Training Day 2

The day flew by.... I'm tired, but feeling a bit more confident. Chevy is responding well and my days of dog obedience training are definitely paying off. I have this high pitched voice that I use with dogs and it certainly gets Chevy's attention. Chevy responds well. We put the gentle leaders (a different training collar) on the dogs today. Chevy turned into a different dog... very obedient except when he is trying to rub it off his head. Right after I got it on he buried his head in my lap, but the results were amazing. We are meeting so many great people in our class. Such a mix of kids we have... some have autism, some have certain syndromes, Nate and another older boy has Down Syndrome. Kids are running around and playing... class goes on and the trainers don't miss a beat. It's so great to see the acceptance of all the different people in the class. I have to tell you a funny story... we were asking questions and one of the Mom's in class asked if she and her husband were going to a movie or out to dinner without the child the dog is for.. should they leave the dog with the sitter or take it with on their date... Her husband was strongly shaking his head no... I almost fell over laughing. Chevy had a little difficulty getting into the back of the car... I remembered in class to give them a little running start and up he went. He laid down next to Nate.. at one point I heard Nate laughing and Chevy had put his head in Nate's lap. Nate loved it. We had dinner, fed Chevy and now we are relaxing. Chevy is sleeping with a full belly. Going to bed earlier tonight than last night. We split into two classes tomorrow and then start tracking. It figures that Friday is supposed to drop to 50 degrees for tracking after having 79 degree temps... Oh, well, it could be snowing!!! I don't know what I would do without Nana here... She keeps Nate busy, makes great lunches and dinners... she cooked ahead of time and brought a lot of homemade food with her. It definitely makes a difference in how you feel... Ken comes on Tuesday. He flies in to Columbus Airport. I have to chuckle... I can see the tension at times when spouses are stressed out... It's a hard thing... we are so out of our element, running on lack of sleep, the kids are a little off... out of your routine and trying to get this dog to do what you want. It can be a recipe for a big ole fight... I find myself taking lots of deep breaths trying to get my anxiety level down... As I sit here and watch Chevy sleeping on the floor and the smile on Nate's face I know its all worth every bit of any stress or discomfort we might endure. The prize in the end is sooooo worth it. I wouldn't change a thing. Going to wind down... post more tomorrow.