I made it through the Foundation Fundamentals DVD set. I really, really like them. For beginning dogs, she teaches like I do: teaching concepts rather than behaviors. That's what I'm doing with Zane - instead of focusing on teaching the dogwalk or the table or the tunnel or a perfect retrieve, I'm teaching concepts. Can you get on? Can you go through? Can you pick things up? Can you find front? Can you do "stupid pet tricks"? All of these things teach concepts that will be used later for real behaviors.
As I watched the DVD, I kept trying different things with my dogs. I took lots of notes. And we played with some of the stuff this evening. Had you ever thought of using your legs as jump bumps? I hadn't! But what fun!
This evening I played with lots of things - stacking (conformation style), jumping legs, touching a target on my leg and following it, pound-a-ball, and played our scent games. With the pound-a-ball, he will now do all 4 balls for one reward, but the first three are usually with his nose, and the last one is usually with his paw. He's such a goof. On the scent games, he is now picking out the correct item when 2 or 3 are out. Sometimes he goes to the right one right away - they are all identical! How does he know?
Zane really, really hates having his butt hair brushed. Deal with it boy. We're going to brush it every day until you stop fighting it! This wasn't a problem before, but he's getting more hair back there now, so it takes more work.
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