This could be anything from fun tricks to polishing something for shows.

What am I working on with my dog?

I'm working on our figure 8's.

Why?

Because I let it go while focusing on cleaning up stays and fronts. So he anticipates the halt in the middle and breaks heel position on the outside circle (he goes wide and/or behind). And those are on his lagging days. I first tried to fix the heel by putting food in my left hand and luring him around and keeping him in heel position, but um - he's just not enthused enough about food or when he's enthused I have the opposite problem and he's forges. Which makes me wonder if he even understands 'heel'. Which makes me freaked out because I want to show in 1.5 months (don't laugh at me, I CAN DREAM!).



How we are fixing it?

Back to basics -

Starting on Saturday evening, I've been lining up four or five laundry baskets (just as good as traffic cones, and don't ask why we have that many laundry baskets, it's a mystery).

So anyway, I set up a serpentine course with the laundry baskets. That way we can ess through or I can do multiple figure 8's.

And every evening I pull out his VERY SPECIAL STUFFED DUCK TOY (yes, the one that I spent two hours handsewing back together after he shredded it) and we weave and figure 8 through the course until various points where I release him and throw the toy for him to retrieve and party with.

I hold the toy in my right hand, because I want to keep my left hand flat on my midsection where it has to be in the ring. That gives him the right sight picture.

So far so good. *looks relieved*

He's moving through the 8's without lagging, his head's up, he's happy, and he's picking up his feet.

Now if I can get him to do that without the toy....

I'm working on cleaning up front. Jackson used to do a beautiful front but the last few weeks they've become sloppy . Not sure what I've done to cause this change but back to basics. I've also resorted to his favorite toy - the pink ball. I keep it in my pocket and call him to front. He comes at a really good pace and sits so pretty square in front. Then I release him for a game of fetch. Like you said - to get the same enthusiasm without the toy.

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Marygold's Jack Frost (Jackson) CGC, RA, CD, RL1x, RL2, U-RO1, TDI, CD-C, CCA


Honora's Fabulous Lil Deuce Coupe (Cooper)


Marygold's Kosmo Golden Lager (Kosmo)
3/29/01 - 12/21/11

Rita, Jackson and Cooper

EVERYTHING. Well, that's what it seems like. Right now our training seems to be mix of everything. I feel like I should divide days or something and just train "topics" of that day but then Ranger seems to lose interest. I like to break all tricks and exercises down into three categories, depending on how much Ranger knows them: new, working, confirmed. Once they're "confirmed", I only do them about once a week and we work on everything else that's in the range of new to working.

Right now most of our training sessions are dealing with field training. I throw the bumper a handful of times a day and we're progressing to coming back in front position and waiting for me to touch it before he drops it. Other training sessions include us working on the hold it command seperate from the retrieve, working on swing which has gotten crooked for some reason, returning to heel position from anywhere, fronts, taking bumpers in the middle, stand, and bomp-proofing our stays.

In the house, I'm trying to get him to go to his bed when I cue him from the couch and sending him across the room to touch his "target". I've given up on tricks for the time being since he's starting rolling over whenever he wants something and has to wait longer than 2 seconds in his sit. I do want to teach him "bow" eventually since he does it on his own about 15 times a day but I never seem to have the clicker ready when he does it!

Geez, reading this over I seem like a real task-master!

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Member of the "Crazy 4 Collars Clique"

Want to see the menu of a raw fed dog? Check out my blog!

Well hell.. I'm just working on the basics If Cooper can do well, he'll go from being an outside dog to being an inside dog now that our little girl is a little bigger (and less fragile). We went for a walk today and he heeled the whole time which was amazing to me as we unfortunately haven't been able to go for walks in a long while (he's been getting his exercise in the yard playing frisbee and catch).

A myriad of things--

Seriously Working on: scent articles, heeling, drop on recall, not shaking after water retrieves until the dummy is in hand (field), steadying (field)

Kinda Working On:
Attention, finishes (occasionally sloppy, usually isolated in field with the auto finish), limp, fetch me a beer, signal exercises, broad jump, bubbles, straight fronts, field directions (baby stuff, no piles), opening trash can with paw and throwing away trash (I have each separate part but haven't gotten them put together)

Should be Working on: Figure 8, out of sight stays or just stays, stand for exam

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Gosh, this makes me think I SHOULD be working on something. Penny has achieved perfect pet status a few years ago so I've gotten lazy and not taught her anything new.

