Day 134

Hops went to the trial with us today and as usual was a good puppy. He met lots of other dogs and was polite and friendly with all of them. He of course loved every person he met and was pretty good about sitting, though he certainly still tries to sneak a jump in! I left Hops with a couple of people he did not know well or at all for a short time and he was very calm and had no problem with me being away from him. Hops also got to play with his sister Colleen so that was cool. They had lots of fun running in a big field behind Argus. Hops was really good about his recalls, coming every time I called him even, when chasing his sister.
 

At home Hops played in the yard with the boys and we practiced recalls and distance downs. He did a great job with the recalls and the downs, even downing when my back was turned and I was talking to another dog! Then I put the boys away, tried to play fetch with Hops with a frisbee, and discovered that the frisbee supposedly has different rules than the ball. The ball he brings right back, the frisbee he keeps for himself! So I put him on a long leash and helped him come back when called, he got the idea right away and started bringing the frisbee back to me. Good puppy!


Later Jeremiah was using the wheelbarrow in the yard to move gravel and when it was empty he offered Hops a ride. Hops had no fear of riding in it and in fact, from then on he asked to ride in it whenever it was empty. Fun puppy!


Jeremiah did a short training lesson for dinner consisting on sits, downs, stands and backing up and Hops did a good job for him.

Day 133

Hops went with me to get the oil changed in my car and was really good when we were waiting our turn in the lobby. I used the time to practice sits, downs and stands in heel, we practiced going into heel, side, finish and front positions. Then sat down and we practiced visit, fix it, and “nose” (balance a cookie on your nose). He did great with them all and for the first time was able to balance the cookie all on his own! We then walked across a large intersection to walk to target. We did not stay long because they did not have what I wanted but Hops did a great job heeling with me in the store and was not bothered by all the sights and sounds.He was also very good about heeling in the parking lot and side walks. He did get distracted by a crow but I was quickly able to get him refocused on me. The heavy traffic did not bother him at all.

 

When we came home all four boys played hard in the yard while I caught up on this blog! They took turns playing for the most part. At one point Rice was chasing Hops as hard as he could. They were about the same speed but Hops could turn on a dime and be off the other direction before Rice even realized what had happened! : ) Fun to watch! When we came inside I did another frog lesson with Hops and he was able to get into position several time and stay in it for awhile. 

 

For dinner Hops had a bunch of short training sessions for the camera. We started with the frog position, then did circles around the plunger in both directions, then did perch work to come into heel, then putting things in a basket, then touching a target with his foot. He did great will everything!

Oops, both plunger videos were clockwise!

Day 132

For breakfast Hops had some shaping lessons. The first was to put his front paws on a flat target which he picked up on right away and was easily able to move away from me to touch it. He did so well I started adding a cue, Paw. The next session was to put his front feet on paw pods. We have worked on this before but he did much better this time. I think working with the flat target first really helped. We then had his first frog lesson (stretch your back legs out behind you). He did pretty well with it but never got his legs all the way back. I am luring this trick, starting him on top of two dog beds then slowly luring him off, clicking and treating constantly as long as he is stretching his legs out and does not pull them forward. When he does pull them forward I just removed the treats and send him back to his bed to start again. After training, we went outside to play. The dogs ran around on their own for awhile then I played some fetch with them then we went to work!

 

Hops had his second nosework class with my mom and did much better for her this time. He still tried to punk her a few times during the container searches (mixed luggage and boxes) but for the most part he worked really well, alerting when he reached the odor container and he did not heel with her nearly as much while searching today. We also did exterior searches and he was spot on with those, getting his nose right on the odor before looking at my mom for his reward, and he found low and high hides. What a good puppy! He was quite tired after class and slept well through the rest of the classes that night. The only time he fussed was when his friend Dani came out to take her turns. He wanted to go play with her! After all the classes Hops ended the work day with a play time with Rice and Tessa. They had fun running around then we went home!

 

Hops had two training sessions for dinner. The first was going all the way around the plunger (video to come!). He is doing great with it, and can still make three complete circles on his own. Time to decide on a cue and name the behavior! Then we practiced the frog position and Hops got all the way into it for the first time.Good puppy!

