distractions

[debbiej]

well, this morning we started out the door for our walk. there was the strangest noise! and men yelling. what the heck?? the house next to us, which is hidden except for the roof, had a crew of about 8 men up there. They were shoveling the gravel and paper off the roof with a big racket-and getting ready to put a new one on. Hilda thought we were being invaded. It did look strange, and sounded even stranger. Ah ha! good time to practice paying attention to me while doing some obedience. After the initial, "HUH? who's that, what's that, what are they doing up there" barking, she did well. Then I realized schools out. kids are yelling and playing in the neighborhood. and tho they can't be seen, they can be heard. So looks like we finally have some distractions to practice at home with. first intermediate ob. class tonight!!

[Rott-Wiley]

Sounds great, good luck tonight. Oh, and BTW -- another distraction could be a tennis ball or one of her favorite toys secretly being tossed by you when she's not looking.

[debbiej]

good idea! I'll try that. lizards are great too, but they are sooo unpredictable!

[pbach]

While out on our walks Nikki would bark and become distracted when she heard skateboards, little kids on motorized cars and Little Tikes ride on toys. Also, if it was trash day and the trash cans were being rolled to the back yards she would go nuts trying to get at that can. We started working with her by rolling the trash can up and down the drive-way while she and I were walking to the back yard. After a few barks and lunges toward the can - she's broken of that habit. Also if we're out walking and we see the kids in the neighborhood who are riding their toys, we've asked them if they wouldn't mind riding them and making noise while doing it. She's gotten over these distractions.

Patty

[Denise L.]

When Cyrus and I go for a fun walk there can be skateboarders, trash trucks, motorcycles, even yappy little dogs and he will breeze calmly along. He will heel like a dream in a crowd.

However, when we train in our back yard and I am trying to work him on his stays and recalls he notices every bug, leaf etc. He even will stop to look up at a 747 coming in for a landing! And, "heel" means jump on mommy!

We don't train in the yard anymore...

[debbiej]

reminds me of a funny thing that happened to us when we first got hilda. In our neighborhood we all have these plastic dumpsters on wheels. well we were walking hilda was on the flexi lead. she went to sniff the wheel and somehow got the flexi lead around the wheel. when she started walking away, the dumpster "followed" her. then tipped over and she was running along dragging it. she gave them a wide berth for quite a while. So we take her with us when we take the trash to the end of the driveway, and she is better now..