recall & recoil

i shed my chicken-hood today and let sam off the lead for the first time in a long while, he rewarded me with a perfect recall, even from quite a distance, when he'd found a nice scent leading into the bushes. very pleased am i! sam, too, was ecstatic about being able to run around in circles, jump and crawl without being hindered by a leash. we kept the session short for now, however (to the protest of my daughter, who loves seeing him run wildly), as i didn't want to push my luck. a lot of practice is still needed to proof the recall.

i don't know if sam has become more jumpy lately or if i simply take him walking when and where there are jumpyfying things, but he has had a few frights recently. in addition to the terrifying groups of children, there was a model plane that was circling him exactly like an eagle. luckily i had him on a lead, or he'd have run right into a busy road to escape from it. later, while he was still jiterry, an ice cream van that emitted LOUD NOISES. actually, that one made me jump as well. maybe if i use it a couple of times to buy him ice cream he'll grow to like it...

warm welcomes

we had to leave Sam in a kennel again for a week's vacation. the house we rented didn't allow pets and, um, the Great Leader felt like a break from being Great. the kennel we'd used last time didn't have any room, so we went with another one which we'd really liked the look of on our first search. we couldn't quite remember why, but we were getting desperate (we'd left the arrangements a bit late). as the date and hour approached for the pick-up from the kennels, we hesitated and fretted. we hadn't even visited, the way we did last time. we didn't know if they'd be right for Sam, or if he'd bowl them over -- literally -- or not.

then the kennel owner arrived, and all doubts were forgotten. Sam, who's often scared of strange men, cozied up to his legs like an oversized cat. he then strained to follow the chap (as well as Great Leader, carrying his food) to his car, and jumped into the travelling crate. amazing! we suddenly remembered why we'd picked that kennel -- they really seemed to like dogs there. these things often work in reverse as well.

we enjoyed our holiday, hoping Sam did his -- and, suprise, he did. he came back looking sleek and fit -- they exercise dogs on enclosed grassy land there, meaning they can run free even if they're as lousy returners as Sam -- and smelling of shampoo. yup, that's right. not poo at all. as i walked him, i noticed he seemed to have become even more keen to roll in smelly stuff than before. i think they must have had a reason for shampooing him.