We started our visit with a walk. Once again practicing loose leash (translated to "no pulling!") walking. One thing I noticed about Lukie (that's my term of endearment for him) is he is very anxious to relieve himself as soon as he gets out of his run. Since I don't get to him until around 2:00 every day you can imagine he is just busting! Often times when we see a dog in a shelter who does this it is an indication that they may be housebroken. This is not a sure thing, but a good indication.
He did a bit better with the loose leash thing. As we walked through the parking lot he would begin to pull, I would stop, he would turn around and come back to me creating slack in the leash and we would move forward again. He was getting it, but it was slow going.
Once in the pen we played a game of tug. This is a great way to burn some energy and it also is a good way for the dog to practice self control. It gives them a sort of on/off switch. There are rules to this game, which Luke doesn't know yet, but he will.
Lastly, I wanted to introduce Luke to the MAT!!!!! What is the MAT? It is a two foot by four foot padded mat that right now is nothing special to Mr. Luke. This mat will eventually be Luke's go to place. All good things happen on the MAT, massages, hand fed treats, chew toys etc. We will use it to help him learn to settle and the MAT will go with him to his new home as a point of familiarity and comfort in his new surroundings. Today Luke relaxed on the MAT while he enjoyed some treats and some massage and petting.
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