In the past year of being teamed with Dash I have really learned the importance of keeping up with this regular practice. When I don't, Dash tends to grow sloppy with commands or even begin to forget one if we haven't done it for a while. I have also noticed that Dash has begun to get a little too excited when he sees another dog. I'm not trying to place blame but I blame that on this little lady and her sister:
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| Elsa and Dash. Not Pictured: Jorie |
I realized that because Dash gets to play with the girls across the street every few days and is rarely under command when he's around them, he began to think that all dogs equal play time! In order to combat this thinking I decided on two things.
First, Dash has started practicing his commands in the presence of his best buds. He maintains a sit or down until he is released, and he must still be obedient in the midst of play if I give him a command. If he breaks a rule, play time is over - at least for a few minutes.
My second action point in getting Dash back on track was to join up with the local Canine Companions for Independence puppies in training on their next day out! As luck would have it, I actually got an email inviting us to the next event the very day after I decided on inviting ourselves!
With much anticipation, Dash and I readied ourselves for a day trip into Cleveland via the RTA Rapid Transit. This was an adventure for both of us as I had never used Cleveland's public transportation. I decided to invite my best friend Forth to join us in meeting up with 8 pups in training and one other graduate service dog. (Note: blog post to come on the life cycle of a Canine Companions for Independence dog!)
Dash did just as I expected he would as we arrived at the RTA station and located a few puppy raisers; forged ahead a bit in anticipation of an excitable greeting with these new friends! With a quick correction and a moment of sitting, Dash regained his composure. I began to worry that this might be an even bigger challenge than I expected, but have no fear - that was Dash's one and only fault for the day. After a few gentlemanly sniffs to greet the others, my guy knew it was all business from here on out.
Once our group assembled we got ready to board the train. It was quite a sight to see so many dogs on one train, and everyone did great! Within a few moments we had arrived at our destination, Tower City.
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| Patiently waiting for the train |
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| We made it! |
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| Big dog, little city |
Eventually it was time for lunch at Cleveland's Hard Rock Cafe. Our group was seated on the patio and the staff went above and beyond in serving our group, including giving each dog its own water bowl! Once again, everyone was pleased with their dog's performance- staying neatly tucked under a table, and not eating any delicious morsel that may have been dropped.
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| (Side note: leaving food is a CCI standard that puppy raisers begin to enforce at a young age. A popular challenge in the past few months is the kibble name game. Check out Dash dominating) |
The grand finale of our day was a short jaunt to the casino- sure to have distracting sights, sounds, and perhaps even smells to challenge the pups! Now, I'm not much for gambling but I saw a new side of Dash!
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| Game face! |
Thankfully I was able to talk him down before he blew through his savings! What a sad example for the puppies!
Eventually it was time to head back. Our trip home was a bit more eventful with some real characters on our train. We even got serenaded!
By the end of the day all members of our party were worn out, but none more than these guys:
