Session 5: Long way to go

A very nice time of year to be driving north on Route 28 – the maples and the birches intensifying their reds and yellows, in a predominantly vibrant green landscape.  Cino happily in the back of the CRV, on a sunny, but chilly October morning, on our way to the Monocacy Nature Resources Area, just over the border into Frederick County. The entrance was just off Doctor Belt Road. I wondered if there really was a Dr. Belt, or whether giving a child “the belt” was considered as good as going to the doctor. 

This was Cino’s first  day-time session, and obedience was first up. A convenient large grassy space was nearby, where I found out that my shoes were not at all waterproof: the dew seeped through shoe and sock.  I thought Cino’s off-leash (well, he was on a 40 ft leash) healing was marginally less distracted than the previous session, and he did a pretty passable drop on recall. We did stays, and I hid behind a conveniently located bed of tall ornamental grasses. Cino did not budge, which was really great. Very happy for him!  I put him back in the car, and then hiked with Elsa and Vector through a stream (my feet were already wet, so who cares) to find a subject. After that, they went back to base while I found a new hiding spot and settled down to wait. I’m getting used to this and actually look forward to napping in the woods. I guess it was about an hour till I was found.  At the end of the session, Fiona suggested I get Cino out of the car for him to learn how to be pushy with people. Trouble is, he’s been trained not to be pushy.  About five people stood around in a circle with treats in their hands. I thought Cino would be delighted, but he seemed really nervous. I’m not sure if it was the location, if some of the taller guys made him feel threatened, if it was the dogs in the cars, but he had his little stubby tail tucked under as far as it would go, something I’ve rarely seen in him. They each called him and gave him treats, sometimes teasing him with them, really trying to make him work for the treats by being pushy. He relaxed a bit, but never gave off a confident demeanor. Clearly there’s a long, long way to go.