Something we do with Daisy each day is called Happy-time.  Each morning and evening one of us will sit on the floor or couch and have Daisy lay upside-down on our laps.  We love on her, talk to her, rub her belly and mess with her face, legs and paws.  Also, we check for burrs and generally make sure she is OK.  This bonding activity takes about 5 minutes or longer.  The photo of Daisy with Stacy on the floor shows Daisy right after she rolls upside-down on her own.  

 

Generally, we sit with Daisy on the floor for Happy-time.  Anyone in your family can do this with her but I suggest family have her on the couch where you would be the only one with Daisy during Happy-time on the floor.  Just my suggestion.

 

As you see on Daisy's weekly updates, she is working hard on her skills.  Daisy can now perform this sequence:

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1. Open bathroom door with "Open"

2. Close bathroom door with "Close"

3. Help you stand with "Steady"

4. Open bathroom door with "Open"

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This sequence is the most difficult set of skills Daisy will need to learn.  Most of the other skills require her to do one thing.  For example: "Socks", Daisy is learning to fetch socks from a basket. We now have two items in the basket so Daisy will need to choose the correct item.  Eventually, she will need to choose from socks, shoes, ankle brace and jacket.

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One major aspect of Daisy's training is to have her perform her tasks with little or no verbal commands.  For example: when I walk Daisy she automatically goes to my left side.  When I stop walking, she automatically sits.  If I stand more than a few seconds, Daisy settles on the surface next to me.  Recently, when entering the bathroom, Daisy automatically opens the door, then right way (most of the time) she closes the door.  At times I need to ask her but Daisy is getting the idea.  

43 weeks old

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Daisy continues her foundation skills:

• Sit

• Down

• Wait

• Heel 

• Look at me

• Doorbell

• Shake

• Leave it

• Nice walk

• Off

• Come

• Kennel

• Stay

• Backup

• Open & Close Door

• Confidence

• Home

• Off leash

• NOW!

• Ramp walking

• Distractions

• Walker

• Bring it

• Give it

• Elevator

• Airplane

• Take-off and landing

• University campus

• New house

• Hotel

• City transportation sniff

• City transportation ride

• Advanced Walker training

• Door open

• Door close

• Traffic light button push

• Confidence

• Opening doors

• Closing doors

• Carrying items

• Crossing Highway 1

• Working with distractions

• Door opening with button

• Crosswalk button in SLO

• In store carry items

• Sequence of tasks

• Holding automatic doors

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Daisy's Digs

A Puppies' Point of View

                                        By Daisy D.

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Each morning when the big light in the sky gets bright, I really don't like getting out of bed!  What I do is when either human Ray or human Stacy opens my door I pretend I'm still sleeping.  If they keep talking to me I roll over on my back and keep my eyes shut.  It's not really that I don't want to get up, I just like how quiet and snuggly my bed is.  The other trick I use is when human Stacy tries to pull me out of bed by my paws, I just go limp like a sack of potatoes.  After a few minutes I get up and going to help human Ray during his day.  He needs lots of help lately!

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So recently I have been helping human Ray around the house.  For a old man I would think he would know how to open and close a door!  But he is either forgetting how or just being lazy.  Either way, I help human Ray the best I can.

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The other thing I do is play this game called, "Socks" with human Ray.  Then this week he changed the name of the game to "Bottle", where I find the bottle that is next to the socks.  Each time he names the game I go to the basket and find what he said.  Human Ray said the other day that he is going to call it "Shoes" next week.  I feel bad for him.  Either he forgets the name of the game or he is trying to confuse me.  But my secret is, I won't get confused!

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I used to think being a puppy was hard.  But now, I'm not really a puppy any longer.  I'm a big girl.  Now, I think being an big girl puppy is  fun because I know how to help human Ray.

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Sometimes it's fun being a big girl puppy!

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                                Daisy