Grabbing educable moments ...

Sally takes her role of mentor for TDP very seriously. She is nearly always aware of where the puppy is and what she's doing. If the puppy cries or whimpers Sally drops everything to double check that all is OK.

The blank slate that is TDP (aka Phenomenal) is such a joy to play with.

I decided today to play with entering a crate as part of her training. Up til now I just popped her in a crate when I needed her in one. Easy enough and I'm usually rushing her somewhere when I need her in a crate. She is crate trained in that she is settled and happy in a crate. Funnily enough, the better my timing gets the less I find I need to use a crate for puppies. They are terrific tools and I will always crate a new dog now but TDP is such an amazing little dog she hardly ever needs a crate.

Crate training was hilarious. I took 15 tiny TINY pieces of cheese and stood beside an open travel crate (she's actually being crated in a much larger crate - Sampson's day crate). She looked at me, nothing happened. She pawed my leg, nothing happened. She glanced away from me and away from the crate, nothing happened. She glanced at the crate. "yes" and a bit of cheese was tossed in the crate (as I knew she was comfortable in the crate). She charged in, ate the cheese, charged out and woofed in the hopes of more cheese. Nothing happened. She looked at the crate. " Yes" tossed cheese. She came out of the crate. Looked away from crate. Nothing. Looked at crate and started towards it. "Yes" tossed cheese. Out again. In instantly. "Yes" and three bits of cheese. Out and in. I held her back lightly and she pushed against me to get into crate. Hilarious. Dinner was fed in the same way. 30 pieces of kibble. Some jackpots, some singles. She is very happy to run into her crate now. I'll add a cue tomorrow (Probably "kennel" as that what the other dogs know - even though she isn't staying). She is a bright cookie.

It amused me that Brody hung right around while training was happening hoping to be invited to get in the kennel. He is NEVER crated in a travel crate unless he HAS to be- he has a large pop up crate that Sally would easily fit in and he is relatively comfortable hanging out in there if need be. He did demonstrate going in the crate on cue today for TDP which was very sweet of him.

We took TDP for a hike at the farm. She thought it was great, though she over did it and ended up being carried for pieces of the trudging through deep snow. Brody, Sally and Sammo all had a blast too. (I did a little LITTLE bit of deep snow jumping with Sally - she was quite amused and as agile as ever!)