Hello everyone,
It’s Campbell here, and you may have wondered why you haven’t heard from me in a while. Well, I am here to tell you all about my adventures of late. I came over to Vancouver Island some a time ago to await the start of my advanced training. I started out with my advanced sitter on the south island but came up to Parksville in the second week of December. It didn’t take me very long to settle into my new surroundings, and I found the toy box pretty quickly!!
I have to emphasize that it hasn’t been all play as I have to keep practicing all my skills and improve on others. My loose leash walking is coming along nicely, and I am doing really well at ignoring other dogs ( the yappy little ones are easy), but sometimes I have to give a second glance at a pretty lab or retriever passing by! We practice a lot on the Boardwalk in Parksville, where there are lots of people and dogs around. I also get to watch all the kids playing at the fun park. Sometimes we meet up with Smore or Tweed and work together there.
We can also walk to the grocery store from the house, so I have been getting lots of practice there as well. I can walk by the meat and fish counters without batting an eye and even the dog food aisle! I have been told that I am a very good boy when we go out for lunch or coffee, and I settle really well ( actually a, it gives me a chance to have a little snooze!)
Just about once a week, I get to work with Smore and Tweed, and we practice our sits, downs and stands while the other dogs and their handlers walk around us or try to trick us by offering us food or throwing some in front of us. The other handlers get to work with me also, and I am very eager to give them my full attention.
Christmas came along with the snow and another dog in the house. He is a Lagotto named Mortimer, and he’s doesn’t like to play like us labs, so after a while, I just ignored him, and we got along fine. He did like the snow, though, and we did have a couple of romps in the garden.
Now that the weather is getting better, Smore, Tweed and I have been taken for a free run together on some trails, and we had a blast chasing each other around and finding puddles and finding the odd stick to chew on! ( I know that’s a bit naughty too!)
My recall has really improved even when we have been having so much fun. ( I do get a few treats for that, which does help! Ha, ha. Being a boy dog, I do still like to have a sniff once in a while and answer a few pee-mails while out on a walk in my jacket. Still, I have noticed that my sitter is not so keen on me doing that, so I know I have to try harder to wait until she says I can have a break.
My sitter has a meeting once a week, and I get to tag along and lie down quietly while people are talking. A lot of them came up after the meeting and asked to say hello to me. I only need the odd reminder to stay sitting while they pet me, and they all say how handsome I am. I am also very well behaved when she goes to other appointments like the physio or doctor.
Well, I think that pretty much sums up what I have been up to, so until next time, Stay safe. Woof, woof, Campbell.
Advanced location: West Coast (Vancouver Island)
Thank you again for all your support of Advanced Dog Campbell!
Submitted by: Linda, Advanced Training Sitter
