Nico and I did an hour and fifteen-minute walk/training session around town this morning. We walked through the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Ice Palace with crowds of people, he held a 'sit stay' in a half dozen locations with people and dogs around, and he had nearly perfect loose leash walking. Nico still tends to fixate on dogs, but with a 'leave it,' he'll break his focus. He tends to quickly refocus, so we are working on keeping his attention. All this helps keep him at a lower level of excitement so he doesn't build to the point where he gets frustrated and can't think.

When we returned home, we worked together to practice using off-camera lighting outdoors in bright sunlight to create epic puppy pictures. I had a camera in one hand and a flash in the other; having a third hand would have helped draw Nico's attention with a treat. Nevertheless, the shot turned out well.

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