The Ron
We've just returned from taking Ron for a walk before the rain hit. It is really important that we try to keep his activity levels similar to those he had when we were in France. Before we went away, he was somewhat overweight. After nine weeks of a lot of exercise, he has lost 2kg and is looking really good.
Port 'estate', looking north(ish)
We spent most of those nine weeks in port. The Port de Plaisance is 2 hectares of security-fenced grounds - plenty of space for strenous ball-chasing or general off-lead mooching.
The down-stay
I availed of the facilities to add the 'down-stay' to Ron's repertoire. He's reluctant to play that game with his precious (Billy Ball) so I used a stick or pine cone. Once in the down-stay, I walked away, increasing the distance at each session.
The 'fetch'
Then I'd turn and give the command 'fetch'. He soon got the hang of it. Unfortunately, it seems to have been place-defined as we had to train him all over again when trying it out at the local 'rec'.
He's also sulking a bit because his 'home estate' is tiny in comparison to his watery one. Which might explain why he's refusing to take part in eradication the mice which colonised the house during our absence.
Nine weeks of working on the boat - I hoped for a rest when we got home. So far, we've disinfected the utility room and kitchen. Evidence (poop) is also in the front room, the staircase, and my bedroom/study