Greetings all!
Well it's been a few weeks since I've posted, so I fired up the ol' "bark to text" app so I can fill you in on how Mom and I are doing with our quest to be a therapy team.
Mom and I have now realized that there is a lot, and I mean, a lot to do to get ready to pass the evaluation at the end of September.
Our obedience work has to be just about flawless and I have to be able, with Mom's help, handle a wide range of situations. Not just new sniffs, but new people, new sights, new sounds and even some new commands.
Whoever said you can't teach an old dog new tricks had a dog that was stubborn as hell. I'm up to learning new tricks and commands. And I understand why. Mom needs to be able to know that if she asks me or tells me do to something, that I will do it, no questions asked and no surprises.
Some of the training though seems awfully bizarre to me. I mean, who in their right mind tosses a tennis ball in front of a border collie mix and then WON'T let him go get it or play with it? It's hard, but it makes Mom happy and I get a jackpot of treats when I don't go after it. So I suppress my flyball instincts and sit by Mom's side until she tells me I can go get the ball.
And then she and Grandaddy have been working with me to help me not be afraid of plastics bags, especially when one is snapped open. Sophie and Callie have told me how odd we look - Grandaddy standing behind me, snapping a garbage bag behind me while Mom gives me treats. They laugh at me, but I'm the one getting treats so who's the dumb dog now???
That's not all - there's grooming too! I have to be bathed, brushed, nails trimmed, ears cleaned, teeth cleaned and the fur that grows between the pads of my paws has to be trimmed as well. It's exhausting! But I do look pretty spiffy once I'm done, so I guess it's worth it.
I can't wait to pass all my tests, get our credentials and start visiting!
We have another workshop on Saturday, so I'll post more after that.
Keep your paws crossed for me! Oh, and Mom too!
Sniff ya later - paws out!
Sammy
Sammy, a nine year old border collie mix shares his views and musings on human cooking with a dog's eye view. He also shares his thoughts as he and his human attempt to become a canine therapy team.
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