Day 131

Hops went to work with me this morning and had a short play time with me before classes started. He was good in his crate during the first class then had a ten minute walk around the building before the next class. That class was a fun and focus 2 and he was a stand in for his dobie friend who was injured. Hops worked really well for his new handler, never second guessing her or trying to get to me. He did rear crosses and front crosses and, tables and tunnels, stays and comes and was a very good boy! It was very cool to watch him work for some new without a problem. He was quiet in his crate for the rest of the day.

 

When we came home from work Hops and Sammy played hard then were crated while the boys and I went to agility class. When we came home Jeremiah said they had been good but Hops spent lots of time by the door, waiting for me to come home.

 

For his dinner I had Hops practice putting a variety of object into a basket. He was able to focus much better without the MM. I started with just working on the basket cue (put your head in a basket) no matter where I put the basket. The I placed the basket in front of me and tossed an object away from me. I asked him to get it and when he did I then said basket. He ended up putting all 11 items in the basket twice. The second time through I moved the basket so it was not directly in front of me. That made it more difficult for him but he still was able to do it. Smart puppy!

Day 130

Hops entertained himself this morning then went with me to work. He was very quiet in the crate during the hour lesson that I taught. Then he went with me to the bank and the pet store and was very well behaved in both places. When had taken Sammy (the Portie) home from the lesson and he will be staying with us until Friday. Renee came over with Taffy and a four month old white shepherd she is watching and all six dogs played very nicely together.

 

For Hops’s dinner I did a shaping lesson for the Manner’s Minder (MM). First shaping him to put his head in a basket which was easy. I could move the basket around the room and he would go and put his head in it right away. Then I put a cup out and he was easily able to pick that up for a cookie from the MM, but combining the two behaviors together was not something he was able to do with the distraction of the MM. Even though he has done the behavior in another setting he did not make the connection. I could see the go around behavior is still strong through because he was able to carry the cup around the basket! For the rest of his dinner Hops reviewed the basics doing heels, sides, fronts, finishes, sits, downs, stands, backs, rolls, say hellos, touches and I worked on teaching bang and bow. He is a smart puppy!

Day 129

I let the boys out this morning and when I turned around to let them back in I saw Hops sitting on the dog house, staring in at me. Smart puppy!

Hops had a fetch session in the backyard before work, mixed with retrieving the ball himself and chasing Dillon retrieving a ball. We left for work afterward where he slept in the car during my first lesson. Before the agility class Hops heeled around the arena with me, doing a couple of chutes and tunnels but mostly just heeling and stays and recalls for cookies and tugs. One of the students brought her granddaughter to class with her and Hops went right up to her with no fear. He took cookies from her and went up to her again and again. Good puppy! He was then very good during the class with no fussing. When we came home for my break all three boys ran around the yard with their toys and tired themselves out. Good boys!

Hops went back to work with me for my second shift and slept in the car during the nosework class. I then brought him in and played with him for awhile before the next class started.We played lots of tug, I sent him around a big, round trash can to come chase me and play, had him down on the table then release to play, and he did short stays with release to play tug. We both had lots of fun! He then slept in his during during that class then came out for his fun and focus two class. He was really good during it, focusing on Jeremiah despite other dogs coming up to him. The class started with some time on balance disks and Jeremiah quickly shaped Hops to roll a cylinder shaped balance disk with his front paws. Pretty cool! Everyone then learned how to do rear crosses on the flat then tried them with two small sequences (two jump standards, RCOF, another standard then a tunnel or table). Hops was my demo dog and did great for me and for Jeremiah. Hops then demoed how to rear cross a jump standard and the rear cross sit stay then we ended the class with rear cross sit stays. After class Hops and Love and Gambit (and aussie) played chase and tug and wrestled around. Fun! Then Hops quietly watched the last class from his crate and ended his day with one more play time with Tessie the aussie and Rice. They had so much fun running around and around and playing tug with each other! We are home now and Hops is sound asleep!

Day 128

Hops went to the trial again with us today and was as usual a very good puppy. After we came home we had a puppy party with seven other dogs coming over to play, making the total ten dogs, all playing nicely. What fun! We had four small dogs, a Portuguese water dog, an adult BC and Taffy added to our own three. Hops played great with everyone and came right away every time I called him! He also had no problem staying for photos : ) What a good puppy!

