Westerode Bearded Collies Ontario Canada

The Puppy Playground I - Page II III

Building confidence, learning skills, having fun

Lilly playing with her kids in the tunnel maze :)

The playground is about building your skills at your own pace - it should suit both the puppies mental and physical condition on that day, and allow for a challenge if they feel like it. There should be plenty of easy fun playground area, so they can practice and gain confidence.

Here is Spock a good week later; enjoying a run past his mom - through the tunnel; into the very new tunnel/table/tarp combination, which partially covers the plank, which is set up on the pods now to add height. He joins his two brothers on the bed - still everyones favorite. McCoy then takes off on his own - to check out the moving tunnel, which has been moved into a new spot on that day, with the big green rake added. The tree has always been in that spot ;) though today it appears to be more fun than usual :) He also noticed the stones, which I used to cover up a hole at the side of the old tree stump. Their focus wanders off quickly. So much to explore too little time , they seem to say, as they zip past you :o Both McCoy and Spock like to explore on their own. Then everyone joins in with mom (who just got a bath the day before) in play.

Chekov learning or practicing a turn on the planks. Practicing new skills, building confidence and speed for 'old' skills. The playground is made for this type of learning. Nothing is 'forced' on the puppy, they explore and play at their level of comfort on this day.

Everyone is fascinated by the new water feature; with lots of obstacles and objects inside, and water. Add the soft noise of the water running into the little pond. :) Chekov - who like all of the puppies has loved the black pods (farm feeders turned over) uses his existing skills - climb and walk on the bed; then on the pods - which he has practiced on dry land - to now walk into the pond. Cool! but he was not first! - check out the last movie on the page; that is of course Kirk; who was the first to make the connection...

Yup! he did it - Kirk figures out - checkov did watch him, but gets distracted. Later on (see movie above) he gives it a try too. Oh, of course, without much ado - Scotty, the small silent type ;) , is already taking a bath; having climbed in, without the use of the pods - scotty really suprised me in his first zen session and in his first visit with the wolves (the german shepherds) - but more about that on their training pages.