Week 17

Well we’ve started the Silver level classes. Not at all sure that we are going to pass after only 6 weeks. The person running the classes, Glynis, is ever so good and has a real understanding of the characteristics of the Finnish Spitz breed. At the end of the first, and rather unsuccessful lesson, she took time to explain to me that it’s not that he’s naughty, or slow to learn, it’s that he is naturally curious and keen to explore all his environment (just what you’d want in a hunting dog). What she didn’t say was that he is also a very friendly, good looking and manipulative young “man” who knows that he can get round even the hardest of people. Oh well, it’s all down to patience.

Mind you, I am not a hundred per cent convinced about all the parts of the test. I can understand the thinking behind most of it, but… for example, one of the sections is to walk along a pavement, stop at the kerb and wait until the road is safe, cross sensibly then turn around and do it all again. This has to be done whilst there are the distractions of people, traffic and other dogs. All on a loose lead. OK, I understand the point. Right from the very first walk we went on, he has been taught to wait at the kerb until I say the release word – OK – then he moves again. – easy. He will ignore most people if given a firm Leave. Other dogs are a bit more difficult, the traffic is easy, except at night if it is either a noisy motorbike or emergency service vehicle with sirens and flashing lights. It’s the loose lead and walking at heel that are the hard part. But then, going for a walk is much, much more than just trying to cover miles. To me the walk is a chance for him to explore the environment, sniff at walls, under hedges, meet other dogs (and people) generally enriching life’s experiences. That involves him going from side to side sometimes ahead of me, sometimes behind. He doesn’t (well he only rarely does) pull me forwards on the lead when we are out on our normal walks, but is all over the place exploring. In classes, of course, he’s Lewi and will try to tug me along just to show me up.

We have gradually extended out daily walks and do an average of 10 kilometres a day. This includes a stop at “The Dog Park” where he can enjoy 10 – 15 minutes of running totally free. I still have to work on the recall command, but that it part of the game in the “park” (that’s a much too formal name for a large area of open space which was left by the developers to be made into allotments when the estate was built, but in those days of unleaded fuel, the proximity of the M1 motorway meant that lead levels were too high for the Town Council to consider it – so it’s a big area of grass, trees, bushes and hills to shield the houses from motorway noise). It is interesting to watch him running around. As he runs off, he will keep stopping to check that I am still there. A quick ’bye’, turning away from him, will bring him running. So, I have used that by adding the command ‘come’ and rewarding him as he arrives. He soon cottons on, and will sometimes not run off, but stay by my side waiting for the treat. I have had one or two problems with the walk; along part of the ‘railway’ walk (one of the casualties of the Beeching era) there are fields with horses and a small hidden hole in the fence. Of course he found it. It was difficult getting him back! I am also nervous of letting him off lead along the canal towpath. He’s daft enough to jump in! But we did meet a woman with two small dogs who were off lead and after the usual doggy greetings, I let him off and we walked a mile or so together. The two older dogs leading him to all the safe but exciting areas around the path. So, having broken the ice in that way, I now feel more confident. He does go to the edge and have a sniff, but so far I’ve not had to jump in to save him. He has had one unpleasant incident. A fight. We met another dog who didn’t seem to like other males and went for him. A very difficult situation, but we got away with both ears and no wounds.