Day 108

Hops went to work with me today and was a good boy as usual. He had a play time with Rosie the Old English Sheepdog in the morning and loved that. Between shifts Hops played and did his peanut and doughnut work. He had his fun and focus class in the evening and we did balance work, recall to heel facing him, facing away and facing the side (to do a 90degree turn) both on the flat and with a tunnel, a table, and with jump standards. He did a great job in class, focusing well though still taking treats too roughly.

Day 107

Today Hops is five months old! I love this puppy! He went with us to the trial again and was again wonderful. I love how he can stretch out on someone else’s lap and just love up on them!

 

After the trial we dropped Jeremiah’s truck off in Sumner and Hops heard a very close train go by when we were walking around the parking lot and was not phased by it at all. He also met some nice people and sat nicely for them to pet him.

 

After we went home, Hops played with Dillon for awhile then was good while I brushed him. We then walked and ran around the yard together doing rally moves and agility flat work, all for tugging as the reward. Then Hops made a new friend, a 3 month old golden puppy named Dexter. Once Dexter warmed up, he and Hops had lots of fun running around and playing together. So cute!

Day 106

Hops went to the trial with us today and was of course a wonderful puppy, loving up on all the people there. Lisa took some great photos of him. He is getting so handsome!

 

 

At home we did some vehicle hides and Hops did well with those. Then I played with Hops in the backyard, doing flat work for tugging. Later, to end the day we did some balance work on the peanut.

Day 105

Hops went with us to the trial at Argus today and, as usual, was a great puppy. He greeted many people, friends and strangers, and loved them all. He continues to improve with sitting and keeping his sit while saying hello. He was also great with the other dogs he greeted. He still seems to enjoy curling up in my lap, relaxing and just watching all the different people go by. It is easy to tell whenever anyone makes eye contact with him because his tail start wagging! : ) He is such a nice puppy!



On the way home I stopped by some horses for Hops to be around and he did not seem afraid this time. He easily walked up to the fence, holding his ground when the horse approached us and was comfortable eating cookies right next to the horse’s nose. After that we drove to Renee’s house for a play date with Taffy. Hops loved exploring their yard and running around and around and around and around and around with Taffy!



I practiced some rally moves with Hops, starting with pushups on a raised surface to help him stay straight, then moving him on the floor out in the open. He did great with no barrier, there was minimal lateral movement on his part when changing positions. The most happened when he was standing from a sit. Then I added in fronts, heels, finishes, heeling, auto sits, moving sits/downs/stands and walking around him in a stay in all three positions. Moving around him with him in a stand is still challenging for him but he got it and did great with everything else.



Later I took Hops outside to play with me. I started by tugging with him then did some flat work including heeling with pushes and pulls, stays with recalls to heel and accelerating and decelerating, all with tugging as the reward. Then I sped things up by running with him and doing the same things. Then I had him do different moves with jump standards (rear crosses, forward and lateral sends, etc) with tugging as the reward. He is doing great with all of these and we have lots of fun playing! I ended the session with a two toy game. I threw one tennis ball then ran the other direction. When he caught up with me I had him drop the ball in he just retrieved and I tossed the one in my hand, grabbed the ball he just dropped and ran away again. He really seemed to like this version of fetch and came running to me with the ball every time and dropped the ball right away at my feet every time too.



For dinner the dogs first did some interior hides then they all took turns balancing on the peanut and doughnut. Hops was a very good boy and is very good at balancing! He is also a great nosework dog and did a good job with the elevation challenges I gave him tonight.

                                                                       I started by supporting the doughnut but soon he was able to balance all by himself!

Day 104

Hops spent his morning playing with his toys and with Rice then I took him outside to play. I started by playing tug with him then I started sending him around jump standards to chase me then play tug. I did forward and lateral sends, front and rear crosses, pushes, post and reverse post turns with one and two jump standards. Boy is he fast and fun! Then I gave him a chewie and a bed and tied him down outside while I practiced dogwalks with Rice. Well, that did not go well as he ended up at the end of the tie down, pulling and crying. So I put him inside, finished Rice’s turn then gave him another try for Dillon’s turn. He did much, much better. There was only a little whining and he actually stayed in a down on the bed, never going to the end of the tie down. Wow! I returned to him and rewarded him frequently during Dillon’s turn and was amazed to find him still on the bed each time I looked. After Dillon’s turn I rewarded Hops by playing with him again. Then we went to work!

 

 

Hops was very good at work, only crying once and that was when my students asked for Rice to come out and do a weave demo. He quieted when I asked him to though. He greeted many people today, sitting at first fairly well, staying in a sit not so well ; ) He was also good with the dogs he greeted. He also had many short play times between classes, playing tug, walking along wobbly planks, doing chutes and tunnels and practicing sits and downs and stays and comes. After all the classes were over he had a very fun time playing with Tessa the aussie.

Day 103

Hops went to work with me and played with me in the arena before classes started. He did great tunnels and chutes and tables with the reward of chasing me and tugging. Hops was then very good during classes, quietly sleeping through most of the day even though he did not have food toys because of his tummy. I was very impressed. After all the classes he had a short play time with Rice, Casper the Papillon and Sadie the bichon mix.

 

Hops stayed home with Jeremiah while Rice and Dillon and I went to agility class. Jeremiah said he was a good boy : )

 

For dinner all they boys took turns balancing on the doughnut and peanut. Hops is doing great and still loves working on them. He lets me bounce him, pick up different paws, and easily does position changes. After his turn he then did down stays (rewarded often) while Rice and Dillon took their turns. He was fairly patient. After we were done he fell sound asleep right next to an open baggie of kibble! What a great puppy he is!

Day 102

Hops went to work with me today and stayed in the car during Dillon’s vet appointment and during the hour lesson I taught. After the lesson I took him into Mud Bay with me where he greeted lots of different men and women, sitting nicely for all of them, and then took him into the bank where he greeted some more people. He is getting much better about sitting when he first reaches people, but staying while people say hello is something to work on! On the way home we went through a car wash (first time for Hops) and he was interested but not at all afraid.

After we came home Taffy came over for a play date and she and Hops were so happy to see each other! They have not had a chance to play in awhile and play they did! They chased and wrestled and Hops even jumped all the way over her once! It is so fun to watch puppies play! Later my dad and brother came over for dinner and Hops was very good with them and good during dinner.