A Springer Spaniels Favourite Treat For Clicker Training

 

SAUSAGES

And for every correct action he does he gets a click and a treat…

This is all he gets for a treat, I think he thought he was going to get a whole sausage.

RUFUS is a trained assistance dog but has never been trained to walk on the lead without pulling as he was allowed to run in the local park.He has a good recall but this was no good where I live with heavy traffic always near on his walk.

The clicker is attached to his lead handle and as soon the lead goes slack I click the clicker and he gets his treat. Easy.

I‘ve put him in a harness to stop any damage to his windpipe but this will be replaced by a collar once he stops pulling which won’t be long as his training is working already after only two days walking.

To stop him escaping through the beech hedge I have trimmed the bottom of the hedge and added wire fencing which has worked well. The hedge will be allowed to grow through so the fence will not be seen.

And finally this is RUFUS after his training walk…

This is a lovely oil painting by John Trickett

http://www.sallymitchell.com/artists1.php?ai0=14&ti=10

Beautiful Eh!

Happy New Year from Rufus the dog and me

 

 

Two more dogs I walked yesterday

These are the two dogs I walked yesterday at http://www.appledown.co.uk/. It was nice to get out in the fresh air for a couple of hours before doing the shopping.

The first dog was ….

Gabby

A lovely dog who walked well to heal after the initial excitement of being let out of her cage.She knew her command to sit and took treats gently. A smashing dog for someone.

The second dog was..

Pinocchio

Again he was a a well behaved dog,walked well on the lead and would be a great companion for someone.

I must say I’m looking forward to getting my own dog before xmas and have spoilt him already with all the goodies I’ve got him.

Here his is again….

Rufus

I think he will like it here by the looks of his first visit before he is neutered and has his jabs.

At last a dog of my own

Introducing

RUFUS

This is the first photo of Rufus taken on his first home visit to see I was suitable for him.

He comes from a  rescue  home as his owner has M.S. http://www.mssociety.org.uk/  and has had to go into a home. I was contacted and asked if I was interested to take him on and of course I said yes  who could refuse.

He won’t be joining me just yet as he has to have his jabs and be neutered http://www.apbc.org.uk/articles/neuteringmaledogs hopefully before Xmas or just after.

He has a good recall, gets on with other dogs and cats also retrieves items off the floor if they have been dropped. He is overweight as he never got any exercise due to his previous owners health so will be put on a diet and have three walks a day. When he’s settled in I’ll be taking him to  http://www.ckt-agility.co.uk/index.htm  which has a base at  http://www.appledown.co.uk/ where he will be taught agility so he enjoys the rest of his life. No doubt he will be taken to Marsworth for a walk along the towpath and get to meet all the different narrowboaters moored up.

Just glad that mum did not have a bad reaction to him and in fact got a big smile from her.

I think it’s just what the doctor ordered for both of us. I look forward to blog his exploits in the future with plenty of pictures no doubt.

 

 

Narrowboat Just Us at Marsworth

It was too cold and wet for the dogs to be allowed out to be walked at http://www.appledown.co.uk/ today so I took off to Marsworth to see if anything interesting was happening. It seems the narrowboaters had the same idea as the dogs…stay inside except the crew of NB Just Us who were happy to carry on through the locks so I took a photo of them approaching lock 39 at Marsworth.

As you can see it turned out nice once the rain cleared away and all was calm except for the narrowboater chopping his logs up, can you see him ?

Next week I’ll be walking the dogs if the weather holds up.

 

A Walk Down Doolittle Lane With Mr McNulty

Today was a good day,the sitter that takes over from me looking after mum was only half an hour late which allowed me to have four hours off to myself this week, two of which would be for shopping, the other two I decided to go for a walk with Mr McNulty down Doolittle Lane.

Pieces of late iron age pottery have been found down here so it’s been around for a while. Halfway down the lane is Doolittle Mill which is a grade 2 listed building. A mill has been on or around this site since 1086 but the present mill dates from the 18th century.

Fifty years ago a gale blew the mill head off complete with the sails into the mill pond below.

It was a beautiful day with an autumnal nip in the air after last nights first frost of winter.The winter wheat and barley is about four inches high in the surrounding fields and hedgerows are bursting with berries which the birds are noisily foraging on.Horses are in their paddock wearing their protective coats to keep out the inclement weather while in the distance the gliders are being winched up to do a circuit of the airfield below the downs.

All this going on and Mr McNulty ignores it all,oblivious to the sights and sounds of this beautiful part of Bedfordshire.

You see Mr McNulty has just been released from his prison and is suffering from stress. I am trying to relieve his predicament in the only way I can given the restraints on my time away from my caring duties at home.

Mr McNulty is a very fine collie dog who has lost weight due to his confinement and desperately needs to be rehomed as soon as possible. He has been put on three meals a day to help him gain weight but still he does not wag his tail. I hope he finds a home soon as it will be another dog who will be mentally scarred for life.

 

Details of Mr McNulty and all the other lovely dogs can be found at

http://www.appledown.co.uk/

Lock and a Narrowboat at Marsworth

Today I was going to Appledown Rescue Centre  www.appledown.co.uk and walk the dogs but the weather looked a bit gloomy and threatening so I decided to go to Marsworth to see the narrowboats.

Walking along the towpath I noticed a young man with his two spaniels, not very special you would think but then this chap was driving a mobility scooter and the dogs were enjoying themselves running alongside. Dogs are always a good conversation starter so I commented on how nice they were.

I always enjoy a chat and felt very lucky to be walking the towpath after hearing his story. Apparently he was riding his motorbike four years ago and was hit by a young driver who was on drugs leaving him unable to walk. He has four dogs and takes them out on a circuit around the reservoirs and along the towpath. He said he probably would have gone mad had he not been able to get out with his dogs at Marsworth. Just one example of how the canals and waterways can help improve peoples lives.

Back to my walk, here is narrowboat The Cats Whiskers moored at Marsworth.

Walking further along the towpath narrowboat The Muttz Nutz was approaching

lock 43

so I hung around and had a chat with the skipper while they were going through the lock with the help of the volunteer lock keeper who has been boating for 35 years, no wonder he looks nonchalant working the lock.

All in all a nice two hours out from my caring with a sobering thought never to take things for granted.