Orbit's first day of school

I know I've been a little 'one note' these days, but that's me...car, dog, work...it's usually just one I'm focused on at any given time because I lack the ability to care about more than one thing at a time, I guess?

Anyway, Orbit starting his manners classes is a big deal around here. He is still having trouble getting through an entire day without biting. Usually he gets so excited in the early evening (anywhere in the hours between 3 and 6 pm) that he just bites. Playing with a toy, he'll go for a few minutes then decide he'd rather your hand. Sometimes it's take the toy but jump up at your and show you who's boss. These are not acceptable behaviors, obviously, so we try to get him to focus on the toy or sitting still but sometimes he's just too revved up. So...we put him in his crate for a nap.

I spoke with the trainer after class on Saturday because I was concerned he would start to view his crate as punishment. She said, while it is a possibility, if it is what works, and he does just accept it and nap, then perhaps that is what he needs. She also offered a video showing how to 'capture calmness' by surprising him with treats when he is being good so that he WANTS to be calm and good. Clearly I do not expect this to work overnight, but it will be a big help.

So, the first day of class!

Our plan was to wear him out with a walk in the morning. But it had rained all night and was still raining into the morning. Class started at 11 a.m. and Orbit is his most chill in the early morning hours. (When I am at work, of course, and only get to enjoy it on my days off.)

He is calm enough for me to do my goal setting journaling and have a cup of coffee (AND take a picture!), while snuggled on the sofa.

I made him take a walk with me anyway, even though it was still spitting rain here and there. But that is why we bought him a water resistant winter coat!
We had to double back instead of doing a circle route, however, as the turkeys were in full force that morning.

and they were the biggest I've seen them yet!

As soon as we got back home, we had to scurry to get ready and out the door to get to class by 10:45.

Orbit slept the whole way there! We were instructed to have our students exercised and I was worried this extra nap was gonna have him all wired up!

He was okay to start but started barking at the dog the trainer had there as her helper.
And he barked...
...and barked..
.......and baarked...
Until the trainer told Hubs that he may need to take Orbit out of the situation to get his mind on something else.

After that, he was mostly okay, and only barked as much as the other dogs in class.
In fact, he didn't really bark over the trainer talking, like one other dog!
He wasn't the worst one there!!

He got high praise for his sit.

We have homework to work on (given to us in a handout that he got a hold of and tore up as soon as we got home!) and he's doing pretty good.

But the biting is still going to be our biggest hurdle.

In the meantime, I am off to my sister's house on Wednesday to meet her new 7 month old puppy. Who apparently is 'super chill'... I guess we only get what we can handle in life, right? That is what I keep telling myself every time Orbit bites me.