September started off with a really exciting field trip. I took my humans to the Interior Provincial Exhibition! We saw pumpkins bigger than I am, lots of different animals (I wasn’t sure what to think of the sheep, but I liked the cows), and of course, endless tasty-looking things on the ground. Overall, I was on my best behaviour, and mum was very proud of how mature I’m getting. We even saw a working PADS dog, and although I couldn’t say “Hi,” I admired and wagged from afar (maybe one day I’ll get to be the dog other pups look up to…).
This month also marked the beginning of hockey season, and I fell right back into my old routine. I was able to happily settle next to mum’s chair during the play, and I didn’t pay any attention to all the loud noises or drive-by pets, although I may have tried to sneak some popcorn off the ground when we were walking (hey, nobody’s perfect…). I’m told I’ll get plenty more opportunities to ignore the popcorn next month since we have quite a few home games coming up.
Finally, I’m continuing to work hard in puppy class. We’ve been practicing leash pressure and “ghost handling,” and I’ve been showing the younger pups how focusing on your human always leads to good things. I’m one of the oldest dogs in the Okanagan region now, so we’re really focusing on polishing behaviours in more difficult and distracting environments.
Enjoy the fall weather!
Caddy
Submitted by: Sarah Markson
