Now that Spring is almost here

[kateincornwall]

I must start doing more with Reuben . I haven't been too well of late and admit to becoming apathetic , I walk him twice daily, the morning walk being the shorter as Nelly doesn't " do " mornings too well but the afternoon one is always a good long walk where I try to incorporate training in short bursts along the way . To be honest , I have been concentrating my efforts mainly into socialisation and stopping the dreaded jumping up ! Its working , slowly but its far better than it was thank goodness . Reuben greets other dogs in a very submissive way , he rarely runs up, only to dogs he knows well but I feel I am neglecting him in other ways , and that wont do at all . I have started to do retrieving with him but he gets bored after ten minutes, so I stop and try again the next day . He seems happy enough but exercise isn't enough, so I must get my act together and do more than Sit/Stay and Recall , hopefully better weather will bring more enthusiasm ! xx

 

[Boogie]

How about working towards the Kennel Club bronze silver and gold? You don’t need to go to classes or take the tests, but they will give you an excellent list to work through.

Here they are -

Bronze

Silver

Gold

 

[MellowYellow]

I like @Boogie's idea, it is always good to have something to work towards.

 

[kateincornwall]

Thanks Mags , I`ll have a good look later, there I go again putting it off ! I don't want to become a control freak , Reubs is not quite six months old so I want him to be a puppy , but thanks again x

 

[MellowYellow]

Thanks Mags , I`ll have a good look later, there I go again putting it off ! I don't want to become a control freak , Reubs is not quite six months old so I want him to be a puppy , but thanks again x

Yes, but six months is a good time to start some 'serious' training, because at around seven or eight months he'll start feeling more confident and start pushing the boundaries a bit. It'll be good to get into the swing of a bit more training, to keep him occupied and focused on you.

Remember you don't need to do a whole lot of training at once, it's best when it's lots of short sessions, rather than one long one. For instance, ten minutes retrieving sounds a lot for a six-month old pup, most get bored after just a few minutes. So shorten the sessions, always finish when he is still really keen rather than waiting until he is starting to get bored. I do think it helps with labs if you can get them 'hooked' on retrieving, since if you aren't feeling great you can entertain them by throwing balls or putting out dummies for them, rather than having to walk miles and miles every day...

Another idea is to start 'searching' games with him, have you tried that yet?

 

[Boogie]

Yes, all our sessions (apart from walks) are only ten minutes long - several times a day.

 

[Candy]

My vet advised searching games for Joy when she was about 6 months. He's a massive fan of black Labs and knows them well. Joy absolutely loved our games of 'Find it!' and still does.It also tires her out without tiring me out!

 

[HAH]

Another thought is maybe cooperative care training might fit the bill? @snowbunny mentioned Debs Jones's book 'Cooperative Care: Seven Steps to Stress-free husbandry' on another thread a couple of months ago, and I'm really enjoying it. There's also a Fenzi Dog Sports podcast with her, and she has a closed Facebook group.

I reckon Reuben's at the perfect age for this; all the activities and training are focussed towards calm behaviours the dog chooses to take part in - so it's really great for learning more about your dog's body language, preferences and improving your relationship to help with things like grooming, handling, eye drops and nail trimming. It's all focused on a small accessible area, and short frequent training sessions are ideal. Might be good for those days with little time or when you're not feeling so good?

 

[kateincornwall]

Yes, but six months is a good time to start some 'serious' training, because at around seven or eight months he'll start feeling more confident and start pushing the boundaries a bit. It'll be good to get into the swing of a bit more training, to keep him occupied and focused on you.

Remember you don't need to do a whole lot of training at once, it's best when it's lots of short sessions, rather than one long one. For instance, ten minutes retrieving sounds a lot for a six-month old pup, most get bored after just a few minutes. So shorten the sessions, always finish when he is still really keen rather than waiting until he is starting to get bored. I do think it helps with labs if you can get them 'hooked' on retrieving, since if you aren't feeling great you can entertain them by throwing balls or putting out dummies for them, rather than having to walk miles and miles every day...

Another idea is to start 'searching' games with him, have you tried that yet?

Yes ,we had some little search games in the garden, just finding tennis balls I had hidden, he did love that . I agree re getting them hooked on retrieving , I achieved this with Sam and honestly, it was a fantastic aid . Hopefully Reubs will be the same in time , I try to make it all fun, lots of high pitched voice happiness when he finds his ball , will keep at it and thank you for all the suggestions . I guess I just sometimes worry that given my age , I will fail him, which is ridiculous really , he gets so much more than many owners half my age give to their dogs xxx

 

[HAH]

You will never fail him Kate, you're an experienced and excellent dogwoman and Reuben's fallen on his puppy feet with you. It's very understandable you worry sometimes, particularly if you're feeling crook at the moment - but listen to your sensible head that recognises how much you do give him x

 

[MellowYellow]

Agree completely with @HAH, you are a great and caring dog owner and will always do your very best for your four-legged friends.

 

[Atemas]

I understand your concern given you haven’t been well but you will definitely never fail him.

 

[kateincornwall]

This morning , I did some little games in the kitchen . All very simple and no doubt sound pointless but I thought it would help Reuben to concentrate on me . I stood still and got him to walk round and round me ,I had a few treats in my closed hand and lured him . Then I put him into a sit whilst I placed a treat on four of the floor tiles and pointed to the ones he could get in order . We only did about five minutes but his eager face was a picture xx

 

[Candy]

Doesn't sound pointless at all Kate, and needs to be simple,so achievable for a pup. Joy still loves this sort of thing, I think they just enjoy the interaction with us so much and it's great for strengthening that bond. (I'm sure you know all this anyway!)

 

[snowbunny]

Nothing you do together is pointless! Loads of people think what I do with my lot is pointless, but I enjoy it and they enjoy it, so it has every point that matters!!

 

[Selina27]

his eager face was a picture xx

This is the best thing

Hope you're feeling better Kate.

 

[Atemas]

I did some little games in the kitchen

One thing I do with Red is give her all her tea playing games. I have been doing this since she was a pup. It takes about 10 minutes and we have a whole heap of little games until all the kibble is gone. I use the whistle from room to room - getting her to sit and stay. We do sit, down, upsit, stand; weave and wrap; middle; heel, side and turn and face; touch just to name a few. It’s become so routine yet I know all these things can be applied anywhere now. I am busy most days and am often tired but I do this and I feel I have given her some fun.

 

[Bruer]

Hope you are feeling better Kate, you are doing fab with Reuben x

 

[kateincornwall]

Thank you , I haven't been too well and have to have full blood screening, my doctor is very belt and braces but am sure I will be fine , feeling better today than yesterday so that's good xxx

 

[edzbird]

Anything and everything we do with our dogs strengthens the bond and can never be described as useless. Not among friends here. We all understand the value of "little games".