Day 496

This boy! Sammy loves with his entire heart (and body)! However, at a little over one year old, his energy level sometimes gets in the way of training sessions.

Today, on our first walk, I was prepared with a pocket load of treats and a positive, can-do attitude. After hooking him up, while on his special, bite-resistant leash, we were literally off and running!

In class, we are encouraged to train amongst distractions. We were in a "Distraction Derby" as we headed out! Before even reaching the corner we encountered a cornucopia of interruptions...

*Squirrel: Sammy: "Must attack!"

*Airplane: Sammy: "I will jump and retrieve that flying thing!"

*Squirrel in tree: Sammy: "I can climb that!"

Neighbor's Yorkie: "Looks like a squirrel.. must attack!"

Treats: Sammy: "Yum! Treats! I will heel, sit, stay and... SQUIRREL!"

After crossing the street, we started fresh and had some success. Our boy means well, but he is still more puppy at heart. That same heart will make him an amazing Therapy Dog!!!!

Like people, young and old, Sammy simply doesn't understand everything. However, that puppy brain was firing on all cylinders when we approached home base. "Sit! Stay! Leave it! Down! Come!" And a few other commands worked like a charm! He was so impressive that a stranger asked me where and how we had trained this perfect Golden! Hah...if he only knew!

Although treats are not refused, praise and love work even better! There seems to be a hidden message here. Perhaps these two rewards work better than extrinsic, material offerings

To put it to the test, I think I will ask Mac to take out the trash and offer a hug as a reward. I presented that proposal to Sam. From my feet, where our youngest pup is curled up with Gus, I thought I heard a snicker!