A lovely lady adopted Metric last week, who happens to be a trainer herself, so he is in good hands. And, she is sweet enough to let me borrow him for our remaining trainings.
We worked on what we learned last week, which included long sits and lay downs (Metric is now a pro!) We also practiced calling him to me, first at a shorter distance and then at a longer distance. Once again, Metric did very well, though I had to practice my consistency (see a trend?) Once he got to me, I wanted him to sit, though the goal was to praise him for slowing down and reaching me. If he could speak, he would have said, "Hello? I did my part! Praise me! Give me treats!" Instead, I stared at him, waiting for something to happen. We (ahem, I) fixed this on the next practice run.
We also worked on greetings, which consisted of the trainer approaching to shake my hand and me giving treats and attention to Metric. This allows Metric to learn how to behave when others approach us. I can't think of anything he did during our practices that wasn't model behavior. He still pulls a bit on the leash when we walk around, though we are learning this next week.
I could say that he is a different dog after 3 classes, though I think I have changed the most (as I am much more comfortable). He is so much calmer, even though he is a very energetic dog. I think this also has a lot to do with his new mommy, who is working with him and is giving him the consistency and love that he craves.
Check back next week to see what we learn about walking on a leash!
