Widget has Fun!

As you may remember, I have goats. The bucks and does were supposed to have separate pens, which they did at first--until my bucks started dying at an alarming rate. I suspected that they were being poisoned by something and, to my dismay, I was correct. Part of the thicket in which they enjoyed resting during the day was literally rife with sapling cherry trees. Goats can eat fresh cherry leaves and dried cherry leaves, but wilted ones will kill them in a couple of heartbeats.

They immediately got moved to the doe pasture, my dog training ring became the kid pasture, and my yard became the doe pasture. The enclosed pen that I'd made for a dog playpen using some hog panels and an old carport became the does' enclosure in which I milk them and in which they sleep at night. I mention all these things because it explains why Widget is in the "goat pen," which, even after raking, has a copious amount of, erm, goat . . . droppings . . . on the ground. The dogs think of it as "confetti," to be honest. I think of it as a good excuse to give the dogs their baths. Sometimes, when it's been particularly wet, I put shavings on the ground and mix it in with the dirt. The dogs REALLY have fun then.

The first thing that Widget learned was that the barn cats also like to hang out in the goat pen. It's shaded all day long, has a continuous supply of water, and there's usually a bit of hay to sleep in. They did not care how big Widget thought he was. They were going to let him know that he was there as an uninvited guest only. As long as he left them alone, they would be happy to tolerate his existence. However, Widget has never met a stranger and was determined to make the best of it. Once everyone was settled back down, he decided that a teething ball makes everything better. So he offered it to Target.

Seeing that they were unimpressed, Widget decided to demonstrate how fun it was to carry his ball. How could they not be impressed with his ball carrying skills? However, once again, Widget was bound for disappointment. If Target could have done a golf clap, I'm certain that she would have. Seriously, all she wanted to do was lie in the dust and relax.

Undeterred, Widget decided to demonstrate the tossing and the chasing of the ball. It might be possible that something might bore the cats more than a puppy playing with a teething ball, but as yet, he has not found it.

Poor Widget realized that his offering of a yummy, yummy teething ball had been rejected. The only thing he had left to offer was, of course, himself. He decided to run between them and bark loudly, in his most appealing way. Widget was most distressed when Target removed her tail from between his paws. He hadn't intended to bite it . . . not hard, anyway.

The cats swiftly determined that this session was for play only, not for training, and that no pieces of hot dog would be in the offing. Rather than risk being enticed into actual puppy games, they headed off to annoy the goats and to glare at the chickens.

Being the enterprising dog trainer that I am, I decided to play a game with Widget that would also introduce another concept to his puppy brain. I took his beloved water bottle and tossed it across the pen for him, praising him like the dickens when he returned it to me. Not only did the game reinforce the "come" command, in that returning to me could be fun, it also set the foundation for a formal retrieve later. Even without pieces of hot dog for his reward, he understood that he was doing something to make me happy. See his tail wagging? That's a happy dog! It's so important to keep a puppy happy when introducing concepts. If you find yourself getting frustrated with what you're doing or what he's doing, then you need to quit for the day or change over to pure play.

It wasn't too long before it was too hot for Widget to play. It's the end of summer in the Deep South, after all, and it doesn't take long for a small dog to overheat. I let him play on his own for a few minutes, to see if I could get a picture or a video of his side gait or a self-stack. My patience was rewarded by this lovely picture--well, of his gait, anyway. As you can tell, his tongue is hanging out to his chest as he zeros in on his ball. It was at this point that I picked him up and brought him into the house. Sorry, Widget! You can have more fun next time!