Quarantine = Training Time

In this crazy time, you may be starting to go a little stir crazy, unable to go out to eat, explore the mall, or even go to work in some cases.  I am happy to tell you that there are a lot of different things you can do with your dog to stay busy!  Don't have a dog?  Lots of rescues are in need of foster families, so you can always borrow a furry friend while helping out your community.

One of my favorite things to do with my furry friends is to go for a hike.  During this time when everyone is asked to avoid shopping centers and restaurants, go exploring outdoors!  You'll maybe even find your new favorite spot to hang out.  Today, my family and I went out for a walk with Theo and Baxter along a lovely trail close to home.  We got to see some geese, stretch our legs, and get some fresh air.  The other thing I did with Theo and Baxter today is some training.  I worked on a few tasks with Baxter like diabetic alert and tugging open the fridge, and then Theo joined in the fun when we started working on some other fun training.  ​

One of the main cues we worked on today was "go to your mat."  Both dogs know this cue, so it became a helpful piece of our training session.  When I wanted to work with Theo on something, I sent Baxter to his mat, and he got to work on his stay (with the distraction of Theo working with me).  Then when it was time to work with Baxter, they switched spots.  This is a really helpful cue when you are working with more than one dog since you can easily keep them out of the way of each other while each dog is practicing valuable skills.  "Go to your mat" has lots of other purposes as well; I love to use it with Theo at the vet.

One of the other cues I worked on today was "leave it."  I walked the dogs through a minefield of treats on the ground in the living room, and I practiced tossing treats at both of their feet and worked with them on ignoring the treats.  With Theo, I also balanced some treats all the way up his nose to test his self-control (and balance).  Don't worry, he got to eat the treats afterward!  "Leave it" is an essential cue; it can even save your dog's life if you drop something dangerous on the floor (medications, sharp objects, etc).  I hope you all are surviving quarantine (and spending some quality time with your dog)!  Stay pawsome!