Well, it is officially summer and way over 100 degrees, I am not a fan of the heat! Having to work three dogs in this heat really is an incentive to plan my sessions, have everything ready and know exactly what I want to work on and keep the sessions short.
In trials Breeze has CONSISTENTLY done a 2020 when she is on my left side going over the dog walk, and done a four on the floor when she is on my right side. All the recent trials have had the dog walk on the left side so I have got a 2020 consistently, a beautiful 2020, but not a four on the floor. I really just thought it was doing the job so if she gave me a four on the floor or a 2020, it would all be good, until I talked to Daneen Fox at the trial last weekend and she gave me her opinion about remaining consistent and making sure criteria was black and white and always the same-I am glad I asked her about it. As soon as she voiced her concerns I knew she was so right, and I do not want to have to remember to keep the contacts on the dog walk different for different sides of the dog walk, it would be so much easier if she is supposed to do one behavior no matter what way we are going! See how picky I can get? I went to practice today at the yard and got some video of her dog walk contacts. Guess I am going to just have to keep training it and hope it all kicks in and if she does the 2020 in the next trial then I will know it is a trial thing, either way I am going to have to find some fun matches and different places to keep working it and see if we can fix this problem. I was suprised to see my four on the floor was back at my house and at the practice yard, the last few days anyway...So I will be anxious to see what contact the next trial will have in about ten days if I keep working and doing frequent reps until that time.
BREEZE CONTACTS, ABOUT THIRTY SECONDS IN I GOT SOME MORE CLOSE UP SHOTS OF WHAT THE FOUR ON THE FLOOR IS LOOKING LIKE-I LOVE WATCHING HER STRIDE INTO POSITION.
Breeze did NOT get to go to class last night, it was so hot and she had counter surfed and got about 2 1/2 pounds of Natural Balance I had set out to cut up for treats. Of course right after that my husband gave her her dinner and she ate all that too!!! Is Breeze a little food motivated? She likes her vittles! I was scared she was going to get really sick and more then a little annoyed. I did not want her to go out in that heat and run and get bloat or something, so no agility for her!
Liz did get to go to class-she is doing so good but I have got in the habit of using my arms to tell her where to go a lot, and she waits for me to give my late hand cue and gets frustrated and mad. I am working hard on not using my hands and teaching her to trust my feet and body again which will give her much more timely info and help with her frustration, me and Lizzie are always a work in progress!
This is Lizzie this morning at our little practice, just loving life and how I usually see her, she is always so happy and I just love seeing her smile! She really is the best doggie ever! She is a smart doggie with the water because it was over 100 degrees!!! Did I mention it was HOT?
I did get some video of the CRICKSTER doing baby dog agility and I will post those later, she is just soooo cute!