Saturdays are hard. On Saturdays we have to get up at 5:30am to take my husband to work so I can have the car. Both dogs hate getting up early and I'm right there with them. Most of the time I can barely get Phoenix out of bed.
We recently changed routines as well. The past couple of weeks, I had been taking the girls hiking but they've been eating too much grass and becoming sick. They were also getting really stressed out there to then have to go and be at my work.
So this past Saturday, I decided to try playing fetch with them at the school that's near our apartment after dropping my husband off. It worked out pretty well until somebody (**cough** Zoe **cough** **cough**) saw the squirrels running around.
Zoe dropped the ball and took off after the squirrels. Luckily the whole place is thoroughly fenced.
Structured "training" fetch or squirrels? It was an easy choice for her. On the bright side, Phoenix did not take off with her and she held her stay. After treeing the squirrels, Zoe came when she was called. I rewarded her for coming and promptly tied her up to the bench.
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| "I'm the GOOD dog!" |
I was able to move further away from the trees and Zoe did have some successful retrieves even though the squirrels were still really distracting. After we played fetch I released them back to the squirrels and let them be dogs for a while. Then we went back to playing fetch. Before we left the school we did a short training session practicing recalls.
The school yard seemed to work out way better than going to the big park for hiking! I'm pretty happy with how everything went, despite Zoe taking off. It was so early in the morning that we had the whole place to ourselves so it didn't really matter if Zoe was a little naughty. The dogs were so much less stressed at my work, too.
Happy Monday Mischief everyone! What's everyone been up to?
I would say those dogs are smart. Fetch is a dumb game I refuse to play and I think squirrel chasing is a much more productive activity.
ReplyDeleteAwww, I linked this post to Awww Mondays.
ReplyDeleteOur Little Bit would get distracted with squirrels too. They fascinated her to no end.
Have a woof woof day you two. ☺
All the schools near me are really strict about no dog, with giant signs posted at all of the entrances to the fields. And people actually get in trouble if they do take dogs there. I'm kind of jealous of your field. I know a lot of places, the schools technically have a no dog policy, but everyone takes their dogs there anyway and no one cares as long as the dogs are picked up after and it isn't during school hours.
ReplyDeleteEvery school is different. Each one has their own rules. The one by my house is "no dogs during school hours" after school hours they don't care. Saturday at 6:30am nobody cares.
DeleteSQUIRRELS!!!!! YES!!!! I'm with you Zoe! I loves my balls, butts those critters take precedence!!! BOL!!! Oh, and I don't gives Ma the ball back, so I guess it's really not fetch....hehehehe
ReplyDeleteKisses,
Ruby ♥
Squirrels are the best toys ever made for dogs besides being evil.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather hunt skwerrils dan fetch too.
ReplyDeleteWe support the choice of chasing the squirrels!
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
It's situations like these where I'm thankful Nola is always stuck to me like glue! Pike, on the other hand...well. He's always on leash. ;)
ReplyDeleteHi hi hi! Ojo here! Cobi hates getting up early, but I love it! I will go with your person! I will chase the Balls! I will... wait, what's that? SQUIRREL!!!
ReplyDeleteZoe treed the squirrel and then came when she was called?????? Crikey Zoe ..... you're a saint girl!!
ReplyDeleteThere are some advantages to the early morning, and I'm glad you found a place that worked for you. I'm also glad that you gave the girls a chance to "just be dogs"! That probably went a long way towards making them more relaxed at work.
ReplyDelete