Today is one of those nights that make me love training so so so so much!
Bing is doing so well! He is finally building a firm understanding of cues. Ocassionally he makes mistakes, but overall everything is a lot better. His stay is getting longer. I say 'spin' and 90% of the time he spins. I say 'kennel' and 90% of the time he goes into the kennel. Of course, there is improvement to be made, but I think adding a hand signal has helped so much!
Also, Mr. Darcy and I had fun tonight. Like I said before I am trying to make the training a bit more challenging to him then to Bing because I think he really needs the challenge to keep his interest. So tonight, I move around the bathroom a lot more with him asking him to 'touch'. I also asked him to go into his kennel away from my usual spot and at first he was really really confused. I went back to my usual spot and asked for kennel. He went in no problem. Then I moved to a , different place and asked for touch first, then when he got that I asked for him to go into his kennel. Again, he was a little confused, but then the light bulb went on and he hopped right into it. Just like Bing he is finally really understanding that my words really do have a meaning.
I am oh so proud of him, both of them!!
And then I was able to raise the bar for the jumping even higher. It is so much fun to watch him think. He was going around the set up and hopping on the boxes trying to make it easier for himself. Finally, he just jumped over it! HURRAH!!!
I need to start shaping that behavior so he jumps over it without touching the bar. Because right now, he hops onto it and then off of it. ::)
I was also thinking about teaching him to walk across the bar. Hehehehe I am coming up with so many ideas because of him. LOVE IT! Maybe I could make a chinny obstical course. How much fun! I think he would absolutely love it. The only problem is I am not good at building things.
I think training is going to progress so much faster now that they (hopefully) know to watch out for cues as well.
Absoltuely thrilled about tonight,
Nay
