Edgar's Obedience Class, Part 2

The night before Edgar's class, we had a big storm here in Atlanta. It started rumbling right as I went to bed, and the storm must have gotten alot closer after I fell asleep. I was abruptly woken up by a very loud crack of thunder, simultaneously with a very bright flash of lightning. It must have hit very close, to be so close together and so loud. I could hear sirens in the distance, and didn't think much of it. I should have...as the fire trucks pulled into the townhouse complex, Edgar joined in the noise making by howling...for the first time ever. And boy, was he loud! It was the traditional howl, seated, head thrown back. I leaped towards the edge of the bed to shush him, because he was so loud. It certainly woke me up. So for a bit, I just laid there in bed, listening for the fire trucks and more sirens in the distance to come closer. Fortunately, none did and the fire trucks were not here overly long. In the morning, on my walk with Edgar, we didn't see anything here that the lightning hit. But yesterday, looking out of the kitchen window, Chad saw something covering part of the roof of another group of townhouses. So maybe it hit there?

I rearranged my schedule at work to be able to get home earlier, which was a big relief. Once Chad rolled in, we stopped at Wendy's to get dinner...and it was not as fast as we could have hoped. Isn't that always the case when you are in a hurry? Edgar travels in the back of Chad's SUV, with the seats laid down because we don't have anything to cover the seat with for muddy paws. He has two ways he likes to travel, the first one being leaning aganist the door/window, sort of looking/sniffing out. Or...with his chest pressed up aganist the center console between the seats, head on armrest or nose poked in by Chad's elbow. And like so many dogs, when you try to push him back some, he pushes forward even harder so I have given up and keep wiping the drool off the armrest. We did realize, however, that the GA Tech Jimmy John's is right on the way, so we will stop for dinner there next week.

We did make doggie play time this week. Yeah! Surprisingly, he didn't just leap into the fray, which is what I expected. He followed around some of the other dogs and actually....acted sort of like the leader. Tail up, breaking up dogs when they got into it to much, and barking occasionally at the others. Not what I thought he would do. I thought he would just dive in, like he wants to do with DaVinci.

This week's class focus was walking on a leash and heeling. Yippee! I had bought him a training collar in a previous class, and we were finally getting to use it. First, we had to show off our "stay". Edgar did pretty good, especially when you have a treat out for him (this week's treats was bits of hot dog, much easier to handle then smushy cheese bits). That treat gives him total focus. Our "stay" homework introduces distractions into the equation. She told us to do small ones, like wave our arms around, and medium ones, like someone else tossing a plastic bottle nearby. He can look, but not break the seated stay position. I think he will do ok.

Finally, the collar. I had to put it on him, since he is hesitant and a little nervous having her do it. When tighten, it pinches the neck some, and feels like mom's gently, reprimanding bite to a dog. Leash in right hand, around navel area, dog on left. You walk with him, and when he begins pulling ahead, you turn 180 degrees and the leash tightens the collar until he turns, too. So everyone in class looks pretty funny walking, turning, walking, turning. Edgar does pretty good.

We also have to "sit on the dog". This is an exercise we do at home, where we are seated doing something like watching TV, working on computer, reading, and Edgar is tied on a short leash to the chair we are seated in. Its so he can learn then when his people are distracted and his options are limited, the best thing to do is lay down and possibly nap. This we need. TV watching has become more difficult because he thinks that when we are on the sofa, that's close enough to him for play time.

On a non-Edgar note, I went shoe shopping on Sunday. Standing all day at work on a tile floor laid over concrete is killing me. Having to wear not-so-smart shoes doesn't help, either. And I am not supposed to wear my tennis shoes, as they are Nikes, and Nike is a competitor. So I had to find something. I ended up ordering a pair of Merrell Capers at REI since they didn't have my impossible size, 10.5, and buying a pair of casual (non boot) Timberlands. Which, when I got home, I wasn't sure about the fit. I stopped by REI again yesterday and had Chad pick up the 11 at the REI near him. Fits my left foot (the bigger foot) good, but big on my right. I can't win. Its probably because my feet are on the narrow end of medium. Maybe an insole will solve the extra room problem, because the length is ok. Why can't more shoe manufacturers make 10.5s? Why do half sizes end after 9.5? Its so frustrating!

Edgar's Obedience Class, Part 1

Edgar and I started his obedience classes last night. Getting to class proved difficult...

If anyone has driven through Atlanta when it rains, they know their travel time increases exponentially. It had rained some mid-afternoon, and I was hoping that would be all. But I wasn't that lucky...just as I left work to hurry home to get Edgar, it began raining again. So my commute home took forever. Over an hour, and normally its about 25 minutes. Argh! First off, it was an accident on the bridge over I-85. Why can't people just drive by? Why do they have to gawk, and slow everything down so much so those of us on a time line have problems? And of course, to compound the problem, I felt like I got stuck behind everyone determined to drive under the speed limit due to the rain...for which my wipers were on the lowest intermittant setting. Sigh.

Fortunately, at home I had prepped a little by leaving my shoes and change of shirt in the kitchen. I raced in, changed my shirt there in the kitchen, and grabbed Edgar for a quick potty run. He was very energetic, and I was in slippery, wet flip-flops trying not to slide out of my shoes or twist my ankle. Mission partially accomplished, I stuffed him in the car (first time in the back seat) and headed off for a fast food run at BK. He barked a couple of times at the drive through lady, and was very interested in my burger and fries. Oh, and get this...my kid's meal came with a Furby. Yep, a furby. I didn't know they even made those anymore.

Onto 85, and we managed, thank goodness, to avoid any major traffic snarls. We arrived just as play time was ending. Poor Edgar! I had really wanted him to have this play time with the other dogs in class. All he ever wants to do when he sees another dog is introduce himself and play. And unfortunately for him, his most constant doggie companion, our friend's dog DaVinci, doesn't want to play. Hopefully traffic will work out next week and we can do play time.

I had my little container of smushy cheese bits for training treats, and off we went. We worked some on sit, which Edgar does pretty well (not prefectly), even when distracted. And when you pull out the cheese bits, then he does excellent. His focus is right on. When I pop the lid on the container he must smell them, 'cause his head whips right around. We even got complimented on his focus. If only he was more focused on walks and less on every interesting thing that crosses his path...Our homework for this coming week is stay. He has to stay put for one minute, in a distrationless place and with me standing right next to him.

Next week we work on walking and heeling...what we really need help on. With the training collar I bought for him at the end of class. I am not allowed to use it yet, not until our instructor shows us the proper technique. He does pull some, but mostly when he sees another dog as stated above...he just wants to say hello, so he pulls and pulls...sometimes ending up on his hind feet almost standing to get over there. Don't get me wrong, he hasn't been aggressive to the other dogs at all. And its funny, that once he greets them, when we meet again, he is less anxious to be re-acquainted.

He's napping now, so this is the best part of the day...I can get some things done.