Day 3

 Day 3 started with an even earlier wake up, the boy nuzzled my hand at 3 am to go potty. I'm so glad that he lets me know what his needs are. He seems to be very clear about what he wants, and that makes my job a whole lot easier. I went back to bed after our bathroom trip, too early for breakfast.

Later that morning the trainer arrived with a gift from the boy's puppy raiser. This whole week has been like dog Chanukah, new swag every day. The box she gave me was filled with the puppy's favorite things - balls, a tug toy, a bone, and treats of course. It was a very sweet gift and we definitely felt the love.

The route I decided to do is one that we will be doing quite a lot when things get back to normal next year. Two of my exercise groups meet in Central Park on the Upper East Side, so I wanted to get my new partner familiar with the trip from my house to the meeting spot at Engineer's Gate. It would also be a great opportunity to practice working on a subway platform and riding the train. We walked a few avenues over to the subway stop and he took me right to the stairs when he saw them come into view. I didn't even ask him to find the stairs, he just automatically thought it would be a good idea to show them to me. In the station he led me to the turnstile and had no problem going through it. We walked up and down the platform and he paid no mind to the loud train passing on the opposite track. We got in position facing the platform edge and I told him to go forward. He took a couple steps forward and then stopped. He didn't go right up to the edge but I could feel the bubbly tactile surface under my feet. I told him forward again, he turned his body in front of me and started walking to the right. That was the response I was hoping for, so I gave him a treat and a lot of praise. We did this several more times before the train arrived, we got on and sat down. He sat in between my legs and I gave him a treat every minute or so that he maintained his sit, again trying to reinforce that the train is a positive place to be. 

At 86th st we exited the train and then did some more platform work. This platform had more pillars and narrow places to navigate around. He did well, we had to rework a couple spots where he didn't give me enough clearance between objects but he fixed his mistake and we moved on. The walk from the subway to the park entrance went smoothly and when we got there we took a seat on the InTandem benches. It was both a nice rest and a test to see how the boy would react to the many runners, cyclists, and pet dogs going by on the path. He settled almost instantly and didn't seem to care about all of the activity going on in front of him. The journey back home went well, more platform work and finding his way around construction blockades.

The harness sensitivity issue I was worried about yesterday is looking like something we will be able to get past. He is less dramatic about the harness going over his head if I lure his face through the strap with treats. I also practiced putting the harness body on him without the handle and then throwing a ball for him so that he can associate putting the harness on with a game of fetch. We'll keep doing that while we're at home for the foreseeable future.

Something else we are working on while at home is establishing me as the Alpha. It is very important that he builds a strong bond with me first before I can allow him to socialize with friends and family. It may come off as selfish, but it has to be this way for awhile to cement the relationship. For some reason the boy and my brother hit it off and have a bit of a bromance going on. As cute as it is, I have to discourage this behavior because I need the boy's full attention on me at this critical stage in our relationship. For now we are treating my brother as a distraction and are limiting their interactions.

Here is a photo of the boy working in harness. He looks focused and confident, his tail is up and we are moving quickly.