The weather here has just been horrible. We have important visitors coming to the Ridge in March and need to have some decent weather so we can repair some of the damage we have sustained from too much snow and ice this winter. Despite the mountains of work we need to get done while we (finally) have some nice weather. I took the opportunity to take Vivre for a hike up the mountain.
She is turning in to quite a wonderful hiking companion. If she gets too far ahead of me she usually comes straight back if not she always comes back when I call. I think that she would always come back except for the slight difference between what she thinks is too far and what I think is too far. She waits if I have to try and find a way around a fallen tree she could just go under and even when she takes off off the trail like she is after something she comes straight back. Of course I always reinforce recalls while we are walking sometimes with food and others with the tug. Big efforts, such as leaving something interesting always get reinforced with the tug.
I think I took the wrong path when we were walking, because instead of getting to the area I was looking for I ended up heading toward the very top of the mountain. So we did a lot of walking up hill. Well I walked, Vivre ran, loped and trotted. Once I finally had to admit I should have taken the other path and we headed back.
About 2/3 of the way home I called her off something she was smelling and offered her the tug She started to grab it and then just stopped and decided she would rather have food. A first in Vivre history. Of course after we stopped for a minute at the picnic tables in the meadow near the house she was ready to go again. So yes, a spritepup can be worn, down. They just don't stay that way.
After years of working with rescue dogs, I got bit by the sports bug. So I got a schutzhund puppy. I guess we'll see how it goes.
