November 13th

I don't know what to say other than that Apache and I worked on leash training today, and he was afraid at first but warmed up a little and could follow heelwork better. We stopped when he was doing his best, so it was probably 20 minutes today.

November 7th

Time trained: 25 minutes active training with 30 minutes DPT training.
Goal of the day: Bowing.
Achieved: Beginning of bowing but long to go.
Notes: Collar on, changed hand signals for back up and figure eight. Started bowing but need to correct him from laying on his side. The true freestyle training has begun. 

Rapid progress!

I will just skip the long explanation and write down what we did today followed by pictures.

Time trained: 30 minutes active training with 45 minutes relaxation training.
Goal of the day: Leash training.
Achieved: Got collar on without trouble, could loop the leash over his head around the neck on/off. 
Notes: Fetched glove which he played with for the first time, worked on balance with my training ball, refreshed freestyle heelwork which he exceeded in, beginning of leash training, and pressure therapy. 

Strange objects

Apache and I worked on medicine bottles today which was the first time we worked on hard plastic and/or smaller objects and even though it was slobbery he did it really well! We are now working on waiting, command and direction. And despite this, I felt today was an "off" day for him where the will to work was not top notch. That's okay though. :) We got good cuddle.

Ixxi got brushed out, Andy got a haircut which he loves, and I took two separate dog walks this morning. A good doggy day!

Smart pet in Petsmart

I am proud to say that Frodo was very good at the petsmart store today! Since we live on a farm we rarely see people or dogs so he needed a refresher socialization. We brought Ixxi as companionship and just stood around and waited for him to get comfortable, feeding him treats like a food dispenser. And from being tense to paying attention to me and sitting on command, and letting a worker there pass him on short range without being alarmed in 20 minutes, he did great! I need to do this more often but I am sure he will become a really all-round amazing dog when this is fixed.

And Apache, wow. I spent time with him in the basement for some cuddles and decided to finish up my dinner, salmon. He was so good at giving me space (I eat with the food in my lap) and not trying to snatch or anything, so I gave him a tiny piece. And what I discovered was that salmon is the key to his inner puppy! He wagged the tail like he was going to take off like a helicopter, he licked me like crazy, crawled up on me higher than ever before and touching my face with his head, rolled over on his back while still ontop of me, and still wagged the tail like crazy. I have had him almost three years and I have never seen him act this puppylike! It is amazing that I still find out more and more things about this wonderful little dog!

And the cutest thing of them all... the noises he made! I have never heard those noises either. I feel like I have finally worked up his "minus" meter of insecurities and up on the plus side where his personality shows through more than ever before! And it feels like this is just the beginning. Very exciting!