Training and trail mutiny

A couple of weeks ago Maya and I returned to dog training. She remembered what she was supposed to do, as if she's only had a short hiatus rather than an eight-month break. Chris, one of the lead trainers, commented as much, that Maya remembered a lot, as we were leaving the first time back. Last weekend she likewise did very well, though her owner got called out for giving lousy direction and no positive feedback during a practice at heeling. Hey, she knew what she was doing and I was just showing her off.

It's a good time to go back to training because we're picking up in a phase II class right about where she was when she got hurt. She's got to master this heeling thing a little better (or, more correctly, I guess, I do) and then also understand and obey the "place" command. That is, go to a "place" such as her cushion and stay there! She's got no reason to complain about that. She's got a more comfy spot than half the places to sit in this house. My sister-in-law gave me two cushions off a couch she was tossing and they're perfect for Maya. They provide a lot more support than typical doggie beds you'd find in pet stores. Of course, just to spoil her, as if we didn't enough, I put her fluffy, but thin dog bed on top of her couch cushion. Heard no complaints.

Sacked out after a forced march on the mountain.

Since Christmas break, Maya and I have made multiple forays onto the mountain, and unfortunately, she is either getting tired of that place or of our walks. The first indication she was not interested in even heading up the mountain was on Epiphany Sunday in the afternoon when we headed out for our usual hike there. Just in from the parking lot, she tried mutiny, bolting back to the car after I let her off leash. She's never done that before, and of course she ran to the parking area, only a dirt patch just big enough for three or four cars off the road. Even though I called her, she ignored me and I lost sight of her briefly after she cleared the trail. I found her near the door of the minivan wanting to get back in. This was a dilemma since I want to be aware of what she's communicating to me, but on the other hand, who's calling the shots here? I'd been walking her off leash regularly and was able to squeeze in five hikes of two to four miles each during Christmas week. Some she seemed to enjoy and others she was tired before we were done.

Yesterday, she staged a repeat rebellion, dashing back to the car, even though another dog was heading onto the trail at the same time as we were. I had to get her and walk her well into the woods, past some thickets that form a barrier between the trail head/parking lot and the park. Once off-leash she could have followed the path back but hasn't so far. I don't know what's up with her. Yesterday she was practically trying to crawl herself back to the car. I'm sure the only reason I got her to even start walking with me was because I had a training collar on her so pulling was uncomfortable. Once we started walking, though, she did fine and it was such a beautifully warm day that it couldn't have been the weather that was the problem. We did 3.3 miles. When I put her leash back on she again pulled like her life depended on getting out of there. I'm going to give the mountain a break and see how she reacts to some other places. Maybe because of her leg long walks are uncomfortable and she knows the mountain often entails one.