The Cat Sat On The – Lawn…

…and the little dog barked to see such fun.

Yes, Travis has discovered cats, and like many things while he is going through Second Fear Period, they are to be barked at.

We had already started the day with a classic when we came across a child’s potty that had been dumped on the pavement. This occasioned much spooking and barking and I had to help him to understand that it wouldn’t explode in his face if he walked past.

 

That hurdle surmounted, we then went into the park to practise coming away from squirrels and other distractions. This is a vital skill before recall can be reliable and also to ensure that the dog and whatever he is distracted by remains safe. As it happened, we also encountered a lost, loose dog in the park. He had no tag on, which is illegal, and also foolish as there was no way to contact his owner. He ran off but later we met someone else who had put him on a lead as he had found the dog outside the park in an underpass on a main road. I hope that he was re-united with his owner – it’s not the first time that this owner has lost the dog in this park.

That was not the end of the excitement however. I was waiting at a bus stop when a cat decided to walk onto a lawn opposite, whereupon it sat down and stared at Travis, totally unfazed by his frantic barking, as it knew that it was perfectly safe when separated by two lanes of traffic. It was an excellent opportunity to carry on practising coming away from distractions. I would never have set it up out of respect for feline welfare, but it was an excellent opportunity to capture and shape Travis’ behaviour.

Next week: 2 + 2 = 7 – Trigger Stacking

If you need help with adolescent dog behaviour, you can book a Teenage Tearaways Course,  a Reliable Recall Workshop or join the Puppy or Adult Social Dog Walk in Chiswick House grounds. You can also book a special Country Canines Course for help with walking round livestock and wildlife.