New experience for Battier

Tonight Battier joined me at my friends house for game night! She did a perfect down stay while we played pong! There were ping pong balls flying everywhere and she just laid down and watched. This puppy is so awesome!! 

Battier didn't mind the ping pong balls flying everywhere! 

After Battier got to hang out with her friend Pnina the Persian kitten. They are friends and it's cute! 

Now we're at Buffalo Wild Wings! They love CCI puppies here. Battier is just hanging out under the table while we enjoy the wing special on Thursday nights. It's very busy here tonight and Battier is just sleeping. 

4 1/2 months commands

The weather is weird in Sacramento today, it's either pouring rain or sun. Battier had a training session in the house today since I didn't want to take her on any outings today with the weather. She is doing very well in her training as you can see in the video. We started playing "Crate Games" on Sunday at puppy class and Battier really loves her kennel! This will make training more enjoyable in Advanced Training when she has her downtime in her kennel. It's very important for CCI puppies to be comfortable in their kennels. We just started working on dress today, Battier is learning it fast. Eventually she'll be able to put it on almost all by herself.



Commands being worked on in this video:
Dress
Bed
Down
Sit
Here
Up
Under
Shake
Let's Go
Kennel
Wait
Don't

NW Team Training video

Check out this awesome video from Canine Companions for Independence NW region team training! Hopefully one day Battier will be in a video like this getting pre-matched with her graduate! If all things go as planned I will be handing over Battier's leash in November of 2015! We'll have to wait and see...until then watch this awesome video!

Park day!

Today I took Battier to the park for the first time! She loved playing on the equipment. Battier is a very confident puppy! We practiced commands on most of the equipment and on different surfaces. Today was Battier's first time on sand and she loved it! I'll be working with her more on it since she did get pretty excited about being on sand, she still listened to her commands and worked, but I could tell she really loved it! Before the park I had to get my oil changed in my car, while in the waiting room Battier met two babies who loved her. I think Battier loved the babies too. 

Sand! 

Meeting a new friend...

Puppy Class and Tennis Court play time!

Today we had puppy class at our house. KPT and crate games class. All the puppies did very well and were rewarded with free play after the classes were over. Watching the puppies play is also like a class for them. They get to play and have fun, but they have to behave appropriately. All the puppies were great! It's also a great place to practice recalls with distractions. 

Battier (4 months) and Shawn. 

Crate games class! CCI puppies love their crates! 

KPT class on a beautiful Sunday morning. 

Battier, Napa and Azuki. 

Sabina (newly retired breeder) and Battier. 

Sabina, Battier and Azuki (10 weeks and Sabina's puppy). 

Shawn, Battier and Sheriff. 

Battier's first full Kings game!

Battier went to her first Kings game when she was 10 weeks old to me meet Shane Battier, but that was only for a few minutes after the game. Today Battier went to her first full basketball game and she was awesome! She actually slept for the entire game (we do have the Guiness World Record for loudest arena in the world too!) She just keeps impressing me with how good she is! 

Ready to go after the Kings beat the Celtics! 

LA and the UMA Travel Exchange Convention

What a great week we had of the Westin Bonaventure in LA for the UMA Travel Exchange Convention. We stayed on the 32nd floor of the hotel and Battier did very well with going to the bathroom outside and didn't have an accident all week! I didn't think she would, but being 4 months old in a new environment it was something that could have happened. We met a lot of people at the UMA/NTA Travel Exchange and they were all very impressed with Battier and how well she behaved for a 4 month old puppy. It was also a great learning experience for a lot of people at the convention there were bus companies, bus manufactures, insurance companions, travel agents, people talking about their State and more! Battier was definitely a hit and everyone at the convention seemed to know who we were. On the last day there was a guest speaker at the lunch from Alaska, she is an Iditarod racer and will be racing in her 31st race next week, she brought a retired sled dog with her and she was very impressed with Battier's training. This week we also went on a lot of buses, walked in Downtown LA during busy times, went to restaurants, Universal Studios, Sony Pictures, Venice Beach, a lot of glass elevator rides and more! It was really an awesome week of training for Battier and I'm so proud of how this little (maybe not so little) girl did!! 

Sony Pictures and the start of the convention

Last night we had another private event at a cool location, Sony Pictures! Battier and I walked the red carpet and had our photos taken by the "paparazzi". Battier was very popular again! I allow people to pet her if she sits and does not lick, one thing Battier really likes to do is lick people, but she is improving. 

Battier has great eye contact!

We went on a tour of Sony and saw the Jeopardy stage, sounds rooms, editing rooms and a stage for Rake. 

This event was put on by Prevost, the company that builds our buses at Amador Stage Lines. 

Today the convention started, you can see Battier under the table resting. 

On the bus back to the Westin after another busy day! 

Universal Studios.

Last night our convention, the United Motorcoach Association and the NTA Travel Exchange had a special treat, Universal Studios to ourselves after hours! Since there would only be people from our group I decided to bring Battier along. It was a great experience for her! Universal is top notch when it comes to service dogs and service dogs in training.

We stayed at the park for about 3 hours and went on a few rides. The studio tour was great and Battier was fine during the King Kong portion where the tram shook and there were loud noises and water spraying. 

The next ride was a little more interesting. We arrived at the Transformer ride and I asked to put Battier in one of their service dog kennels, the attendant said she could go in the kennel or she would be fine on the ride. It was pretty intense, but she definitely did well and sat by my feet the entire time. I wouldn't take a dog back on transformers, but overall it was a great experience for her. 

The next ride we went to was the Simpson's ride, another simulated ride. I asked for the kennel for Battier and the staff was great and took me right to it. Battier hung out in the kennel and waited for me to return. 

Battier met some characters too! They all loved her! 

Overall it was a great experience and an awesome training opportunity for Battier!! We thank the UMA/NTA Travel Exchange and especially Universal Studios!