I started the new year off with a huge PADS pup walk in a forest. We were off-leash running all around – it was fun! Sorry for the lack of pictures on this outing. They only showed us as fuzzy black blobs. We were moving too fast and not sitting still. The month of January has been filled with trips back to regular classes at college and work. I adjusted well to settling under the desk in class, as well as walking on campus nicely with my loose leash walking. When not in a class, you could find my hooman and me at the community centre where she works. While we walk around she makes me practice my cues in distracting environments with kids running around and lots of spilled food on the floor. The best part about going to work is that I get tons of pets from her co-workers and little kiddos who spot me down the hall.
As the month went on I surprised my hooman with my recall skills. Typically, I would hear her say the magic word, turn and look at her, and then keep running in the other direction. Now I am turning and running back to her more frequently. Yay for small victories! I am still working hard on my loose leash walking outside and when not in cape. It’s not quite perfect yet, but I am making big strides with consistency. This coming month I will be working hard to shape my cues and generalize them to other environments.
Submitted By: Emily Nelson
