Now that Riley's passed her CGC exam (woohoo!) I've started working on public access training. I'm starting out very slowly to make sure she masters it completely and isn't overwhelmed or stressed. Our first outings have been to "The Habit Burger Grill" by our house. They have a nice outdoor patio with heaters, so we can sit outside at night and enjoy a nice dinner while Riley learns to chill in a down stay. My husband and I have taken her twice and each time she's been better at laying still and ignoring people coming in and out of the restaurant.
One of Riley's bad habits I'm working to break is snacking on food that falls on the ground while I'm eating. She's come a long way! Right now I have to say "leave it" if something falls, but I'm hoping that with lots of repetition she will learn that when food falls on the ground it's off limits.
We had lunch at a restaurant on Saturday outdoors and I practiced "leave it" by dropping bits of steak. She did perfectly and didn't even go for it when I picked up all the pieces after the recording ended. :)
In other good news, I'm officially in training to become a trainer at Zoom Room Campbell! I'm just working part-time on the weekends, but it's been so much fun! My passion in life is training dogs. This has been such a wonderful experience so far. I love seeing when people (and pups) connect and the light bulb turns on during training.
Riley is also learning some advanced tricks, with Kim's help. She's mastered "roll over", commands from a distance of over 20 feet (down, roll over, recall with a "wait" as she comes toward me so she freezes in place, etc.), and she's learning how to ring a bell on command. I can't wait to see what the next few months have in store for us! :D
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