 

 

For dinner everyone had a shaping lesson. I decided to take a break from shaping them to go all the way around a plunger (I must admit, I am a little bored from doing it everyday) and switched to shaping the dogs to go under a chair. Well Hops had it in just a few clicks, I was quite impressed. By the end of the sessions, Dillon was purposefully putting his head on the ground near/under the chair, Rice was purposefully putting his head and elbows under the chair, and Hops could go under, on cue, if I was ten feet away from the chair and if the orientation and location of the chair was changed. What a good, smart puppy!

Day 127

Hops went with us to the trial again today and was very well behaved in the car, crate, and out and about at the trial. On the way home we stopped by the hardware store and Hops and I walked around the parking lot while Jeremiah did some shopping. Hops was really good and greeted a nice couple. When we came home Hops was full of energy so I played tug with him as the reward for stays and recalls. Fun puppy! He was still full of it after that so Jeremiah and called him back and forth, having him do different tricks for us. He did a great job with the recalls and tricks and is finally tired!

Day 126

Hops had a shaping session with the plunger this morning and made it around three times for one treat! Wow! Hops then played some fetch in the backyard with me then in the afternoon he went with us to the trial at Argus and was a good puppy. He greeted lots of dogs and people and sat nicely while we watched others run. He then stayed in the car while Jeremiah and I went out to dinner then drove to Seattle to attended an awards ceremony. He was really good in the car even though he was crated most of the day.

Day 125

Hops had three go around the plunger shaping lessons for breakfast and continues to improve, offering to make the turn away from me more and more. I keep forgetting to write that the entire time I have been shaping Hops to go around the plunger I have been taking turns working all three dogs. So while Rice and Dillon have their turns Hops has been on a down stay. He has been doing a great job, having to be put back sometimes but holding the stay about 95% of the time. Good puppy! Hops was also brushed this morning and had a couple of rough spots on his toenails filed down. He was fine for the brushing if he was lying down but would not stand stay for it. We have lots of work to do there! He was pretty good for the nail filing, better than last night as I was a better trainer and gave him cookies for good behavior : )

 

Hops went to work with me and we played some fetch with a tennis ball while I set up. He was perfect and brought the ball right back to me every time, in exchange for a piece of kibble. After that he started his new nosework, odor continued class. My mom came in and handled him for me and he did a pretty good job. He tried to work her a little in containers, and tried heeling with her some instead of searching, but once he came across the odor box he downed and put his nose on it. They will come together as a team : ) Mom did a great job working with him! He did alright in interiors but needs work on elevation and getting his nose directly on source. He was alerting a little early sometimes. Overall though he did a great job and being in a class before being crated for hours really helped! The only time he fussed for the rest of the night was when Rice came out for a demo. Jealous puppy! Hops came out for a demo too, a rear cross demo and did it perfectly! After all the classes we played some more fetch but with an udder and we were in the agility arena, then we did tunnels, tables and chutes for tugging. To end the night I gave him a food toy and did some agility with Rice and Hops stayed quiet. Good boy!

 

Breakthrough! I did one more shaping sessions with the boys for dinner and Hops was able to make two complete circles around the plunger for one treat! Woohoo! And, he was able to do it going in either direction! Good boy! So Hops and Dillon have figured it out. Rice, on the other hand, is still making a U shape around the plunger : ) 

Day 124

Hops started his day with a play session with me at work, doing tunnels and chutes and tables and stays and comes for tugging as the reward. Then he was a little fussy in his during class, wanting to play too. After the first class he had another tug session with me then played with his dobie friend before her class started. After that he was good in the crate for the rest of the day. During one class he came out for a rear cross demo and did a great job rear crossing a jump standard and performing a rear cross on the flat.

 

When we came home all the dogs and I ran around the yard did recalls. Hops came when called well and loved running with everyone. He is getting either braver or stupider with Dillon though, nipping at his heels. Dillon has given him many warnings now but a big correction may be brewing, and deserved!

