We were on the beach in Llandudno yesterday morning letting the dogs have a good run around to use up the excess energy that these rainy stuck indoors days gives them. At every opportunity at the moment I'm slowly trying to get Mavis used to more commands, just the same ones as the other dogs know and usually respond to, just the very basics for now. I slip teaching a dog new words into normal day to day activity and occasionally during one to one time, but that is harder with two other dogs vying for my attention and distracting the pupil. So it's easier to do more when we are out and about with two of us with the dogs.
She is doing well she already knows sit, wait, down and 'do you want a bone' our phrase for any doggy treat, it's strange how they all learn that one so easily!!
But she's having real difficulty with 'come'. So as we were walking off the beach with Mavis on her long extending lead I decided to shout 'come' to see if she would respond, when she ignored me completely I yelled a bit louder and a bit firmer 'Mavis COME HERE' .... a little old lady took two steps towards me with a very shocked expression on her face. I guess her name was Mavis, but I didn't wait to find out :-)
Sue xx
Looks like she knows the "sit" command! What a gorgeous face, it's hard here doing one to one training, the other dogs all want to poke their nose in!
ReplyDeleteIt's strange how we all react to hearing our name called or spoken even if it isn't meant for us isn't it? Hope Mavis will soon be obey the command "Come" and that there won't be too many ladies with the same name about when you call! She is such a lovely dog and loks really happy in her new found life now.
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh! Your Mavis really is a cutie.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha, I wish I was there to see it.
ReplyDeleteOh my, wish I'd seen that :D
ReplyDeleteShe is looking gorgeous Sue.
I rescued my Jake (JRT) after he'd had three 'homes'. He was nearly two. I taught him with tiny chunks of cheese. Mainly Brie or Stilton as they're his fav. I just used the one word with or without his name. Come. He's pretty good at it now even without a chunk of cheese as a thanks. And even if he took ages to get to me, he still got praised and his cheese so that he always associated come with praise :)
Just in case it helps ......
Oh, and I've now swapped cut up cheese with a squeeze tupelo of primula with prawns as when I'm at the park I got a bit fed up with golden retrievers hanging off the smell in my pocket.........:D
Take care xx
You made me splutter my coffee all over my lap top, poor old dear bet she wondered what she had done wroong!!
ReplyDeleteMy then three year old daughter was disappearing out of the school gate without me, so I put on my sternest voice, yelled, 'Victoria, come here now!' and her teacher stepped towards me! Mavis is beautiful, what an intelligent little face she has. Makes me smile to think of her story happily ending with a wonderful home.
ReplyDeleteHehehe nice one! When our lab decides to ignore me, usually if there's a really interesting smell in the grass, it makes me wish we'd named her something else.........shouting 'Angel' at the top of my voice is embarrassing!! :-D
ReplyDeleteThat is funny!
ReplyDeleteGrowing up we had a neighbour with a dog called Jane. "Who's a pretty wickle girl then" grated on me after a while.
ReplyDeleteJane x
What a gorgeous little face! Butter wouldn`t melt in her mouth, I guess. So glad for you that this little recue dog has settled in well. She`ll learn soon enough, just give her more time. She looks happy now, not frightened and weary anymore. A lovely ending to a nightmare of a start to her life.
ReplyDeleteHa ha, that made me laugh. She's so gorgeous. I've got an Auntie Mavis, and also a Mavis in my garden, see here http://www.jo-thegoodlife.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/meet-mavis.html
ReplyDeleteshe is gorgeous. My mum's name is Mavis...she lives in Liverpool. I wonder if she was on a day trip to Llandudno!!!
ReplyDeletePoor lady! LOL.
ReplyDeleteWe had a dog who learned the word walk, as they do, so we started spelling it. When she learned that it was "perambulate the canine". She learned that too so we ended up with "I'm just going.." The next dog loved going to car boot sales with my Dad. In those early booting days they were generally in muddy fields so she loved it. His full phrase was "I am going in the car to a car boot sale", but he never got to the end before she erupted into action!
Oh my goodness, that made me laugh out loud! It must have been really funny being there :)
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I had a little snigger at that!!
ReplyDeleteGood to hear that Mavis is starting to learn the words she needs to know. Even the hardest one of all will sink in eventually and you'll forget you ever had a hiccup with it. It's good to see her looking so happy and relaxed now, and . . . . safe . . .
Have you ever been in a supermarket when a child shouts "Grandma!" Several older women look up and/ or answer "yes?"
ReplyDeleteI knew a couple of Mavis's one was a gentle soul and the other a rip roaring jazz singer. Clearly your Mavis is like the former!
Gill
On a similar vein, I habitually call my husband "Darling"!
Deletethat's so funny, did she come?
ReplyDeleteMavis ( the dog, that is ) is looking so contented and well !!
ReplyDelete