Waves of Anxiety

Ever since Cabana got career changed at the end of November, I've looked forward to taking Cabana to the off-leash dog beach. I envisioned 20-30 dogs of all sizes and breeds, dashing and splashing in the surf--what could be more fun for Cabana? The off-leash beach is only about 20 miles from our house, but the winding road makes it take almost an hour to get there. We took advantage of a non-rainy day last week--but the outing was not quite what I had hoped for....

It was foggy, as is the case 95% of the time at the coast, regardless of season. The beach was absolutely deserted, alas no doggies for Cabana to romp with. But I had already paid the $7 parking fee (except I paid $8 for reasons too long and complicated to go into in this post), so I decided to proceed as planned.

Cabana amused herself by trying to drink the ocean water.

"Look at all this water! Can I drink it? Ew, salty."

"How about over here, can I drink this?"

"What about here? Water, water everywhere...but it stinks that I can't drinks!"

Notice that Cabana has her long lead on in the photos, even though it's an off-leash beach. That's because I got nervous. What if Cabana tried to go too far into the water, where the tide might pull her out? I pictured myself having to plunge fully clothed into the freezing ocean to save her. Or she might dash up the beach for miles and disappear beyond the rocks. Her recall is getting better--but I didn't want her going rogue on me. Better safe than sorry--except that I COULD have gone to the ON-leash beach with free parking instead of paying $7 or $8 to come to this OFF-leash beach, only to keep my dog ON leash the whole time...dumb!!

Finally, a few other people and dogs came! Two funny basset hounds, not the most spry of canines--but dogs nonetheless. Some people might like having a beach all to themselves--but not us! With the bassets there, I felt more comfortable about letting Cabana off leash. If there are other dogs around, Cabana stays predicably close to them. Unfortunately, the bassets didn't stay long. After 15 minutes, it was just Cabana and me again--so the leash went back on.

We practiced recall in the water...."See, Mom, I'm good and I'll come when you call!"

"It's no fun to be tangled up! C'mon, Mom, loosen up already!"

Okay, okay. I let Cabana off leash for a little while, and Cabana did a pretty good job of coming when called. Next time, I think I'll have a bit more confidence in Cabana. Maybe I'll even be able to relax and have fun?

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This and That

Although it's still rainy here, it hasn't been very cold. My hydrangeas are budding (a pesky, albeit cute, little snail has made itself at home here), and daffodils are popping up everywhere. Spring has sprung (almost)!

This morning, we crossed paths with Watson, a retired breeder for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Watson is almost 13-years old, very spry for his age, and still wears his black Guide Dogs collar. Watson's owner told me that Watson's sire was Faris (sp?), who fathered over 400 Guide Dog pups.

And yesterday, when Cabana and I were at a pet store in our town, a couple entered with a pretty yellow Lab. I recognized their ubiquitous leather service dog leash, and said, "Hey, is that a career change dog?" They laughed and said yes, as I held up my matching leash for Cabana. That yellow Lab was Yasmine (again sp?) who is 8-years old and also very spry and high-energy. It's Guide Dog Central around here!

Cabana has been doing great on walks. After private email consultations with fellow blogger OSU 98 (thanks, Nicole!), we are alternating between a 6' leash and a long lead. Cabana loves the freedom of the long lead--she's gotta sniff everything. (Sorry for the butt shot, but I couldn't get a photo of Cabana facing me!)

As a reward for great long line recalls during our walk, Cabana got some off-leash romp time with chocolate Labradoodle Cocoa, who is a regular passerby on our walks. What a great way to start the weekend!

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Mustard and "Catch-Up"

In our neck of the woods, January is quite beautiful. The winter rain makes the fields turn lush green, though they're dry and brown in the summer--sort of the opposite of most of the U.S. Wild mustard plants take over, turning whole landscapes into yellow carpets. Although it's a weed, it's such a pretty weed that nearby Napa Valley even celebrates with their annual Mustard Festival, attracting visitors from all over the world.

I feel so blessed everyday to live in this area. So much in fact, that it actually makes it a bit hard to travel to other places because there are few areas more lovely and with better weather than we have here. Plus, my bed has the perfect soft/firm combination--I really miss that when I have to sleep somewhere else.

To catch you all up on the past few days, I've decided to take a break on the dog parks for a little while. I do think it was helping quite a bit with Cabana's dog distraction, and she sure loved every minute of playtime. But...I'm tired of having a dirty dog! Cabana is drawn to the mud like...velcro to the other side of velcro. For the next couple weeks, I'm switching gears to work diligently with Cabana on recall.
When we've got a strong recall, maybe I'll even be able to call her away from the mud puddles before she steps paw in them.

Armed with my long lead (thank you, Bethany, for your comment about this; our dog training instructor also confirmed your advice) and my Bil-Jac Liver Treats (thank you, Ally, liver brings Cabana around much better than chicken jerky and kibble), we stop a few times on our morning walks. I let her go with "go play", let her sniff and meander, then call her back at random intervals. If she doesn't respond, she gets a little pull back to me, and I greet her heartily with happy praise and a tiny morsel of liver treat.

It's a little cumbersome and tangly, though, with grass and paws getting in the way of the long lead. And even with the liver, Cabana isn't exactly dashing back to me. We've only got one day of practice under our belts, though, so I know I need to take it slowly. My tendency is to expect too much, too quickly. I know, I know, patience, patience, hurry up, I need patience....

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