Progression is going really well with Jackie. So much so that I am starting to fantasize about her future education. Certainly Jackie has demonstrated HIGH herding drive. That can be challenging, but can be shaped into awesome results as well.
In thinking about her foundations, and also wanting to share my happy news with a friendly ear, I reached out to an agility trainer that has helped me with decision-making for Gunner. Robin Barber (a Karen Pryor Academy graduate and a Canine Fitness Trainer Fenzi Academy graduate) of Cowtown Dog Sports was gracious in giving me her time. I appreciated Robin affirming we’re on the right track with Jackie, and Robin agreed that official education can begin gradually. Robin asked how Gunner is doing, and gave me some excellent advice which was: work with Gunner alone one-on-one as well as working with Jackie one-on-one. This way Gunner will remain happy and feel valued (and trust me, he is HIGHLY valued) while not over-doing things for him in the heat by running around too much with Jackie.
(As an aside, Gunner is under the care of a residency trained canine cardiologist [thank you Dr. Rebecca Fields Bennie for your excellent care!] for a heart condition which he now takes medication to slow the progression. Due to that sobering reality, I have partially “retired” Gunner from full agility and other hard-core athletic endeavors. Ironic that having a too large heart is Gunner’s downfall, isn’t it?)
Robin suggested that waiting to enroll Jackie in a small group class setting after several weeks of getting to know Jackie could be ideal. My plan includes starting Jackie with basic obedience and building a solid foundation to progress into dog sports, with our thoughts on obedience and especially agility. For now I am continuing to capture desired behaviors with positive reinforcement, build value for a marker, and allow Jackie and me time to bond and establish an excellent relationship.
There’s an agility dog in there!
Pearls:
- A support system of people-whose-opinions-matter is a helpful resource; having a mentor is key to success
- Heart disease is a big fat bummer
- Continue working one-on-one with the established dog so they feel valued as well as working with the new dog
- Good ol’ operant conditioning is your friend
No comments:
Post a Comment