A Year Later: In Which Melon Is Getting Crazier and Crazier

A year ago I posted about sitting by the side of the road in the name of puppy socialisation. Who cares what people think? 🐶 Today, Darcy and I took a break on the footpath as he was a little overexcited. So I sat on the ground with the puppy. And since I was there, I might as well take a photo for Instagram, right? See the black? That's my pant leg. Leaning back, looking at my screen and making kissy noises, I forgot I was lying by the side of the road... until a lady pulled over to ask if I was all right. 😳 🐾 What's the most embarrassing thing you've done in the name of dog training? #trainersgonnatrain #butsometimeswescarepeople #oops #dogtraining #6monthsold

A post shared by Melon (@melondious) on May 16, 2017 at 6:01am PDT

Throwback Thursday: A Piece of Serenity

It's been one of those weeks.

So here's a piece of serenity from almost six months ago; before Ava's knee surgery, before the arrival of Darcypup -- just the two of us on a quiet afternoon.

 

P.S. Yes, this is the dog who hates water -- think we'll make a water baby of her yet??

Puppy Play: In Which We See Just How Much Fun Ava and Darcy Have

During Ava's year with me, I've introduced her to a few dogs. They all interacted with her differently, but I wished I knew a stable, playful dog of similar size and strength for her to really play with.

Enter Darcy.

Yes, 9 week old Darcy.



Like the old saying... it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the amount of spunk and willingness to sit on another dog's head that counts!

Flashback Friday: To That Time Ava Met A Cat

No, really. Even Ava’s humans don’t know about this, because it happened when Ava stayed with me when she was 16-20 weeks old.

Nobody told me this was gonna happen either.

See, last night in class we were talking about my instructor’s favourite subject, puppy socialisation and environmental conditioning. We talked about all the things we should safely introduce puppies to in their critical phases of development (~3-16 weeks), when they are particularly sensitive to new experiences. Having calm, happy experiences hearing different sounds, touching different surfaces, and meeting different people and animals during this period helps a puppy to be happy and comfortable in the big wide world.

Introducing puppies to new things really is one of my favourite things to do. It’s fun, and particularly rewarding is the knowledge that your little friend will face the world with a sense of adventure rather than fear. And you get to spend time with puppy without doing repetitive obedience exercises!

So last April, when a friend heard what I was doing and mentioned that she has a cat...

What is that?

It's Oliver, the ragdoll cat.

Whoa whoa whoa.

Huh.

It went decently. The great thing about Ava being so small was that Oliver could simply stay on the couch, out of the puppy's reach, if he wished. Ava and her 'puppy manners' (or lack thereof) got too close at one point, which caused Oliver to hiss and run. That could have been a disaster (for both), but I got lucky.

Next time I do this, I’ll just let the puppy watch from a distance, unless the cat shows signs of wanting to cuddle.

I'm thinking NOPE.

Never mind, Ava found ways to entertain herself.

Mischief Monday: In Which Melon Is Tricked By A Dog, Again

The great thing about having an instructor who works many jobs and has working dogs in and out of his property all the time is that sometimes, they come to class.

"Your job," he said as we arrived for our second practical lesson, "is to spoil this puppy. Pat her, feed her treats -- nothing you do with this dog is wrong, today."

'This puppy' was a beautiful little English springer spaniel, 11 weeks old. She had a brown head, white speckled body, and seemed to be all legs. When I first arrived, she was obviously timid, so I let her be. I knew we'd all be swarming into the grounds soon, and that seemed quite enough for her to get used to.

By the end of the day, however, she'd been fed, cuddled and rubbed, as instructed, as well as worn collars a dozen times (both correctly and incorrectly -- we were learning to fit collars!), and was clearly feeling much happier about people.

Now, I didn't set out to teach her anything, honest. (Those who know my teacherly tendencies, stop laughing. I mean it.) But at some point in the day I was handed a tennis ball, and Ava's taught me what puppies like. I'm starting to think, though, that spaniels just can't resist moving things.

When I rolled the ball around and around in front of her, and then gently towards her, she followed it with her eyes, and then suddenly pounced in the direction it rolled. She was adorably clumsy, but soon learned to pick it up in her mouth and return it to me. Whenever she did, I gave her a treat, showered her with praise, and threw the ball for her again.

My instructor had spotted me playing with the puppy throughout the day. As class wrapped up, he said, "Okay, class dismissed... oh, before we go, let's see what Melon's taught my dog."

The class watched as he gently tossed the tennis ball to the 11 week old puppy, who was lying on the floor in the middle of our class. She clumsily followed it, picked it up in her mouth... and ran out the door with it.

Book Review: The City Dog

Basically, it looked pretty and easy to read

This book was another library find of mine. It's one of those large, non-fiction books you find on its own little stand because it looks new and colourful.

I came for a few 'recommended' books such as the Dunbar guides and having spotted it on my way out, grabbed it also. I was attracted by the modern cover design and easy-to-read typesetting, but it turned out to have a really practical, sensible approach to having a dog in the city.

In fact, I feel it provides a practical, sensible approach to having a dog in general. This Hamlyn (UK) book may not have had us 'down under' in mind, but Australia is one of the world's most urbanised countries. We also have one of the world's highest rates of pet ownership. So it's not surprising that I feel this book is practically a must-read for a new dog owner.

 The City Dog: The Essential Guide For the Urban Owner opens with an introduction to the idea of dogs in the city:

While it may be tempting to think of most dogs being at home in green fields and woodland, they can adapt well to life in the city and can flourish there, with a little understanding, training and care. (Introduction, p.6)

And I think this book provides us with just that -- a little understanding, training and care -- so that we can, in turn, provide our dogs with the same.

It presents a thorough understanding of the issues involved in having a city dog, from sheer size considerations for a dog navigating city streets to the necessity of 'leave it' in that environment.
Each double-page spread has eye-catching (and adorable!) photos alongside descriptions which provide an understanding of the relevant concepts without descending into jargon.

And the training exercises? Recall, Sit, Down, Leave it -- as well as attention, socialisation (with checklists!) and café manners -- are what I'd consider essential for any pet dog anyway, so I love that they are all there, with step-by-step photos.

And I think reminding owners about balancing their needs with that of their dogs -- such as bringing the dog along to the outdoor mall for a shopping spree but taking care pup doesn't leave hairs on the clothing -- shows that they really have covered the topic 'with care' and consideration.

But really -- this is all just my very long way of saying I really enjoyed this book. I was impressed at how it could present such sound, comprehensive and relevant information in such a simple manner, with more than half the book being beautiful photographs and so few words! (... unlike me!)