It's been 19 days since I've updated you guys! I've been SO BUSY! Here's what I've been doing:

• Graduating puppy school :)
• Getting neutered :(
• Learning to pick up my leash (Okay, ALMOST. I lick it. Same thing, right?) :)
• Practicing my staying :)
• Going to the movies :)
• Learning that I don't like bears :(

Ummm that's all I remember. I play and I eat and I play with the kitty and I go outside and umm I eat bugs and play and I go in the car and I play with my friends. Oh and everytime I do the right thing I make this magic clicker click and I get a treat. Cool, right? I think so.

________________________________

Westin and I have been quite busy. I have worked a couple 40-hour weeks and been running around trying to fit everything into my schedule, and fell behind in the blogging. Westin just finished his second round of basic obedience last week, and I think we both learned a lot. I definitely feel like I benefitted from it, and there have been new things I'm learning every day when it comes to Westin and training him. 

Fathers Day weekend we went up to Clark's Trading Post. Westin did well on the train ride and walking around the place, and then Ayden wanted to see the bear show (YIKES) so we went and I sat in what I called an "escape seat" where I could quietly get up and take Westin to another part of the park very quickly if I needed to. Having a dog around a bear didn't seem like a good idea, and I wanted to make sure I could remove him from the situation. He went to sleep before the show started, so I wasn't too concerned anymore. As the show went on, Westin slept and slept. (YAY!) but then he woke up (uh-oh). He sat right up, looked at me, looked at the bear, turned back to me and pressed his body against mine in fear. So I got up, and walked him right out. I know we talked earlier about getting service dogs to face their fears, but bears are different. If Westin ever meets a bear, he needs to stay away from it, especially if it is a mama with babies. We want to keep the bear fear. 

In other news, he is close to picking up his leash. He now puts his mouth on it, which is close. We need to work and work at it, but I think once he realizes that it's okay to pick up something that isn't a toy, then he will be alright. He touches the easy button and the lightswitch box, but doesn't really make them do anything yet. That time will come, with practice. swe do both of these with clicker training.

We went to his first movie the other night! We saw the Avengers. He slept through most of it and only startled once.. and I'm not sure if it's because I jumped or the part in the movie was loud. 

Up for us this week: The 4th of July parade! Check back for an update on that later :) (I promise I'll get back into this!)

New Adventures!

Hi! I haven't been able to update in so long because I've been one very busy puppy! Last week was pretty uneventful, but we did a cool thing at puppy class that I think I like. I have this special word and Allie says it to me, and it means that I get these really delicious bacon treats and lots and lots of attention, and I get told how great I am. So no complaints there! I always win!

Saturday I went to STORY LAND!!!! And not just me! Almost all of the puppys in the program went, too! And we all walked around and showed off our vests and got to see lots of kids! There was food, which smelled good (not that I was smelling any of it... shhh! don't tell!) and there was so much to do! We went to a room that was full of balls flying around everywhere and we were supposed to watch! It was easy for me because I don't fetch but some of the other puppies wanted to play. We watched a show that had lots of music and dancing and clapping. The clapping got my attention for a second but then I remembered it wasn't for me, so I didn't care anymore. We went on a boat ride and a train ride, and a safari ride. Getting on the safari and the train were challenges for me, I was nervous about the steps. I had to get lifted up =/ but I didn't mind jumping off of them! It's way easier to get down then up! Story land was tiring. I ended up sleeping at lunch, and then I slept every chance I got for the rest of the day! Working is tough, I was running low on energy.

My Lunchtime Nap :)

Waiting patiently

And after Saturday, there was SUNDAY! And Sunday was a GREAT DAY. It was sunny again so we got to be outside, and this time I got to be at a lake house! Nice, right? Well I thought so. There was another dog there, Sidney. Sidney is 8 years old, and more playful than I am. I loved her energy because she played with me and I got to have fun. Once, Sidney ran into the water and I tried to follow her, but did you know that water gets deeper? All of a sudden I was about to not be able to reach the bottom anymore! I stopped. I didn't want anyone to know I was startled so I kinda just stood there. I drank a few sips of the water and just hung out. Sidney was way out in the water and I don't know how she did it! Did her legs just suddenly grow? Does she have water legs? I couldn't quite get it. Allie was at the shore calling me so I finally went to her after I realized that the water was more shallow over there. It was a relief! After that, I just played where I knew it was safe. That water is tricky stuff! I loved being at the lake, and we went out on a big boat and I got to be right in the wind. I eventually got tired and laid down, but what a good day I had! I hope I get to go back.

I had a great and tiring weekend, and I got in SO MUCH PLAYTIME. It was awesome!

__________________________

Westin is doing well with his trainig. Since he hasn't been a great listener, I have started reinforcing some things around mealtimes and I have him do things in order to get his food (like "down") - it's been working, so that's good!

StoryLand was good, he pulled a lot which we need to work on, but overall I was happy. He got really tired later in the day and we put his gentle leader on without it being attached to anything, so he would get used to wearing it in public and not just for a meal. He mellowed out when he wore it, but he still pulled since there wasn't too much of a consequence for it. He didn't eat anything that he wasn't supposed to (as far as I know!) which was very good, and he didn't reach much to the performance besides the clapping, which was only once and didn't last longer than a few seconds. On the rides he was calm and just laid down, and the hardest part was getting him to get on the train!

