Puppy tales

Day 6 of Finn and there have been lots of new experiences. These are vital for Finn's intellectual and emotional development. The plan is to have him safely experiences new things, and to reward him when his responses are fairly calm. When he is startled or frightened, then my job is to scaffold him through that experience and show him that I'll keep him safe.

Yesterday we went to the beach. Finn has had 2 of the 3 doses of vaccination so it was a calculated risk to take him. However I couldn't leave him at home all day so he had to travel with me. I had promised a friend that we would take their retired and unwell Assistance Dog for a trip to the beach before she is unable to enjoy it. So Finn met a new person, 2 new dogs ( retired and current Assistance Dogs) and learned about long road trips.

Once we arrived, the humans needed to visit a public toilet so Finn accompanied me in and learned the joys of a slightly stinky loo. Noice. He had to remain calm as I then washed hands at the taps outside, then walked back to the car. I couldn't leave a puppy in the warm car.

We then went to the beachside carpark and as it was lunchtime we sat and had our own snacks whilst Finn had his lunch. Lots of people, dogs, bikes, and scooters went past, and Finn was alert and interested, but listened to "leave it" and didn't lunge or bark.

We then went to the beach proper, going down the stairs and into the soft sand. More new experiences. We walked along the beach for a bit, going from soft sand to hard packed, getting closer to the waves. Finn was both curious and wary of the waves.

Then the big experience: the sea. It was a perfect day with small, even waves. Nothing rough, and Finn was encouraged to paddle and then get his tummy wet. He's not a big fan, but we'll try again another time. Nothing bad happened other than feeling a bit cold. We watched the others in the water for a while. All this time Finn was processing sights, sounds, and smells whilst also listening to me and following my lead.

Again, this is vital in his training. Trust the human, follow their guidance, learn that they will keep you safe. Finn will remember these experiences. He will know now that the sea is wet and will chase you up the sand, but is actually OK when the human is with you.

At afternoon tea Finn met more new people and was introduced to the "say hi" command. I want him to wait for this command before interacting with people. Not everyone is happy to have a dog come up to them, so Finn has to learn this so we can confidently go out in public.

Lessons of this day:

Long car rides are easier if you settle and nap.

Be alert and interested when meeting new people and dogs, but show some manners.

The world can be a bit scary, so check in with your human.

If the human says the new thing is OK, trust them.

The Puppy that exercises some restraint and self control will get what he wants, whereas impatience gets him nothing.

Seaweed tastes weird. Sand tastes weirder.

The world is full of fascinating things.