Friday, May 8, 2009

a little work and some classy class

worked the dogs a little today. actually, twice - maybe to make up for the absolutely nothing they did for the week i was sick????

did heeling at the clinic - worked rah first in the parking lot. tried heeling on the grass, but it hadnt been mowed and it was so soggy i almost killed myself. he did nice - when i stopped and was giving him loose leash he went to sniff but asking him to set back up he went back to me and was heeling with his head up and was with me the entire time. berlin was having a heart attack that i left her so i got her out and she was very nice. i think i just think her heeling is so much better outside because she's forging (i can see her a lot better) but her heads up, she's driving into me and forward a lot more, and she's just much more UP. ill try to get videos tomorrow. it was almost 85 though, so we only worked a short bit.

came home and worked agility with berlin - backchaining the direct sends, and did some tunnel work.

hmmm - thursday classes.

novice - with rooroo. i worked her just on a choke tonight, no prong. started with splitting the class up - one person would do an individual heeling pattern while everyone else working fig8's and then fronts/finishes, stands, etc. berlin was first to go with the heeling - i need to make sure im tightening up my arms when i turn, and terry thought that maybe my not walking in straight lines (ARGH) is whats making her have inconsistent positions.

worked her fig8s - worked on backchaining the right outer turns and getting her to push through them and she did MARVELOUSLY through it - by the end the minute i hit that right turn she was pushing into me and running around to get her cookie :) fronts, finishes, were ok - need to work on them she was a little flat. stand was ok. recalls were nice. stays perfect .

open - i didnt really work rah much because i was so tired and couldnt handle three in a row - i switched off between berlin and rah for this class. worked rah for the DOR games, then skipped out on heeling entirely. brought out berlin to do ROF, and she was doing awesome - in fact, she tried to steal eco's db!!! then i brought out the high jump and sent her over an 8 inch jump for the db and she went over without any hesitation and took it and brought it back to a perfect front - i ended on that first one, it was perfect and i couldnt ask for anything better. introduced her again to the broad jump and she was doing well going over for a toss of the food or cookie. worked rah over a few of them as well.

utility - articles were PERFECT - he was raring to go, barking and so eager to go!!!! ran out for the first one, got it immediately and hit a perfect front! sent him for the second, he found the metal article, but wanted to double check the article - but when he went to search the rest of the pile he accidentally kicked the article out of the pile. i thought for sure we were done at that point, but good for him he kept looking for the article and FOUND IT and came back in for a good front!!!! we ended on that - cant get any better!

gloves - 1 and 2 were good, pivot to 3 is still bad. i need to stop leaning over him and just do the pivot and mark it. work on that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

moving stand - needs work. signals - just stood him, and he did some good jobs on that. i need to make sure i stand him, then give a clear wait before i leave him.

go outs - he did the same crap as last week - where he went out turned, but didnt sit. AGAIN. we were so confused. i went to put his front box out there to have something to sit on, and he goes out, turns and does a perfect sit?!?!?!?!? the only thing we can think of is that when we were doing this, we had taken away the thin line that marked the front of his "space" that indicated where he was to turn - and without it, it didnt indicate to him to sit?!?!?!?

who knows what he thinks sometimes.

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