We had a little impromptu training session as I wanted to see how Bella would handle some of the Graduate Novice exercises. Zane kept getting into the action, so I started working him too.
His fronts were so funny tonight. His "formal" front training started with chair fronts, then wall fronts, and now standing fronts. The chair fronts and wall fronts get them in very close and focusing straight up the middle of your body. He is coming in and almost laying his chin along my legs, looking straight up. So I threw in some angled fronts. He's coming in, lining up and looking straight up. If I move away, he is working to keep his chin along my legs - I think he thinks "front" means rest my chin on your legs!
So I started playing with it. If I pivot to the right while he is in front, he maintains his chin on my legs and sidepasses around me. If I do it to the left, he overcompensates and goes into heel and rear pivots. This boy is really learning to use his body!
I need to get this on video now - but of course, he won't do it tomorrow.
I was doing some dumbbell work with Bella and he grabbed the dumbbell too. So I did a couple of holds with him. I usually don't do any retrieve work while they're teething, but he was grabbing it, so I did. Two kind of chompy holds, then I made him to a good, tight hold, and ended.
Now he's playing with the big orange monkey I bought him at the dog show. I love this boy.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Napping
Yesterday evening I couldn't find Zane. He wasn't under my desk. He wasn't under the girls' desk. He wasn't under the table. He wasn't watching football with my husband. He wasn't in his crate. I finally went to the girls' room. . . and this is what I found.
He was napping with Jill in her bed while she read.
I was gone most of the day today stewarding at our dog show. When I got home, I was tired, so I lay on the couch for a little snooze. This is where he napped (my head had been on the pillow behind him).
Unfortunately, he's a little gassy, and his butt was right by my head. Thanks Zane.
He was napping with Jill in her bed while she read.
I was gone most of the day today stewarding at our dog show. When I got home, I was tired, so I lay on the couch for a little snooze. This is where he napped (my head had been on the pillow behind him).
Unfortunately, he's a little gassy, and his butt was right by my head. Thanks Zane.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Here's a Flash Session
We did a Flash Session this evening and I filmed it. I won't say it was our best, but you can see how we just do whatever comes into my mind. And doing it for kibble takes so long. . . he has to chew every bite, and I kept dropping pieces. But here it is.
What's your name?
Zane still has all his horrible nicknames. Yesterday I didn't know where he was, so I called, "Where's Booger Butt Head?" And he came running. Oy. I have got to stop calling him that!
I'm going to an APDT Rally trial next weekend, so for fun I've pulled out their rally signs and have played with them with Zane. He's so funny. "I can heel! I can heel! Oh look! It's Daddy! (boing, boing, boing) Hi Daddy!" He is also having issues with front if I stand straight up. He wants to swing into heel position. Along with wall fronts, I'm doing this: I toss a treat and tell him to go, then I place a treat between my feet and tell him front. He comes in and straightens up to get the treat between my feet. Then I toss a another treat. Back and forth and back and forth, then I "forget" to put one between my feet. He looks, then looks up at me, I ask for a sit, and he's in a nice straight front. It's all fun and games right now.
In December, there is an APDT Rally trial with a puppy class. He'll be old enough to enter. I may do it just to get a good laugh. A friend with a puppy just 2 days older than Zane is entering, and she wants to have another puppy in the class - no need being humiliated alone!
Our morning flash sessions are still a hoot. He's so eager to try things, and he did a down on a utility signal this morning. Of course, the next time I gave the signal, he looked at me like I was an idiot.
He has one baby tooth left - a canine. But. . . it has split in two. It doesn't seem to bother him as he's still tugging and chewing. It must already be dead as you can see the middle of the tooth.
I'm going to an APDT Rally trial next weekend, so for fun I've pulled out their rally signs and have played with them with Zane. He's so funny. "I can heel! I can heel! Oh look! It's Daddy! (boing, boing, boing) Hi Daddy!" He is also having issues with front if I stand straight up. He wants to swing into heel position. Along with wall fronts, I'm doing this: I toss a treat and tell him to go, then I place a treat between my feet and tell him front. He comes in and straightens up to get the treat between my feet. Then I toss a another treat. Back and forth and back and forth, then I "forget" to put one between my feet. He looks, then looks up at me, I ask for a sit, and he's in a nice straight front. It's all fun and games right now.
In December, there is an APDT Rally trial with a puppy class. He'll be old enough to enter. I may do it just to get a good laugh. A friend with a puppy just 2 days older than Zane is entering, and she wants to have another puppy in the class - no need being humiliated alone!
