[nagdu] Poky Krokie gets fixed, hopefully

[Tracy Carcione]

Krokus has been slow since about the 5th day of class.  I have been asking
myself lately if I can live with his casual stroll, or if I want to send him
back to work with an 80-year-old while I try again.

My trainer came out to work with me on his scavenging, and I told her I was
also having trouble with his pokiness.  She didn't do much for his
scavenging, so I'll carry on with the GL, but I think she actually fixed his
slowness, and she showed me how, too.  It's something we had tried before,
and it hadn't worked, but now it seems to be doing the trick.  It's called
force forward.  It's not very nice.  It involves a high collar and making
him uncomfortable until he really pulls into the harness.  But it only took
a few times, and now he is really stepping out, and, if he starts dropping
back into stroll, I say Hup and he knows I really mean it.  It reminds me of
something Chaim said the other day.  Sometimes, I just have to say enough,
and get your butt in gear or else.

I had tried click and treat at curbs, and it seemed to sort of work, but he
was still slower than I want.  So no more Mrs Nice Guy.  I don't know if
he's just been lazy, or he got the idea in all the snow and ice that slow
was good.  So now we're breaking the habit.

I'm so relieved that at last he's moving along at the pace and pull I want.
He's smart, and very easy to work with, and, now he's stepped it up a bit, I
think we can have a long, happy partnership.

Tracy