Videos: Sit, Down, Stand & Stay

As part of our Level III homework, I've been practicing giving Bo four commands in succession. First I have him sit, then go down, then stand and stay. Stand stay is a new command for Bo but he has learned it quickly. Here are two videos from our practice session today.

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Bo Ridge

Bo has a distinct ridge line down the middle of his snout.  It's raised, it's soft and it's crooked. It inspired his middle name -- Ridge. (We began calling him Bo Ridge when he was very young.) When, and if, Bo attends school with Austin, we will introduce him to the students and faculty as 'Mr. Ridge.' This will be his school name, a name that fits him but doesn't elicit his full attention.

Bo has had the ridge line on his snout since he was a puppy.

My Thoughts on Bo

Guest Post from Austin:
I am so glad that Bo is doing well and I hope he can keep working hard and also come to school with me.  Austin Dearborn<3 <3 <3 xoxoxoxoxox I luv Bo Ridge.....!!!!!!

Way to Work Bo!

Alert After Church

Bo alerted within minutes of me and Austin getting home from church yesterday. I checked Austin and he was 156. This is not a number Bo gets rewarded for but we know Bo is often ahead of the meter, meaning he smells a low or high before the meter registers a number in his reward range. We told him 'all set' and waited to check again in 15 minutes. We didn't have to wait that long because after 12 minutes, Bo alerted to me again for a high. Austin was in the shower but he was finishing up, so I had him recheck. This time Austin was 175 -- the threshold number for a high alert. Bo got rewarded for his alert with chicken pieces. Austin got a correction.

Alert After School

Austin and Bo were in Austin's bedroom with the door closed. I called Austin out of his room and as Austin opened the door Bo came running out in front of him. Bo came directly to me in the kitchen and alerted with a paw swipe followed by a bow -- the alert chain he uses for a low. I checked Austin and he was 54.

Alert Before Basketball

Austin was downstairs playing XBox with his friend when Bo alerted to me upstairs. I went downstairs to check his blood sugar. It was 188. Bo is rewarded for high alerts at 175 and higher, so he got chicken and cheese pieces. 

The Life of Bo is Good

While we are at work and Austin is at school, Bo is at our neighbors Gil and Syl's  house. They have been taking him since he was 10 weeks old and their home is his second home. The two of them are his other family and they truly love him and care for him as their own. Bo's days with Gil and Syl are never boring. Today, Syl sent me these pictures of Bo 'helping' Gil remove the carpet in her sewing room. The pictures made me smile because I know each day with Gil and Syl provides an enriching experience for our pup. While some dogs spend their days alone, Bo spends his days with two people who absolutely adore him. There is no doubt in my mind, the life of Bo is GOOD!

The First Session of Level III Class

I took Bo to Helen's new studio this afternoon for our first Level III class. Bo was one of seven dogs in the class and one of a few who had never done agility before. The first part of the class involved jumps and running thru a tunnel.

The experience of watching other dogs, in a studio environment, run off-leash through a course of obstacles was new to Bo. He reacted as one dog ran towards a jump positioned in the area in front of us. I immediately dropped the leash, as Helen has taught me, and he and the other dog had a vocal exchange but they separated quickly without incident. Nonetheless, the experience left him agitated. The instructor, one of Helen's colleagues, had me move with Bo to a short hallway adjacent to the studio space. It was a space where he could see the other dogs run the course, yet not feel as though they were running at him. I treated him generously for remaining in a down stay and looking at the activity happening on the course and then looking back at me. Once he calmed, we moved back to our place in the studio.

I have read comments on Web sites about how service dog can be 'ruined' by a negative interaction with another dog, so I'm extra cautious with Bo around dogs in a leashed environment. I try to keep my anxiety in check as I expect he can sense my stress level. I have to admit, it was hard for me to keep it in check today. Having Bo on leash while another dog is working off-leash, in close proximity to Bo, is going to take some getting used to for me. I understand growing Bo's confidence in this area will serve to help him in his public access work.

When it came to Bo's turn on the course. He had no problem jumping or moving through the shortened tunnel. (I was happily surprised by his enthusiasm for jumping -- not to mention the air he got!) I, on the other hand, required gentle guidance from the instructor. I was slow to grasp the body positioning changes that go along with moving from one direction to another. Thankfully, the instructor and Bo were forgiving of my mistakes.

The instructor taught some targeting games involving the Staples 'easy' button and a battery operated push/touch light -- the kind sometimes installed in closets that are not wired for electrical lights. Bo did well with this exercise. I expect because of the target work I have been doing with him as part of his DAD training.

We did some games with 'sit' and 'down' signs, as well as some heel work on the left and right sides. I always work Bo on the left and both of us had a difficult time going from working on the left to working on the right. Learning to work on the right will definitely be a challenge for us.

Bo tired after Level III class.

The class was mentally exhausting for me and left me feeling physically tired. In Level II class, I felt confident. I knew what to do and Bo knew what to do. He worked well around the other dogs. He knew the commands. He demonstrated a readiness for his CGC test.

Today, I felt less confident in class. We have a new set of skills to learn and we are learning them in a new space, with a new instructor. I'm hopefully optimistic we will learn together and our confidence will grow over the next five weeks.

Video: Bo Playing With A Younger Dog

Bo initiating play with 8-month-old Labrador, Tracey. Tracey is a Guiding Eyes for the Blind puppy. She is one of several GEB pups Bo gets to socialize and play with when we take off-leash walks. (Bo is the pup wearing the red Freedom Harness.)