Last month I talked about how I fell short on dog training. Despite my shortcomings, Maya and Pierson have really come a long way. Maya’s behavior at Dogtoberfest reflected this. She was such a good girl!
Yes, when Maya first arrived she did try to drag my husband to the park where Dogtoberfest was held. But this was only because of her initial excitement. When Maya gets excited she is extremely difficult to manage. But I’ve learned that once her excitement wears off (about 10 to 15 minutes) she is much more manageable and will listen to my commands. So for the first 10 minutes of Maya’s arrival at Dogtoberfest there was pulling, barking, butt-wiggling, tail wagging, and all-around happiness. But for the rest of the day after that, Maya was relatively calm.
Dogtoberfest here in Lawrence was held downtown in South Park on October 6th this year. There were a lot of activities including a dog-walk-a-fest, disc dogs, canine good citizen, dog agility, dog training demonstrations, face painting for kids, bobbing for hotdogs for dogs, etc. In between activities, people could visit all the vendors and dogs up for adoption through the Lawrence Humane Society and various rescue groups.
There was not a single dull moment for my dog Maya at the Dogtoberfest. While I tended my booth, Maya found a stick to play with. Sticks are her favorite toys.
I was one of the vendors for Pet Auto Safety.com so unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to check out all the activities and the other vendors. Maya stayed with me and showed off her new ClickIt Utility dog seat belt. She was an excellent model. And she was a good dog in other ways, too. Many people wanted to pet her. She actually managed to sit still in most cases. She did try to jump a couple of times, but I was expecting it and was able to keep her from doing it.
Yep, Maya really does love sticks. That red thing she is wearing, by the way, is her new ClickIt Utility dog seat belt.
Maya did very well with other dogs, as usual. Other than the initial excited barking in the morning of the event, she didn’t bark again for the rest of the day. I’m so proud of my Maya.
Have you had any recent breakthroughs in dog training?
Tags: clickit utility, dog seat belt, dog training, dogtoberfest, humane society, maya, pet auto safety
November 11, 2013 at 9:20 am |
Sounds like a great event! How wonderful that Maya’s training went so well. We certainly understand how exciting those first 15 minutes of “newness” can be, now we need to figure out how to calm Daisy down once the initial introductions are over! ;)
November 11, 2013 at 12:51 pm |
Oh wow – I felt like I was reading about Toby. He is the same EXACT way, needing a good 15 minutes or so before he settles and behaves. I try to go places early now, and hang in the parking lot for a while to try to help him chill…
Of course, the training has helped too – and it sure sounds like you’re doing a great job with Maya’s! :-)
November 12, 2013 at 4:43 pm |
Labs! Gotta love ‘em. I went through a dog training course so I could be a certified dog trainer and the person who mentored me said Maya has GLS… Goofy Lab Syndrome. It is an inherited thing. I bet Toby has it too. ;)
November 11, 2013 at 1:14 pm |
Callie tends toward territory guarding if she’s not moving along. And, of course, whatever Callie does, Shadow has to copy. So, when at park, I have to choose a bench far from the path to rest at…And then make sure that both girls are facing me or the bench (or both) instead of the path. Now, that said, Callie isn’t always territorial but I always try to be proactive with her to avoid problems. I think part of it, too, is being on-leash. But I know my dogs — they have selective hearing, especially away from home — so I keep them leashed.
It’s wonderful when our dogs have a training breakthrough! I know it makes me swell with pride! I’m very happy for you, and proud of your Maya!
November 12, 2013 at 12:34 pm |
Haha! She sure looks happy rolling in the grass! I’m glad she was such a good girl. Ace is usually out of control too for the first 10 minutes – lots of pulling, “choking” sounds and sometimes whining. Then he usually settles down :)
November 12, 2013 at 7:22 pm |
Excellent job Maya. Dogtoberfest sounds like a ton of fun!
November 12, 2013 at 10:11 pm |
OMD!! That sounds like tons of fun!!! Way to go Maya!! Sounds like you were a huge hit! High Paw!!
Kisses,
Ruby ♥
November 16, 2013 at 5:13 am |
It sounds like a great event! Well done to Maya and you for the training.