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.

Fronts

This is how I've been teaching Zane to front. I combined work from Laura Romanik and Chris Bach.

Make Some Noise!

Zane is mildly noise sensitive. It's not bad, but it is more than I want. So I have started a program where *he* has to make the noise for a reward.

We started with a toy electronic piano - he pressed the keys with his paw, he got a reward. He did get a little hesitant, but we persevered and he succeeded.

Next was a pile of milk jugs connected with a string. He pulled it around to make noise. No problem. In fact, I had it attached to my waist and dragging while Bella was heeling, and Zane was attacking the milk jugs. No problem there.

Today it was Poochie Bells. I shaped him to pick them up and carry them to me.

I will continue to look for ways for him to make noise. Knocking over buckets or cans, dropping silverware in a metal bowl, etc.

When he knows he can control the noise, he won't be as fearful of it.

Fronts. . . oh my

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.

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.

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.