Not so old dog, new tricks - Page 1

How's the saying go, always take advantage of a learning experience?

While I have been lucky to have socialized my boy under a lot of different stimulus, I had a rare opportunity for something new today and we made the most of it.

There was a local street fair, when he and I have been too with crowds, other dogs, kids, vendors and all sorts of challenges which he has always passed with flying colors but the street fair today was a celebration of trains, down at one of the local commuter train stations.   I was helping out a vendor and since it was beautiful out this weekend decided to take my big lug down to schmooze with the crowd and I realized when I made the decision that this was going to put us right on the platform beside the tracks. 

Tucking a handful of cotton balls into my pocket, off we went.  It was almost straight into the chaos, with kids playing and hollaring on one side and then a big freight blew through on the other.  I had tucked a couple cotton balls into his ears but he was still a little 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot' when two big diesel locomotives, pulling rattling empty cars went blasting through, the horns in particular gave him pause.  I immediately put him in basic beside me, with the foos command, which actually relaxed him a little, a clear case of "Okay, Mom's got this.  We're good."

After that train went through, we moved back to the station to take up our position at the vendor location and went through the rest of the day.  I would take the cotton balls out of his ears when it was just people milling around and he got his hugs from children and accolades and then, when the trains blew through would tuck the cotton balls back in place but we were still right on the track edge. 

The fair also offered train rides, which of course, boarded at the station.  This afforded my guy and I a wonderful opportunity to work through tight crowds while everybody was lined up on the platform.  Also we walked the length of the platform with the idleing train sitting in place, airbrakes hissing and other noises, which he took like a seasoned pro.   The second time the train went out, while they were getting everybody boarded, we were given a FANTASTIC opportunity when the conductor (who had seen me walking back and forth) offered to let us board. 

We could have ridden if I'd had a ticket but alas!

Still, this was fantastic because he had to jump off the platform up onto the narrow train stairwell.  This tested not only is willingness to jump over an open drop from the platform to the tracks and*into* that big steel, hissing rumbling monster (in before me even, because we couldn't both 'step' up) but to do so simply off my command, "Hup".  We stepped up, I gave the word and he bounced confidently right onto the stairs, navigating the steps on his landing and climbing up into the car.  Talk about testing a new surface!  Heavily vibrating diamond plate and then down slightly into the car itself and back.

We walked, sat at basic and then did a down stay for a few minutes while I talked to some people and then back to the stairwell, where he had to walk a couple steps down right beside me (he would have either yanked me off the train or yanked the leash out of my hand if he'd gone head) and then, when we were on the last step about a 2 foot jump back onto the platform.

By the time the day was over, he was sacked out on the platform without even twitching an ear when the trains went back and forth around him.  An excellent learning day and a lot of fun!  I have some photoes from my phone.  Not great quality but  a record of his journey today!

Sitting and people watching as the passenger train was loaded.

Next to our vendor location

Down stay (I still had his leash) on the platform as the train went by on the third track out (I wouldn't ask him to hold that for a moving train on the near rail.  The train was actually moving in the direction his nose is pointing.  You can see the stair configuration he had to jump up onto off the platform

Okay Mom, it's been a long day, I've learned my lessons.  Are we done now?

 

 

 

scratch behind the ears from me.

Thank you, Vk!

Yes, he got many scritches and his favorite thing; hugs from children.

He also scored a hot dog from one of the other vendors!

 Good boy, Erik.

Thank you, Jenni and congratulations on your new "mutt".    I definitely like his look, but I'm an obvious bias. 

i liked the enthusiasm in your description so  for that as well.

KUdo's...  steak dinner tonight...

Kudos.   Love the unique times and the dog passes with flying colors. 

Great story!  Wonderful photos!  Beautiful dog!  Thanks for sharing. :)

 

 

Ditto all

IT is good to take dogs to unique noise factors while training them....Start early and keep on with the distractions..makes for a better dog as your protector  ....done naturally...

YR