8 State Hurricane Kate

It has been a busy week here, to say the least. I have been involved in one way or another with the rescues of three cattle dog types in three different locations. More on that later.

Cay’s 5^th week of obedience school was mostly more of the same. She has greatly improved her ability to sit still for short periods of time. Now we need to extend the time. She can do a short wait, sit stay and down stay and now will let me walk back to her and “tuck” in at her right side without getting up. She used to want to get up whenever I returned to her on a stay. She’s a naturally gifted heeler, probably because she’s a “heeler”.

Cay was a star on the recalls. She wasn’t comfortable being left with the “stranger” (class assistant Linda) while I walked across the room, which made her REALLY want to come when I called. Plus she has learned the competitive recall while out on our walks with Bandit and Chase. Every evening the dogs get to blow off steam on an acre or so of fenced land while I go for a walk with them. So technically I’m the only one who is walking; they’re running! Chase has a fantastic recall on a whistle. He receives a cookie when he screeches to a halt, sitting in front of me. Cay has learned how to do this from watching him. Now when I whistle, they race to see who can get to that spot in front of me first. Hence the term “competitive recall”. Cay knows her name and has now learned to come when called as well as coming on the whistle.

Back to Cay’s class…Since she didn’t want me to get too far away and she has learned the “competitive recall” from Chase, Cay came at a gallop when called and screeched to a halt in a perfect sit in front of me. The instructor was very impressed! Some day I’ll have to admit that Chase taught Cay how to do that…I just supplied the cookie at the end. We still need to practice our stays and continue to work on Cay getting comfortable with me leaving her and walking across the room.

In Bandit’s class this week, we started working on the directed retrieve with gloves (Utility level obedience). That seems like a good winter activity, so I may teach all three dogs the directed retrieve in the next few months. Cay loves to steal socks and gloves, so she may be a natural. But will she give them back? We’ll see…