As if often said, training a puppy is boring. It's not that there is nothing to do; it's that we are often repeating the same activities over and over again. We are either trying to improve our charge's response or "proofing" the response until it is reliable.
The last week or so, since Cooper's surgery, has been boring. We have worked on the same social settings: restaurants, grocery, hardware, bakery, drug store, and other houses. Our training sessions have focused on the same things: SIT, DOWN, STAY, HEEL, COME. The reason for this back to basics approach is gearing up for the Canine Good Citizen test next month. After earning his CGC his real training can begin.
The only new wrinkle has been a focus on night walking. The darkness gets him to rely more on his sense of smell and hearing. Different lighting changes the appearance of objects and creates unrecognizable shadows. The purpose of these walks is less on HEELing and more about exploring and becoming comfortable in this new environment. We are still spending a lot of time "making friends" with scary objects. The other day we had to investigate a plastic bag blowing/flapping in the wind.
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