CLICK TO SEE PIX OF PHOENIX AND JENNA AND ANGEL (RETIRED SEARCH DOG) AND WINDY (DECEASEED SEARCH DOG)

Phoenix: early obedience notes

Phoenix has learned how to swim. last two weekends has been to Diamong Lake. goes swimming with a rope attached to her harness. the rope floats. she is a very good swimmer.

Also has been learning how to walk nicely on a choke collar. learning how to sit out with me in the yard or at diamond lake, sit stay and down stay, nicely beside me.

also has been learning to come when called off leash. am taking her over to marsa moodes woods across the road, which is all the way fenced in, letting her roam, callling her back and giving her a treat, then letting her roam some more.. it is beginning to work.

has done two blind searches at Diamond Lake. once after a boy (Kurt's boy) , once after Michelle and Melissa. both times she did not see where they went. both times just as short distance. after Melissa and Michelle she actually trailed, exactly where they went.

Phoenix Excerpts from training logs

May 23rd: Phoenix had a vet appointment in Grinnell. I arrived early so took her to a couple of the parks for walks in new areas. At the Central park in downtown Grinnell there were children on the playground equipment. I asked a little boy if he would go up in front of Phoenix onto the steps which were wrought iron and onto the swinging bridge of the large slide, which he did. Phoenix followed him without hesitation! It was very exciting and she got all kinds of praise. then I took her to the Merrill Park equipment. there was no one there. she went up on this one also but needed a little persusaion firsty. It is obvious that Phoenix will do anything for a child.

May 24th : I got Phoenix out for a runaway search after a child. The wind was very strong that day fromn the west gusting at 25 miles per hour. The child ran away from Phoenix at a right angle to the wind, running straight north uup to the building and hiding in the bushes in front of the building. (This all took place at Williamsburg elementary school) Phoenix took off after her and halfway there she went racing off with the wind towards all the houses iin the distance. she ran quite hard and finally I did holler "Phoenix, this way" . I think in looking back that she was following the scent. She made a big loop and came back in at an angle to the building and when she got to the bushes she knew her kid was there and she tried to get around the bushes,. when she found that she couldnt she broke right through the bushes. I was very very proud of her and she absolutely got a TON of loving!! I think she is very ready for blind searches at this point.

June 24 AWESOME : asked Marsa Moode, neighbor, to take the western path out into the woods behind her house. there are 2 paths, one whicn enters from the east and one from the west, the eastern path is on one side of a fence through a pasture area first and the western path goes directly into the woods. at the end of the pastured area the two paths converge and continue as one long path through the woods, with bends and curves, etc. I had asked Marso to go along the path quite a ways, beyond where they converged at. I started Phoenix through the pasture path and halfway along the pasture had her sit and put on the bell collar. (as it turned out when she began to run it was hitting her in the knees so I had to stop her (even as she was hitting the trail) and remove the bell collar. anyhow when that was done she immediately hit the trail and ran really fast and found Marsa, ahead of me and around the corneer. she did not stay with Marsa, she turned and came back to me at a dead run, whammed me with her front feet, and ran back with me to Marsa!!! it was TOTALLY AWESOME and I am super pleased so am going to start from the beginning with having her make the alert/refind.

To see even more of Phoenix training logs check out the dog blog

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