At the park this afternoon we met a LOT of people – out for what might be the last nice walk of the season (serious snow usually starts right after Hallowe’en). We went for an hour-long walk around the lake. What a thrill! He’s certainly not ready for a Level 4 walk with no thought involved, but he was super.
My ego has to say that he’s 5 months old, looks adult, and people don’t know he’s still a mini version of his real self. He’s stunningly beautiful. Striking. He just knows how to hold himself. He’s getting cat-called from passing cars (in a nice way) – WOW THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL DOG! People are driving around the block to see him again. That’s nice but it’s not the really good part of the walk.
In an hour, I used 1.5 wieners and he PULLED on the leash twice, both times toward kids (he Loves Kids). He touched the end of the leash fairly gently maybe 6 times, either for dogs that were passing closely or people, also close. Every time he felt the leash touch him, he turned back to look at me (treat!). Many times he turned back before he felt the leash.
We did a little bit of gentle parkour, we practised some stacking on a wide wall.
My next priority is to solicit help from passers-by to teach him that nobody will talk to him if he doesn’t keep four on the floor. If he can sit and make eye contact automatically when I’m holding his dish, he can learn not to wrap himself around peoples’ heads in ecstasy if the look at him.