Post by catstina on Feb 27, 2013 12:39:00 GMT -5
Just wanted to do a little bit of an update on Saxon's training! As most of you know, we passed the CGC on Friday (yay!), but there is still a lot more training to do before we can take the "in training" off of his vest!
Well yesterday we had a breakthrough! I was in Starbucks working on the computer when I felt a paw on my leg. At first, I thought, "I knew I'd regret teaching him that behavior, he's begging for some of my cake," but then I realized, he wasn't begging, he was interrupting. I had been compulsively picking at a scab on my chin and didn't even realize it until he pawed at me. This is the first time he has done this in a non-training situation! It's really great to know that I taught him to do that and if not for me, he wouldn't know that task!
That's the easy task, though, now I have to train him to recognize when I'm having a panic attack and lead me to an exit or safe place. That is a multi-step process and much harder to train. I am thinking that I will need help with this task and will be asking my program director for tips.
We also were accosted by an aggressive dog on our way home from Starbucks yesterday. It was on a leach, but the owner had no control over it. The dog was barking growling and lunging at us. Luckily, Saxon heals on my right, so I was able to bodyblock the dog. Saxon didn't react, but looked up at me for direction, which was pretty awesome and garnered him a lot of praise after we were past the snarling dog.
I've also been asked to write a guest blog for Planet Dog about my experiences with SD training. It's been causing me a lot of stress, but I think I'm almost done and everyone seems to think it looks good, so I will probably submit it later today.
So that's what's going on around here!
I'll leave you with this picture of Saxon enjoying the snow in the park on Monday.
Well yesterday we had a breakthrough! I was in Starbucks working on the computer when I felt a paw on my leg. At first, I thought, "I knew I'd regret teaching him that behavior, he's begging for some of my cake," but then I realized, he wasn't begging, he was interrupting. I had been compulsively picking at a scab on my chin and didn't even realize it until he pawed at me. This is the first time he has done this in a non-training situation! It's really great to know that I taught him to do that and if not for me, he wouldn't know that task!
That's the easy task, though, now I have to train him to recognize when I'm having a panic attack and lead me to an exit or safe place. That is a multi-step process and much harder to train. I am thinking that I will need help with this task and will be asking my program director for tips.
We also were accosted by an aggressive dog on our way home from Starbucks yesterday. It was on a leach, but the owner had no control over it. The dog was barking growling and lunging at us. Luckily, Saxon heals on my right, so I was able to bodyblock the dog. Saxon didn't react, but looked up at me for direction, which was pretty awesome and garnered him a lot of praise after we were past the snarling dog.
I've also been asked to write a guest blog for Planet Dog about my experiences with SD training. It's been causing me a lot of stress, but I think I'm almost done and everyone seems to think it looks good, so I will probably submit it later today.
So that's what's going on around here!
I'll leave you with this picture of Saxon enjoying the snow in the park on Monday.
I look forward to learning much here