Sunday 3rd January 2010

Had an easy breakfast service today at the B&B. Took Grey out for a quick wee first and then into he goes into the bedroom with a stuffed kong while we do breakfast. He still cries and whines after the kong is finished. he has to stay out of the kitchen during breakfast and it's funny that this is the only time he cries if on his own. If we leave him in the dining kitchen when we go out or if are upstairs he's fine. He also sleeps with us in the bedroom. The difference is that he's not yet used to being confined on his own in the bedroom and can hear us going up and down the stairs with the breakfasts. Plus the smell of bacon! So, I've ordered him another kong and also the dog pyramid which should hopefully keep him busy. He doesn't bother with the tug-a-jug if he's locked in like this.

We then went out up to Botany Bay as the first snowflakes were falling in an otherwise sunny sky. I've started implementing more sits and eye contact with me into the process of going out. So now there is a sit for lead on, door to open, outside the door, top of the stairs at the gate, outside the gate.

I still find it quite difficult to manage the stopping as soon as he pulls mechanism (despite having stuck to this for what seems like months and years!) because he's so switched on and then immediately just strains round sniffing the ground wildly or going up on his hind legs against the lead like a kangaroo. It makes me wonder if this really is just a matter of training or if Grey is nuts and so reactive/anxious that I need some outside help on this one. He can do heelwork, but that's not loose lead walking.

He barked at a cocker and JRT on the way to the car while he was on the lead. I think he is just in this heightened state of arousal in this situation. If I could calm him down then we may get somewhere.

Up on the field I did lots of recalls on the whistle. Lots of blind retrieves and one retrieve where I put him in a sit stay and threw it down, made him wait and then sent him in.