A Summer Update

Nick has had an interesting summer. We have been dealing with the limitations of Social Distancing due to Covid 19, intolerable heat, and now smoke from major wild fires in our area. For the last several weeks, we have only been able to train at home for the most part due to smoke outside, and record setting heat previous to that. Some how, we did find time to try our hand at kayaking. He did great, seemed to enjoy the rocking of the waves on the water. We are both looking forward to more of this. 

We did complete our first official class, Basic manners, and Nick finally earned his American Kennel Club Socialization, Training, Activity, Responsibility (AKC STAR) puppy certificate. It's just the first of many certifications to show he's had classes in how to behave. Last week he started his Intermediate class, and will complete that at the end of October, and hopefully be ready to take his Canine Good Citizen, Community Canine Good Citizen (CGCA), and Canine Good Citizen Urban (CGCU). 

Nick has been having issues with car sickness, but seems to be getting better with it. He recently started getting into and out of the truck on his own. This is a big step for him. He's still nervous, but much less so over the last few weeks. 

We have started training in public more, at least once a week, going on shopping trips or at least to classes at PetSmart, for socialization. This has helped his confidence and willingness to try new things. Overall, social limitations have limited when and where we can train, but this is giving us time to really focus on basics and strengthen his cues as he goes through adolescence. 

As we move into fall, we will be working on skills to make public access easier on both of us, such as where to be when I'm seated in public, and the skills to get there, improving heel, and starting to work more consistently on behaviors needed for Rally Obedience and traditional Obedience competitions, both of which will help with behavior in public. 

Sunday, June 7, 2020

I've got a cautious nature. While I'm willing to try new things, I tend to investigate before I join in. I am learning that the world around me is exciting as Mom introduces me to it. When I learn a behavior, I learn it for the situation in which it was taught. So if I learn to sit when Mom says sit, and we're in the family room, with mom sitting in a chair, Mom must teach me in other situations that Sit means Sit, in all situations. To do this, I need to go many places and learn each new thing in those places. It's a long slow process, but as I learn more, I'm finding I'm able to take my new skills places and not need as much instruction in those places as I've needed in the past.

Climbing a loose dirt pile for new tactile sensations.

To help me learn, we are walking around the neighborhood on a regular basis. Mom helps me explore things I'm not so sure about, like slides, signs, benches, picnic tables, dirt piles. and what ever else we find that I should investigate.

 Under the picnic bench. Going under to chairs and tables is an essential Service Dog skill

Paws up on a light post

I'm afraid of cars and trucks. I get nervous and anxious about them, so Mom is helping me get past that. Today I spent time sniffing a truck, looking for my scent box and eating treats off the truck. I wasn't scared until the doors were opened today. I thought Mom might make me get in and go to the vet. She didn't! I was allowed to approach and retreat at my pace, eat treats or not, sniff for my box or not. It made me feel better about the truck. Mom says it will take me on all sorts of adventures, like to the lake for water play, swimming and kayaking, to play dates, to see friends. and camping, not just to the vet. She also told me she will spend as much time as it takes to acclimatize me to cars and car rides, so I'll have fun and enjoy it.

The pictures in this post were all found within walking distances of our house.

Nick investigating the truck 

Hi, I'm Nick

Nick on Gotcha Day, February 22, 2020 

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Hi, My name is Nick and I'm a Service Dog Candidate, learning the things I need to know to be a Service Dog. There's a lot. Mom says the journey is like going from Kindergarten to getting the Doggie equivalent of a Ph.D. I turned six months old yesterday and am a blue Standard Poodle. I live with my mom, and my big sister, Pau. She's a Great Pyrenees, and doesn't like to play near as much as I do.

Nick and Pau

Right now, I'm somewhere in grade school. I have a lot of learning ahead, and I'm building the foundations for what I will need to know, and it's home schooling to boot because learning options have been limited for me due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

I moved in with Mom when I was 10 weeks old and have been on a steep learning curve from the beginning. Like all dogs and kids, I need to learn how to behave at home, on walk, going places, and during grooming. Mom assures me I will be going on many adventures, and I cannot wait. I'm also told that most of the fun will start after the threats from the virus are no longer a threat to Mom's health.

Meeting My Friend Daisy at her most recent Agility Trial. 

The first few months I was with mom, we spent working on foundation skills that will help me learn the more advanced skill. Mom says it's learning to add, subtract, multiply and divide before learning advanced calculus.

I'm being taught using force free training. Mom says it's better for me and I'll learn better. I don't know, I just know that what ever I'm learning and where ever we are, it's fun! I get to work for things, food, toys, games, play. I don't get yelled at or harmed in any way.

Practicing Zen with treats on my paws. 

So far I've learned Touch, Sit, Down, Take, Hold, Give (or as Mom says, thank you), Zen (leave it), Focus (eye contact with Mom), Off, Potty on cue, handling for grooming, and a  bunch of stuff that has to do with dealing with the world around me. It's a lot for a little guy, but it's all FUN!