DuPont Camping - Part Dos

DuPont Camping - Part Uno

When some friends and I made plans to go camping a few weeks ago, I opted to leave the rest of my pack at home with the hubby and bring DuPont along instead.  There were several reasons for this, but mostly it was simply to give him some experience in this area.  Camping or travelling in some way is a part of life for most folks and if I were going to be able to promote DuPont as a dog with camping or travelling potential, then I needed to make dang certain that it was true.

Plus, my friends are dog people and they support my rescue mission, so I knew that if Pont's behavior got a little wild that the people we were with would understand and give us the space and patience we might need to work through it. 

As soon as we arrived, I began to have my doubts.  Pont was crated in the back of my SUV and when I opened the back hatch window to unpack, he saw people milling around and FREAKED OUT.  Barking and squawking and spinning. 

Shit.

I got his crate set up in the cabin and pottied him, then quickly ushered him into the cabin to calm him down.  I left him crated in the air conditioned cabin for a few hours to chill out, then we came back to get him out for a walk and introduce him to our chariot for the weekend.  The golf cart.  We camp at this one campground because there are golf cart trails everywhere. 

We made sure DuPont was good and tired before taking him out that first time. 

For the rest of the weekend, the obnoxious, crazy dog disappeared and was replaced with a fun, excited, happy, still a little wild, golf cart dog.  DuPont is obsessed with the golf cart!

He likes riding on it, he likes running next to it, he will even just hang out on it by himself.

He met several other dog friends on the trip as well, and all of them were small dogs. But of course, he did fantastically.

Videos are next, so stay tuned for part dos!

A Glimpse

You don't have to say it.  I've been neglecting this blog a lot lately.  And I'm sorry for it!  However with the weather being so amazing this summer, I see no other choice but to spend the time outside with the red dog.

I have a lot to share and will do so before the weekend.  But until I can get to posting the entirety of it, here is a quick glimpse of what it entails.

DuPont went camping. And you are going to want to hear about it.

I promise!

Door Dashing

I don't like it when dogs 'door dash'.  Trying to beat everybody, including you the human, both to the door and through it.  It's rude and it's irritating and it really ticks me off, especially when some red headed brute is stepping on and/or pushing off my bare feet to get ahead of me.  That shit hurts!

DuPont has always had a little problem with impulse control.  Door dashing can be tidily categorized in the impulse control slot.  So we work on it.  Every day. 

Pont has been with me for well over a month now, and I've loved every rude, frustrating minute of it.  And after several weeks of working on this daily, we're finally solid enough for me to be able to get it on video.  (I didn't attempt to video it prior to this because I didn't feel like breaking my phone when Pont ultimately pulls me through the door)

So without further adieu, here is DuPont, working on his door dashing impulses!



I should point out, so you don't have to, that we actually failed here. Both of us. 'Yes' is not his release cue, so breaking his sit/stay at the reinforcement word is incorrect.

Sometimes you just have to look at the big pictures though. He sat quietly and gave me eye contact in front of an open door. An open door that he really wanted to bolt through.

We're working on it.
Happy Friday, friends!