Piper in the Topiary Garden

On Monday, Piper and I had a lesson with Wendy. We got a brown bag lunch and had a picnic in the Topiary Garden downtown before starting. It was wonderful. Piper didn't beg or try to steal food either. It must have been because Wendy was there. She was on her best behavior.

Piper enjoyed herself and didn't seem nervous at all. She was hot though, as evidenced by her tongue and panting. But she was very solid on her sit-stays, giving the perfect opportunities for photos. I took a ton, but the one of Piper was the best one. The other one is of some of the topiaries in the garden. The photos don't do it justice. It is a very beautiful park.

Piper's attention is coming along and Wendy says once she masters that, the heeling will follow. She walks well on the leash, but she could be better. At least you could tell that I had worked on her social skills, she was not stressed at all. I think she is beginning to enjoy her adventures.

The social quest continues

Piper continues her quest for social skills. On 7/30 we visited Petsmart and Barnes and Noble. Piper has been to Petsmart often and she was great this time. Until a young boy tried to pound, um... I mean pet her on the head. She doesn't like that from anyone. She backed away and the boy thought she was mean. Of course, his mother didn't correct him and also didn't give him any guidance as to how to approach a dog. The situation was remedied by giving the boy a treat to give to Piper. Piper graciously and gently took the treat and I thanked the boy.

Off we went across the street to Barnes and Noble. That is where the drama returned. Piper was complaining and shaking when we parked the car. She had never been to this area before and obviously I have stumbled upon her Achilles heel. So we got out of the car, thankfully Piper is mild mannered and small enough to lift. We slowly walked around the car and she was allowed to sniff and get used to the area. She was improving until we passed a trash can with a liner that was blowing in the wind. Piper lost her mind. It was like the can was going to kill her. We continued walking and she relaxed once she was out of striking range from that monster trash can. We made it to the front of the store and were able to train. Piper was back to her old self and did a great job with attention and sit-stays. I was impressed. When we passed the trash can to leave, she didn't even notice it.

Now that I know her issue, we will be hitting the town looking for new places to challenge her.

I am open for suggestions!