In class on Saturday, Ellie was off leash and decided to take off and visit some of the other dogs. This is always kind of embaressing, plus, not all of the dogs in the class are necessarily interested in meeting her (though fortunately, they were all tolerant of her).

She seemed to think that running away from me was quite a fun game.

Susan Garrett sets her classes up for this situation in the most excellent way. If your dog runs away, then your job is to leave the building as quickly and inconspicuously as possible. All of the other handlers are aware of the situation and it’s their job to keep their dogs under control. This eliminates the dog getting to enjoy a game of keep away. Plus the dog will hopefully learn that it’s their job to pay attention to the handler - because if they don’t, the handler may just disappear!

Unfortunately, not every class room is as well planned out as Susan’s. So, I decided last night that I have a great way to teach Ellie if I rush towards her and grab her collar it’s a good thing. Everytime I give her any special treats - like frozen bones or licks off of spoons - I’m going to rush towards her, grab her collar and then give her the special treat. She gets the treats anyway - so why not get some great training out of the situation.

I’ll probably also incorporate this into intermittent training sessions. This would be a great game to use with the veal flavored baby food. Sneak up on her, rush in, grab the collar and then let her take a big lick out of the jar.

I’ll also play the same game with Katy.