First off Lael and I need to make a decision on which class Makin will do next. We will either be doing Continuing On or a 6 week weave pole course. I think we are leaning toward the weave poles though. With spring around the corner it may be nice to buy the poles and get working on this very challenging piece of equipment. As we are currently in an apartment, we will have to set the poles up in my folks yard and practice after work every day.
Yes the girls are extremeley spoiled, they go to the park ever morning with me and then I am able to drop them off with my parents for the day. We save a ton of money on walkers and I get to spend an hour in the woods running, mountain biking, snow shoeing, or just enjoying a nice walk. I digress.
Makin did great tonight. I was very happy with her wait on the contact board. We are now trying to distance orselves from the board. As we moved away we did notice Makin's butt slid of the board a bit. Not sure how to handle that. I will need to remember to ask next week. We also worked on a small sequence which consisted of tunnel, jump, and table with a down. Makin did great and even though it is a slow down on the box, it was still a down. She seems to enjoy the tunnel. We also worked briefly on the teeter. Makin has no fear which is nice. The teeter is definetely something that would cause Tessa to have a melt-down right now. I am glad we are waiting on agility with her. Hopefully we can start her this summer!
As always the biggest challenge is the silly human stuff. Inconsistent body language can so easily cause confusion for the dog.
Oh yeah, Shaya and Tom impressed me again today. Shaya has taught Tom to pick things up and hand them to her. Very cool! Sounds like Tom has a lot of cool tricks!
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Does she consistently slide off one way or the other? Can put a gate up on the side her butt slides off as a guide a few times to help teach her that she can't slide her back feet off no matter where your position is. Then take the gate away and see if she gets it after. Most dogs do.
I think that Makin does have fear, she just shows it in a different way then Tessa. And she is in general a more confident dog, with more trust in you folks, and more willing to try things even if she is a bit nervous, rather than want to leave the situation as Tessa does.
Good job last night!
Thanks.
She tends ti slide off on the away side or the side opposite where we are. It changes depending which side we are on. It is almost as though she is turning to face us.
You are right about the fear thing. When those ears slide back you know something is going on in that head.
Did you notice any particular instances where Makin seemed uncertain/nervous and are we acting appropriateley? If not, do you have suggestions.
Wow lots of questions.
Last one. If you were us, weave poles or continuing on. I know the decision is our and we are leaning towards the poles but would like your input. Thanks.
Maybe one more! What can we do with Tessa next?
Something elseto consider (possibly with a small gate), I know you are cramped for space in the apartment, but your board doesn’t need to be 6’. You could use a 2’ or 3’ piece and train the same “wait” behavior. I would raise the bar for Makin - if her hind leg slips off, “Good try, girlie” but only 4 on the board gets a click and reward. She’s a smart cookie, I am sure she would get it pretty quickly. Intersperse board training with commands she has a really good handle on so board-work doesn’t become too repetitive, stressful, or just plain drudgery.
You humans are doing great! The learning curve in handling is steep and it constantly evolves!
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