Nutcracker

Moray had his very first trip into the city last weekend when he came with me to see the Nutcracker ballet downtown.

I am so proud of this boy and the progress he has made in his training.  Moray is a little on the softer side, and we have taken outings pretty slowly over the last few months to keep things light and positive; visiting the same few places many times until he is completely comfortable before moving on.

In everything we did that night from "hurrying" between parked cars, to staying calm and focused with lots of people around, he did fantastic.  He saw lots of people in layers of clothes and bundled up, carriage dogs, horses, and trollies.  He got excited at the horses, but was rock-solid and confidant the entire night!

 

One thing I was especially thankful for was Canine Companions' choice in vest color.  No, I have not always been a fan of bright yellow, but having a black dog in a poorly-lit venue gave me a new appreciation for that.  Moray stayed close to me as we wove through people, and stood still when we stopped.  I do not think he got stepped on a single time.  It sounds like a little victory, but for Moray, that could have put him back into being hyper-vigilant in keeping his eye on his surroundings instead of me.  We have been working hard on his calmness and focus in public so this outing really showed me just how far he has come!

The ballet was a little over two hours with one intermission.  Moray was very still and good under my seat most of the time.  He got just a little antsy in the last 15 minutes, but when we got up to leave, many of the people around us exclaimed they had no idea a dog was in the theater.  By far the best compliment any puppy raiser can get!