Evening Walks

Evening walks usually begin with me spelling out W-A-L-K. I have to say I'm just as bad as the 'girls'. After husband gives the 'ok' , we start the getting ready process. This involves Elka sensing that we're going, and she starts following me around panting. She paces in front of me as I'm sitting, putting on my shoes. She starts whining and more panting and jumping up and down and jumping on husband. Did I mention her tail, that is waving continually and sometimes knocking things onto the floor? Coco starts jumping up, her paws almost reaching our knees. Unfortunately, this doesn't get corrected because we are usually dealing with Elka trying to keep her from landing on Cocoa. I dress squirming Coco in her sweater, and as we're trying to keep her from having any accidents in the house, I don't want to set her on the floor while I'm preoccupied with Elka. So either Husband holds Coco and I leash Elka or visa versa.
And then we pick up Elka's leash.
Oh my gosh!! Wild, wild wild! You would think we'd never tried training her. We've read books and listened to advice and she still jumps up, over and over. Kneeing her in the chest seems to evoke a happy sense that we're joining in on the fun. Pinching the paws hurts, but there is no lasting results, and I don't remember that making her calm. Walking toward her so that she has no room to jump works only if she has no place to back out of. Yelling just seems to escalate the chaos. The only thing that works is turning your back to her with a loud 'humph!', and sometimes you're turning in a circle until she settles down and sits beside the door. Once down, if we tell her to stay she's usually pretty good about not jumping up anymore , until the next time. Only after she is sitting does she get her 'gentle trainer' and leash put on. And then we open the door and we have another training opportunity. We've done this for a year and a half, and don't expect any change... that way when she finally does just walk over to the door and sit, we'll start jumping up and down shouting 'Halleluah' ...
or should that be "BARK! BARK! BARK!"

These are a few of Elka's Favorite Things!

Elka loves to run. Elka loves to be taken on walks. Unfortunately for her she doesn't get to go on any bike rides. Which is too bad because in the summer we take family bike rides nearly everyday.
The reason she isn't allowed to go is because the first time I decided I wanted her to go with us and run along side me, she pulled so hard that I couldn't steer my bike.
The other time, I was on a run, holding her leash, and Andrew rode his bike near me. If Andrew got ahead of us she pulled and pulled. After a bit, we took her off the leash to see if she would just run along side either Andrew or myself.
No.
She tried jumping up on Andrew from the side, biting his pedals and then darting in front of him.
So maybe we shall list bike riding as one of her not favorite things.
Elka loves to chase. She wants to be chased just as much as she likes chasing others.
Yesterday,while I was gardening and both dogs were outside with me, she grabbed a stick from Coco and then turned to show her and started to run and then turn again until Coco gave chase. This went on for quite awhile. Back and forth across my lawn. There was a lot of thundering footfalls. I kept reminding them to 'watch-out', 'slowdown', 'be careful.'
When she is reminded to be careful, Elka will pay attention and back off. But I know she feels even better when we have to remind Coco to 'be gentle!'

Elka gets Coco to chase her.

House Training Coco

Coco watches Elka.

Trying to house train a puppy is not something I do well.
To be able to house train a dog, the trainer(me) has to be trained.
By that I mean I have to be diligent and remember not to leave the dog alone.
Enter my friend who is so organized she should write a book. She suggested crate training. A long time ago on a different dog we had unsuccessfully tried it. I showed her the crate and she said what I thought. "It's too big." Then she suggested where to get a small crate at a cheap price. In this crate Coco can maneuver somewhat, but not enough to go to the bathroom in there and get away from it.
I'm a slow learner, but I guess the key is to keep having success, don't let her fail until she believes that pottying and pooping any where in the house is appalling to her.
That was two, three weeks ago. The difference has been very freeing. When I or the kids need a break from watching the dog or carrying her around, we pop her in her crate. We set the timer for ten or fifteen minutes if she hasn't gone to the bathroom in awhile. The only time she doesn't like it is when she can't see us. Then she sets to howling. I don't get her out while this is happening. I wait for a quiet moment and then get her, or move her closer to us.
We have been taking both dogs for their nightly walk. We were so proud of Coco when she decided that going poop and pee outside was okay for dogs to do. She felt proud too. Her tail wags just a little faster when she's done.

Keeping Elka out of the water is nearly impossible.