What do two Coton de Tulears, a Brittany Spaniel, an Afghan Hound, a Labrador, a German Shepherd Dog, three mixed breeds, a Golden Retriever and a Boxer all have in common? They all had a great outing at the Sensible Puppy Field Trip this past weekend. Eleven puppies aged 14 weeks through 6 months enjoyed the warm spring weather at Holliday Park, along with several hundred other Hoosiers and their dogs, bicycles, boom boxes, strollers, picnic baskets and more.
(You can view the slide show to the right)
We taught the puppies to greet people politely, to climb a rock wall, to navigate playground equipment and to be comfortable in the hubbub of a busy park. Those in attendance were able to check off many socialization contacts in their Sensible Puppy Notebook.
Our current STAR award puppies led the way. Ava, the German Shepherd Dog, looked gorgeous, confident and under control. Sammie, the pretty black Lab-cross, was friendly and relaxed around the noises, too. Lady, a lovely a Brittany Spaniel, seemed to relish taking the lead, showing everyone “her” park.
Other puppy class grads seemed happy to be out and about with their owners as well. Bailey, a Coton de Tulear, looked great, walking nicely and sporting his new red Gentle Leader. Bella the aristocratic Afghan made several new friends, and I was thrilled to see her confidence! Sophie, a Coton de Tulear, learned that even little dogs can climb rock walls with alacrity.
Nearly all the current class members were present. Edna, a mixed-breed, paid excellent attention to her owner. Ali the Boxer was great at loose-leash walking. Clearly, he has been practicing this skill. Dyce the Doodle learned that play structures could be fun. Orion the confident black Lab puppy greeted strangers happily, and wondered about a baby in a stroller: is that a kid with wheels or a vehicle with eyeballs? Drew the golden retriever clearly loved the commotion of the busy park – he wagged his tail the entire time.
The trip was definitely worthwhile as a socialization and training opportunity. Next month will be somewhere altogether different – be sure to mark your calendars and keep those fourth Saturdays open for field trips!
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