(no subject)
Today I was at Colt State Park with my dog. It's a very busy place in the early mornings and late afternoons, when dog owners bring their pets for walks and exercise; I came at about 4:15, with the sun just starting to sink and the bright blue sky fading into that palest, iciest blue of New England winter. Standing by the shore today looking across the Sakonnet to Aquidneck and Connanicut islands it felt like the sky would go on forever - just this great huge clear vault. It's been so cold and dry and clear the past few weeks it feels like I could fall forever up into the sky.
I've been reading up on animal psychology and have started clicker training Romeo. I'm a total novice, and he's completely clueless too; we have fun messing around together, though, and it's an awesome tool; in just a few sessions I've finally gotten Romeo responding to verbal signals alone on some of the basic commands - he's been dependent on physical commands for a while, and since I want to start some distance work, I really really would like him to heed my voice. This is hard for a beagle, but he's got an INCREDIBLE recall, which he demonstrated this afternoon.
He's running in big circles around this huge beautiful field, and I'm keeping an eye out for any trouble, so that I can leash him if necessary; I notice in the waaaaay distance a leashed dog walking with its owner. I glance to Romeo, and realize that he's just noticed the dog too - he's gone still, and his eyes are locked on the dog. I call his name, and the recall command (Touch!) and crouch with my hand extended toward him, my signal for him to call. He's about fifty yards away from me, mind, and maybe a hundred yards away from the dog in the distance.
And he races toward me with this happy, trusting look in his face, and I give him a whoooole bunch of kibble and leash him up, and tell him what a fabulous dog he is.
Although he's not liking being on a diet one bit, lemme tell you. For all that he's great out on a walk, he's got rotten house manners because he's spoiled rotten. Since I've been cutting down on the table scraps and cat food and shit, he's been mugging everyone, but particularly my mother, for food. At dinner tonight (pot roast) he lay down by her feet and kept moaning. I don't know how else to describe it - it was throatier and louder than whining. I mean, he was practically yodeling; it was so loud we couldn't even talk. If I were a proper dog owner I would've given him a time out or something but it was so funny I couldn't talk for laughing.
So there you have it.
I've been reading up on animal psychology and have started clicker training Romeo. I'm a total novice, and he's completely clueless too; we have fun messing around together, though, and it's an awesome tool; in just a few sessions I've finally gotten Romeo responding to verbal signals alone on some of the basic commands - he's been dependent on physical commands for a while, and since I want to start some distance work, I really really would like him to heed my voice. This is hard for a beagle, but he's got an INCREDIBLE recall, which he demonstrated this afternoon.
He's running in big circles around this huge beautiful field, and I'm keeping an eye out for any trouble, so that I can leash him if necessary; I notice in the waaaaay distance a leashed dog walking with its owner. I glance to Romeo, and realize that he's just noticed the dog too - he's gone still, and his eyes are locked on the dog. I call his name, and the recall command (Touch!) and crouch with my hand extended toward him, my signal for him to call. He's about fifty yards away from me, mind, and maybe a hundred yards away from the dog in the distance.
And he races toward me with this happy, trusting look in his face, and I give him a whoooole bunch of kibble and leash him up, and tell him what a fabulous dog he is.
Although he's not liking being on a diet one bit, lemme tell you. For all that he's great out on a walk, he's got rotten house manners because he's spoiled rotten. Since I've been cutting down on the table scraps and cat food and shit, he's been mugging everyone, but particularly my mother, for food. At dinner tonight (pot roast) he lay down by her feet and kept moaning. I don't know how else to describe it - it was throatier and louder than whining. I mean, he was practically yodeling; it was so loud we couldn't even talk. If I were a proper dog owner I would've given him a time out or something but it was so funny I couldn't talk for laughing.
So there you have it.