 

Hops went with me and Dillon to agility class where he greeted everyone with enthusiasm but was able to refocus on me if I asked him to. He went though some of his tricks for me and greeted Aqua the border collie nicely. He of course, peed when he greeted Elinda : )

 

Hops needed his nails trimmed so Jeremiah held him while I dremmel’ed his nails. He was good for the first two but fussy for the last two, granted we did not use any food… bad trainer!

 

Hops had a shaping session with going all the way around the plunger for his dinner. I ended the session by reviewing some of his basic cues: sit, down, stand, face, roll, touch, say hello, back then finished with some it’s your choice work. He was a good puppy!

Day 123

Hops had three shaping lessons of going all the way around the plunger this morning. He is improving and he even turned away from me a couple of times. Then we did some formal retrieve work and he retrieved a plastic cup, a measuring cup, a toy, a plastic dumbbell, a metal dumbbell, an old cell phone, a bib and leather leash. He did a great job, understanding that I wanted each object in my hand. Sometimes it took him a couple of tries but for the most part he brought all the objects directly to my hand. I was kneeling on the ground so I was not very high so it was easy for him to reach my hand. I then brushed Hops’s teeth for the first time and he was really good for it. We then spent a few minutes outside with the chuck it before leaving for work. Hops continued his new trend of retrieving the ball before I release Dillon from his stay. Cool! So today I threw two balls, one for Hops in one direction then after he left, one for Dillon in the other. Hops is growing up!

 

Hops went to work with me but stayed in the car then on the way home he went into Rite Aid with me to get my meds. He heeled very nicely through the store, was great with the people he saw and was good when he was petted by a friendly woman.

 

When we came home Renee and Taffy were there waiting for our play date. Hops and Taffy played hard outside then played again when we went inside. After they left I brought Dillon outside to play ball with Hops and Hops retrieved Dillon’s ball like this morning so I again threw two balls. I was quite impressed by Hops bringing the ball back so far with Dillon out there! Before all he wanted to do was chase him.

 

Later in the evening I did three more short shaping sessions with Hops. He made big improvements and is turning away nicely now when going counter-clockwise, making full circles. Going clockwise he turned away a couple of times but he still needs more work going that direction. Dillon continues to be the best of the three dogs at learning this new trick.

 

For the rest of Hops’s dinner I had him practice position changes from a distance. I had him in the part of the bedroom that is raised a step so if he moved forward when he changed position he would be off the ledge. That set up worked well and I was able to get further than ever with him being able to sit, down and stand without moving forward, with me about 15 feet away. If he moved forward I just said uh oh in a light voice and he would immediately put himself back up on the ledge and would get it right the next time. Good puppy!

Day 122

I did a quick shaping session of going all the way around the plunger then left for work. Hops had a short play time between my lesson and class but was fussier than normal in the crate. I think more and more he wants to be out playing with me! Especially if Rice or Dillon is out : )

 

When we went home for my break I played with hops in the backyard, doing all of Mary Ellen Barry’s foundation recalls and no go zone exercises. Hops did great on most of then but he needs more work with stopping in heel when there is no motion and stopping at me when I cross in from of him when he is heading toward a toy. All recalls were rewarded with his toy. After that I brought Dillon out and threw the ball for him and Hops chased him and came every time I called him. Every once in awhile Hops went for the ball and brought it back instead of Dillon! Good boy!

 

Hops went back to work with me for my second shift. He stayed in the car for the nosework class, then had a play time with me. He did stays and comes, moving sits and downs, practiced the table, ran through and did sends around jump standards and we played lots of tug as a reward! And during all of this tugging, Hops lost his last puppy tooth! He was then good in his crate for the next class then came out for his fun and focus two class. We started class with stays and comes to play tug, then did lead out pushes and 3 small sequences with jump standards, doing different types of front crosses, the table and the chute. We ended class with some time on balance disks. Hops was great at everything and focused very well on Jeremiah tonight. After class Hops and Love played and played and played! It is so fun to watch them wrestle run with each other! They loved it!

Day 121

Hops had a shaping lesson of going all the way around the plunger for breakfast then he stayed with Jeremiah during my first workshop and he was given a good report. Jeremiah brought him to me for the second one so he could do demos. He greeted a bunch of students first, loving them all of course. Hops was very good in his crate during the workshop (2 hours) and did wonderful recall demos. After the workshop he and Ali (his Great Dane friend) were turned loose together. They had not seem each other in awhile but they remembered each other and got right to playing! They are the same age but boy is Ali bigger now! Hops is much faster though and literally ran circles around her!

