Training by Jen

Torvi is a bullmastiff puppy that’s four months old. She got her final vaccinations, and then her mom discovered Torvi doesn’t want to leave her house on a walk. Time to have some fun! This is Torvi about four houses from home. Yeah! And she got there by being encouraged to use her nose and explore. Yesterday was pretty warm, so at the beginning of her lesson we did a short walk in one direction, then went home and let her cool off and think about it. This was the walk half an hour later at the end of her lesson.

Her first walk was me in front of them being absolutely silly excited about everything! It must have looked hilarious to the neighbors! But there is no forcing a bullmastiff. Not because we couldn’t, but because we need to work WITH Mother Nature. Would treats have worked? Yes, probably. But puppies need to learn about the world, so I showed her how to be curious and explore. By this second walk, I didn’t have to be so silly. Her mom picked up the idea and they had a great, short second walk. We headed home while Torvi was still ready to explore. Now they have exploring for homework. Notice I didn’t say walking? Torvi is walking well on a leash in her back yard. That wasn’t the problem. So this week we’re letting her get a bit out of control to get her exploring. Then we’ll guide her back to walking with mom. Sometimes breaking things into little steps is needed. Obedience is great! But it’s not the only thing. Remember that sometimes a puppy needs to puppy. ❤️

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Welcome Teddy to lessons! He’s three years old and recently adopted from a rescue. A Maltese mix with a lot of fears. He’s had his first lesson and he’s super smart! He already knew to come and sit, so we worked on his “down” and walking on a leash. Teddy is pretty reactive when things go past his window, so we’re going to work on that as well. He’s such a sweet boy!!

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