Took the van back to the mechanic this afternoon so he can run diagnostics on it. Took Taenzer with me to walk home with. I don't really enjoy taking Taenzer walking, but I need to do it much more often so she'll get better at it, so--Timber stayed home and Taenzer came.
She pulled like a train for two blocks (then she got a little better). Her sits at street corners were very slow and had to be prompted (i.e., no automatic sits). She pooped on the grass in front of the bank (and stupid me, no plastic bag for pick-up). She barked at a dog being walked on the other side of the street. She totally spooked at the sight of a trashbag sitting out for pick-up. She barked at someone who wanted to pet her. I'm cranky anyway, and this is not in any way soothing my soul.
But then--
We approached a place where guys were laying a new sidewalk from someone's front step to the public sidewalk. Guys to bark at, "stay off" tape fluttering, strange things sitting around. I looked down at her and said, "Taenzer, heel."
She heeled. I had the leash short, but she was heeling, on a loose leash. She looked intently at everything going on, but she heeled until I gave her the go-ahead.
You could have knocked me over with a feather. I didn't think she could do that. I mean, I had no idea that she had any idea what "heel" meant when she was on leash. We mess around with it in the house and out in the puppy pen, but we've never used it on a walk. I was so proud of her, and kept telling her she was a good girl since, besides not having a pick-up bag in my pocket I also didn't have any treats on me.
Guess I'll put the goldfish bowl away for now.
She pulled like a train for two blocks (then she got a little better). Her sits at street corners were very slow and had to be prompted (i.e., no automatic sits). She pooped on the grass in front of the bank (and stupid me, no plastic bag for pick-up). She barked at a dog being walked on the other side of the street. She totally spooked at the sight of a trashbag sitting out for pick-up. She barked at someone who wanted to pet her. I'm cranky anyway, and this is not in any way soothing my soul.
But then--
We approached a place where guys were laying a new sidewalk from someone's front step to the public sidewalk. Guys to bark at, "stay off" tape fluttering, strange things sitting around. I looked down at her and said, "Taenzer, heel."
She heeled. I had the leash short, but she was heeling, on a loose leash. She looked intently at everything going on, but she heeled until I gave her the go-ahead.
You could have knocked me over with a feather. I didn't think she could do that. I mean, I had no idea that she had any idea what "heel" meant when she was on leash. We mess around with it in the house and out in the puppy pen, but we've never used it on a walk. I was so proud of her, and kept telling her she was a good girl since, besides not having a pick-up bag in my pocket I also didn't have any treats on me.
Guess I'll put the goldfish bowl away for now.
2 comments:
Oh, they are so smart! Goldfish???
They *are* smart, which is one of the things I adore about them.
Yeah, goldfish--you know--don't have to train 'em, don't have to take 'em outside, don't have to get 'em shots or heartworm meds. Just clean out their bowl once in a while, put in some food--nice, easy, undemanding...
But y'know, a goldfish wouldn't be near as snuggly as the Ts.
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