My not very great sit stay video

Timing awful. But you get the idea. Needs lots of practice yet.

Teaching a stay

Thanks to Dogmantics for her useful clicker videos. I ran through some more of her stay training with Grey.

Dogmantics video:



It picks up on the sit with release that I have started teaching him after checking out Fanny Gott's vid about 6 months ago. I've been practising at home and also a bit in the fields. He's pretty good and so far we have a nice sit or down while I throw food as a distraction and move around him. I'll try and video some of it soon. For the moment, he's snoozing big time under the table.

Back out ruuuuuuuuning!

My wheel has been part mended so was able to get out back to our big running fields today. Was great for both of us. It didn't take much for both of us to blow away our cobwebs so to speak. I realised that when I've not been out on one of our big walks where he can run off some energy that I find I get quite down. Routine is great for both of us. Grey was ruuuuuuuuuuuning! Not surprisingly after 3 days of not.

Other than that, I've popped Grey on the flexi a few times to practise bits of recall and pootling about when he goes for a wee on the square.

In depth critique of Cesar Millan techniques

From the earlier blog post from Boulder Dog, but in case you missed it, Dr Yin's indepth coverage including videos is really good at covering just how wrong much and behind the times as far as canine behaviour CM is.

We'd be appalled if we saw zoo animals treated like this.

Grey's fears

Sometimes we have a bumpy few days to get through and my confidence can take a knock. Especially since being a first time dog owner, I don't know if I'm getting into something a bit bigger than I am. But then a word from wiser friends and usually the problem doesn't seem so unsurmountable after all.

Yesterday Grey had picked up a live seagull that was in the shallows of the sea and had carried it off down the beach away from me. I was running along shouting at him to drop it to no avail and was mortified at the sight of my dog carrying a dangling bird along the main sands. He didn't shake it or play with it, just carried it. He eventually dropped it and it went to peck him and he was startled and jumped back. I managed to get hold of him, and by this time I was in a state from running and shouting after him what seemed like the whole length of the bloody beach. The bird recovered itself and wandered off. At this point I was wondering what was the best thing to do. The bird had gone off out of reach and Grey was now on his headcollar. My wellies had a hole in them and I realised I was soaked up to my knees from running after him in the water. I was probably stressed by the fact that I realised I couldn't get the bird off of him until he dropped it and how would I manage to train him not to pick up a live bird that didn't fly?

Today I have to hit myself on the nose with a rolled up newspaper for taking Grey out for a wee on his lead without my clicker and treats. We went out into the green and a man appeared in a big black coat. Grey spotted him and fixed on him as he came closer. I tried to casually go the other way, but the man caught up with us and Grey reared on the lead and barked at him. I came home a bit bruised thinking the worst. That I have now got he makings of a people aggressive dog. But again, words from the wise remind me that I could have probably worked through this with my treats and clicker etc. And they're right. I know that if I had clicked and treated him like mad at that moment that he would have been fine. So this is now a training opportunity. We went back out an hour later and actively trained around the postie and his bike. (He thinks Grey is mental anyway. In a nice way, of course!) the sweeper and his bin, the drinker on the square with his cider. We even managed to calm down after the two canons went off for two minutes silence. We did some long line recalls which were amazing. My car is out of action at the moment and it's hard for me to get to an area where I can safely let Grey off for a big run. For the moment, I think Grey is going to get most of his food from hand in the form of training. This way we can do lots and lots of little trips out and work on positive rewards for managing himself outside.

We do have lots to work through. But we can do this.

What's wrong with Cesar Millan coming to the UK?

I can't really put it better than Boulder Dog's blog really. Lots of links and info for deeper research into the whole area of out moded, and down right dangerous dominance theory. There is a campaign growing to stop the little man with the teeth preaching more dangerous techniques. But he is coming to the UK and no doubt we'll see more people in parks hissing and shushing at their dogs, poking them sharply, hanging them up by the neck and wrestling them to the ground in so called alpha rolls. Sigh.

The new life as the hotel dog

We've been settling into a new routine since starting the B&B. It's winter, so no going out early before breakfast in the dark. I reckon in the summer it'll be up and out before anything when it will also be cooler. But coming into winter we've got a really short day to deal with. We pop out for lead walks first thing then back in for breakfast. Grey has to go in the lounge while we're cooking. Even if he was allowed in the kitchen he'd have to be in the lounge being such an ardent thief there's no way anyone would get any breakfast!

He did escape and pop into a journalist's room last week who thankfully loves dogs. He even got a sneaky sausage given him. Hope she counted her fingers after!

But so far it's gone ok. Ollie and Jay the coonies have more or less moved in next door on comfy sofas until we make the big move to their new home up north next week. We're really sad they will leave us, but they really need more freedom to roam than they can have here.