Training Adventures
Weāve been focusing hard on training, and Stanley is thriving. We just started an Intro to Dog Fitness class designed to set us up for agility work. Puppy agility starts in a few weeks, and I canāt wait! So far, weāre working on:
- Ā Paws up on a step (front and back)
- Ā Sit and stand transitionsĀ Ā Ā
- Keeping up with his ever-growing trick list: sit, down, spin, paw, crawl, up, Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā over, leave it, touchā¦ you name it, he wants to learn it.
Heās a busy boy, and he loves using his brain.
Boarding Win
Iām so happy to have found a boarding kennel that Stanley loves. The staff is wonderful, and the best part? Heās excited to go there ā tail wagging, jumping out of the car, ready to see his friends. They offered a training package while he was boarded, so Stanley had four mini sessions during his stay. Not only did they reinforce what he knows, but they also introduced a new trick: ālegsā (walking through mine). Pretty cool, right?
House Training: Progress (and Rainy Day Struggles)
House training is still a work in progress. Most days heās doing great, but rainy days are tough. Today, he peed outside like a champ, but I had to leave for errands and knew a crate accident was coming ā and sure enough. At least he used his potty pad. Later he tried something new: standing outside his crate and peeing into it. Ugh. Definitely a reminder to get him out right away after errands. Lesson learned on my part!
New Toys for a Rainy Day
Since bad weather makes for stir-crazy puppies, we stopped at the pet store. I picked up worms for the dragon, but of course Stanley scored too:
Ā Ā Ā A Pupsicle toy
Ā Ā Ā A couple of twisty bully chews
Ā Ā Ā A slow feeder puzzle mat for his kibble
Anything to keep that busy little brain working! Iāll share reviews of these toys once weāve had a chance to really try them out.
Meanwhile, the Catsā¦
The cats are doing well, though Bean keeps me busy with his grooming struggles. He mats so easily, and Iāve been cutting them out as I find them. Iāve thought about shaving him, but I donāt think I could manage that myself ā and professional cat grooming is pricey! On top of that, one of my Catlink litter boxes is acting up. It doesnāt seem to want to run automatically anymore, so Iām planning to try another calibration and reset to see if that helps. Not exactly fun, but hopefully fixable.
š Overall, it may have been a quiet summer, but Stanley has kept life interesting. Between training, playtime, and the occasional potty mishap, heās growing into such a fun, smart little dog. Canāt wait to see how he does when agility starts!