It has been a good month with Bruni. Early on, we were having issues with her teething: she was very “bitey,” ate very little and whined a lot. This made her training difficult.
However, she lost all of her teeth within a short time frame and we were able to get right back into training.
She is a wonderful dog who is easy-going and adaptable. Bruni picks up on new cues incredibly quickly and loves her training sessions.
With the easing of restrictions, Bruni has been able to encounter many new situations. She has been obediently observing people from a distance and watching dogs play at the dog park. In May, Bruni also went on her first official hike, made some puppy friends (she always goes straight to the largest dog she can find… haha!) and loves to fall asleep on random objects (dumbbells, shoes). She also became BFFs with Rafiki, participated in “Hat Day” to promote Mental Health and Wellbeing, and observed many animals (chickens, cats, goats) on the farm.
In class, we have been shaping her tuck sit and she has successfully learned bed, down, a lured tuck stand, touch, leash-pressure movement and more! Distractions remain an area of growth for Bruni. We have been playing a lot of engage/disengage games with her and have been hypersensitive to potential distractions in public with the hopes of remaining in the “green zone.” We find that if we are not proactive enough, we lose her completely. While she no longer lunges at the distractions and defaults to a sit, she is still fixated on those distractions and will not engage with us. As a result, we are cautious when we go out, but these small steps are helping her to improve!
Submitted By: Ryleigh Jacobs
