Homework Practice

RR practice number 1 & 2 (well just recall, no one home to do the restrain part). I went home at lunch and after the potty stop we did three recalls. I did these from a sit at 10 - 15 feet with a tug toy as a reward they were a blast. I ate lunch played with my other dog and brought a crate outside, then I decided to do a few more. I got fly and used cheese as the reward. The first recall was great but with only food the next one was not as exciting. I will work with the crate tonight. The is one of the recalls coming out of a sit only about 10 feet apart.

Recall

He comes Fly on a recall, low distractions.We had a good series of training fun sessions today. All went well until Spark, Ana, and Lilly showed up. Fly knows there was no control when she stayed with them. Everything goes and it sure is fun. After a round with them I did a whole lots of Sit, Down, and Stands with Fly with Buckie and Lilly in the room. It went well. Outside with Lilly or Spark all hell breaks loose! Thanks for the crate games to go back to when chaos erupts.

Controlling the Enviroment

Home for lunch. After a potty stop did 10 fairly short recalls of 10 - 14 feet. Back inside with a great "Dog in the Box!" (that is my command to get in the kennel), a few kisses, and a good treat. Inhaled my lunch and I was off back to work.

Steve is out in the field now for 12 days and I just got him trained to help with recalling. Guess I need to get Max t help me now. He sleeps all day and does his school work at night - on-line classes. He needs training to help me, he he he he he he he.

Training help = car keys
Empty dishwash = stock the right food
Laundry (wash, dry & fold) = bandwidth

Come!

Just a quick little video. Steve got his new iPhone 4 yesterday and needed a reason to take video.

Four Days of Work Celebration!

We went to Hot Licks for an ice cream to celebrate all the good work we did this weekend. Fly managed to get much more than her share of the ice cream because everyone keep talking to me about the cure puppy.

Steve held Fly for explosive recalls so I didn't have to do them all from sits by myself. Fly flies! This really helped. We still have some trouble outside when the big dragon flies swoop down in front of Fly's nose, a level 10 distraction. Airplanes, helicopters, loud trucks on the road, the dogs barking next door (so constant it is background noise to Fly now), other road noise don't seem to provide any distraction to Fly. The bugs circling her nose are a big time problem. They are worse after 10 pm. We are light all night right now and that is wonderful. The sun sets after midnight. Tomorrow back to work for money and home to work for love.

The weekend is Still Busy

It is great to have four day weekends. I got to go to the agility trials three days, train my dogs, survey the land to get the dirt work done to make my agility yard (if there is money), build three more jumps so I can practice puppy jump stuff. We had lots of rain this weekend but some really nice times too. It is great now when most people have to go back to work.

NOW FOR MY HOMEWORK

Snacks/Cookies/Treats my dog loves.

1. Cheese in a can - cheddar is all I have tried so far (A+)
2. Steak (A)
3. Cheese chunks - Cheddar (A)
4. Cheese chunks - others (B+)
5. Yummy Chummies (B)


Toys - Reward I can tug with
1. Red Dog
2. Duckies (tug toy)
3. Pink Dog
4. Life Ring
5. Rope tugs - assorted
6. Fire cracker

Toys for play
1. Soccer Ball - she goes in to full tilt herding
2. Tennis Balls - loves to chase and round up a group
3. Frisbee - sometimes she really gets into it, this is the only thing that gets her barking

Fun for reward
1. Soccer (A+)
2. Run laps with tug toy! She wins! (A)
3. Chase me (B+)
4. Play with Lilly (dog) not often, but when she comes for a visit (A+)


Reward she wants to do
1. Get the charcoal out of the fire pit or chew at the burned wood
2. Chase Buckie round the house, big husky that is not fond of her yet.
3. Dig at the bed
4. Play catch me if you can
5. Pick flowers

For a while every time I put her back in her kennel she popped right away, even after have been given a opportunity outside. This got her out of the kennel again. I then put her in her small airline crate she has really out grown while I cleaned up. Presto no more popping in the crate! Broke that little self reward.

Recalls are good for a short while from any distance but after five minutes I need to bee within ten feet to keep them reliable. The tug reward is far better than any food reward. She will look for the tug but take the treat but has a non enthusiastic body language. She is just 3.5 month and keeping the longer attention is hard. I need to keep changing what we are doing to keep her interested when outside. Inside it is easier to keep working and treating in a less distracting setting.

First Trial

It is a big weekend here in Fairbanks with the three day Agility Trials being held at the fairgrounds. Fly gt invited to come camp in the tent with Luna and Piper who were competing. We were set up right at the front by the jumping events and right near the practice jump. The jump kept getting moved until it was right in front of Fly's kennel. Fly got to visit lots of people. Nothing like being a puppy! We also practiced recalls and sits and downs and targeting. Fly did real well with all the dogs and people around. After watching lots of runs there is no way me and my dog are going to any agility beyond puppy jumping until I have the slid recall. I saw lots of people in all classes have problems getting their dog back. Not many people were confident on their dog's hold and release at the start. I saw a lot of people not always watching their dog and "loose" them. Many dogs to a lot of work to down on the table, not so much when it was a sit. There were many a handler that could use some time at the gym. So I need to:

1. Get a super recall
2. Watch my dog
3. Keep and get in better shape
4. Build a confident start
5. Sits, Downs, and Stand need to be like clock work.
6. Have great FUN! with my dog.
   

Morning Fun

This morning we just played. Yes there were recalls and sits and chasing but the focus was fun. Fly got to win at the tug and take some victory laps around the yard with the pink dog. She herded the soccer ball and then dribbled it to me so I would kick it again. Slowly the dribble it to me is developing as part of our game playing. Steve mowed the lawn last night and it was much easier out there this morning.

Recall

Last night Steve was playing soccer with Fly. Soccer is one of Fly's most favorite things right now. Herding the ball is so much fun. I use it as a reward to play. I came outside and stood to the deck. They were playing and I called come once and Fly broke off the soccer game and flew to me around the cart, up the stairs, and made the U-turn on to the deck and sat at my feet. Wow! This picture wasn't that recall but another one. It is hard to take a picture and focus on the dog.

But it is Mine!

Fly sitting and waiting with a toy right there. Then the explosive joy once released to get the toy!