He's my boy!

Yesterday afternoon, Zane kept coming up and watching me. He was trying to tell me to get off my duff and go train him! So I did. (This is exciting to me, as Travis, my perfect *heart* dog would always come beg to train. I love that attitude!) We're having bitter cold temps right now, so I didn't want to go outside. What could I do inside? I pulled out his contact board and started working contacts! Yesterday I shaped him to get on the board, then to step off with his front two feet. Today we continued with lessons 2 and 3.




We're also working his stand-stays. He kept wanting to turn and face me. I had to think of a way to keep him facing forward. I put a treat on the ground in front of him and asked him to stay as I walked around. If I got past his bum, I released him forward to the treat. I gradually moved farther and farther forward on my way around until I could pause in heel position before releasing him. If he moved a foot (or more), I simply picked up the treat and asked him to try again.




For another video today, I started working on the finger hold, which will lead to the dumbbell hold for the retrieve.

Yesterday evening he got a roll of toilet paper out of the bathroom and was chewing on it. Here he is trying to be innocent. "Toilet paper? I don't know anything about toilet paper."


And here are Bella and Zane napping together at my feet.