Hayley the 4 month old Corgi Puppy did AMAZING at the vet today! This is her 3rd day of training and I suspected she may have a UTI because her pee had a very strong odor to it, so we stopped by Lake Jesup Animal Hospital this morning to have her checked out :) Typically I would not have a dog in training in such a distracting environment so early into the program, but when you need to see the doctor you gotta see the doctor!

In addition to having potty training trouble at home (which will be much easier to get consistent when he bladder is happier!), Hayley has a real barking problem! When she sees new dogs or people, when she is bored, or when she wants attention she will bark bark bark! So, to help her calm down and stay focused during our wait at the vet's (and it was a wait...likely 45 minutes to an hour in the lobby, as they were kind enough to squeeze us into their busy schedule this morning!) we worked on eye contact exercises and obedience!

By creating patterns at home of obedience commands AND using her meals instead of treats (creating work ethic and motivation) she quickly jumped right into what she knew and did amazing in a pretty busy lobby!

Any 4 month old puppy (or 4 year old dog!) can do this too with clear understanding of commands, the right trainining tools to communicate under distraction (Hayley is using a prong collar), and building food drive for payment (and handler engagement) for the right behaviors! I am beyond proud of this cute foxie girl ❤