 

Hops had another shaping lesson for dinner. He is doing 180 degree turns around the plunger no problem now but he is stuck there and is so far unable to make the next turn on his own. Dillon is the only one of the three dogs who has been able to turn away from me to complete the circle around the plunger.

Day 120

Hops had a slow day today as I had to do prep work for my workshops the next day. He did get to go on a long walk around the neighborhood with the whole family and he did a great job. He gave me attention if I asked for it but was confidently at the end of his leash for most of the walk. He did well when we passed a kid and his father playing catch and we stopped next to two little boys and Hops was petted by them and did not shy away! Great progress!

 

Hops did have one shaping session of going all the way around the plunger and one playtime in the backyard with me. We played fetch, ran around, did stays and recalls, ran through and did sends around jump standards and played lots of tug!

Day 119

Hops went to an appointment with me this morning and was great. He walked nicely through the building and did a quiet down stay while munching on a kong during the appointment. He was very cute, if his kong rolled off his blanket he would go pick it up and bring it back to his blanket before lying down to chewing on it again. After my appointment I put his vest back on and took him to the Supermall for his first mall experience. We started at the carousel and he had no problem with that. He watched all the kids and stayed calm and heeled beautifully with me through the mall. We even walked through a construction zone and he was not afraid at all. We walked around for about a half hour then I put him in the car while I did some shopping.

Later Hops had his first two shaping lessons making a complete circle around a plunger. At first he offered lots of different behaviors with the plunger but he has started to figure out that going around it is what I want. After the shaping sessions we went outside to practice different foundation recalls. The recalls we did with toy distractions went mostly well but he did make a few mistake so we need to keep practicing! We ended with some sends around jump standards with tug as the reward and he did great with those.

Before bed Hops had a fun tug session with me then with Jeremiah.

Day 118

I had my friend Cindy over for lunch today and Hops was great with her. He loved up on her and loved meeting someone new! He was also great at work today and had a fun play time with Eli, a BC friend and later with Max, a poodle mix friend. Before and between classes Hops had chances to play with me too and we did chutes, tunnels, tables, recalls, sits and downs, and flat work, all for tugging as the reward. Fun puppy! To end the day Hops played with his BC friends Seek, Cedar and Riser.

Day 117

Hops had lots of play times today. He had a playtime with me before classes started, had another playtime with me after the first class, then he played with his dobie friend, after the next class he played with Storm, a BC friend, later he made a new friend in Buckley the German Shepherd puppy, then after all the classes he played with a pappion, a maltese, and a bichon mix. Fun day! And all day he was good in the crate during classes.

Later Hops went with me to Dillon’s agility class and he just loves all the people there! He greeted everyone and walked with me during the first walk through. He is such a sweet puppy!

Day 116

Hops went with me to breakfast with a friend and met her then stayed in the car while we ate. He then went with me to work and was a good boy there. On the way home we stopped by the bank and the pet store and he was very well behaved in both places. Taffy came over for a play date when we came home and they had a blast racing around the yard then wrestling in the house. When they were finally tired Renee took Taffy home and I took Hops on an hour walk through the neighborhood (the photo is of a cool storm covering the mountain we saw while on our walk). We just walked for the first half of the walk then practiced rally moves the second half. He did a great job on the rally moves and heeling and focusing with all the distractions around him. When we returned from the walk Hops had fun chasing Dillon chasing balls in the yard. I practiced recalls with Hops during the play time and he was perfect.

Day 115

Hops and his sister Love

Hops had a difficult time in the crate during the afternoon agility class so I put him in the car. I do not want him to practice biting the crate door! I think he is just still pent up from being crated all weekend. He did get a chance to chase Dillon chasing toys in the yard for awhile when we came home. During my second work shift he stayed in the car for the first class then came in and played with me, doing tunnels and tables and jump standards for tugging with me. He was then quiet during the next class then he had his fun and focus 2 class. He focused very well today, doing great when we reviewed recall to heel and moving sits and downs and did great when we introduced front crosses to the class. After class he and the other puppies had a very fun play session. There were two BC's, one sheltie, one aussie, and one poodle mix. Such fun to watch all the dogs get along and play! He then went home with Jeremiah who said he was a good puppy in the car and at home.

