All dogs need a training refresher course from time to time, even senior dogs.

Last Saturday Thunder and I headed off to a dog friendly shopping mall.  Our mission at the mall was to visit a bakery that makes fresh dog treats and to pick one out for Freighter’s birthday.  You can read about that here.  Once we finished up, we stuck around so Thunder could do a bit of training and socializing.

As we were heading to the bakery, I noticed that Thunder’s leash walking was a bit rusty.  He wasn’t pulling on the lead which is what most people complain about when walking a dog.  Nope.  His issue was wanting to get to every single pole, bush and tree to sniff and maybe do more than sniff.  His nose was working over time and he was zigzagging back and forth in front of me.

Zigzag walking is a trip hazard and not desirable in an area where there are other people and dogs.  So we worked on Thunder walking at heel even when there was a perfectly good bush just a couple of feet away.

Thunder is 9 1/2 years old and knows how to walk on a lead, but I guess sometimes even a senior dog needs a training refresher. It isn’t all Thunder’s fault.  Most of the fall he has been walking and hunting off lead.  When a dog is hunting he uses his nose so it was just a matter of reminding him that in this situation, he needs to forget his nose.

It did not take long for Thunder to remember his leash manners and once he did, I figured we could do a bit of shopping.  I really had not planned on shopping, but it was a good opportunity for some additional training and we were there anyway and Christmas is coming, so why not?

Shopping presented a real training opportunity because many of the stores were small and crammed with inventory.  We did not go into every store.  Breakables in a tight space with a big dog is not always a mix so we stuck to stores that were easier to navigate.

Shopping with Thunder always takes more time then planned because he tends to draw a crowd, (more on that tomorrow).

He was well behaved in all of the stores we visited.  He stayed right next to me and did not try to lunge to get closer to any of the items in the stores.

In one particular store, we were looking at some items for dogs and cats made by local crafters.  All of a sudden Thunder’s nose went up.

He smelled a wreath made from dog cookies.  I should have known.

I did not end up buying too much but I was glad that I had the time to refresh Thunder’s training.  You just never know when a training opportunity will present itself.

Tomorrow more about Thunder’s socializing with shoppers.