You Picked the Wrong Backyard

We have coyotes in the yard very frequently - every day the last 3 days. They are famous for scavenging pet food and for picking off smaller dogs and cats. Not this time. This one is for all the Yorkies, kitties, etc., who went outside to relieve themselves and never came back. Chalk one up for domestic mutts!

Hopefully Alice continues to use her powers for good and not evil. Nice sit/stay, huh?

A New Training Challenge

We have had Alice for about four months; she is a lovable dog and a joy to have around the house. Her temperament is ideal, but her instincts are very different from the retrievers I am used to training. While she has little or no retrieving instinct, her prey drive is off the chart. This makes it very awkward to take her anywhere off lead as she may bolt after some small critter and become lost or injured in the process.

I plan to take her through the basics - sit, down, stay, heel, come - with the goal of making her steady and reliable off lead.