Well, Mom is definitely having a dog day today.
This morning, she and I went to our city's Saturday Market again. We were there during the peak hours, so we encountered lots of dogs, kids, and adults. Mom let several adults say hi to me, which I was thrilled about. And I heard several people compliment and comment on me... but I'm trying not to let it go to my head. It takes a lot of focus for me to get through the crowds at Mom's side and out of others' way. Plus we work on waiting and sitting while people go by. For a break, every once in awhile, she takes me to the edge of the market so that I can be a "boy dog" and smell around and pee on some bushes.
There was one little incident that bothered Mom a bit--and me, too, I'll admit. There was a dog there that worried me when it pulled on his leash towards me rather quickly, so I got in my old reactive mode and barked two or three barks at him. Mom got me moving right along, and I wasn't really phased; however, she was worried about me regressing with our training. Since I snapped out of it quickly (with the help of scrambled eggs), we made another lap around the market to finish off the morning with some positive experiences around other dogs. We were successful. I walked by several other dogs, including a couple approaches, and we stood by (quietly!) while some little Bostons were barking at a Newfie. I even played a little LAT with the same dog I barked at earlier.
I guess I wasn't as brave about that dog as we thought I could be. Mom says she's going to focus on reactivity work again for awhile. Sounds good to me! I love going out and about with Mom, and I know I have to behave well to do that!
After we got home, we played for a little bit, and then Mom loaded up Sophie into the car. She left me and Elsie at home! (Can you believe that?) They drove to Corvallis to return some things. The first store they went to was Peak Sports, where Sophie got lots of attention from a really nice lady and her husband. Then they walked through the Farmers Market, where Soph got a couple more compliments. Finally, they went to Animal Crackers Pet Supply for another return, where she got even more compliments and pets from employees and customers (see the pattern?).
Mom and Soph brought back lots of free food samples from the pet store because it just happened to be a "meet the vendors" day! The Orijen rep even named Sophie's breed correctly! Woof! And Mom got to surprise the Nature's Variety rep by telling him how old she is after he asked if she was a pup. (No sir! My bio-mom is almost 11!) Anyways, Soph told me she was a super good girl and enjoyed her afternoon with Mom.
Yes, that's my nose. And yes, those DogWell Jerky Bars are yummy!
When they got home, we played a little more in the yard and are now taking a break inside. It's too hot to stay out long! Later this evening, Elsie gets to go to the park to help Mom pick blackberries.
Here's Elsie this afternoon getting a head start on the berry picking! We love blackberries!
And that's it for today! Thanks for stopping by!
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