Raising Ragnar – 4th Instalment

5/6

Our morning walk had more training again and things are progressing nicely.

Back to work again today, two hours teaching and then I mowed the grass whilst Ragnar had a rest after his toilet break. I then took him to the training field and we did some more training (Sit, recall, name) then we played with some toys to see what he liked.  Not too struck on balls and plastic toys but loves furry toys.  I was throwing the toy a short distance into some long grass and he was loving piling into the grass to find the toy.

He loves to parade with the toy before bringing it back to sit and play with me with it so I will have to introduce the two toy game in the not too distant future. It is really interesting to see his preferences developing through playing with him.  He really likes to play tug at the moment which is great 🙂

The pictures are of Ragnar ‘helping’ with the housework.

6/6

Ragnar slept a lot better last night, only two trips out and we got up at about 5.45am so really pleased with that. No noise at all during the night – Woo Hoo!  Making progress and I am starting to feel human again.  Lots of broken night’s sleep are not conducive to brain function!

We did more training on our morning walk and then more toy play with a furry toy. He is starting to follow a thrown treat much more accurately which make training a bit easier.

His new adventure today was visiting more friends and their large Lab who was very gentle with Ragnar and he was more confident meeting a new dog today. He also had a new garden to charge around in and did some more pruning which he is getting very good at.

7/6

The sleeping is continuing to improve 🙂  Ragnar met some red and white collies today and we went to visit another friend and he had an explore round her house and garden.

Over the past few days I have been working on waiting for Ragnar to sit when he wants to come out of his crate. This is going well and he now very rarely jumps at the door, he just sits and waits while I open the door and release him.  I am not expecting a long wait; I release him as soon as the door is open at the moment.  I will start crate games with him over the next couple of weeks.

He is also learning to sit a wait patiently whilst I prepare the food and he is starting to put himself in the crate for his meals.

Erik is starting to play really well with him which has taken the pressure off me to entertain him all the time he is awake – Nice one Erik. It also means that I don’t have punctures all over my hands!

I introduced the two toy game with Ragnar today as he wants to run around with a toy rather than bring it back. That worked well and so we had a good game of that.  He is also enjoying finding his toy in the long grass and has met the new calves that have been put into the field next to the training field.  He had his first encounter with cow poo and thinks that it is very tasty!!!

I also started a bit of It’s Yer Choice with the hand open/closed game and he was starting to get hold of it.

8-9/6

I have been doing more sit, recall and walk next to me training. Ragnar has also been learning sit to get the door of his crate to open and yesterday he sat when I was waiting for Erik to sit whilst I opened the front door, clever puppy 🙂  I do not expect a wait until released at this stage but he is starting to get the idea that sitting gets you things that you want.

He has been to a different training field and met more of my clients, which is proving a very easy way to get him to meet lots of different people. He has also met several new dogs.

I did some training with Erik in a crate and then the next day Erik was on his raised bed whilst I trained Ragnar. We had a few leaves to go to see Erik during the ‘walk with me’ work but he eventually got the idea that he needed to stay with me.

We had a second go at IYC and he ‘got’ it. He sat away from the hand looking at the food and waited for it to come to him.  Another milestone.

10-11/6

Ragnar has visited two new places and met two new dogs. He has been very good and still taking everything in his stride.

Today was a day off and so we have had a lovely lazy day just hanging out and pottering.