Training Day 8 ~ Today we learned that our dogs know sign language, yep, sign language. All along we have learned hand signals that match commands, and today we practiced just using the hand signals. So if we are in church or a movie theatre where you don't want to give verbal commands we can just use hand signals. May does really well with hand signals, they said this is common as dogs primary communication is through body language. So, we can make a "j" shape with our hand and end with palm up and this is the sign for "sit". For the "down" command you just snap your wrist a little and point with your index finger to the ground. For the "stand" command you use a "v" with fingers open palm facing the dog and move it forward just a little. For "heel" command you just use and open palm at your side and move it forward.
Today we also learned the most important command for us. Although Joe likes when she does a "lap" or an "over" the command "Nuzzle" is what will disrupt and escalating behavior. May was taught to nuzzle by someone crossing their arms in from of them and making a crying or screaming type noise. We actually had Joe pretend he was getting mad and gave her the command so she gets used to his actions. She started to pick up on it the third time, but them Joe was done. So we practiced it a little longer, she's still a little confused, but shows obvious signs that she knows what to do.
This afternoon we went back to the Mall, I worked with May and a trainer, the trainer held the tether strap as if she were Joe and pulled and it in all directions as we walked through the mall, May was awesome, she stayed in the heel position the whole time, a couple of times the pull was so hard she really dug in but she kept her eyes on me the whole time. We even tried just outside a candy store, the pull was so hard, I just put May in a "down" and she stayed and watched me the whole time, no matter which way the trainer pulled. It was awesome, this is going to make going shopping and to big place like the Mall of America so much nicer for everyone. We won't have to keep saying come on Joe, come Joe, we just put May in a heel and she'll tell Joe by pulling him it's time to go!
After the Mall, we took May to PetSmart to get a couple of supplies for her, she got a little distracted by all the fun toys and of course there were other new dogs there, but she listened really well.
The we went to Meijer's it's kind of like Walmart and she practiced just casual shopping, and she was amazing, stayed on heel the entire time, sat or downed as commanded when people approached her...she's a great shopper, I'd go shopping with her any day over the men in my house!
But all this activity was exhausting for her, she came in drank water, followed her boy for a couple minutes, when he settled down to watch TV the picture below shows what she did immediately...funny girl! But time to wake her and go to dinner, more tomorrow.
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