The agility training has started back. I had about a month off and mom took me to Love on a Leash on Wednesday night and I ROCKED! I was fast and very interested...I guess I needed a break!
Mom wants to take over my blog tonight to talk about...you guessed, it HASTEN. (Imagine snarly face here.) I guess I will let her. I have been liking Hasten more...see below for proof.
http://www.peakperformancedogsports.webs.com
She also met her first cows and horses. The cows really seemed to bother her...I guess all that staring makes her uncomfortable. She also found the goat "Stranger" that showed up on my parents' property about 2 years ago. That was very funny--she actually did a double take(Which one of these is not like the other one). She handled all the new experiences nicely.
She also went to her first beach. We went to Ft. Pickens and to the Gulf.
The waves of the Gulf bothered her---they wouldn't stop chasing her!
Tonight I took Hasten to the training building to work on a few things. We had some really great experiences. To start with, I should mention what I have been working on at home:
-targeting (touch and pounce)
-teeter banging (with teeter about 6 inches off the ground)
-running the length of the teeter (mostly flat)
-sending over a jump
-going through a baby tunnel
-running on flat boards to simulate the beginning of running contacts
So, at the building we started with her favorite thing...the tunnel. We 1st worked with the big almost U-shaped tunnel under the dog walk. Going toward the bottom of the dogwalk, I forgot that she is just a baby dog---just turned 5 months and that when I step away to go around the dogwalk, she is going to see me out of the corner of her eye and go with me. So, we did the other end 1st a few times and then I tried the dogwalk end--but supported it with going into the slot a little--in two times she had the confidence and the know-how to fly through with great abandonment!
Then we tried the S-shaped tunnel under the Aframe. Again, she did fine with me on the same side of the tunnel--but not when I ran around the Aframe. I went back to supporting it, and she got it in 3 tries. I then added a jump at each end of the tunnel and worked on that combination. I did work on waiting. This is NOT Hasten's strong point...but she is getting better. She is trying to be patient.
Next we worked on 2 x 2's. I have not worked on these with her before--so we just started with the 1st step--and worked on turning it to a small angle. She caught on pretty fast---but I need more instruction before I can go any further.
As I was adjusting the 2 x 2s, Hasten became impatient--in her VERY operant mood--and decided to go take the whole indoor chute by herself...twice! She has done the chute about 8 or 9 times before but with someone holding it up, just a little. Clearly, we don't need the help anymore. So, I built from that---we added the tire. Hasten had not met the tire until tonight. She did very well--- when she was too focused on me, she ducked under the supports...but that only happened about 3/10 times.
So, now we have the chute and the tire in sequence. No problem---other than me needing to move my butt faster! I then added a 90 degree winged jump after the tire. She rocked it!
We then worked on her contacts. Scott had been out in the car listening to Sirius radio and the Packers game, but he came in to help me with backchaining her contacts on the dog walk. I brought out ham and I thought she was going to lose her mind! Scott held her on the lower end of the dogwalk and she wriggled and struggled freaking out to get to the ham!!! I waited at the end with the sacred ham. The 1st few looked pretty similar to dog diving...so we took her down even lower---right above the line between yellow and blue. That worked and we backed up from there and had great contact practice for about 20 reps.
We then moved to the aframe. Scott and I lowered it and began. We did not have as good as luck on the aframe---she got really hoppy--no matter how low we started her. There were about 6/10 good ones---so not awful--but not very consistent. I realize that I am probably overly sensitive to the weaker contacts--but I don't want to have any bad habits starting.
Overall, it was an excellent time of working with her. She is eager and happy to work and is showing how more operant she is becoming every day. She is demonstrating one really funny behavior. When you don't give her enough information quick enough...or for instance, when I ask for her to "wait"--she makes these funny half growl/half yip sounds that sound likes she is saying "Hurry up woman and give me some direction! YOU are not fast enough!" She made Scott and I laugh so much tonight. She is a delight to train--I only hope we can keep this up! She never tired...never looked bored, would have worked forever--but she had received ALL the calories she needed!
Well, that is all for now. Happy New Year everyone!
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