As we continue re-sharing our series on training Mom and Dad, I would like to pause and thank their trainer for teaching them social distancing! Little did I realize back in 2018 when they had their second lesson with him, how important teaching Mom and Dad to keep a safe distance from us would become two years later! I admit this post did make Asa and I laugh. We were silly back then thinking we had to be glued to their side every moment of the day. I’m so glad we taught Mom and Dad the importance of sit and stay!

Area of Influence (July 24, 2018)

I’m beginning to think Mom and Dad’s trainer is a cat person.  Asa and I arrived at their second class full of exuberance to see their trainer.  Would you believe he ignored us?  No petting, no happily greeting us, not even a treat!  And I know he had treats because I could smell them in his pocket.  Instead he got right to work training Mom and Dad.  I suppose that’s what we’re paying him to do, but he could have at least gave Asa the belly rub he demanded.

This time we worked on what he called our “area of influence.”  First up, me!  The trainer instructed Mom to take me to the center of the room, tell me to sit, drop the leash and walk away.  I, of course, followed her back across the room to her chair.  Mom shouldn’t be wandering off without me.  How can she pet me and tell me how good I am, then reward me with a treat if she’s walking away?  Or more importantly what if she leaves to go do something fun without me?  We’re here for training Mom!  She shouldn’t be wandering off!  But rather than praise me for my diligence keeping a close watch on Mom, the trainer told her to go back and make me sit again in the center of the room.  He made it sound like I did something wrong, NOT Mom!

This scenario occurred 4 more times until I finally said enough is enough!  All this walking back and forth is exhausting, so I’m going to sit right here and let Mom be the trainer’s responsibility.  If she wanders off mister, that’s your problem!  Oddly enough though, that’s what he wanted me to do because he praised me for just sitting.  He then instructed Mom to walk in wider and wider circles around me, while I just sat there watching as she got farther and farther away.  That’s when the point of this lesson dawned on me!  The trainer was teaching Mom that I am the center of attention!

Asa decided to add his own spin when it was his turn with Dad.  Same exercise as with me, sit and Dad walks away.  But Asa was determined to be glued to his side…or anyone’s side for that matter!  I lost count how many times he happily trotted after Dad.  Then when that wasn’t working, he ran over to Mom.  Asa even went over and sat next to me, followed by the trainer to see if he could stop Dad’s rude behavior.  After all, that’s why we are here.  But all to no avail.

Finally it dawned on Asa that he needed to release his invisible leash and let Dad wander.  How will Dad learn if he’s always hovering?  However, being a helpful dog, before finally sitting Asa ran around sniffing the room to make sure the area was safe.  Why didn’t I think of that?  We’ve never explored this room before.  There could be hidden hazards!  Mom and Dad could have wandered off and got hurt!  How could I be so selfish?  Whereas I gave up quickly and just sat, Asa made it a teachable moment for Mom and Dad to always be on the lookout for danger!  He even proudly showed off a potentially dangerous cup someone left next to a chair.  However, even Asa has his limits, and after securing the area he remained sitting in the center of the room.  Dad, in turn, wandered aimlessly in circles around him.  Watching Asa trying to train Dad was exhausting for all of us, so it was at this point the class ended with praise from the trainer.

I have to admit at first I found this lesson very confusing.  I probably should have listened more at the beginning of the class when the trainer was explaining “area of influence” to Mom and Dad.  Instead, I was focused on trying to get his attention by reminding him that he had treats in his pockets.  However, now that the lesson is over I realize what he was trying to teach them!  I shouldn’t have to be glued to Mom and Dad’s side to exert control over them.  Yet I also shouldn’t ignore them when they do what they want.  After all, Mom and Dad are my responsibility.  I need to train them to always keep an eye on Asa and me no matter how far away we are sitting.  Armed with my assignment to resist following Mom and Dad while maintaining my area of influence over them, we headed home from our second class.