- Location
- Cornwall , UK
Oh she is absolutely joyous , loving life and showing it so wonderfully , bless x
Otter's Journey....
- Thread starter Beanwood
- Start date
So good to see her in such fine fettle!
- Location
- South Manchester England
Gorgeously bonkers! That just made me grin. So looking forward to seeing her develop
Candy
Biscuit Tin Guardian
- Location
- West Yorkshire, UK
How old is Otter now? I have a video of Joy that is reminiscent of yours. She was up on the moors in the snow, aged eight months, similarly leggy and funny!
- Location
- East Sussex
Love that video - she is so happy! (Though a couple of times I thought she was going to knock you flying...)
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
Hehe that's a great video! I love lambie jumps and the crazy zoomies face 
Jacqui-S
Moderator
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
She's loving it!
Beanwood
Administrator
Otter is eight months old now...
Beanwood
Administrator
Otter made it to Big Skool!
Today was Group 1 at gundog training. This class is aimed at pups under 12 months old, and whilst it is about gundoggery, there are a lot of useful life skills mixed in, such as learning to be be calm around other dogs, recall, stop whistle, impulse control in different contexts. Games, having fun and consent are all part of the course as well as a positive enviroment.
We had set our expectations very low. In fact if we were able to get Otter out of the car, comfortable and able to potter around the edge of the training field for a few minutes, we would class that as a huge success. In the group, the other handlers had been primed to ignore Otter, and to avoid eye contact. We waited until everyone was out on the training field and engrossed in various exercises before ( with some trepidation...) we got her out of the car.
Part One
We had Otter on a longish lead, plus in my bag we also had her long line. The class was a large one, I think 9 or 10 other dogs and handlers. The most humans and puppers that Otter had ever seen in one place! She bounced out of the car, and looked a bit stunned at the scene! I kept a loose lead whilst she worked on processing this fascinating view, her ears pricked forward more in surprise but her body posture all curious. She pottered around alternating between watching the other dogs, and sniffing for mice in the edge of the field. We got a bit of focus, however at this stage I didn't ask anything of her, apart from working with her sniffing with a bit of scattering treats. Throughout the entire first session we just had one small woof at a man who gave her a brief look, he apologised profusely after! Then we popped her back in the car to rest whilst we had a coffee break and discussed release cue from stationary, eg released to a informal game of fetch, grab treats. I hadn't really thought even this far, so SWMBO suggested I think of a cue to use, and that this might be a good exercise to work on.
Part Two
This time, when we got Otter out of the car, she knew what to expect. We had a wriggly excited pupper who now was more interested in the other young dogs, and we had no doubt if allowed, would have gone streaking across the field to say "hellooooo!!!" We decided to work on the new cue, as although she was interested in the other dogs, she was also more relaxed and happy to engage in games. I used the stop whistle, waited, then gave her new cue "Get it!" when I released her toy. She loved this game and kept coming back for more. At one point a young viszla, a couple of months younger than Otter, got close enough to to say a quick hello. Well Otter was thrilled with this! SWMBO at one point deliberately asked how we were getting on, Otter glanced up, but there was no anxiety or concern in the brief exchange.
Otter was super, amazing! So incredibly proud of how brave she was. Going to keep me smiling all week....
Today was Group 1 at gundog training. This class is aimed at pups under 12 months old, and whilst it is about gundoggery, there are a lot of useful life skills mixed in, such as learning to be be calm around other dogs, recall, stop whistle, impulse control in different contexts. Games, having fun and consent are all part of the course as well as a positive enviroment.
We had set our expectations very low. In fact if we were able to get Otter out of the car, comfortable and able to potter around the edge of the training field for a few minutes, we would class that as a huge success. In the group, the other handlers had been primed to ignore Otter, and to avoid eye contact. We waited until everyone was out on the training field and engrossed in various exercises before ( with some trepidation...) we got her out of the car.
Part One
We had Otter on a longish lead, plus in my bag we also had her long line. The class was a large one, I think 9 or 10 other dogs and handlers. The most humans and puppers that Otter had ever seen in one place! She bounced out of the car, and looked a bit stunned at the scene! I kept a loose lead whilst she worked on processing this fascinating view, her ears pricked forward more in surprise but her body posture all curious. She pottered around alternating between watching the other dogs, and sniffing for mice in the edge of the field. We got a bit of focus, however at this stage I didn't ask anything of her, apart from working with her sniffing with a bit of scattering treats. Throughout the entire first session we just had one small woof at a man who gave her a brief look, he apologised profusely after! Then we popped her back in the car to rest whilst we had a coffee break and discussed release cue from stationary, eg released to a informal game of fetch, grab treats. I hadn't really thought even this far, so SWMBO suggested I think of a cue to use, and that this might be a good exercise to work on.
Part Two
This time, when we got Otter out of the car, she knew what to expect. We had a wriggly excited pupper who now was more interested in the other young dogs, and we had no doubt if allowed, would have gone streaking across the field to say "hellooooo!!!" We decided to work on the new cue, as although she was interested in the other dogs, she was also more relaxed and happy to engage in games. I used the stop whistle, waited, then gave her new cue "Get it!" when I released her toy. She loved this game and kept coming back for more. At one point a young viszla, a couple of months younger than Otter, got close enough to to say a quick hello. Well Otter was thrilled with this! SWMBO at one point deliberately asked how we were getting on, Otter glanced up, but there was no anxiety or concern in the brief exchange.
Otter was super, amazing! So incredibly proud of how brave she was. Going to keep me smiling all week....
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
Great news! I can imagine your happy smile, lovely feeling.
- Location
- East Sussex
That's lovely! So pleased it went so well.
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Brilliant 
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Aw, great, brave Otter
- Location
- Buckinghamshire UK
This is lovely to read! She is really coming along in leaps and bounds. 
Beanwood
Administrator
Lisa
Moderator
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
Fantastic! Go, Otter, go!!
Beanwood
Administrator
So Otter is well and truly an adolescent! She is even developing a little waist, and her plump bottom has a more adult shape. BUT she is driving us both nuts...lead walking has fallen apart, well she can manage about 2 paces outside the front door then....YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! Recall??? What recall??? Everything is about mouse hunting....for Otter this is pretty serious business. Head down and snorkeling like mad.
But she is turning into a very happy puppy, so it is easy to forgive her. Life is just such fun for her right now, for us not quite so much!
She grabs shoes, gloves, socks, glasses ANYTHING!! Boundaries...what boundaries, she will nick that sarnie right out of your hands, and come back for the second half. Despite her diminutive size she had made counter surfing an art form...trotting in from the kitchen regularly with an assortment of rather sharp knives ( yes I know, management, management....)
Three dogs was easy....add Otter and well everything has gone to pot! In my head this little voice is saying..."Well I am a dog trainer you know!"
But she is turning into a very happy puppy, so it is easy to forgive her. Life is just such fun for her right now, for us not quite so much!
She grabs shoes, gloves, socks, glasses ANYTHING!! Boundaries...what boundaries, she will nick that sarnie right out of your hands, and come back for the second half. Despite her diminutive size she had made counter surfing an art form...trotting in from the kitchen regularly with an assortment of rather sharp knives ( yes I know, management, management....) Three dogs was easy....add Otter and well everything has gone to pot! In my head this little voice is saying..."Well I am a dog trainer you know!"