Took him for a training session outside Lowe’s this afternoon. He was fabulous. He kept the leash loose. I tried to trick him into going the wrong way around posts and he avoided every trap. Looked at people who walked by and made good decisions to come cheerfully back for a treat – what I wanted him to know, see a person, stay with me, get a treat.
Aaaand then somebody wanted to pet him. Dang. I was ready but he couldn’t keep his feet on the ground. I can’t hold him with one hand and I can’t have him pulling on my bad shoulder while I’m backing up. NOT working.
We hung around for another half hour, walking away whenever anybody looked really interested, and again he was perfect.
So we have one tiny little problem. Went to the pet shop and bought him a halter. Yep, that’s going to work. Again he was excellent walking around the store but the addition of the halter meant that he could lean happily on people’s legs and kiss their hands without trying to break their noses. I feel good about this, and I don’t expect he’ll have to wear it long.