Today is Watson’s first birthday! We are of an age that last summer one breeder of English Cockers told my wife Janet she was too old for a puppy… That advice didn’t take… and last October we brought home our new family member. We are not new to dogs but the Poodle Forum has been most helpful in enlightening us in the ways of this most amazing creature and all things poodle. Thank you all! Watson is truly different from any dog I’ve known. My wife thinks he is a transitional being, poking his nose a bit out of the reality of dog into the reality of human. He studies us as much as we study him and learns an amazing amount of everyday living and his place in our family just by being part of it. He inserts himself into everything we do. Yesterday he stood and watched me work on a repair, following my every move. I expected him to hand me a wrench.
Being retired has allowed us to devote maximum time to training and much of what we have done has related to basic restraint: bite inhibition, waiting at doors and on stairs, waiting for food, go to place, restrained greetings at home and in public, leave it and similar. We only use his name for recall and have done this from day one. His recall is brisk and reliable and we now practice over distances up to 130 yards with distractions. We are fortunate in having a huge dog park nearby where he runs nearly daily
He was quite the needle toothed land shark for a bit and remains a thief of great skill and stealth. Not a counter surfer … yet, but a pilferer of socks, glasses cases, and gloves, —which are mostly undamaged-- with the exception of a bit of shoe leather, a workout glove and a couple of shoe inserts. Restraint remains a work in progress
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He has been wonderful with the grandchildren and wins over everyone with his enormous charm. We feel lucky having him in our lives.
Being retired has allowed us to devote maximum time to training and much of what we have done has related to basic restraint: bite inhibition, waiting at doors and on stairs, waiting for food, go to place, restrained greetings at home and in public, leave it and similar. We only use his name for recall and have done this from day one. His recall is brisk and reliable and we now practice over distances up to 130 yards with distractions. We are fortunate in having a huge dog park nearby where he runs nearly daily
He was quite the needle toothed land shark for a bit and remains a thief of great skill and stealth. Not a counter surfer … yet, but a pilferer of socks, glasses cases, and gloves, —which are mostly undamaged-- with the exception of a bit of shoe leather, a workout glove and a couple of shoe inserts. Restraint remains a work in progress
He has been wonderful with the grandchildren and wins over everyone with his enormous charm. We feel lucky having him in our lives.
