Gunner and I played our longest mini course to date, and to start the night we did a practice run where I put away my bait pouch and used verbal praise without food rewards.
The new signs we practiced tonight for the first time included:
Moving Sidestep Right: Without hesitation and still heeling forward,
team takes one handler right diagonal step in heel position towards
sign.
Offset Serpentine Right: Three cones are set 6
- 8 feet apart for Novice
and Advanced; 4
-6 feet apart for Excellent and masters. The middle
cone is moved 3
- 4 feet to the right. The team enters with the first
cone on their right, and weaves through with the second offset cone
to their left and the final cone to their right. Entrance and exit for this
sign are straight on and do not create a turn for the entrance or exit.
45° Diagonal Left: Team makes a 45-degree turn to the left in heel
position.
Halt, Front Dog, Finish Left, Halt: Handler stops, dog sits in heel
position. Handler steps around to front of dog. Dog finishes back left
to handler to heel position, dog sits. Team heels forward moving in the
opposite direction they were traveling.
Gunner and I playing the mini course, we were experimenting for the first time without using food treats:
Gunner and I playing the mini-course using food rewards:
Pearls:
- Homework includes reinforcing optimum heel position. While heeling, Gunner's shoulder should remain at my pant seam
- Using a platform to improve and reinforce heel position is done by having Gunner on the platform, reinforcing for being in optimum heel position, then tossing a food treat away "Get it!" and then "Heel!" and reinforce when Gunner returns to optimum heel position on the platform
- Using a high rate of reinforcement keeps up motivation and interest
