Saturday

 

After Toby’s training class, lunch, and a nap, the three of us went to Wall Springs Park to walk in the shade. It was 90 degrees.

We were all still exhausted from the morning class.

He did great. We worked on “heel” in the store, “wait,” and “stay.” There were six dogs in the class today, two more than usual. He did well around the new dogs. He was very focused on us.

I got these pictures of the butterfly garden at Wall Springs.

John’s new shoes

Morning snuggle time with Toby

Our trainer recommended that we bring a mat for Toby to practice “down” because he had a hard time doing it on the concrete floor and refused to use the pet beds that other dogs had used.

All the dogs at this level can settle, including Toby. It’s amazing to see six puppies in a down position minding their own business just a few feet away from each other.

Toby’s the only dog who has yet to bark during class. One barker had to leave class for a minute. The barker and another dog had to be silenced with an expensive chew bone. Sometimes the barkers set each other off and it’s bedlam with the trainer having to yell—with a mask on.

Toby slept for several hours after he got home.

He’s still sleeping as I write this blog.

Toby really likes playing games, so we ordered another puzzle for him. It’s either that or watch our flip flops and dish towels being paraded around the house.

We also ordered some bitter apple to spray on our toilet paper, hoping we’ll be able to put it back on the holder. The trainer said to be careful and not use the part you spray because it burns.

Two women, who are classmates, found out I taught British Literature, so they brought us a set of Charles Dickens’ books. They belonged to her mother and appear to be from the early 20th century; there is no date. I did some research, but they do not appear to be valuable. But at least we helped someone declutter their house.

Miles walked: 6.5

Miles biked: 0