Musketeer's 6th Weekly Report Card:

This week Musketeer Puppy has been practicing various floor textures including sand, grass, moving floors, wood chips, grated floors, rock, etc. He has been practicing maintaining a sit and down stay for longer periods of time with increased distractions and movement around him and on walking next to increased traffic sounds on a busy city street. He has been continuing to practice heeling with a focus on making left hand turns and on heeling at various speeds. This is taught because there are times that may call for a dog to heel at a quick pace such as when in a hurry to catch a bus and other times when they may need to heel at a very slow pace such as when a person is hurt. He has also been begun practicing heeling up and down stairs. 

Musketeer Puppy has been training in various locations including the park, Lowe's, Walmart garden center, Petco, busy city streets, and Tractor Supply Company. Next week, he will be reinforcing all of the commands and tasks learned in a high distraction environment, working on sound and touch sensitivity, maintaining a down stay on a bed, maintaining a sit and down stay while someone knocks at the door and rings a doorbell, and learning to stay in a stand position. This will come in handy when at the groomers or while being examined by a veterinarian. Musketeer will be working on "accepting a friendly stranger" which means that he will be practicing to sit politely while the handler stands close to and speaks to a stranger without the dog trying to sniff or get to the stranger and maintaining a sit while being pet by a stranger.