It is impossible to teach him to stand still in a 12 inch square for long enough to get the scale to register, so I weighed Cody the old-fashioned way. I picked him up and weighed myself with and then without him and did the math.
Cody is up to 49 pounds and Jim is down to ... well, less than before. In 5 weeks, Cody has gone up 15 pounds.
I walk Cody daily and he is constantly getting better at walking beside me and not unduly pulling or being pulled. This is an important effort. He needs to be able to walk near me with minimal commands. His leash has two handles, one at 2 feet and one at 6 feet. I need him to walk directly beside me when on the 2 foot leash.
Also, when I stop, Cody does stop and sit without command almost every time. He sometimes needs a reminder nudge, but not often at all.
As for distractions, I have been working hard for him to focus on my voice and presence in the face of traffic, other dogs (especially barking ones), humans, and random events like birds. He is definitely improving, but he is 'not there yet' - as they say.
When we go for a walk, Cody sees me pick up the fanny pack with treats, waste bags, trail cup for his water, etc. He starts getting antsy and eager. This is so much fun to see - and he almost goes into a duty mode where he knows he is expected to be on duty.
He still has not wakened us up at night but one time, sometimes when I wake up , he may be quietly watching me, other times, he is asleep and I wake him up.
The biting/nibbling issue is vastly improved. He still is a puppy and wants to use his mouth, but I am getting better at being prepared and preventing his mouthing attempts.
As I get better at my skills, I will try to deliver better pictures.
No comments:
Post a Comment