Home Training Day One

12 February, 2011:

Home Training Day One:

LD Mike's good morning lick to wake me up at 6:00 A.M. showed that I need not have bothered setting the alarm. I got dressed, fed, watered and parked him. I tried to lay back down for some more shuteye, but I was to keyed up to go back to sleep so I went downstairs and started some coffee brewing. I took my mug into the living room and LD Mike jumped up and curled up beside me on the couch. As I sipped my coffee I could only shake my head in wonder as I pondered the wondrous event that had happened yesterday afternoon. About 3:00 P.M. LD Mike and I met for the first time. WOW!!!! What a handsome, smart dog!! I was ready to fall in love with LD Mike even before he arrived here in Kankakee and I did!! From the start it appeared that the feeling, on LD Mike's part, were mutual!!

After Mike-the-trainer departed for his hotel I began my homework assignment. I started listening to some Leader Dog Lectures and worked on bonding with LD Mike. Mike-the-trainer had said to start bonding with LD Mike, but that process had begun the moment LD Mike stepped into the house. Throughout a pleasant evening we continued to bond. Mike jumped up on the couch and fell asleep curled up with his chin on my thigh. I quickly discovered that he snores, LOUDLY!!

At bedtime LD Mike curled up on his brand new bed with his nose as close to me as he could get.

Time passed, my reverie ended and I got up to get ready for Mike-the-trainer's arrival to begin our first day of home training. Over coffee we discussed our programme for the day. Since a majority of the sidewalks close to home were buried under snow we decided to go up to the public library and work around the downtown area since the sidewalks were cleared. We loaded up and headed up to the library. We got out and I harnessed up LD Mike, I picked up the harness handle, asked him “Mike forward?” for the first time and we took off like an F-22 fighter!! WOW!!!! What a feeling!! I felt as elated as a grounded pilot who got his wings back! We worked in to the library then headed out to the streets. We moved more quickly than I had moved since LD Patriot had retired. What a RUSH!! Walking along S. Schuyler Ave, LD Mike took me up to the kerb at Schuyler and Court, he stopped a bit short and I did my footwork to get right on the kerb. We did a right cutback turn and headed East along Court towards Harrison. I quickly discovered that LD Mike liked to hug the left side of the sidewalk and that he was very subtle in his signaling. That's par for the course when beginning to work with a new dog. I knew intellectually that LD Mike would signal differently than LD Patriot had, but it took actually feeling it for the fact to really sink in. Mike-the-trainer tagged along behind us observing and offering tips, counsel and “verbal leash corrections” (to me) as needed.

When we got to the corner of Harrison and Court we discovered that when the streets were plowed the Court side of the corner was completely buried in snow. I asked LD Mike “Mike Forward?” and as soon as we were in Harrison I told him “Mike Left” and we worked around the corner, then squared up to cross Court to the Post Office. We crossed and then worked into the Post Office since it is a place that I would normally go. Coming out of the Post Office we headed West along Court back towards Schuyler. LD Mike worked me flawlessly around a snow-pile blocking our path, I had to slow him down when we got past it onto the sidewalk again and hit uneven snow and ice. LD Mike is such a trouper!! Even though I had to use some “Harness English” to get LD Mike past a food distraction. Someone had dropped some bread and rolls in the middle of the sidewalk... We continued along Court until we were back to the corner of Schuyler and Court I suggested a coffee to Mike-the-trainer, he readily agreed so LD Mike and I did a right cutback turn and headed South along North Schuyler towards Lydia and Groucho's (A local coffee shop and deli). After our coffees we reversed the route back to the library. I have to share a brag about LD Mike, on our way back towards the Post Office we encountered some uneven snow and ice and LD Mike slowed down without any prompting from me! I could really get used to this!!

Mike-the-trainer dropped LD Mike and I at home, told us when he would be back for our second training session and headed back to his hotel for a break.

At 2:00 P.M. We loaded up and headed to the grocery store to pick up some things we needed for supper. LD Mike worked well in the store and in the produce section that he had a 90 pound nose. Mike-the-trainer gave me some tips as we shopped. We took one last trip around the store before we left and LD Mike handled some impromptu “traffic checks” like a champion. Mike-the-trainer and I were both impressed with LD Mike's performance in handling the store.

All in all not a bad first day of training. I am over the moon to be working with a dog again!!

To Be Continued...