Could work on heel position but it's so unpopular with her that I hate to spoil her fun.

Or something to that effect.

I have exactly 17 more days before Jacks' first obedience trial. He should be OK, and as I told our instructor last Wednesday a good experience is a good experience even if we do NQ.

Then again, it is going to be a 2.5 hour drive to the show, so I'm hoping that it will be a qualifying good experience. And I want to place, dangit!

So daily goals until show time =

1. GET THE TREATS OUT OF MY POCKETS!!!!! (yes, I am screaming at myself for slipping back into that crutch).

2. Drive a distance and train somewhere away from home every day. I found a store front and parking lot that is like my own private training spot - which will be great. If only it weren't hideously hot this week.

3. Fix my body language, as I realize I'm unconsciously giving him cues that would deduct points (nodding my head right when I say "By me", moving the leash to fix the sit when entering the ring, BACKING AWAY while doing the stand for exam)

4. Stay, stay, stay, stay, stay <- etc.

5. Calm down and remember that training should be a ton of fun, especially with a glamorous golden like Jacks.

6. Did I mention I have to count my steps when leaving for the stand stay? Apparently points are deducted if you go more than 6 feet away. I've been training 10 feet away!

7. Figure 8's!

8. Is it bad if I'm more worried about the on leash heel then the off leash?

9. Verbal command finishes only - with 100% accuracy. I think I'm going to focus on the "by me" right now because he doesn't hit me in the face when he does it.

Three days in -
1. Only one treat per session so far.

2. I'm cutting timing down to ten minutes tops in the heat. Parking lot #1 was great the last couple days, but today it looked too busy. Had to move to a different parking lot today and there were a bit more distractions, like drive by gawkers.

3. Yes and no. He was lagging on the offleash today - probably because it's 95 degrees out and I wasn't moving fast enough from exercise to exercise so we could get back into the air conditioned car.

4. Stays at parking lots need work. Am also doing stays at home every night - I *heart* online stopwatches. He stays perfectly at home, so at least I know his groundwork is OK.

5. I'm trying to avoid overtraining. Like right now I'm going to do a quickie play-heel - even though I know I should let it be until class tomorrow. But because he was lagging, I want to remind him where heel position is.

6. I'm counting my steps!!!!!! Really.

7. I forgot to bring the arm and hammer detergent bottles with me today. Had to use my purse and training bag instead for posts. I still need to remember my footwork when coming out of the outside circle. I think there is something I can do to keep him in heel position.

8. Main thing I'm worried about the on leash heel is getting him settled into training mode when we enter the ring. Getting him settled without tugging at the leash. Ugh.

9. SCREAMS. He's decided he only wants to do swings (even though I'm focusing on "by me's"). I say "By me" and he jumps up and punches me in the chin with his nose. Fangled dog!

- If anyone else is working on something with their dogs, go ahead and post. I'm using this thread as accountability/blowing off nervous steam. I'd love to see I'm not the only one working on training this fall. Nudge. Nudge.


Five days in...

1. Need to practice 2 minute sit stays instead of 1 minute stays. J's broke two sits at 56 seconds and 58 seconds last night. P_P
- Just did a 2 minute sit stay and a 4 minute down stay. Perfect. We partied.

2. Continue to only practice "by me" finishes. He did them perfectly last night.

3. One success - I only used one treat in class, and only treated after the exercises!!!!

Scary and Fun/Exciting thing - I'm starting to get entry confirmations in the email. Four shows lined up for fall, including the one in 2 weeks. I have one more envelope to mail to MB-F today, and I should be set until the winter shows. There's at least one in January that I'd like to show at, er if we aren't three-legged by then.

The thing that I'm nervous about today? Whether I'll get my entry stuff in the mail from the one place I'm showing at this month. I've completely forgotten how this part works. And of course, our crazy mail lady still sometimes delivers our mail down the road because she can't read mailbox numbers (or something). ~.~

I plan on having a boatload of fun at each and every show!

Trying to train her with fetch thing but it's hopeless