Training Up Cocoa

Bath Time at Mom and Pups!

With the water running, it was time to beg (to no avail) that I would change my mind about bath time.

A little sad face

Mom and Pups’ Do It Yourself Dog Wash has steps that lead into the tub. Because everything is built up high, bath time is easy on the back. No leaning or bending over. (Notice that Cocoa is refusing to look up at the camera.)

No Cocoa Smiles right now.

And a warm, dry towel doesn’t make it any better. But things turn around quickly after she learned that a special treat was waiting for her at check out!

Go to Place

It has been a while since I posted on Training up Cocoa. So, I thought I would write something that is really very useful. I have a number of these little blankets around the house. They are Cocoa’s “place,” and when the temptation hits her to get out of control, I tell her to go to place and stay—a basic command she learned at Dog School 101.

“Go to place and settle” is really the command (that she somehow ignores, forgets, and dismisses at times). I write this with a little “tongue in cheek” because while she does go to “place,” she usually jumps off and begins to act like a monkey (again). But at least if I give the command, she will return (reluctantly) and sit down with lots of deep sighs and long breaths.

Within the first couple of classes, Cocoa had learned to go to place and stay until I called her to come. I have a “place” in almost every room—near the back door, in the den, in her “house” or crate, and on the backseat of the car. A woven rug can magically turn into “a place,” if necessary.

“Go to place,” means “Get on your spot and stay.” I’m happy to report that it works most of the time . . . Well, except when our neighbor Opal drops by for a visit. Then the wiggle worms set in and over excitement usually wins out as she bolts off of place and heads straight for Opal. When she does, all of us usually say in unison, “Go back to place!” Once she has calmed down, she is free to greet everyone.

Well, you get the picture. . . . sort of. “Good dog, Cocoa Joy! Good dog!”

Watch!

I have to admit that I love Cocoa’s eyes. There are times when they are so soulful. I can tell her to “watch me,” and she does! “Watch” is the first command she learned at DS101. She knows when I say this, something is about to happen!! “Watch” comes before the words sit or stay or “Let’s go see the ducks!” It is the best command because it let’s me know whether or not she is “tuned-in” to me. She is in this picture—totally tuned in. (smile)

“Watch me!” works. Then it is followed by “good watch” (and sometimes an extra treat). When that happens, she is extra special tuned-in.

Come Cocoa!

Recently, I tried to run Cocoa’s paws off at one of the battlefields at Kennesaw Mountain. I would run and hide behind a slope in the field, and the call Cocoa to “Come!” She would instantly try to find me. The trick was to let her hear me say, “Come!” This is something she learned in her basic training class and for some reason (treats as a reward), it just clicked with her.

Call her and she comes — fast . . . .

With those wonderful Cocker Spaniel ears flapping in the wind.

She lifts her head to make sure I’m staying put and then she turns up the speed.

She closes in for hugs, praises, and treats!

Good come, Cocoa Joy! Good come!

Cocoa Paws

This is a favorite photograph because it shows the white touches on her paws. (One of the things I fell in love with the first time I saw her.) I almost cried when she went to the groomer for the first time because she came back looking so grown up. Most of the white on her back paws had been clipped off. She’s about five months old in this photo—still a baby and not yet enrolled in Dog School. At Christmas, I always make a batch of cookies that I call Cocoa Paws. I’ll post the recipe in a week along with photos of the cookies. Then you’ll understand how they got their name. —CS

Adventuring to Kennesaw Mountain

Sunday afternoon we headed out to the battlefields at Kennesaw Mountain. Cocoa has not been to the area in months and it is a really neat place to take dogs. Keep them on a six foot lead because park officials are keen about this.

In the summer, the Park Service allows the grass to grow for reseeding. I have always wondered if they cut the larger battlefields and bale the grass. They are beautiful any time of the year. And while it does not look like a stressful track to the top, it is. The grade is long and steep. I explained to her that many Union soldiers died here as they tried to overtake Confederate troops, who were dug in at the top of the hill. It was a senseless war that has led to decades of heartache, sorrow, and strife. May it never take place again.

