Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
On the leash
Maya has advanced from puppy class to obedience train. She was six month old on Saturday, the same day we began training. As usual, though, the training was more about training the owners than the dogs. Our first class was about holding the leash. Yeah, the leash.
Okay, it makes sense and I find I was intuitively holding the leash similarly to what the trainer said, the thumb through the loop and create another loop by gripping the leash higher up and for extra control holding the leash midway toward the dog with the other hand. And we learned how to lock up the leash by wrapping it once again around the same thumb. It sound complicated but isn’t really.
Anyway, the idea is always have control of the dog and lead it without having to be rough with her or jerking her. The training’s golden rule is timing, patience and consistency. This is consistency, getting the dog used to the leash and the guidance of it. As long as she is walking in the direction you want her to, basically with you, the leash is loose without pressure on her, but when she deviates from the direction she’s suppose to go, the pressure of the leash locking up should guide her to move in the direction of least resistance.
Patience and consistency. I’ve never been that great at that with my daughters. Now I have to get it right with Maya? I was thinking as I walked her tonight now my treatment of Maya sometime reflects my parenting skills: well intentioned but often overbearing.
Okay, it makes sense and I find I was intuitively holding the leash similarly to what the trainer said, the thumb through the loop and create another loop by gripping the leash higher up and for extra control holding the leash midway toward the dog with the other hand. And we learned how to lock up the leash by wrapping it once again around the same thumb. It sound complicated but isn’t really.
Anyway, the idea is always have control of the dog and lead it without having to be rough with her or jerking her. The training’s golden rule is timing, patience and consistency. This is consistency, getting the dog used to the leash and the guidance of it. As long as she is walking in the direction you want her to, basically with you, the leash is loose without pressure on her, but when she deviates from the direction she’s suppose to go, the pressure of the leash locking up should guide her to move in the direction of least resistance.
Patience and consistency. I’ve never been that great at that with my daughters. Now I have to get it right with Maya? I was thinking as I walked her tonight now my treatment of Maya sometime reflects my parenting skills: well intentioned but often overbearing.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Running Maya
Today I ran Maya. It’s actually the first time I have taken her on a run, though we’ve run a little bit while walking a few times. We went to Rockwood Hall, a park along the Hudson where some impressive chiseled stonewalls are all that’s left of a mansion that once stood there maybe 100 years ago. A nice walking trail circles the park, making about a 2.25-mile course. Maya and I went there about 1 pm and ran a mile and then walked a quarter mile and then ran another mile. After that we walked, and then a little more running when a couple runners going a lot faster than we had went by. Maya got excited and started to run with them. They said they were going about 8 minutes a mile, which beats the hell out of my 10 to 11 minutes a mile. When I stopped Maya was obviously disappointed. My pace bored her! In total we did 3.9 miles.
She was tuckered. This evening she wouldn’t chase a tennis ball for anything. She would have played tug but I don’t play that with her leash and that’s all I had. She crashed about 10, even though Fionna had a bunch of friends over watching a movie. Kids are normally an unbearable distraction for Maya, who thinks everyone is her playmate.
One of the trainers said I shouldn’t run her until she’s about a year old and completely gown. I think she wants to run and something like what I did today isn’t too much for her. Plus, I need to get out and run with some regularity. I’ve been in a funk for at least a half year. Thought I might have picked up Lime Disease or some other thing but the doctor found only a low count for vitamin B12. So getting shots for that. He says that should help restore my energy. It’s good stuff, B12. But he also said the best thing for fatigue is exercise! I haven’t run hardly at all since last fall, but a year ago I was regularly doing six-mile runs and in April of 2010 had even twice run the equivalent of a half marathon! I prefer running on dirt or gravel, so if I keep to that and don’t over do it with Maya, I think she’ll be fine. Me too, I hope.
She was tuckered. This evening she wouldn’t chase a tennis ball for anything. She would have played tug but I don’t play that with her leash and that’s all I had. She crashed about 10, even though Fionna had a bunch of friends over watching a movie. Kids are normally an unbearable distraction for Maya, who thinks everyone is her playmate.
One of the trainers said I shouldn’t run her until she’s about a year old and completely gown. I think she wants to run and something like what I did today isn’t too much for her. Plus, I need to get out and run with some regularity. I’ve been in a funk for at least a half year. Thought I might have picked up Lime Disease or some other thing but the doctor found only a low count for vitamin B12. So getting shots for that. He says that should help restore my energy. It’s good stuff, B12. But he also said the best thing for fatigue is exercise! I haven’t run hardly at all since last fall, but a year ago I was regularly doing six-mile runs and in April of 2010 had even twice run the equivalent of a half marathon! I prefer running on dirt or gravel, so if I keep to that and don’t over do it with Maya, I think she’ll be fine. Me too, I hope.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)