I am happy to say that Jazz and I went on our first walk for my EDTC Learning Project. Surprisingly she did really well! We started by going into the garage to put on her harness and leash. I also had treats and waste bags ready to go. Jazz sat quite well while the harness was going on, but she definitely thought she was done after that. So, I had to gain her attention back when clasping the leash. My sister told me that clasping the leash on the front of the harness makes it more difficult for the dog to pull because it then contorts their body compared to hooking the leash on the back clasp gives the dog more freedom to pull comfortably. 

We then started down the driveway, and before we got onto the sidewalk, we practiced her recall. I tried my best to stay consistent with short words/sounds saying “Jazz, eyes, sit,” but sometimes it came out like I was talking to a human and more “Jazz, look at me please, okay good, now sit.” Jazz was very excited and energized. Her excitement resulted in her wondering all around me but not so much in pulling me forward, and it will be interesting to see how this changes throughout my project. We only walked for about 10 minutes, completing a short loop around my block, so I am excited to see how the longer walks go since her energy was at its peak for the entire duration of our walk today. 

I outlined two goals. One was getting Jazz to recall, and the second was getting Jazz to walk in the opposite direction after pulling. I think we did well on both! Having treats with me motivated Jazz to be on her best behaviour and heavily contributed to her ability to recall. I plan to use treats for our next two walks, but hopefully, Jazz will not need them to listen to my commands by the third! Additionally, I think when Jazz becomes more aware of her surroundings, she will begin pulling me forward instead of to the left and right. So, when she starts to pull forward, I will pay more attention to correcting her. However, I was just happy to soak in the beautiful day with my lovely dog!