Cocoa was amazed at the remains of a tunnel dug by Union Soldiers. It only goes into the mountain a few feet. Soldiers abandoned it after realizing the task was too difficult. Someone certainly had a set of strong paws to get that far. Georgia red clay can be hard as stone. The Park Service has fortified the tunnel entrance to prevent its collapse.

We made it to the top of Cheatham Hill and guess what? There was no water to be found anywhere. No wonder the soldiers found it so hard to conquer this mountain. No water, no dog treats, and no hand-held fans to cool a puppy dog off. Obviously, someone forgot to pack the Dog School 101 survival pack!

We cooled off and rested on the steps of a monument dedicated to the men who died fighting at Cheatham Hill. While we were there we suddely remembered a place only a few miles away that sells homemade Italian Ice. (Mmmmmm — let’s go!)

This thought was enough to bring us to our paws and gave us the strength to hike the half mile back to the car which led up another hill and across another battlefield.

Along the way someone got lost in the high grass and was off on a trail of a small animal. Cocoa was wagging her tail so hard over the delightful sniffs that the camera’s shutter could not keep up. At one time, there were lots of deer at Kennesaw, but not today. Construction of homes along the edges of the battlefields has eliminated all hope of seeing deer at sunset. However, there are still lots of smaller critters.

At Rita’s, Cocoa Joy enjoyed fresh banana Italian Ice (it had real chucks of bananas! Double Mmmmmm!)

Lots of licks from her own cup and spoon and lots of fresh water too. If only the soldiers who had fought at Kennesaw had had these, everyone would have stopped fighting and chilled out.

Then it was time to take a quick nap on the way home and dream about next week’s adventure. Could there be a boyfriend on the horizon?

Lipstick, Pitbulls, and Puppy Dog tales!

Cocoa Joy is very independent thinking but she does agree with the newest VP candidate: Pitbulls do look better in lipstick! And she should know. This past Friday she had the opportunity to get to know two “Pits” at Dog School 101.

From Cocoa’s perspective, the greatest issue is: “What color to wear?” She looks great in chocolate but loves red. Should she go with brown tones and something more neutral or be shocking and go with something shiny and bright? Mmmmm, maybe even pink?

If you fill it up, they will swim, right?

The theory is: if you fill it they will come! But this is not the case with Cocoa. While we were going through our basic training classes at Dog School 101, Sandy and Xalina talked about the benefits of letting your dog play in a child’s swimming pool.

Sandy says, “Just fill it up and let your kids have fun. It cools them off in the summer, and it is a good way to reward your dog at the end of an obedience session.” She cautions, “Never leaving your puppy alone in a pool or forcing it to go in the water. Making an animal do something that it is afraid to do can be traumatic. If your dog likes water. This can be another way to have fun with your pooch!”

It took little effort to go to Walmart and purchase a small pool, but alas Cocoa is just not a pool dog. This past Sunday was red hot. So I decided to drag the pool out from the shed and fill it up. I also got the bright idea to give her a bath. She has grown accustomed to Sunday adventures and I was sure this was one that would please me, if not her. With her favorite ball floating across the water’s surface, she defiantly refused to get into the water until I stepped in. But once her paws were wet, it was bath time!

Okay, the pool probably could be a little larger!

But the bath was wonderful and best of all it washed away two weeks of yard dirt!

The favorite part? Getting dried off, of course.

Cocoa tries to say “thank you.”

A Promise to Wait

Cocoa is not really turning gray. Her trainer (Dog School 101) has told me that after dogs turn two, it is normal for their coats to change color. When she was born she had a white muzzle then it went away. Now she is three, the white muzzel is returning. She had to stay at home this year while I went to the beach, but she promised to wait for me and she did just that. She waited.

Not A Beach Bunny!

Poor Cocoa! Last year, I had the “bright” idea to take her with me to the beach. It wasn’t the right kind of fun.  Instead of collecting rocks and sticks, she drove herself nuts collecting sea shells—no kidding. I was shocked when I noticed that she was piling shells on the end of my beach blanket. By the time we left, she had quite a stash!