The first homework given was the targeting exercise. It's an exercise for shaping behavior, and from what I read, it's the basic foundation for learning more complex things in the future. Doc Marose is teaching us bits of Susan Garrett's method so naturally, I read about her.
I like how she aims to make training look like fun and games because it helps the dogs look forward to being trained. I got even more excited when I found out that subscribing to her Facebook Page gives access to a video that teaches the "stand" cue. Odie's been having a difficult time with that (he has a tendency to walk forward) so I tried following the video and having Odie target my hand when I tell him to stand. It's working for me so far. I also went to her official site to see her webinars. Unfortunately, they're not accessible right now to make way for Recallers 4.0, a module to work on recall. Much as I would love to enroll, my bank account isn't ready!
Here's what we've accomplished over the week:
We would have covered more rooms, but for some reason, Odie was afraid to go to the shower area of the bathrooms. I'm going to work on reacquainting him with those rooms so we could do the exercises there in the future. But maybe nine locations is enough for now.
It was a riot to get him away from the beds in the bedrooms. My family will kill me if they see the raw videos! I did all that I could to get the fur away from my parents' and my brother's beds. When they got home and started sneezing, I quickly ran to my room.
Sadly, we weren't able to go to the mall or any other outside location this weekend, save for the training venue which is just in the next village. What I did was shoot in two places by the training venue, and the eight other videos around our village. Because I had to do it, I walked around the village with Odie, the tripod, and his treat container. I actually bought a tumbler holder as a makeshift treat container like May did with Boo and Bon, and we got a utility belt from the Doggy Day Camp loot bag, but having a treat dispenser seems like I'm looking for trouble. Odie always goes for his teacher's treat container ever since he discovered that that's where the treats come from. When I tried to attach treat bags to my waist, he did the same thing. What I get for having a smart puppy.
Yesterday at training, I had zero sleep from the night before (something happened involving a work deadline and an article that I passionately wrote about and magically disappeared) so before going to school, I had no choice but to be powered by coffee.
WRONG MOVE.
I was fine during the first exercises. However, when teacher told us to play tug, that's when I knew I can no longer fake being hyper, and Odie threw me under a bus by being so bored whenever I invited him to play tug! It was so weird! His tug toy is his favorite toy at home (which explains how dirty it is). When we got home that day, I tried pulling out the tug toy to invite him to play, and he was so excited about it! Also at school, when teacher was the one playing tug with Odie, he seemed really happy, even doing play growls and all. Let's face it - even if she claims to have no magical powers, seeing Doc Marose playing with the dogs makes me not believe that.
I stayed home instead of joining the family for lunch so I could get some sleep and maybe do some of Odie's homework. I set my alarm for late afternoon so we could at least take a walk and review the things we learned. It was one of the most relaxing, most peaceful walks we've ever done! See, we learned "heel" yesterday so that's what I made sure to work on during our walk. I was so happy with the result that I found it hard to go home because apart from keeping a loose leash, Odie was proving to be a good walking companion! I could get used to that. It's only been the first session of Basic Obedience-Intermediate, but it made such a big difference. I guess change really couldn't happen overnight, because it happens during the day, and in a matter of just a few hours!
Ang dami!!! Na-feel kong ang tamad ko HAHA. Ugh, our neighborhood is so permeable, it's scary to go out with equipment lying around. But I like that setup! Maybe I'll use a real tripod na indoors...
ReplyDeleteMy boys are also afraid of the powder room. Maybe they're just claustrophobic? They like going inside our biggest bathroom though... and they, too, would love to jump on the bed. :|
Do you have a checklist again on Excel? I think I need to start doing that again too. Haha. Nung pinakita mo sakin last time, that's when I became obsessed with homework. :))
Our neighborhood is gated, but in our 11 years here our house has been thrice entered by burglars (one even damaged a window screen and used a pipe to get my mom's bag) so I went for places with lots of activity. Seeing kids playing might be a good sign. I think we have a small tripod also, but mas madaling hanapin yung malaki so yun na lang :))
DeleteOdie goes inside the bathroom, but that day natakot siya sa shower area. He was looking at the clump of hair by the drain so maybe that's what he was afraid of. Okay lang sakin if they jump on my bed, but we're all prone to allergies so super ingat ako when taking Odie to the bedrooms.
I don't have a checklist... yet. HAHA!
Kainggit! We don't have parks here. :| The nearest park is in the other village, and that village is...shady. As in, I've heard of stories of people getting held up there :| Sooo. I think I really need to get a long line and take Boo to UP. :( When? I don't know. Hahaha.
Delete...the off-property exercises this week are quite a challenge! :| Our street is a "major thoroughfare" so I definitely can't do any exercise that requires chasing. :(
Clump of hair! :)) Maybe he "saw" it move. Haha. Did you get him a bed na? :| Aren't we supposed to have that next week?
