Back to more regular training schedule this week. I am recording results, observations, and suggestions following each session and setting up my next session's plan. I must admit that it is paying off. Is is almost frightening how much progress we seem to have made. I did notice at the end of last session that I had not worked on sit and down stays for two sessions. Will need to be sure we work on them next. I don't know how I missed them when writing down the next session's plan. Backtracking a bit to correct some errors I appear to have missed. Also changing the way I had planned to train some things. Since this is the first time I've trained these exercises from this point of view I suppose it shouldn't surprise me, but is a bit disappointing. There is also the possibility that in looking at them from a different point of view I may see more possibilities than I did before. When you train with a choke collar you train so clumsily compared to training with a clicker. I would almost compare it to carving with an axe as compared to carving with a knife. You can get so much more detail and finesse.
Heeling-Looks really good. Beginning on figure 8 and I do not see a problem. Need to get some time back in the club's training building so I can get more distance work in. Have decided to shape slow and fast paces similar to how I did the normal pace. Just started that yesterday and it looks promising. Had chained the halt but notice now that the sit at heel was crooked or has become so. Will remove the halt until I get the sit at heel better.
Stand for Exam-Built duration with me next to Casey to 20 seconds. Also have steady stand with touching head and shoulders from his right; need to add touching the hindquarters and doing it from his other side. He holds the stand well as I take a step away and return (about 3 ft.). I want to try a return as well as adding distance with duration. Took Casey to conformation class and had male instructor go over him a few times. Will do this a few more times just working on his staying steady.
Recall-Need to get back to the club building so I can work on distance. When he's really exuberant he jumps on me before sitting at front. Last session he didn't jump on me, but he stopped further back than I'd like. Apparently he's working on stopping without jumping. Finish right is good. Finish left would be better if sit at heel were not crooked so we've pulled that out of complete practice for right now.
Group Stays-Skipped two sessions working on these so we're a bit behind where I'd like. Ready to go to 1 minute stays with me next to Casey. I want to start returns, and begin adding some distance with shorter duration. Have been doing them with one of my other dogs staying beside Casey. I may take advantage of the clicker obedience class I'm teaching and have him do sits and downs with them. It would be good practice.
If all goes well, and the weather cooperates, I'll take Casey out places to practice. He's done fairly well the little we've done, but I need to make a concerted effort. Also may need to cut sessions a bit. I feel like we're working too long too intensely. Since I can't get more than one session in daily at best, I may have to break things up into heeling, stand for examination, and stays and just do two of them switching off. I'm confident enough in the recall that I think we can just touch it a few times to keep it fresh.
