Visit to Home Depot - 14wks

This morning we headed to Home Depot, hubby needed a few plumbing parts (eventually it was easier to just buy a whole new toilet!) and I decided that Fizz was going to have a great socialization outing.  I hadn't planned any real training, just a chance for a new environment and lots of new people.

Fizz entered like she owned the place, and within  a minute, I had her playing games with me and earning treats.   We started with simple nose touches, and progressed to calling off distractions (new people are about a Level 14 on a scale of 10 for Fizz)....including new people, dust bunnies in corners, and cords hanging down from poles.   I was amazed to see her leave a new person, and thrilled to see that she put the value in me over the new person, as I know how much she adores meeting new people.

After making our way to the back cross-store aisle, we worked some RZ, first in one-step forward increments, and then several 180 turns.   She nailed it, and was pushing me hard with her eyes to keep working, to keep earning reward.   LOVED seeing this from her.   No luring, no begging on my part.   Just a simple response to her awesome choices.    She was totally focused and wanting to work.   I released her from work to go say hi to at least 10 different staff members, and several customers.   Each time, she came back ready to work again!

We worked in aisles on Its Yer Choice.   I forgot the rule of "it's a new environment, be sure to set up for success" and just started working on the level of distraction that we work at home.  I asked for a sit, tossed her most favorite tug over her head (from behind), squiggled it along the floor in front of her, and tossing hot dog pieces onto the floor so that they bounced right towards her toes.   Not a flinch.   Yep, old hat for this old soul.   A truly brilliant puppy!   BIG reward and party for such awesome work.   Lots of tugging, and I had a mother/son team watching from the end of the aisle, with Mom narrating the puppy's training session (I think my enthusiasm was not very quiet!).

We had several hard fast recalls, raced the length of empty aisles, and worked more Its Yer choice with the tug.   When it was finally time to select our new toilet, I put Fizz in a down (this is not on verbal cue yet) and fed a few times to build duration, and then just waited.    She put her chin down and completely relaxed.   Released her to greet some new people, then back into her down.   Finally, got her up on the flatbed cart with the toilet box and asked for a sit while the cart rocked forward onto the fore set of wheels.

I think what amazed the most was the intensity with which she worked with me, despite this new, exciting, and highly distracting environment.  I felt like the training sessions we've been doing for the past many weeks were suddenly coming together and I had a puppy who was happy and willing and eager to work, starting to really generalize behaviors and pushing me for more.  Absolute JOY! :)