Tuesday's Training TIP: PERSISTENCE

FLD Gus jumped down out of our van and hurried me over to an inviting "park" area.  As I snapped the buckles on his blue "Puppy Being Trained for Leader Dogs for the Blind" jacket, I said, Time to go to work now!  Andy had gone ahead to ask permission to bring FLD Gus into the Rose City Cafe for breakfast on our way home from the north country.  No, Gus wasn't getting breakfast, we were!

The waitress welcomed us warmly.  And our breakfast was delicious--I highly recommend this restaurant anytime you find yourself north on M-33!

During our hour or so at the Rose City Cafe, FLD Gus was quiet and caused no problem for anyone, but he was overly interested in the metal base of our table, stray crumbs, and anything else on the floor that looked like it might be food.  Wiggly, wiggly, squirm, and up to investigate was not acceptable.  To me.  I wanted to enjoy the hot coffee on a bitter-wind morning and have a relaxing meal with my sweetie.

FLD Gus didn't care.

What did I do?  I practiced my doggedness--no four-and-a-half-month-old puppy was going to out-persistence me!

• When the waitress seated us, I placed FLD Gus in a DOWN on my left side.  Good down, Gus!

• I sat on the leash in such a way that I could sense movement and he would not gain purchase if he lunged.

• When I noticed him straining to lick the table base, I said, Gus, leave it!  This command, when it works, elicits an immediate head turn toward me.  My LEAVE IT, on this occasion, worked.  Good leave it, Gus!

• When I noticed him tongue-cleaning the carpet, I pulled his favorite Nylabone from my "Puppy-in-Training" ditty-bag, offered it to him, and said, Gus, chew this!  He chewed it.  For a while.

• When he squirmed up to dive-bomb a wayward crumb of toast, I calmly re-placed him back into his DOWN.  He took interest in the Nylabone.  For a while.

• When he squirmed up again, I calmly re-placed him to a DOWN.

• When he squired again, I caught him before he got up and calmly and gently helped him back into a DOWN.

• Eventually, he rolled over onto his side, and gave it up.

My persistence paid off!  And I enjoyed the rest of our breakfast, a snoozing-cute Future Leader Dog Gus at my side.

HINTS FOR SUCCESSFUL PERSISTENCE

• Stay calm.  Never let your puppy get the best of you!

• Pay attention.  If your puppy gets away with something unbeknownst to you, even just once, he or she will never stop trying to get away with it again!

• Use commands to divert your puppy's attention.  Only say the command once.

• Touch your puppy with your finger to divert his or her attention from the distraction.

• Use NAME RECOGNITION to divert his or her attention from the distraction.

 

Always make your puppy follow through with the command, and always praise your puppy when he or she immediately responds.  Remember...you CAN be more dogged than your puppy!

As we left the Rose City Cafe, the manager and the cook came out from the kitchen to see "the cute little black Lab puppy" and invited us to return.  Anytime!

A working FLD Gus, checking to see if I'm paying attention.

My niece, Elaina, wrote this wonderful poem about the newest member of her family, cc'd Rosie.  Enjoy!


LICKY LAB LICKERS
    -by Elaina Bicego, 2010


How about them licky lab lickers,
aren't they annoying?
Saying hello,
by tasting you.

Lickin' your feet,
Lickin' your ankles,
Lickin' your ears,
and your hands.

You stare at them,
and yell at them.
Nothing makes them stop!

Licky Lab Lickers,
greeting you at the door.
Drooling and barking,
so delighted to see you.

They're always going to be there.
Waiting, watching, anticipating.
They'll stay annoying,
but count on them to brighten your day!

cc'd Rosie, lickin' it up with Elaina

 ROSIE!!!

A Tired Puppy

FLD Gus was comfy on the floor on the passenger-seat side of the van and did not want to jump out.  I squatted down and coaxed in my best "oh, what a sweet little puppy" voice, Come on, Gus, let's go!

 

We had just finished walking two and a half times around Clinton Township's George George Park with a good friend.  FLD Gus wanted a nap; he didn't want to get back out of the van and join my friend and me for coffee.

 

I waited a moment, then gave his leash a slight tug.  He gazed at the parking lot pavement, judged, and jumped.  Good boy, Gus!  It's a pleasure now that he's big enough to get in and out of the van by himself--he was getting heavy to lift!

 

"Awwwwwwws" erupted from behind the counter as we entered Tim Horton's.  "Is that a black lab?"  I smiled.  Remember my top ten questions post?  Yep, he's a lab. 

 

"Can he have some Timbits?" asked the young woman taking our order.  FLD Gus looked up with those gorgeous eyes.  "Oh, that's probably not something he can have, is it?" she adds, before I can answer.

 

FLD Gus obediently sat at my side as we ordered, calmly heeled with me to a table, and settled into a down next to my chair (after several repositionings from his loyal raiser, me).  Before long, Gus got a bit of the nap he so desired.

 

As we left, a customer sitting by the door remarked to us, "What a well-behaved puppy!  How old is he?"  Just over four months, I said.  "Well, he certainly has a great disposition to become a Leader Dog!"  (FLD Gus was wearing his blue Leader Dog Puppy-in-Training jacket.)  Thank you, I said.

 

I thought to myself, A tired puppy is a good puppy.

   

Poetry: Walking the Dogs After Thanksgiving

"wandering with my dogs on the day after Thanksgiving"


dog tags tinkle
in dissonance against the snap of puddles under foot,
leftovers from last night's rainsong

the pup alerts--
a somersaulting oak leaf tumbles over frosty grass,
lifted by a gust, it is gone

ricocheted rays
off curb-ice-crust arrests my wayward glance, I pause,
blinded; dogs sniff, then we walk on


before long
the winter wind which croons with tree limbs
will not vie for our attention above the grousing of blue-traffic-clatter
and we will live
in the woods
before long

Leaves caught in a splintered, frozen puddle.