Took Hiker To "School" Today

Took Hiker out for her walk this morning. She still will not go potty while out walking. She “uncovered” a cottontail rabbit while in the park. She didn't chase it, she just watched it run. When we got home, I put her out in the backyard and she went potty. She has had about 3 or 4 accidents in the house. She doesn't go to the door to ask to be let out. I hope this doesn't keep happening. I was going through some papers in a drawer this morning and came across Ben's and my “weekly menu sheets”. Every Sunday, we would fill out a “menu sheet” for the entire week to know what we'd be making for lunch and dinner. We always did it together. I started to cry when I saw them and I realized today was Sunday. Hiker was all over me, licking and yapping at me. She didn't like that I was crying. I decided it was time to go through my earthquake kit that Ben and I have always kept in the garage. I ran the generator for about 10 minutes to make sure it still works and I changed out all of the water, checked the dates on the canned food, checked out all of the flashlights, etc. Ben and I used to do this every 3 months. I don't think any of it had been done for almost a year because it was this time last year the Ben had his eye surgery and we just didn't do it. Took Hiker to her first training class this afternoon. It turned out that she and I were the only ones that showed up today, so we got a “private” lesson. We worked on her “sit command” and her “watch me” command. We are teaching her by using the word “yes”. I was given the choice of a word or a “clicker” and I said “let's use a word”. The shelter had told me to buy her a choke chain when I took her home, but the trainer today told me not to use the choke chain on her unless she was not walking properly with her regular collar. I've never had a problem with her walking, so I guess I bought the choke chain when I didn't need to. The trainer also told me to NOT leave a full bowl of water around for her all of the time. She said that is why she is having to go wee wee so much and probably why she is doing it in the house now and then. She said that an indoor dog only needs water in the morning when they get up, when they eat and after a walk or exercise. The trainer asked me if she barks a lot. I said no, but that she does if she hears a noise she doesn't recognize or if she see someone outside. The trainer said that is good and for me not to tell her no when she does bark because Hiker is protecting me. After class I took Hiker for a 1 mile walk. I had asked the trainer why Hiker didn't go potty when she was out on a walk and the trainer told me that some dogs just feel more comfortable going in their own domain. Need to get Hiker's dinner for her so I need to send this out.