{ONE} Katie and Cory's Wedding this weekend
One of Evan's good friends from Randolph-Macon College (our alma mater) is getting married this weekend in Raleigh. I love weddings in general, but I especially love going to R-MC weddings because it is always one big party with all of our college buddies (R-MC is a small school, so you basically know everyone if you went there). I am looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces!
{TWO} Our first session with Bella's new Trainer
Our first session yesterday went really well and I am looking forward to fine tuning the already pretty good manners Bella has. We began tackling one of Bella's biggest problem's last night, pulling on the leash when we walk her. The technique that our trainer uses is to quickly change direction every time our dog pulls on the leash. So far this seems to be helping and our trainer advised us that it may take up to one week of using this technique to stop the pulling, the key is to be consistent and relentless. Our trainer also advised that any sort of choking leash (we had been using a British-Style Slip Lead) can undo any sort of training progress we have made with Bella. I wouldn't have thought that! We were also advised that the use of any sort of retractable leashes can be dangerous (if they malfunction). Here is the scary example our trainer gave: a car is whizzing by and the retractable leash you are using breaks and doggy runs out into the road and is hit by a car...scary, right!? Maybe I am being a bit dramatic, but according to our trainer this happens more often than one would think! Yikes, bye bye slip leads and retractable leashes! We were given orders to work with Bella at least twice daily (ideally three times) on everything we learned this week. Hope we can find the time to get the work in! All in all, very good information. I will keep y'all updated on Bella's progress.
This picture was actually taken in Sharps, VA Easter weekend, but I forgot to post it.
This picture was actually taken in Sharps, VA Easter weekend, but I forgot to post it.
{THREE} Wine is now on tap at our favorite local watering hole, Crafty Beer Guys
{FOUR} Dog Supplies in Huntersville, NC
This is where we get Bella's food and basically all of her treats, toys, etc. They have discounted prices and they have a huge selection of the best quality food, treats, and toys. Also, if you pay with cash, you get an extra ten percent off of your purchases. You can find their website with their location and hours here.
{FIVE} The Kong Large Squeezz Stick Dog Toy
Sorry for the fuzzy picture; Evan took this picture this morning and Bella would not stop moving her head! We love Kong products in general, because it's one of the few products Bella cannot demolish in two minutes. This one not only squeeks, but is hollow in the middle, so you can stuff peanut butter, treats, etc. in it. You can find this toy on Amazon here.
HAPPY FRIDAY TO ALL!
Awe I love this post! We need to try that trick with ranger bc he's always running ahead of us! Any tips for getting doodles not to jump up on people? We've had hardest time breaking ours of that
ReplyDeleteThanks Lauren! Hope you had a good weekend! Good question regarding what to do about jumping- our trainer hasn't addressed that issue yet. We generally would turn away from Bella when she jumped as a small puppy (and tell her no) and thankfully it never become too much of a problem for us, but I know it is a very common problem. I will ask our trainer and let you know!
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