Day 114

Hops went with us to the nosework trial again today and had to spend hours in the crate again as well. Between elements with Rice I did get to walk Hops around and play with him and do some training with him. He met a couple of other dogs and some people and he was great with sitting for petting by the people. He also practiced moving sits, downs and stands as well as pushups, it’s your choice and the tricks he knows. He was also very willing to play tug and I had him do stays and recalls with tugging as the reward. He was a little fussy in the crate when we were in the car but was quiet when we left him. On the way home we gave him a food toy and he was good in the car. When we arrived home he was full of it! We played fetch then did recalls with him and he was still full of energy!

Day 113

Hops had a pretty boring day today because he was stuck in a crate at the nosework trial with us. He did very well, certainly fussing some but not too bad. When we finally got home we let him chase Dillon retrieving a frisbee then I played some frisbee with Hops, then I played with him by doing moving sits/downs/stands with release to come chase me. When we were running I changed my pace and did turns and crosses. He did great with all of them and loves to run with me! He was still not tired so Jeremiah and I called him back and forth, asking him to do behaviors for us for a cookie before being sent back to the other person. He was great with everything we asked him to do and even though we called him back and forth until the cookies were falling right back out of his mouth he still had energy!

Day 112

Hops went to the trial with us today and as usual he was a great puppy. He loved up on everyone and when he was left with a friend while I worked a class he had no problem with it. On the way home I stopped by some horses and Hops was even more brave than last time. He went up to the horse and was even nose to nose.

 

After we came home I played fetch with Dillon while Hops chased him, then I played with Hops then took him on a walk in the adjacent neighborhood. He did great with the traffic, no fear, no fixations. He saw kids on scooters for the first time and did well with those too. He was a little overwhelmed when a man walking behind us caught up to us at the same time another man stood up from behind a bush. He did not bark or try to run but his tail tucked and his ears went back. A second later he was fine but it definitely caught him off guard! He also spend some time with two little girls we came across. They talked to us for awhile and petted Hops and gave him treats. He was unsure at first but became more comfortable, relaxing in a down by the end.

 

We did some nosework container searches before bed. Hops got them all but was not as focused as usual for some reason…

Day 111

Hops had a fun day today. He got to do lots of nosework, doing two exterior searches and two vehicle searches. There were a total of three hides on two cars for both vehicle searches and Hops had no problem finding them and stayed on the vehicles nicely. He did great on the exterior searches too, finding all the hides without a problem. He found a hide above his head on a wall, one on a fence, one under some rocks, one under some beauty bark, and one under a dog statue (a threshold hide). He is a great little searcher! Before we left for work Hops retrieved a tennis ball thrown further than ever (as far as I could throw with the chuck it). He went racing after the ball, grabbing it and bringing it back right away. I ran away from him as he was returning to encourage him to come and to make it more fun for him. After that I brought Dillon out and Hops chased him while he retrieved tennis balls. Hops did great when I called him when he was away, coming right away even if he was chasing Dillon before Dillon turned back. What he had trouble with was coming when Dillon had already returned the ball and was ready for me to throw it again. Hops did not want to come then. I worked on it and he got better but I am sure this will need constant upkeep.

 

 

At work Hops was great. He was quiet in the crate and did some wonderful rear cross demos. Between classes he practiced a variety of behaviors and played tug with me. He was great with greeting people and dogs and is definitely getting better at sitting for people. There are a few though that still really get him and he cannot help but pee when he sees them. It is funny because he practically folds himself in half he is wagging his body so hard! He also had several play times today. The first was with Eli, an adult border collie and the last with Seek, Cedar and Riser, all border collies. He had a blast running and playing and tugging with them! His recalls were perfect too, coming every time I called. After the playtime I took Hops with me into the rehab room so I could give Rice his laser treatment and Hops relaxed nicely in the crate. When I was done I did some balance work with Hops in the rehab room on the different peanuts and balance disks. He had no problem focusing in the new and distracting environment. Before leaving I gave Hops cookies for saying hello to the cats again. He was interested but still a little wary of them.

