[nagdu] Class Sunday

[Tracy Carcione]

Well, this is what happens to people who try to keep a journal in class;
more often than not they get distracted.
I found out Krokus's vital statistics.  He is 22.5 inches tall, 62 pounds,
and was born on 2/14/13, my  Valentine's boy!  His mama was the golden. 
He has gold eyes.
Friday, we timed our afternoon trip to coincide with the time crowds of
kids were trick-or-treating on the main street in our route.  Krokus did
great!  He wasn't at all bothered by all the strange-looking people, and
he worked me through the crowds very well, for a brand-new dog, only
bumping me into a couple, and having to dodge people leaping about while
he did it.  Good boy!
Saturday, in the rain, we did the first solo.  At TSE, solo means working
the route without the trainer's help unless you get really stuck. 
Actually, I had a partner on the solo.  Krokus led me around a huge,
ankle-deep puddle.  He took me around a fallen awning or barrier of some
sort by an outdoor cafe, stopping to pick a flower off a bush while he did
it.  He was distracted by a dog tied up outside Starbucks, but one
correction got him back to business.  I was very pleased.  Then, near the
end, I took a funny step on a crack and fell down.  Krokus licked my face
while I was scrambling up.  I think soon he will realize that I'm
something of a klutz.
On a couple early routes, he has made
small clearance erros, brushing my arm on a pole, but fixing it on the
rework.  He's delightfully easy to correct.
Today, we walked the leisure path on the TSE grounds a couple times. 
First time through, he ran a small step, but we reworked it, and, next
time out, he was very cautious.
Tomorrow, we start the Elm Street route, wich is longer and more complex
with traffic and crowds.
We've had a couple traffic checks, starting Thursday afternoon, and he's
done great.  TSE does an outstanding job with traffic training.  This
week, we get at least one check from the hybrid vehicle.
In our time off, he's really sweet and a joy
 to know.  If I sit on the floor, he will come over, put as much of
himself into mylap as possible, and either roll on his back and chew his
bone while I hold it, or, if he's tired, laye his head in my lap and take
a nap.
His favorite game is tug, and I'm teaching him "That's enough", for when
I've had all the tugging I can deal with for a while.  I brought a couple
toys with me, but I should have brought something sturdier.
We've done obedience with an animated toy and with food.  Sue threw a
pretzel right at Krokus's feet, and offered him another, pretending to be
a friendly stranger, but he wouldn't go for it.  However, at other times
in the dining room he has lunged for dropped food, so we'll keep working
on that.
Oh, and he doesn't mind the gentle leader one bit.
At first, it was hard to get him to settle, but now he will curl up on my
feet without much prompting to lie down.
He is a lovely dog.
Tracy