With no public access and physical distancing for much of this month due to the covid pandemic we have been going on long walks most days. This way I can get in shape and Blaze can practice his loose leash walking which really is pretty good, and ignoring other dogs that we encounter. We have conquered his reluctance to walk on open grating and expanded metal grating as on slippery surfaces, which he is pretty much indifferent to now. In fact at the Surrey Fishermen’s Wharf he spontaneously walked onto open metal grating so he could have a better look at the river below. As we left the dock we got to see a traffic barrier coming down with a lot of clanging then we stood at the edge of the crossing to watch a train approach and pass us. Blaze sat calmly through all this with only a bit of squirming and lots of check ins with me. When we left the area he was quite animated as if he had done something really great to watch that big noisy train!
Blaze was fascinated looking through the rails on the Barnston Island ferry and quite interested to see some cows, chickens, goats, a donkey, and a bull during our walk around the island.
Like his big half brother Quokka and his uncle Kurtz, Blaze loves to get dried with my blow drier, even if he isn’t wet and like them, he also thinks that the vacuum is for him, never mind all the black dog hair all over my floors! I have him practice his “wait” duration until it’s his turn to get vacuumed and “down “ until it’s his turn to get dried. What a guy! I think it’s quite adorable!
We have been working on getting a bit more enthusiasm to “dress” and although Blaze isn’t wildly enthusiastic about it yet, he will come to me and walk into his cape all the way to his shoulders so that’s progress. The nut we have to crack for April is for him to refrain from taking our socks, slippers, and favourite cushion off the couch to cuddle up with.
Submitted By: Nola Chanroux
