Off Leash Obedience

Another full day, but before I forget I have to let you know that on Sunday evening before bed Joe made the coolest statement ever, "May is the best Christmas present ever" and I couldn't agree with him more.
Day 9 ~ Still learning! Today we learned how to have May still listen even when she is not on her leash.  She will always be on her leash in public, but at home when she's just hanging out with Joe she will not be on her leash but we will still expect her to follow all the obedience rules. So today we practiced "Sit", "Down" and "Heel" off leash and just using the training collar not the gentle leader.  We put a "training tab" on her training collar, this is a short length of leash about 3-4 inches used to reinforce commands when given when May is off the leash.

                    Sit, no leash...

                         Down,, no leash....

                        Down, no leash....

                            Sit, no leash....

                             Heel, no leash....

                                Heel, no leash...

Now onto a new command "Back" to be used if you need to back May up because she is to close to a door or an elevator, etc.

 

    A little break and snuggle time with Joe.

Today we also practice "Lap", "Over", and "Nuzzle" May does all of these very well, we have been trying to imitate Joe's angry behaviors more and more and giving the command "Nuzzle" so she learns his behaviors, Joe tried it a couple of times, but quit, I think he was embarrassed at his own behavior at that moment.  But we have a variety of people try it with May so she gets it. And she does really well, we're going to work on the intensity of her Nuzzle as she starts kind of gentle but you can talk her into Nuzzling harder or a bit more aggressively to get your attention...and her treat of course.

 

Another new skill, while walking in a "Heel" we give the command "Down" and keep walking, in our case this might be needed when we tether Joe and he starts pulling hard, we can command her down while we keep walking toward Joe.

                                      
It's the "Tether" game and Joe is playing.  Walking in a "Heel" Joe is attached to May with the bungee type cord May sticks with Denny and pulls Joe to keep up.

 May is in a "Down" because Joe is pulling pretty hard now, but she holds him even as she is drug a foot or so across the floor.

 Joe walks and offers little resistance, but walks side to side and wiggles around. May stays on task.  Now I know why her name is Mayflower...like the ship, she won't let anything sink her!

Tethering work is pretty hard on May, but she likes it, she sleeps well after we have practiced so we'll see how she sleeps tonight, she had been kind of wiggly all day just like Joe has been.  This afternoon was the first time Joe said "I miss being home" well, 2 more days of class and Friday is test and graduation day! Tomorrow will be another public outing day, the only thing May was ever hesitant about in public was a glass elevator we took her in, but she has since gotten over that too.  We walk with her weaving in and out of the food court, up and down stairs, elevators, through close clothing racks, she is amazing staying on a Heel the entire time!