We have four weeks before our Obedience/Rally debut. I am pleased on the whole with the progress we've made (one of the real benefits of keeping a log), but feel annoyed and frustrated by the imperfections I see. We have things yet to work on and have time yet to do so if I'm diligent. Another advantage of keeping a training log is that I record potential challenges that I see and they are right there in front of me, not conveniently forgotten.
Saturday Casey and I went to our club's monthly Competition Novice class where a couple of OTCH level dog trainers do some coaching and run-throughs. They use positive methods and have done some clicker. As a group the Novice dogs did some heeling around the ring, stands for exam, sits and downs. Casey did fine with the long sit and down with me at 6 ft. I found this very impressive as we haven't done a 3 minute down in training and just did 1 minute stays this past week. We also did a run-through to assess where we were in training. I learned that I need to get my handling part of this routine down. I found holes in my handling that the "judge" thankfully didn't mention. Casey was easily distracted during heeling, but when he was on he was on. Halts were not the best, but we just started adding those back into our heeling routine. Slow pace was very good, on fast pace he has a joyful little leap we need to control. Recall was good. Finish left, he got distracted so he sat crooked. Stand for exam he kept moving to face the judge when she approached. Figure 8 he was distracted by the posts, but we've just started figure 8's. On the way home we stopped at two area parks to do a little practicing in different environments with low distraction. We'll be doing field trips the next few weeks and doing some attention work. Going to look through Leslie McDevitt's book Control Unleashed for some help with focus and distractions.
Heeling-Good for moderate distances and with turns. Have been doing figure 8's without posts and with my two other dogs as posts. May use one of Bob Bailey's suggestions and get a couple of helium balloons to practice with. Slow pace is good. Going to the club this week so I have room to shape the fast pace. If weather cooperates I can do this in the back yard too.
Stand for Exam-Have taken Casey twice to conformation class to have someone go over him. Will continue to do so and enlist everyone that I encounter. I want plenty of safe opportunities for him to practice standing still as someone else touches him. The stand stay itself is good. I will backchain the exercise.
Recall-Recall is good. Have started doing more distance from sit-stay. Will have to watch my handling.
Finishes-Still practicing finishes separately. Both are good when he's focused. When he's off, the right finish is better.
Group Stays-Did some stays with Casey and Toby, maybe I'll add Ashley as well. Have both sit and down good at one minute with me at six foot. Will continue adding to duration up close. Will also add some distance and do some walk aways with returns. Stays with walkarounds have been fine.
Distractions-Making field trips beginning this week. Will lower expectations and see how far I need to lower criteria at any given place. There are several city parks we can use, at least two retailers we can go inside, the downtown area, a shopping center nearby, and the university campus. We may be doing some "Look at That" and capturing attention.
In the back of my mind is this thought that we'd be further along if I still used a choke collar, but I know this is not true. I would simply be cleaning up problems (crooked sits, slow sits, crooked fronts, turns, heel position) that I don't have; they've been taken care of already. I remind myself that this is like making a vegetable or meat and cheese tray. (I used to work in a supermarket) It is not the assembly of the tray that takes so much time, it is the preparation: selecting, washing, peeling, slicing, etc. Once the pieces are ready, putting the tray together is a snap, and a fun chance to use your creativity. It's the same with clicker training, it is the preparation of the parts that takes the time. When we start putting the exercises together we can relish the fun and pride in a job well done.
