Dog Park Date

I had agreed to meet Lynne (and Zoey) at the dog park for a "date". Yesterday, I thought I'd test the waters. Diva I wasn't worried about having had her there prior, Ryder, well, let's just say he was a loose cannon. Yesterday I had to abort my walk as Ryder was having barking fits and Diva was packing up with him. Not the behavior I want to encourage.

After speaking with my mom about it she offered to meet me today so that both pups could go and get the experiences the park offers. Mom started off down the field with Diva, and Lynne and I followed a bit behind. We eventually caught up to her and the three dogs had a blast. Ryder settled down and stopped with the excited and stressed barking. And the three little siblings ran, and ran, and ran, and ran! They started engaging in positive behavior with other dogs we met. All very exciting for me.

Overall, I had a blast, and I'm happy with how the pups are developing. I think with consistent exposure to new things, dogs and people they are going to turn into pretty nice little animals. Well adjusted and happy.

I absolutely adore how well Diva recalls. Full tilt running and racing past any distractions to get to me. Even Ryder is showing recall improvement. He's starting to put some speed on when I call him, even if he doesn't always come straight to me. I think as we build a relationship and confidence he'll be that much better.

Happy day today. Even if it is cold.