Coda's birthday!

We had just the most wonderful day on Saturday, yesterday, for Coda's birthday. As the photos show, it was a delightful time :) We went to Monkton, a small town between north Baltimore and the border with Pennsylvania, to visit Abigail, a 6 month 1 week Havanese puppy who was in Coda's puppy class at Petsmart. Vella and Glenn had invited us out to play in their very large fenced in backyard...

From the moment we arrived at 1pm Abigail and Coda went at it, a rough and tumble racer X extravaganza both inside and out! Balls were chased, Coda experienced his first frisbee and chew toys were fought over! Abigail was very gracious and let Coda chew all of the tasty pigs ears, rawhides, dried catfish, dried yam and bully sticks! The previous day at PetDepot I had bought two iced doggie cookies, but Coda managed to eat them both!

While the pups were having fun in the yard, Vella got out a very big camera and took lots of action shots of the speed demons (& Abigail could outrun Coda) and then proceeded to print out some amazing 11x17 photos that I will be framing. Vella and Glenn are both serious amateur photographers and have produced stunning hardback books of photos taken on their many travels including Africa, Peru, India, Ireland, Scotland, Wales & Cornwall. They had photos of bridges in Cornwall that I knew growing up!

When we left at 4pm the dogs were still going strong, but Coda fell asleep quickly in the car and then preceded to sleep throughout the evening! He'd had a very good day!

6 months old!

Coda will be six months old on Saturday 30th March, 2013.

Today my little puppy became a dog... For the first time I saw his "pink lipstick" (to quote my nieces). It was a shock "OMG it's a penis" and a tender moment "oh what a little one... So cute!". What's clear is that he is growing up!

Who is Coda now?
- he is affectionate. When I let him out at 6am he rolls onto his back and wants me to tickle him. He lies calmly in my lap when we are watching tv as long as he has a bully stick to chew on and then sits like a cat and leans back against the couch. He likes to lick me face and my ears and sometimes forgets the difference between biting and licking! :)
-he is boisterous. He will jump up and down in his kennel banging against the sides. He will go "cracker dog" in the garden when he has to poop and just run back and forth the length of the yard :) He runs through the living room and jumps onto the couch and off again. He leaps out the door to the yard and skips the stairs...
-he loves tissues and paper. Skip has a habit of leaving tissues stuffed in the couch and Coda always finds them and tears them up and tosses them around everywhere!
-if you want him to not get into something you can guarantee that he will find it. A few days ago it was a soda in the car... He managed to get the lid off and then slurped up the coke and ate the lemon slices-all while in his seatbelt...
-he loves hot dogs, cold and slimy. He also likes a type of canned food that is called "hunks of beef" and it is exactly that!
-he enjoys playing fetch and tug. He doesn't always like to give up his toys-usually there is some growling before he caves.
-he is house trained! Aside from an accident on the carpet a month ago, which was my fault because I didn't take him out after letting him out of his kennel, he has had no breaks in training!
-he is smart. He are now learning to ring a bell to go outside!
-he listens to me.. Or I think he does!
-he walks well on the leash and does a sit at the curb before crossing the street.

Coda has really made a difference in my life. It has forced me to keep a strict routine-let him out at 6am, morning walk of 1 mile or so, training session, evening walk of about 1/2 mile. He makes me feel emotionally connected even on my worst days and I laugh with him a lot. He is always very excited to see me when I come home from work :) It's a real blessing having him around.

Puppy development... Oh boy!

Coda seems to have entered a new "phase"! This seems to describe it well...

Flight Instinct Period-4 to 8 months
"Seems to forget everything previously learned."
- "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With"

This stage can last from a few days to several weeks and can occur anytime during this period.
A puppy will test its wings.
He may not come when called.
He may not play fetch even though he once did.
He will be uncomfortable because his adult teeth are growing in.
Even if you have done your homework it does not mean your puppy won't go through this - just be aware of it and ride it out.
When you notice a change in your dog during this time, he is probably going through his "flight instinct" period. Like a teenager going through puberty, your puppy is changing physiologically. Your awareness of these changes in behavior will help get you through this commonly difficult period.

Coda is definitely trying to test the boundaries... Lots more barking, not wanting to play with toys but wanting to chew the sofa, not coming when called because he wants to do the "chase me around the kitchen island" game and so much energy! A total "cracker dog".

My new dog clippers arrived yesterday and I tried them out on Coda last night. I got the Wahl Bravura clippers and they are very quiet. I've begun on his legs and with the biggest comb it is taking off a lot. I think I might have put the adjustable blade on the wrong setting!

Our morning walks up on Falls Road are going really well! Coda is doing great at walking past people with minimal reactivity. He does best when I don't pay any attention to people or dogs and I keep giving him lots of treats as distraction. There is much less barking now.

I've added come into our walks so that when he gets out in front of me when we are walking I say "come" and he will often come trotting back. We began getting Coda to ring a bell with his paw this week and he is learning it slowly. Eventually I want him to ring a bell when he wants to go outside. I've also been encouraging him to sit in his kennel calmly with the door open by giving him treats there.

We were supposed to have a puppy date last Tuesday with Vella and Abigail in Monkon but unfortunately we were rained out. We are now hoping to do Monday. We also have scheduled one with Antonella, Simona and Luna for Easter Sunday :) Our intermediate class at Petsmart begins on April 7th...

Puppy class graduation!!!

Such excitement and drama over the graduating process from Coda's classes.
For the Sunday Petsmart class we had been given a sequence of various skills to prepare, which Coda and I practiced diligently! Then when we arrived at the class we were told that we would be competing against each other in timed runs! Coda and I had a good run, although there were problems on paw, with a 49 secs time. We were beat into 2nd place by Harley, the lab, and both dogs got a toy! We had photos taken with our certificate and then the puppies spent about 30 mins playing with each other, having a blast! We had a photo taken of the whole class... Harley, Luna, Abigail, Coda, Taylor.
Monday's class was done as mini private sessions with Pawsitive Paul. He suggested that I work a lot on "watch me", especially outside with distractions. He showed me how to do loose leash walking again and we got to have our photo taken in front of the mural!

What a good boy!

So I've been thinking and Coda can actually do quite a few things consistently...

On our walks, on the extendable leash, he rarely pulls out to the full length. When we stop at the curb he will stay still on the command of "wait" and now I am getting him to sit then as well.

When we are going out to the yard I can say "wait" and he won't go charging into the kitchen. He will not eat the cat food when I yell "off".

When he is in his kennel he will start barking to let me know to take him out.

He can pretty consistently do "watch me", "sit", "down" with some distraction. He will also target train on a stick when told "touch".

In our class last Sunday we began "paw" and he can do that.

Out and about he is becoming less inclined to bark at people and dogs, due to an over abundance of treats in those situations.

He can play fetch, mostly returning with the toy!

If he has something to occupy him, he can sit on my lap when I'm watching tv and be calm.

He is becoming desensitized to the clippers and work on his nails, especially filing his nails. He will let me brush him for a good treat!

Overall he is progressing in his training at a decent rate. I am thinking about taking the intermediate class at Petsmart once we have completed the puppy class on Sunday! :)