A fine and sunny day, after a cool start suitable for some intensive obedience work and training for Sam. My main tasks today were to complete my journal summaries for last month, archiving the past two and then to updating my financial summaries for the end of the tax year.
As far as Sam was concerned, today was "the first day of the rest of his life". I decided to renew my training efforts and, after having had a bath last night, I could quickly wash this morning and then get out early with him. A new strict attitude plus plenty of practice in coming and sitting would do the trick! I deliberately stopped shielding him from the other distractions of people and dogs in favour of encouragement to behave and punishment for not and he did not do too badly, apart from "mugging" two couples around the gravel pits later! In between, he walked to heel past dogs and walkers alike and I was only caught out because I did not know those couples were round the corner.
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It was a fine and sunny day, after a cool start, and I got him to do some water retrieves for the first time and he showed no reluctance to enter. He was cautious about getting out of his depth and having to swim but that was only reasonable until I actually got him swimming. When on my own, his obedience work was perfect and, by being firmer, I am getting him to walk to a much better heel position. My main tasks today were to complete my journal summaries for last month, my archiving for the past two and then to update my financial summaries for the end of the tax year. Apart from dog-walking (and some shooting with my air rifle at collared doves and starlings) this took the whole of the day, but I was glad to get it out of the way. This left me able to consider visiting Ropes Hill Dyke for some things and getting over to Stanton to collect the fish if the weather holds up over the next couple of days.