Good Catch, Bigun!
Posted 04-23-2012 at 11:39 AM by LookinForMayberry
Today's pollen count was down, I felt better, and we'd bought pollen-filter masks yesterday, so I felt equipped to face the elements.
Big' and I "hit the trails!"
I unclip the lead as we get to the trail head, and pull the chuckit out from under my arm, and he starts bouncing, eye whites wide, tongue lolling, tail waggin' and hind feet springing. Pogo dog!
I LAUNCH the ball down the first trail and he's OFF like a blur. With my weak, wobbly arm he never knows where the ball will land, bounce off, or richochet. (No boring steady, straight lobs with Mom!)
He Loves chasing the ball, but once it lands near a scent, it's always uncertain whether he will bring it back or follow that scent. Most of the time he eventually brings it back, knowing that if he chases his nose more than a few feet it's back on the clip and a boring walk through the neighborhoods.
So, today we follow this pattern until we get to the playground clearing, and then it's just plain fetch -- except one time he catches the ball before it lands.
"Good Catch, Bigun!" and he brings it back in that fun, all-legs and feet run he has that makes him still look like a puppy -- it's the spaniel in him with the splayed feet (for swimming).
He gives me the ball and I think: well, if he can do it once, so I tell him to wait, back up a few feet, and toss him the ball. Again, he catches it!
"Good Catch, Bigun!"
I repeat the process, but this time I make the mistake of giving him the command when I toss it, and he lunges for it, it sails over his head, and bounces behind him. Undaunted, he brings it back, but no verbal reward.
We try again, and fail again -- so much for the command.
We try again, no command, and he catches it! "Good Catch, Bigun!"
Last time, I back up too far and he cannot wait, lunges for it, it bounces -- but he catches it on the rebound. "Good Catch, Bigun!"
We ended it there, satisfied that we've got a new game to play, but we want to savor the win for awhile and we'll come back to that, later.
Big' and I "hit the trails!"
I unclip the lead as we get to the trail head, and pull the chuckit out from under my arm, and he starts bouncing, eye whites wide, tongue lolling, tail waggin' and hind feet springing. Pogo dog!
I LAUNCH the ball down the first trail and he's OFF like a blur. With my weak, wobbly arm he never knows where the ball will land, bounce off, or richochet. (No boring steady, straight lobs with Mom!)
He Loves chasing the ball, but once it lands near a scent, it's always uncertain whether he will bring it back or follow that scent. Most of the time he eventually brings it back, knowing that if he chases his nose more than a few feet it's back on the clip and a boring walk through the neighborhoods.
So, today we follow this pattern until we get to the playground clearing, and then it's just plain fetch -- except one time he catches the ball before it lands.
"Good Catch, Bigun!" and he brings it back in that fun, all-legs and feet run he has that makes him still look like a puppy -- it's the spaniel in him with the splayed feet (for swimming).
He gives me the ball and I think: well, if he can do it once, so I tell him to wait, back up a few feet, and toss him the ball. Again, he catches it!
"Good Catch, Bigun!"
I repeat the process, but this time I make the mistake of giving him the command when I toss it, and he lunges for it, it sails over his head, and bounces behind him. Undaunted, he brings it back, but no verbal reward.
We try again, and fail again -- so much for the command.
We try again, no command, and he catches it! "Good Catch, Bigun!"
Last time, I back up too far and he cannot wait, lunges for it, it bounces -- but he catches it on the rebound. "Good Catch, Bigun!"
We ended it there, satisfied that we've got a new game to play, but we want to savor the win for awhile and we'll come back to that, later.
Total Comments 0
