I don't do resolutions, I am setting goals. One of them is to train my dogs (Duncan and Keeper) 5 minutes, each day. There's so flex in there as to whether it's 5 minutes total for both dogs, as I wanted to set myself up to achieve it, even on bad days. So far, 4 days straight, even with the rest of life going on.
The dogs enjoy the daily training. Sometimes it's easy stuff, just sits and downs, sometimes I ask for more. Duncan's remembering to tuck into the kneehole in the kitchen desk, and we're doing the "everydoggie sit here" part of backchaining that I hope to build to "doorbell rings, dogs sit behind the carpet line and leave the front hallway empty." Eventually. Even the Setters come out to play that game.
Keeper gave me three play retrieves on the plastic dumbbell without food in the room on a separate session of work. I think she would have done more, I made myself quit on a high note (and toss the dumbbell for Mr. Fetchhead Duncan who is jealous of my throwing anything for any other dog.)
We've been working on the parts of the retrieve (take, hold, give) as well as clicking lifting it out of my hand or off the floor. I was wondering how much of the quick-spit was the desire for food, so I tried her on just tossing the dumbbell while she was sitting next to me. Very much based in play/prey drive, but good reactions.
She ran, grabbed it (twice before it stopped moving, she was hustling) and brought it back to me through varying levels of other dogs as distractions (it was an impulse trial, not something I really set up). She brought it back, sat in front of me, and held it for a second or two until I could get my hand on it and say "give." Really pleased with this, considering when she came home she didn't always chase and pick up toys, and never brought them back.
No comments:
Post a Comment