One topic of conversation when we were on the swan boat at story land was swimming. Friday (another dog) LOVES the water and Dot mentioned Westin probably hadn't been swimming. On Sunday, we brought Westin to the lake with us and he was playing with the other dog who really liked to swim and he couldn't figure out how. It was amusing to watch, you would think it comes naturally but it definitely didn't! I want to take him again and see if we can get him to figure it out, but at least he liked the water. It probably helped cool him off. The one thing I didn't like about the lake was the amount of sand he got in his fur from rolling around. It felt like I was brushing it out for hours! :)

The "special word" we are working on is called The Really Reliable Recall. It is the most genius thing I have ever heard of. You choose a signal that is a word you know you won't use any other time, because you don't want the dog to hear it unless you're using it. You always say it like this: "[Dog's name], [special word]!!!" and when they get to you, you praise them and give them a super special treat for an entire 30 seconds, or even more. You never repeat the command in the same time trial and the point is to teach them so that they will come to you every single time you use this, no matter what. If you need to call your dog away from an emergency situation (if he runs into traffic, etc.) and will be able to save your dogs life if every necessary. I have never heard of this before and I think it is one of the best ideas, and definitely an essential part of training.

Let's talk about fear.

I've encountered a few things that are new to me while living at this new house. I don't particularly like them. I back away from them and try to hide from them. Sometimes they make loud noises and sometimes they look strange. I don't trust them. They might hurt me.

1. The garage door

What the heck is that thing? It rolls up and down and makes a terrible noise as it does so. Ugh. Why would anyone have such a horrifying thing on their property? Keep me away from it, thanks.

2. The rolling laundry bin

I've seen laundry baskets. Humans carry them and they are usually full of things I like to chew, like socks! I love them and I love socks! But there's a few here that I DON'T like. There are a few that are on wheels. They have a handle and they make a loud noise when they are rolled on the hard floors, and I don't like it. The worst part? There's a cover so I neve get a chance to catch any loose socks! AWFUL.

3. The Umbrella

It's been raining a lot lately, and Allie is using this stupid thing to keep her somewhat dry when we go out. UGH it is horrendous. It POPS open and gets swung up in the air over her head and it makes weird noises and it goes form skinny to this awful huge weird shape and WOW I do not like this thing. Can we please come up with an alternative?

4. The bags of pellets for the pellet stove

There is this pellet stove that makes things warm, and it hasnt been used a lot but the rain makes it cold so we've been using it more. It gets filled with these giant bags and when they pour into it, I hear a big noise and when it stops there is this big crinkly bag and I don't like it because it's big and might make a bad noise or it might eat me. I really am not sure.

_____________________

Westin has had an eventful day. Those last two fears were discovered today. The umbrella was this morning, and the bag of pellets was this evening. The garage door and rolling laundry bin were the first weekend he came to my house. He's gotten better with those, and I just keep using them with him there so he realizes they are part of daily life. They were pretty easy fears to overcome, I just stood next to the laundry bin and had him come over to me and we walked around it and then I moved it and stopped it again, and had him come back over to me... and we kept doing this and we still do it every time I do laundry. The garage door was an easy fix, I think it just startled him the first couple times. He's almost immune to it now. 

The umbrella caught me off guard as much as it did to him, I didn't realize he would be scared of it. I tried putting it on the ground and sitting next to it with treats and he really wasn't having any of it. It's going to take a lot of convincing. (Any hints for us?) 

The bag of pellets was worse. He was trying to hide behind me! I tried bribing him with treats and sitting on it and next to it but he just wouldn't go near it! I hope we overcome this one, too.

Puppies naturally go through fear stages, and the second one is during adolescence. This is HORRIBLY timed with his defiant/testing-me behavior, and is hard to overcome. It is important to get through this, though, so he doesn't develop life-long fears. It's going to be a challenge, but I think Westin and I can work together to get through these and overcome his fears. He might be hesitant in new situations but if I keep calm and act like it's not a big deal, he is likely to follow my lead.

What commonly feared item ISN'T Westin afraid of? The vacuum cleaner!

What the HECK is a ball?

What a weekend!

Friday was my alone day. I was heartbroken and lonely all day, and it should be illegal to do that to a dog all day. I hated it. I just wanted someone to love me and play with me, all I had was a bat and a stuffed bone. Who can I call to report this? I need to report this.

Saturday. We went to the mall again! And wanna know what I saw again? Those balls with tails that roll around on the floor in the middle of the mall! I want one. I am asking for one for my birthday. Who is gonna buy me one? I need one, I need it! (But I left them alone at the mall because I was working.)

Today. TODAY WAS A GREAT DAY! I GOT A NEW TOY! Wanna know what I got? I got a ball! I don't know what a ball is but I got one! It rolls and moves by itself I think. I barely touch it and off it goes! I'm also supposed to "fetch" it when a human throws it. Don't they know I don't "fetch?" If they want the ball they can go get it themselves. I want the ball. I don't want you to throw it 30 feet for me to have to run after it, just give it to me already, jeeeeze. Ugh these humans just DON'T GET IT. 

____________________

Westin was SO EXCITED to see me when I got home on Friday, you would have thought I'd have left him for a week or more! He's doing alright with his training, he is still defiant and just doesn't do things that I know he knows how to do (like "down," for example) but he goes into his crate with a push and will let me put on his gentle leader if it means he gets cheese. He behaved well at the mall, no issues there.

So where IS our issue? Fetch. He just doesn't get it. We broke out the tennis ball today. He honestly didn't have any idea what to do with it at first! He just batted it around and I had to throw it a couple times before he picked it up. But eventually, he did fetch with the ball today, maybe 6 times for treats, then eventually walked right past me because he was bored. He did it again later and stopped after 3 times.... oy. We really have our work cut out for us, here! Anyone have any tips to help teach a retriever to retrieve? Also looking for hints that might help me to teach him to pick up his leash and his dish... or pick up any item on command, really.