 

 

Day 110

Hops went to work with me and we had a nice play time before the first class, running around the agility arena, doing chutes and tunnels and tables, and stays and comes and running through jump standards, all for tugging as the reward. What a fun boy he is! He was a good puppy during the day in his crate and had a short fun play time with Taffy and a young dobie. After work Rice had an appointment with Ken for laser treatment and Hops came along. He was good in the exam room, checking out the new environment. When he went into the room where the underwater treadmill was he was a little unsure but still explored on his own. Ken opened up another room with more things he had never seen before and he tentatively explored that room too. It is cool to watch him concur fears. And speaking of fears, there were some very friendly cats being boarded in the rehab room. Hops sniffed the cage a few times but was a little wary of them.

 

Jeremiah worked with Hops again before bed and did peanut work and recall to heel and sends and Hops did great with them as usual.

Day 109

Today was a slow day, everybody did lots of sleeping and resting from the long weekend and long Monday. Hops did get to chase Dillon in the yard some and when Jeremiah came home he did a bunch of training with Hops. He reviewed the basics then worked on the new recall to heel behaviors from class and worked on sending him around objects and ended with balance work.

 

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.

Day 101

Hops woke us up early this morning with a very upset tummy. It seems the sea water did not agree with him. So he had no food for the rest of the day until his fun and focus one class in the evening. In class, all Jeremiah had to work with was some rice, which Hops did not want (he only likes plain rice warm I found out), and toys, which Hops did not want because his mouth was hurting from teething. Luckily, doing the obstacles is already reinforcing for Hops so he ended up worked very well for Jeremiah, especially when we were sequencing. Good puppy! The whole group moves on to fun and focus two next week.

Day 100!

Wow, 100 days with Hops already! Time has flown by but we have enjoyed every moment of this wonderful puppy!

 

We took a hike on the beach one more time on our way home today and what a success it was! The was a wide, shallow stream flowing into the ocean where we walked and we threw a tennis ball in for Rice and Dillon to retrieve over and over. After lots of running on the bank, wanting to chase his brothers but being to afraid to go in the water, Hops jumped in and ran after them! He did that multiple times and even went far enough to swim a few times! Yea! That is a big water breakthrough for him! Before he had only gone in because he was being left behind. He also met and played with a huge wolfhound puppy who was his age but bigger than Rice but Hops was not afraid.

 

Besides the short nosework session last night, most training this weekend has come from real life experiences. Hops met lots of new people and dogs, went on his first hike, ran on the beach for the first time, and swam outdoors for the first time. What was very important as well was all of the recall training. Over and over and over again on the trail and on the beach Jeremiah and I called Hops to us, rewarded him then released him. He always came and about 95% of the time came right away. What a great puppy he is!

 

		Hops’s 3rd day at the beach! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Day 99

Alright, we think Hops is a keeper! He has been great on the trip so far. This morning we started our day with a hike (Hops’s first real hike) and boy can this 25 pound puppy pull! He pulled me right up the beginning of the trail and later when I dropped his long leash he would run up the trail then would stop and check in or come back whenever we called him. He was great with all the people and dogs we met on the trail too. Then we went to the beach and the dogs ran and played. Hops fetched his first stick and he even swam across a large stream when the rest of his pack crossed it. He cried at first when he was left on the other bank but then he got brave and followed us! He did that several times today in different places. The boys and I would cross a stream (me walking over a log or attempting to jump over the stream, Rice and Dillon walking or swimming through it) and Hops would cry when he was left then get brave and join us. The only time he did not was when he climbed up on a huge log then could not find a way in. I went back for him that time. Hops just loves running on the beach though, and chasing the boys. He also seems to love climbing on anything he can and seems to like posing for the camera too! What an awesome puppy he is! His recalls today were great, only needing a second cue every once in awhile.



Before bed we did nosework in the condo. Hops is just amazing! He went right to all of the hides, put his nose on them, then sat or downed (depending on the height of the hide). Wow! No problem searching in a new location!

		Hops’s 2nd day on the beach! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL