Continuation of Craziness-Training, Day 4

We tracked this morning at a different park. Cole was the first one in the first group. Slugger did excellent, especially for his first time tracking more than one person. I went with Cole and the trainer, so there were actually three people to smell instead of the usual one. The head trainer called it a text book track and compared him to a bloodhound! That's our boy! Here is a video. He hesitated just a moment because we were hiding behind an asphalt machine and the head trainer said that all of the chemicals probably confused him-but just for a second.

Hear him whining? He is so excited to play the game!

The reason that we had to be the first ones in the first group is that Cole and Brian actually spent the day in Cincinnati, about an hour away from here. WHY? Well, Cole got his cast wet, again. This is the second time that we have had to re-cast. The children's hospital would not allow us to go to their orthopedics office, stating liability because we were not one of their patients. Huh? We explained our situation, was all ready to fax over records from our ortho, and they still made us go through the ER. So, I stayed with Slugger after the track and Brian took Cole to Cincinnati.It was a long day for everyone.We were actually surprised that Cole did not have a seizure. Today was his first day outside in a long time, plus it was cold. Then he was at a hospital, one of his least favorite places on earth, and in the car for over 3 hours. We also got something that was similar to alert behavior from Slugger. So, for about a half hour, we watched Cole like a hawk. Still, no seizure. We are back in that weird place again. EEG's and training seizure alert dogs are the only reason I can think of as wanting your child to have a seizure. It is the most ironic, strange feeling ever.

Slugger hates his harness and keeps trying to roll to take it off. It's just something that he is going to have to get used to. In his mind, it should only be used for tracking :) Sorry dude, you have to wear the high heels to impress the boss! We have been telling the kids in Cole's class that it is his uniform, just like a fireman has to wear for his job. Slugger had better get used to it quick, so I can show the other kids!

Slugger and I went to the mall with the rest of our class, the first real public place we have been together. I have taken him around the hotel, but this was our maiden voyage outside of the training center.He did reasonably well. He definitely needed more correction than normal. To the point that the trainer wants him to use a gentle leader in public. I thought he hated his harness, it is nothing compared to the gentle leader. He compares it to the cone of shame. Keeps trying to paw it off, rubbing it against my leg, rubbing it against a chair...he hates it. He sure acts better with it on though. Hopefully, we only have to use it for a couple of months until he starts really getting used to public work.We worked on under, sit, down and heel in the mall. I also took Slugger up and down the stairs (he did AWESOME) and in the elevator. What he did not do so great with was the people. I was constantly hearing, What a pretty dog! Oh, look-a dog! He looks like a Slugger, etc." Slugger loves praise and kept trying to go over to people who were talking to him. He also has this new habit of shoving his head and saying hello into someones private area. Yep, that's MY dog. Sorry ma'am. I was standing in line waiting to pay for some soap and he also happened to decide to go in between someones legs, practically lifting her off the floor as he went through. Yep, he's mine! He jumped up on the built in furniture at the play area and ate food off of the floor. He's a lot like Cole, looks cute and innocent, but can be super sneaky and end up getting in trouble. I have the feeling that we are really going to need to practice in the mall a lot before our public access test, since that is where it is given.

We took Slugger to a restaurant with us tonight, to practice distractions and obedience. I chose a place that had peanuts on the floor-dumb move, Nik! He also did his nice hello to our waitress, great. Overall though, the place smelled like steak, had food on the floor and was really loud. He didn't bark or go ballistic, so I consider it great practice.

We'll keep working hard, hopefully tomorrow is a little more quiet.