Dog Parks in Prague

IMG_5756
Originally uploaded by capovak
I have recently started taking Charlie to a Dog Park in our neighborhood. I must say that this is a genius invention for a dog owner, as it is thoroughly fenced and decent sized, I can let Charlie go off the leash without worries that his easily excitable temper will lead him into a street. (I do let him go off in the regular "human" parks, too, of course, but there I really need to watch carefully for other dogs, fast moving objects, such as bikes and joggers and little kids. Oh, not forgetting occasional animals.)

Interestingly enough, there is little or no dog poo, as there's plenty poo bags and trash cans and I guess more responsible dog owners come here.

This place is also great for meeting other dog owners and dogs. I wish people in our neighborhood will keep using it and it does not come extinct with the next civic leader.

To find out more about "psi louka", visit http://www.louka.estranky.cz/.

Dog Mark

Dog Mark
Originally uploaded by capovak
In the past four weeks Charlie has been going to obedience and agility trainings for puppies. He has a lot of energy and enjoys the training as much as I do. The courses are as much educational for dogs as they are for the dog owners.

This is what Charlie and I have learned so far (and yes, Charlie "speaks" Czech):
Sit (Sedni) - that is pretty straight forward and the easiest command to teach a dog. You hold a dog treat in front of the dog and then lift it slowly above its head. He will follow the treat with his eyes and automatically sit down.
Here (Ke mně) - Charlie is supposed to come to me and sit in front of me. The way I tought him is I call the command and start backing up, or actually running away. He automatically follows. At home I hide and have him find me. The more fun this command is, the better. Well that goes for any command actually.
Heel (K noze) - This one is more tricky and we're still improving on this one. The trick is to choose one side and consistently use it. With my back turned to Charlie, I clap my hand on the left thigh and hold the treat for him to stop next to it. This is a very useful command for walking and calling the dog to your side.
Down (Lehni) - Once the dog can sit, this one is also quite easy. Just lower the treat for him to have to lay down to get it. According to the trainer, this one is very important for the dog to know well and also from a distance. It's a safety command when dog runs away and you can't follow him and you need it to stay put (for example across the street).

Other fun commands that he has learned or improving: giving paw (Pac for left paw and Druhou for the right paw), 360 turn around left and right, walking in between my legs from dog dancing and some new agility commands, such as jumping over and going through a tunnel. (Watch this video to find out what dog agility is http://www.petside.com/info/m/22006373/the-sport-of-agility.htm.)

The size update: Charlie gains consistently 2kg a week. The last time I weighted him was on Tuesday and he was a little over 21 kg. I can't really weigh him at home any more... :-)

It's All Fun

It's All Fun
Originally uploaded by capovak

Life's become much more fun recently. The not so brutal weather allows for longer walks and more play. In the picture Charlie is playing with Dena, my sisters dog. He doesn't quite ever get the ball (yet), he just follows her everywhere.

We've also started going to a dog training. Our first puppy workshop was last Saturday. Except for obedience training (btw, obedience training really is for the dog masters rather than the puppies), we've tried a bit of agility (running trough twisted tunnels, jumping, climbing, i.e. dog gymnastics) and even dog dancing ;o).