I know when Penny starts going after ears it means she needs an outlet for her energy
Playing with Eko has been a great outlet for Penny, as has playing with her new toys and puzzles. Our time indoors also offers an opportunity to give Penny a mental workout through training.
When the treats come out, I quickly have everyone’s attention
And all of a sudden the gang is eager to shake my hand
I like to think they shake my hand because I’m a friendly guy but I’m starting to suspect it’s for the treats
“Hey, buddy. Less photos and more treats”
I always like to review the basic commands with both pups. It helps remind them we’re in working mode and it lets me catch when one of them tries to cheat. Eko knows a “down” only counts if his butt is on the ground but he still tries to sneak in a fake “down” every once in a while
Much better. Only proper form earns treats.
A solid review of basic commands is a good start, but the real mental workout comes when I teach Penny a new trick. I thought her excess energy might make the training difficult but instead she’s had a laser-like focus, eager to get to work.
I tried teaching Penny to play dead when she was younger but she was a bit too much of a jitterbug to stay down. Over the past couple days we’ve had some really good training time and Penny’s coming along quite nicely.
She can stay still, miracles happen every day!
The new tricks are nice, but the best part about training with Penny is that after she pretends to be knocked out, she hops up on the couch and is actually zonked.
A tired Penny is a beautiful thing indeed
Between Eko, toys and training we’ve thrown just about everything at Penny except the kitchen sink. Luckily it seems to be working and we’re all getting along just fine. I grabbed some video of our training session so hopefully I’ll have some shots to share on Friday of Penny practicing her fun new tricks.