K & K’s Training Journey

 Kimiko is showing wonderful progress with loose leash walking and following my lead. Her red ball is helping her get to where she needs to be when nothing else works. She doesn’t like to sit in some grassy areas or on concrete/brick. Recall inside and out is great. She is gaining confidence, walking through puddles instead of around them, not letting a snarl from a bigger dog get to her, etc.  Peed in the house today though. Not sure why. Our current record for no accidents is 3 weeks. 

 Had a GREAT walk at Shelley Lake - Kimi was super hungry, so she kept checking in with me because she knew that got her treats. She’s really getting the hang of loose leash walking and not reacting to other dogs - no barking at all! Later in the evening, our walk wasn’t too great - she was spooked by something and kept stopping and starting. Have patience, Kirsten!

 Kimi and I went to the trails at the art museum today. Took the treat tote, which is amazing, and did some outdoor focus training. Kimi didn’t bark (mostly) and was extremely polite. Got spooked at one point, and I’m not sure why. Barking training at home is going better too - I either leave the apartment or balcony, which gets her attention, or I close the balcony door on her. She is smart so sometimes I have to bang on the door or something else to get her attention as I leave, otherwise she doesn’t realize I’m gone. 

 I think we are officially in the adolescent fear period. Took Kimi down a new street today, and her tail was down almost the whole time. Training inside is going great - we did place training in JBGS, recall training in S300, and introduced her to a walker. She walked around it and took treats by it with no problem. 

 Kimiko passed her STAR puppy test on Saturday!  Accepted handling and cuddles Sit on command Down on command - had to move to mat for this because the floor was cold Stayed with teacher Came when called Followed me back to our corner on a loose leash, although I had to get her attention with a strange sound since she wanted to go visit with Wembley. She listened and followed me!

 After yesterday’s potty accident, we are going back to square one. At least it’s only poop and only at home. Today she did great in the crate, pooped outside multiple times, and did a walk at Shelley Lake without treats (mostly did not pull). She also got to play with Kenan in the backyard and LOVED it. Did some place training with the mat after lunch, as well as loose leash training. She did great - responded perfectly. For choir, she mostly stayed on the mat, but unfortunately barked when she heard another dog barking. We are not going to any outdoor events that I have to work until she has that issue under control. So sad and embarrassing. But she understood her mat was her place and sat and lay down and chewed on her chew stick, just not for the whole 45 minutes. We are currently dealing with more barking at home. :(

 Weekend - made great strides walking in and out of Teamworks building. Kimi seems to have more confidence outside and when there is just one other dog - when Theo walked into the classroom since Kimi was already there, she approached him for the first time. It was very sweet. Scary noises were easy for all puppies - Kimi didn’t even flinch. Agility equipment was scary though - we got her to climb over my leg and jump from my leg over a pole eventually. Had a good walk afterwards. Monday morning and afternoon - good following on the leash inside and outside. Did some place training in the choir room with the mat and no leash. Played Kimi Come with Karl and started incorporating hide and seek elements - she’s still a little scared of things like the curtain and drums, but she did start looking for us in different places.