Bath Day

Journal #17: June 29,2011

Today we worked on obedience and service skills in the training barn while waiting our turn to go to the kennel building to bathe/groom our dogs. We had a lecture at the beginning of class explaining how to clean our dogs’ ears, brush their teeth, bathe them and express their anal glands (those are fun!)

Leon and I retrieved various metal objects (including the metal lion for the second time!), a grabber stick, a broom, a crutch and a toy truck. We also practiced retrieving objects and putting them into a basket. We tugged open cabinets and pushed them closed, opened and closed the fridge, tugged a laundry basket across the floor, tugged off a jacket and a glove and carried a plastic bag across the barn.

Then it was time for Leon and I to go over the kennel building. While waiting for my turn, I brushed/scaled Leon’s teeth. Then Leon and I went into one of the play yards in the back of the building where a hose was set up for bathing (and a piece of the playground equipment –yes, the kennel dogs have playground equipment –was set up as a grooming/bathing table.) Maria—who is Leon’s trainer-- and I checked his anal glands, then I wet him with the hose and proceeded to lather on the medicated shampoo (he has intermittent skin issues –since Team Training is stressful, they popped up again.) Leon jumped off the bathing table 3 times in the course of the bath, but we got it done. Then I towel dried him while he was busy rubbing back and forth against the chain link fence. Then I cleaned his ears.

We went back inside the building while waiting for the force dryer to be free. I dremmeled his nails and weighed him on the scale in the vet’s office (the kennel vet.) He weighed 65.8 pounds. His weight right before Team Training was 67. His target weight is 73 pounds. Megan (head trainer) said not to worry about it –that he would most likely gain the weight back once we get back home and settled –when the stress of Team Training is over.

Then it was our turn to use the force dryer. Boy, was THAT fun. I turned it on high and Leon freaked out. I wasn’t even pointing it directly at him. I was trying to take it slow and ease into it –but I guess I still went too fast for him. He twisted and pulled himself out of his martingale collar (he was tethered to the fence.) He ran a few feet away, stared at me –and I swear he grinned –and took off running. Now, the area where the force dryer was set up was outside the fenced play yard area –so nothing but open fields. I called to him as he ran to the side of the building –but no luck. I was so terrified that I was going to lose my dog.Thankfully, the kennel manager and a kennel volunteer were walking on the side of the building and saw him –and caught him for me. We put his leash and collar back on. Then, the kennel manager helped hold him for me while I put the force dryer on the low setting and dried most of his body (not his head, though –he really wanted nothing to do with that.) He stayed pretty still and allowed me to dry his body. We’re going to have to work on this when we get home –taking it slow and easy –and building up his tolerance for the force dryer over time. I have a friend back home who does positive reinforcement-based grooming –I’m sure that will help him be a more cooperative dog when it comes to bathing/force drying.