April 19, 2003
Dusty joined the huddle...(small dogs congregating at Dog Hill)
10:00 p.m.
What a beautiful day! I think spring is finally here. We had lots of playtime outside today!
In the morning, we met our favourite pug in the park. Dusty got to roll around in the dirt, thereby living up to her name! We also saw the little maltese who we had met a few weeks ago on our walk.
Dusty's long distance down-stays are going very well. In the evening, we practised in the park, with some distractions. I started out on the other side of the park, but gradually moved closer and closer to some other dogs who were playing.
Finally, we were right in the thick of things. Dusty was in a sit-stay and I was about 20 metres away. Another dog walked right up to her, sniffed her and walked around her in a circle. Dusty held her stay! I couldn't believe it! I released her right away and gave her a 'jackpot' (an entire handful of treats) for her good work.
One problem I've continued to have with Dusty is occasional crying when I leave her. This never happens if I give her a stuffed Kong though. I'm wondering if the complaining I hear is more of a "Hey, where's my Kong?" complaint than anything.
We had a wonderful time playing in High Park with Chinook. We walked some of the trails and played on Dog Hill. Dusty made a new friend/stalker at the Hill - Tucker, a big brown dog who just couldn't seem to stop following her. It was really cute.
Dusty was completely worn out by the time we got home. She was alternately cranky/asleep for most of the evening. I think she's still getting back to normal after her pillowfluff encounter last week.