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Like most dogs, Ace is often in an excited mode before we even get out of the car at the dog park. I always make sure he is relaxed before I let him jump out. That means he sits and waits until I say “OK.” He never lunges out of the car anymore. But when he used to, I put him right back in and had him jump out on my terms. The mutt did very well walking from the car to the gate. I had his choke collar on, but it wasn’t really necessary. I took his leash off and we practiced off-leash heeling for the next 20 minutes or so. I made sure to walk randomly, turning into him and away from him and to walk over tennis balls. The dog park is a great place for Ace and I to work because there are tennis balls everywhere. He gets a double challenge because he is expected to leave the tennis balls alone and heel. One thing I’ve noticed about Ace’s tennis ball obsession is that when we are in a working mode, he leaves them alone. When we’re not working, he easily becomes fixated on anything. As far as loose-leash walking goes, Ace is doing very well. The only thing that distracted him today was the trash scattered everywhere. Apparently paper, plastic bottles and other pieces of garbage are full of tempting smells. It took a lot of focus from Ace to leave the garbage alone. Really, the only time the mutt ignores me if he decides he has to go to the bathroom and he can’t wait. I think I’ve unintentionally trained him that he can stop and go to the bathroom whenever he wants as long as it’s in the grass. But it is really annoying sometimes. The only way I know how to fix this is to make sure I give him time to go on my terms so it won’t be an issue for him to make his own “pit stops.” By the way, when a dog is on Prednisone, he has to pee about every hour! Poor Ace. Although our walk was a half-hour at most today, Ace came home and crashed a lot harder than when we go for a longer walk in our own neighborhood. That just shows how important mental challenges are for dogs. Doesn’t this pitbull look a lot like Ace? This is day 15 of my 30-day challenge to work with my dog on loose-leash walking. Click here to see my other 30-day challenge posts. (Image from latimesblogs.latimes.com)
The second-highest commenter of the week was Marie from Resq Tails. Saint Lover from It’s the Dogs’ Life was third. Thank you to everyone who comments! I appreciate it! I added a list of top commenters for the month on the right side of my blog. It will refresh at the beginning of each month. It also looks like FeedBurner is back. Thanks for being patient!
Ace wears the Avery Sporting Dog Parka. I call it a vest. The parka is designed for hunting dogs, mostly labs that spend time jumping in and out of the water in cold weather retrieving birds. I know Ace would make a great hunting dog, but I have never taken him hunting. Instead, he spends a lot of time hiking, camping and backpacking with me. In North Dakota, that involves rain and snow and cold for at least six months of the year. Ace has short hair like a great dane and very little body fat, so some sort of dog coat is necessary for him in the winter. I’m a little embarrassed to be the chick with a dog dressed in camouflage. I feel like a redneck from Fargo. But I went with usefulness over style and this vest really does keep the mutt warm when we are out on long walks through the snow or on weekend camping trips in the winter. A downside to the camouflage dog vest is the mutt blends into the surroundings and I would hate for him to get lost or shot. A bright red vest or any other color would be better, but all I could find was the camouflage. The Avery parka comes in sizes from small (15″ neck, 24″ chest) to 3XL (21″ neck, 35″ chest). Ace has a large, and it is a little tight on him. I should’ve gone with the XL. But one great thing about this vest is that it is designed so the arm holes and waistline can be trimmed if needed. I trimmed the arm holes on Ace’s parka and now it fits him better. Ace’s Avery parka is made of neoprene with insulation that drys quickly. It’s really easy to put on him. He just steps into it and I zip it up in the back. He hates wearing it, but once we get outside he forgets he has it on. If you have a lab-type dog, I recommend the Avery parka to keep him warm. Dogs can get hypothermia very easily when they are out in the cold, especially if they like rolling in water and snow like my mutt. A dog coat or vest will help keep him warm this winter. Don’t forget that the top commenter between last Friday and this Friday will win a copy of “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Loving Our Dogs.” |
