiet in this setting. He did have a surprising reaction in this elevator. He has been in many previously with no reaction, but this one must have vibrated differently because Cooper hit the floor. The fastest we have ever seen him DOWN. So, we took the opportunity to ride this elevator and provide positive reinforcement (food)to work through it. After five or so trips up and down he was comfortable.