Our morning flash sessions are still a hoot. He's so eager to try things, and he did a down on a utility signal this morning. Of course, the next time I gave the signal, he looked at me like I was an idiot.
He has one baby tooth left - a canine. But. . . it has split in two. It doesn't seem to bother him as he's still tugging and chewing. It must already be dead as you can see the middle of the tooth.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Moving Stand
This morning's flash sessions included a moving stand. Zane was very confused at first. He wanted to drop, as that is what he's been working on. But after a couple of tries, he figured it out. It's definitely not fluent yet, but he got the idea.
He's done enough brickwork right now that his sits need some work. Instead of sitting straight, he always swings to get into heel position (or close to it). I'm doing a lot of wall fronts to remind him where front is, and I'm rewarding immediate sits if we're not working on front. Zane is learning about stimulus control - only offer the behavior when it is asked for. All dogs go through these stages. Have you ever taught a drop on recall, then your dog starts dropping on every recall even if you don't ask them to? Anticipation can be a great friend in training if you use it wisely.
He is now fluent on his rear pivots without the brick. Well, on the left side he is. The right side needs more work. He still has trouble getting into perfect "side" position. If I were doing freestyle, I'd be working it a lot more. But I'm not, so I don't.
Every morning Zane goes outside first thing to potty. When he comes back in, he is so cute. He acts like he hasn't seen me in two weeks and is full of wiggles and leaps and loving. We have to spend about 5 minutes just loving on each other before he can do anything else. My husband wanted a sweet, loving Aussie, and boy did we get one.
He's done enough brickwork right now that his sits need some work. Instead of sitting straight, he always swings to get into heel position (or close to it). I'm doing a lot of wall fronts to remind him where front is, and I'm rewarding immediate sits if we're not working on front. Zane is learning about stimulus control - only offer the behavior when it is asked for. All dogs go through these stages. Have you ever taught a drop on recall, then your dog starts dropping on every recall even if you don't ask them to? Anticipation can be a great friend in training if you use it wisely.
He is now fluent on his rear pivots without the brick. Well, on the left side he is. The right side needs more work. He still has trouble getting into perfect "side" position. If I were doing freestyle, I'd be working it a lot more. But I'm not, so I don't.
Every morning Zane goes outside first thing to potty. When he comes back in, he is so cute. He acts like he hasn't seen me in two weeks and is full of wiggles and leaps and loving. We have to spend about 5 minutes just loving on each other before he can do anything else. My husband wanted a sweet, loving Aussie, and boy did we get one.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
He Rallys! (Rallies?)
This morning at Rally practice, Zane got to run the course for the first time.
Ok, he didn't do the whole course. And he didn't do all the exercises in the part of the course he did. And I had food in my hand the whole time and heavily rewarded him.
But he still got out there and worked! He had some nice heeling, nice turns, he stood on command (but we didn't do the stand-walk around - he's not ready for that).
Baby boy is growing up.
Oh, and he lost another molar while he was there. He really is growing up.
Ok, he didn't do the whole course. And he didn't do all the exercises in the part of the course he did. And I had food in my hand the whole time and heavily rewarded him.
But he still got out there and worked! He had some nice heeling, nice turns, he stood on command (but we didn't do the stand-walk around - he's not ready for that).
Baby boy is growing up.
Oh, and he lost another molar while he was there. He really is growing up.
Flash Sessions
This morning Zane and I had great fun with our first "flash session". This term was started (as far as I know) by trainer Linda Koutsky. A flash session is a short, but intense, training session. Instead of working one thing, you mix and match and throw lots of things into the session. I usually do it to music (one song and you're done!), but didn't this morning.
So in about a 3 minute flash session this morning, we did finding heel, rear pivot from the left, finding side (right side), rear pivot from right, peek (coming up between my legs from the back), stand, heel, down in front, moving down (still needs lots of work), down in heel, get in, stand in front, stand in heel, down on signal, and I don't remember what else. It was all very quick, very fun, and it kept him very engaged and focused.
So in about a 3 minute flash session this morning, we did finding heel, rear pivot from the left, finding side (right side), rear pivot from right, peek (coming up between my legs from the back), stand, heel, down in front, moving down (still needs lots of work), down in heel, get in, stand in front, stand in heel, down on signal, and I don't remember what else. It was all very quick, very fun, and it kept him very engaged and focused.
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