Hello friends,
Another month has passed, and I’ve done lots more learning with my puppy raisers. I’ve been told that being able to settle and relax is an important skill, so I’ve been working hard on choosing to rest instead of partying all the time. Beds and kennels are comfy, cozy, and awesome, so I’ve been taking advantage of all the napping opportunities. What is more challenging is settling in public. I was joined by friends PADS Tesla and PADS Zoe for a big walk in the mall, and a settle outside a coffee shop. I didn’t nap that time, but the raiser says that just resting my body and brain is alright.
In the spirit of settling, we’ve been visiting the library loads recently. We go, she holds a ton of books while I practice moving and stopping, moving and stopping (being idle is hard, but practice makes perfect), and then we go to a desk or chair, I wiggle under it, and nap. Sadly, I can’t read yet, but sometimes I get a story time.
Another thing that we are always working on is body handling. When we puppies go to a vet, need nail trims, or need to wear our snazzy vests, body handling and low stress when being touched is super important. We play games where she holds my feet and I get snacks, or she stares into my eyes or ears and, you guessed it, I get snacks. Pretty good deal! We got to show off my skills on a real grooming table at my community coach’s house.
Although I’m always learning, life is full of play too! I went to White Spot with my BFF, PADS Blanco, and his brother, PADS Max, followed by a play. Got to adventure in the forest and river with my dad, Goji, and have been working hard on my off-leash recall (the people always seem to have the best treats in the forest!).
I have a bunch of puppy raisers, and this month I got to spend much more 1:1 time with each of them. Apparently, every human has a slightly different way of doing things, and they say that I’m doing a great job learning from lots of people.
Next month, I hope to have more time with friends, work on more of my favourite skills (especially perching), and explore more forest.
Submitted by: Fiona Mak
