Toffee starts school

SteffiS

SteffiS

Location
Norfolk
Toffee started puppy training classes yesterday. I decided to try something different to the kennel club ones and go to classes run by Ripple's gundog trainer.
I did think there were rather a lot of us, with 13 puppies altogether, however it worked quite well with his style of training. Toffee was the youngest one there by a week, and thought it was all great fun. We were all given a tube of primula cheese which has to last the whole six weeks of training - well providing Ripple doesn't get hold of it :rofl:.

It ended with a game of musical sit, and I was quite pleased that Toffee made it to half way through before being the last one to sit.

By the time we got home he was over tired and very hungry, not a good combination as he ate his dinner, had his snuffle mat then threw half of everything back up again :facepalm:.
After a long sleep he's fine this morning and has done really well practising a few of the things we did last night.
 
SteffiS

SteffiS

Location
Norfolk
Took Toffee to the woods yesterday afternoon for a bit more off lead practice. He was doing brilliantly until a young (very well behaved) lab appeared, then he just wanted to play. After a discussion with the owner we decided to let them play and his dog was wonderfully gentle with Toffee, such a shame he can't play with Ripple like that.
When we decided play time was over we both called our dogs and Toffee came racing back, although he was probably only following the other dog I was so pleased with him as he came to me and sat really nicely.
 
SteffiS

SteffiS

Location
Norfolk
Horrible weather here today - Storm Ali - so we've been practising indoors with Ripple as well. We've now got to the stage where if I blow my stop whistle Ripple stops any silly business and sits, then Toffee will sit as well. Definitely progress :nod::clap:. Although I think OH is getting a headache from all the whistle blowing.
 
snowbunny

snowbunny

Location
Andorra and Spain
Hehe, looks just like Shadow as a puppy. Skinny little runt, bless him. He's just putting all his energy into growing up and there's none left to grow out :)
Every time I got Shadow looking like he wasn't being starved, he'd have a growth spurt and go back to this again. It'll right itself in time, don't worry too much!
 
SteffiS

SteffiS

Location
Norfolk
Leanne said:
Ooh I like the idea of musical sit!

What else did you do?
Click to expand...
There was a lot of talking and explanation as it was the first week, also we had to say what training we'd done and whether we'd let our dogs off lead yet. Then we all walked round the hall together so the instructor could watch how the puppies walked on the lead. Next we walked with half of us in one direction and half in the other so we were crossing across one another.
Finally musical sit :happy: . He was also happy for us to socialise our puppies at the beginning and the end, not running riot just on the lead, but it was a lot more relaxed than any puppy classes I've been to before.

I was surprised how much we got out of it, and of course we were set homework practising with the whistle to start training recall.
 
SteffiS

SteffiS

Location
Norfolk
Toffee did really well at school today, he came second in musical sit - use of whistle only this week as well; as opposed to last week when he was the first one out. He also did a sit and recall the full length of the hall, the first time he's managed that. Next week is the test, not looking forward to that :shake:.

Ripple also did well at his outdoor training, sat in a line of German shepherds, and did a lovely off lead recall. I was absolutely amazed when I turned round for the recall and he was still sitting there, I fully expected him to go and annoy all the other dogs.

Both boys have given me faith in my training today :happy:.
 
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