Is that the park in CP Garcia going to Maginhawa? I've heard lots of stories about that park too, no matter what time it is during the day. I also really really want to take Odie to UP!!! Is it only the Sunken Garden that would allow that activity, or are dogs allowed in any field? I'm so hating that irresponsible dog owner whose angry dog bit a student before! Dahil sa kanya, dogs aren't allowed in Ateneo anymore. Okay pa naman yung fields dun for the running games (and my friends keep asking me when they can meet Odie).
DeleteA lot of cars and trikes also pass by our place! When we did targeting across the street, pag-pindot ko ng record naisipan ng lahat ng kotse at trike na dumaan. Laking hassle lang. The only park I've been to is the one near our training venue. Wala yatang legit park sa village namin na may trimmed grass and all :( This week's homework is gonna be hard :(
HAHA feeling ko nga! As if he doesn't shed! :)) I don't have a bed yet! May mga less than 1k sa Pet Express diba? I'm not sure if Odie would fit the donut bed, pero he really curls up at night when he sleeps. Afternoon naps lang siya naka-stretch out.
YES. :| Really??? Akala ko gabi lang. Wala kasing ilaw halos (hassle mag-drive sa gabi). :|
DeleteActually, I'm not sure if dogs are allowed in the Sunken Garden (though I have seen a lot of dogs there). There are a lot of activities there, so we do off-leash on the fields on either side of Oblation :D The one on Commonwealth side is not "sunken", so I prefer the one on the CP Garcia side because it the slope acts like a "barrier"? Haha. But I've heard of a story na one golden fell into a hole in that sunken field near Oble (they were able to take him out, but they kept looking for him talaga).
I think it happens everywhere---dogs get stereotyped because of an irresponsible owner (or an OA dog-hater). :( That happened in UP din pero sabi ni Lovely nalalakad naman niya si Buzz along Acad Oval! :))
Maybe you can do it in one field in UP but in different areas? That's what I'm gonna do if I ever find a long line haha! Malalaki naman so baka pwede. Plus parking areas in UP are quite empty during the weekend (especially the ones near Oble).
Yup!...that reminds me, I'm not even sure if Boo can lie down INSIDE the perimeter of his bed. :| If not, I'm going to bring the tray of his wire crate (I just though of it now... Hahaha). What about a batya? Hahahaha. Bon can squeeze himself inside one. :))
Medyo konti nga sizes sa Pet Express. Lovely went there, wala na daw for Buzz's size. There's a 700-peso bed in True Value. Naka-roll siya and in a plastic. :) It's probably as big as the pink bed Doc showed us :D
DeleteOhhh, really? My friend kasi is inviting me to play date with her dog in sunken. But sige. If I decide to go to UP, I would just look for fields with other people and their dogs, maybe :)) Medyo scary yung idea of falling in holes though. Lovely said bawal na rin daw in the oval because the joggers are complaining. KANILA LANG KASI YUNG KALYE EH! I'll try going to areas in our village that aren't frequented by cars. If I don't reach the maximum number of locations, that's when I'll go to UP.
DeleteNaiinis ako sa dog haters, and it deserves a separate entry. HAHA
I also went to True Value and saw some beds. Sana big enough na yung size na yun for Odie. If walang okay in True Value and Dogs and the City, I have no choice but to cross to Pet Express. Ang layo! :)) :(( Habang wala pa yun, I guess I'll cut up a block of foam and put it in a pillowcase and sew it? Mukhang kasya naman siya dun na naka-down.
I was thinking of a DIY bed too! Pero yung stuffing ang mahirap for a large bed. Good thing sabi ni Doc as long as kaya yung sphinx, okay na. (I'll have to double check though...maybe to find an excuse for a DIY project haha)
DeleteDogs and the City also has cot-type beds pala. But maybe for really small dogs lang :| I also like Doc's suggestion of a plastic table! I have no idea how much pillows are, but if some come cheap, then...pwede yun? Hahaha.
Diba, yan din complaint ko sa Pet Express. Sana sa The Block na lang siya. :|
Actually, I've been thinking talaga whether I should buy a bed, or if I should make one. Masaya kasi mag-DIY lalo na kapag wala kang alam tapos sumusunod ka lang talaga sa sinasabi ng YouTube :)) I'm not sure how much pillows are, but there's a cheap pillow place in Trinoma (the one going to the bridge to SM). And there are pillows in supermarkets but I never really bothered to find out how much they cost.
DeleteIt's sad that the small dogs have the most stuff. I mean, medium and large dogs need those things too! And DIBA? Walkathon papuntang Pet Express! I don't go there unless I absolutely have to! Kahit dun lang sa main mall okay lang. They're also gonna get more customers that way. Everybody wins.