Echo has good days and bad days, but don't we all? The one thing I have to keep reminding my mom of is the fact that he's a service dog IN TRAINING. He's going to have his bad moments but hopefully with patience and time he will start having more good moments:) He's LEARNING how to be a service dog. This is all still new to him but he is adjusting and learning.
Yesterday was probably the best day we've had in training. We took advantage of the weather and had him out in public areas all day. He is starting to relax and walk with confidence in stores. His is also starting to relax around so many people. Walking through the grocery store yesterday you would have thought he was an actual service dog and had been doing this for years.
Last night we took him to PetSmart to get more low calorie, healthy treats and he behaved well. There was no growling or barking at other dogs, even when they were barking at him. He stayed focused on my dad who was handling him in the store and listened to all commands. We even did dropped leash training near other dogs and he stayed focused. My dad put him in a sit/stay and walked away from him (my mom and I were on standby nearby just in case something went wrong), my dad called him and had him "post" and Echo executed the move perfectly. My dad did another sit/stay and did hand signals to have Echo "come" and "sit" in front of him. Again, even with distractions, Echo did perfectly. My dad even walked Echo by a class of 10 dogs in training and Echo didn't even look at the dogs, he kept his eyes focused on my dad!
This has been a rewarding experience for me and my parents. I know we still have a long road ahead with training, but we're up for it!
