We’ve been working through Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy by Steve Mann, and so far it’s as good as everyone says!
Kipper and I have been trying a few of the activities, and this morning we went on a rucksack walk. There’s a lot of detail on how and why to do it, but Kipper and I did a relaxed version based on the 3 rules:
1. Treat it as a bonding opportunity, not a training exercise
2. Say everything as a whisper
3. Hold everything that comes out of the rucksack like it’s a baby bird.
I put 3 things in different Tupperware boxes; a comb, an orange and a piece of Stilton. The idea is to walk quietly and calmly, letting the dog sniff and wee on the way, to a spot where you can both sit quietly. You then settle down, and one at a time, take out each item from the rucksack starting with the interesting object, then the smelly object, then the tasty object. Spend time discussing it with your dog, act as if it’s a really precious thing, then let them explore it in their own time. Once they’ve had a good look/sniff/lick, move on to the next thing until you get to the tasty thing which you let them eat.
In short, the spot I chose was in a wheat field and the fresh green leaves were far too interesting! But in the spirit of the game, this wasn’t a problem but an enrichment opportunity. So Kipper had a good chomp and scuffle through the long stems (he loves the sense of long grasses down his sides and under his belly) and then he settled in my lap and we sniffed the wind and watched the world. It was so lovely, and a brilliant thing to do with a dog on restricted exercise as much as with a puppy. I’m looking forward to doing these much more!
Kipper and I have been trying a few of the activities, and this morning we went on a rucksack walk. There’s a lot of detail on how and why to do it, but Kipper and I did a relaxed version based on the 3 rules:
1. Treat it as a bonding opportunity, not a training exercise
2. Say everything as a whisper
3. Hold everything that comes out of the rucksack like it’s a baby bird.
I put 3 things in different Tupperware boxes; a comb, an orange and a piece of Stilton. The idea is to walk quietly and calmly, letting the dog sniff and wee on the way, to a spot where you can both sit quietly. You then settle down, and one at a time, take out each item from the rucksack starting with the interesting object, then the smelly object, then the tasty object. Spend time discussing it with your dog, act as if it’s a really precious thing, then let them explore it in their own time. Once they’ve had a good look/sniff/lick, move on to the next thing until you get to the tasty thing which you let them eat.
In short, the spot I chose was in a wheat field and the fresh green leaves were far too interesting! But in the spirit of the game, this wasn’t a problem but an enrichment opportunity. So Kipper had a good chomp and scuffle through the long stems (he loves the sense of long grasses down his sides and under his belly) and then he settled in my lap and we sniffed the wind and watched the world. It was so lovely, and a brilliant thing to do with a dog on restricted exercise as much as with a puppy. I’m looking forward to doing these much more!
