Holy cow does she love the game!

Been a while since I posted!  Probably because I am busy with a puppy and three other dogs.

As the title suggests, Hoot is CRAZY about agility.  She loves everything about it.

Today I was working with her on a running dogwalk.  We are at the stage where we are transitioning from running on carpet to learning how to run on a plank.  She does think that running on the plank is overrated since it makes her think, but she is still a very willing partner.




For the first time today, she decided that she would much rather line herself up to run the plank again then play with a toy.  She was too busy to play with that toy or be rewarded.  I won't let that behavior persist (because reward and play are too important), but I did find it interesting.

I do adore training this girl, but I am the one who has to have the self-control.  She could so easily suck me into very bad habits (not asking for self-control) because she is so fun, willing, and obsessed.

The other big item that we are working on is obstacle commitment.  No surprising she always wants to follow motion as she should.  But, if I cue it she needs to take it.  So we are doing a fair amount of rewarding at obstacles, some Linda Mecklenburg foundation work on the flat to get that obstacle commitment a bit more solid.

That being said, she will send to a tunnel from about 50 feet now (thank you running dogwalk training).

Startlines while in motion--Score!!

Hoot is a fun little dog to train that is for sure!

Lately I have been working on a couple of things with her, impulse control, sends and start lines.

I try to keep each one of these skills balanced in terms of how much we work on them.  Hoot definitely has way more fun the more motion that is involved in our play.  But I need some control behaviors out of her in order to progress with her training.

Too much control she will ditch me for something more fun.

Too much action without foundation and things go south REALLY quickly.

It is a balance and we are figuring it out.

Impulse Control

My whole pack decided to have an intervention last night and sat me down.  They explained to me that it was time that Hoot loose some of her puppy license and that I begin to require some impulse control.

There is wisdom in this pack!

Here is a video of this morning's session.  Hoot has a really tough time with over stimulation on the agility field.  When she gets over stimulated (more instinct talking than conscious brain) she wants to keep her distance (watchful from a distance), can't come, can't follow commands and can't play.



I took her out and this is how she earned her breakfast.

I had several objectives.

• I wanted to keep the excitement level fairly low so that she could engage her brain
• I wanted her attention to be focused around me
• I wanted her to be able to demonstrate that she was consciously choosing to be with me and resist things that typically are irresistible

The recall foundation comes in with my basic belief, it is the dog's responsibility to keep track of me.  Not the other way around.  When I am walking in the woods or in a park, I want them to choose to keep checking in with me.  If I take another path, they need to keep track of me.  I am fine if they run around and wonder, but not OK if they don't check in.  I think that this makes recalls easier.  I have VALUE and they WANT to check in (hence COME). 

I was asking Hoot to choose to be with me.  If she runs off it won't be nearly as rewarding as what I have to offer when she sticks with me.

I worked a lot with her on my right side.  That is the side that is the toughest for her, she wants to cut behind me.  I was also helping very subtly.  When she would wonder off, I would change direction.

I am rewarding with food and play involving the tunnel, which is VERY high value to her.

When she has a good command of a session like today, I will start to use things with more excitement--toys, running, sending her to obstacles, other dogs, etc...

She is on fire!

Last night and this morning Hoot has been ON FIRE in her training.

We are working on smaller and smaller boxes (Silvia Trkman).  Last night I had a couple of boxes that I thought would be a nice challenge.  Put the box down, she hops in (all 4), nice duration and gives me that "what else you got mom?" look.  Both boxes, no problem, no thinking, just got it done.

We also worked a bit on shaping a "through".  Which is come from behind, in between my legs and stop.  I use this to line them up at the start line.  She got it in one session.  Brilliant little thing.

This morning we worked on recalls and tugging out on the field.  She is getting so much better about playing with me on the field and not doing her own little girl thing!  So we moved on to a couple of cones.  I have shaped the going around the cone in the house and am working on getting a nice send and drive out of the cone back to me.  She is JUST A PUPPY but I like how she is using her body so far.

We also worked on tunnels a bit.




She is so much fun to train.  Great ethic to work and always eager.

She's a keeper (but I already knew that)!

I have had Hoot for a week now and she has had so many life experiences.  Visiting kids at college, agility class, a USDAA Regional, wondering the backyard in discovery of new things.  She loves it all.

This little girl has such resilience.  I took her to a USDAA Regional.  She got to meet a ton of people ('cause everyone holds the puppy), many dogs, several puppies and a judge stole her.  In each of encounters with people she was happy, tail wagging and nose chewing.  With each of her encounters with dogs she was confident, thought for a moment, gave the proper signals and ending up playing with almost all of them.  Never once did she retreat or give up trying to figure something out.  I am impressed.

The sounds didn't bother her, nor all the dogs barking, she was solid.

It is really fun.  At a week you hardly know your puppy.  With each new experience she learns from,  you learn too.  All of this information is great so I can better know the type of dog I am training and shape her lessons appropriately.

Trick of the day:
She learned to put all 4 paws on a pillow.