Treibball with Jackie: A Rudimentary Gather

Jackie made her first successful gather! Once each individual cue is understood, they begin to come together quickly. 

Pearls:

• For "Walk up!" continue to use small increments of teaching each individual step so Jackie understands "Walk up!" means take a few steps until she hears "Whoa!" which means to stand in place. 

• Continue to reinforce confident "Go out!" with distance. Alternate sending the dog on her outrun from both directions, so the dog is used to going both clockwise and anti-clockwise while flanking the stock (ball).  

Clockwise outruns

Jackie makes her first rudimentary gather, fetch, and pen of the stock (ball):

Hiking with Meggie

Every day with Meggie is an adventure! From our scenic river hikes to the thrill of chasing tennis balls, she's soaking up every moment and blossoming into a true explorer. Join this journey of discovery with Meggie by your side!

Apply to adopt Meggie at BCSAVE.

Meggie playing ball: https://youtube.com/shorts/7EBW0GAFvnI?si=wgxbcIVoJ_7sMls5

Noswork with Jackie: Buried, Interior, and Super Single Searches

Jackie tackled various new searches, including water and wind challenges, demonstrating improved alerting behavior and proficiency finding buried scents. Despite minor distractions, Jackie's performance was impressive, prompting preparation for trialing and emphasizing the importance of trial environment familiarization and strategic training tactics. 

Jackie looking smarmy in her nosework harness and matching custom 10-foot Mendota lead

Jackie played several new searches today, including multiple hides buried in water and an outdoor search in the wind called a super single.

She also practiced interior searches finding multiple hides, and hides buried in sand. My ability to read Jackie's alert signal, freezing and holding nose on source, is getting stronger every time we play. 

The super single is where a single hide is hidden three to four feet above the ground surface level, far away from the start line, with the scent source placed upwind on a windy day so it is blowing directly toward the dog. 

It was interesting watching Jackie use her nose in the wind. At the startline, far from the super single source, Jackie immediately alerted on the startline cone. This would be a "false" alert at a trial, as scent is never placed on the startline cones themselves (though scent can be placed on the same plane as the startline). 

After our coach planted the super single source, she then returned to the start line and placed the cone. We're convinced Jackie alerted on the cone because of residual scent from the coach's hand. 

Once we removed the smelly cone, Jackie quickly picked up the scent and ran to source, hopping up on her hind legs to smother the source, hidden about four feet up the building's wall, giving her alert signal. It was so easy for Jackie but I was impressed!

Jackie effortlessly and quickly found all the buried scents, both in sand and in water. She struggled a bit with the interior search, quickly alerting the first source but then getting distracted by a dog poop bin and returning to the already found source placed just next to the smelly bin. We re-started the search and Jackie found the last hide.

Jackie made quick work of finding multiple buried hides in water, even with distractions

Pearls:

• It's time to preemptively join the National Association of Canine Scent Work (NACSW) in anticipation of trialing. Since Jackie has her Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL) lifetime number from AKC, we're solid for AKC events.

• Volunteering at scent work trials is a great way to learn many of the ins and outs of a trial environment in preparation ahead of one's first trial.

• Scent hides will never be placed on a start line cone at a trial.

• There are regulations about how close scent hides are placed together (or apart) at trials, so be sure to know the rules of each association before trialing to stack the cards in your favor.

• A quick game of tricks (think spin, nose touch, any quick game) with rewards to reset your dog if they are struggling at a trial is fair play, so use this tactic if needed. A quick refresher game with rewards is helpful during training if your dog is struggling and needs to reset.

Jackie is triumphant in front of the hide buried in sand

Jackie Learns To Recover a Treibball

Jackie's herding adventures continue as she masters the art of recovering her "sheep" when it strays into a corner. 

There is no verbal cue for this behavior, the cue becomes the situation itself when a treibball is stuck and needs to be recovered. But first the handler reinforces the dog for doing the correct behaviors.

Pearls:

• When teaching "Walk up!" it is okay to use multiple mats to mark where the dog would "Whoah!" Eventually, fade using the mat after Jackie understands that "Whoah!" means stop and stand still until cued "Walk up! again. 

• Continue to build value for "Go out!" with distance.

• Play "Come by!" and "Away!" to keep those cues fresh and consistent.

• Always reward the dog with the treibball between the dog and the handler, with the dog oriented toward the handler.

Clip of Jackie recovering her treibball from corners:

Hiking with Jackie and Meggie

Jackie, Meggie, and I went for a hike today at Sansom Park Falls. For me it was a challenging hike and the girls loved it too.

Video clip of Jackie hiking: https://youtube.com/shorts/n4qfA7f9D48?si=eeYIyrtH7wUzz2Dv

Jackie Nosework: Items and Interior Multiple Room Searches

Jackie is enjoying playing nosework.

Jackie did a great job searching two scent finds hidden in a circle of baby socks. She searched larger rooms for the first time and a multiple-room search that included a challenging bathroom. 

Jackie searched three different multi-room areas and after struggling a bit in the first two rooms did a great job quickly finding the scent sources in the final room search. 

Pearls:

• I am learning to recognize Jackie's alert body language and continuing to reinforce Jackie freezing in place and holding her nose directly on source.

• Once Jackie finds a source in a multiple-hide search, pay at source then gently pat Jackie twice on the hindquarter saying "Find more!" to cue Jackie to continue searching for additional hides. 

• Never pay twice if Jackie returns to the same source after being paid for finding it initially. If she struggles with returning to an already found hide during training, simply remove that hide from the search area and start the search again. 

Jackie at the startline in front of her search area of baby socks.

Basic Manners Week Three with Meggie

Meggie is brilliant in basic manners. 

Meggie clinching "Leave it!"

Pearls:

• This week we reinforced name recognition and played nose touch, where Meggie touches a target (my hand) when cued "Touch!"  

• Meggie did exceptionally with the challenging sit-stay while the handler circles around the dog.

• We advanced to playing phase three of "Leave it!" where Meggie ignores cookies tossed on the floor.

• We practiced greeting a friendly stranger by playing "Get it!" where Meggie eats cookies scattered on the floor while a stranger pets her.

• Meggie aced loose leash walking with distractions including people and puppies nearby.

• We learned phase one of emergency recall, using a special cue "Lucky! Lucky! Lucky!" and jackpot with a million-dollar treat once, and ONLY once, daily.

• We practiced "Place!" by reinforcing Meggie settling calmly on her mat.

Beginner Treibball with Jackie

Jackie graduated to Beginner Treibball. In this new six-week class, we'll continue learning skills such as "Walk up!" "Get back!" and build on Jackie's previously learned herding cues.

Pearls:

• Play "Walk up!" by asking Jackie to walk a step or two, then say "Whoah!" for her to halt, and reward. Gradually work to reward once for every three walk-ups offered.

• Continue building distance for the "Go out!" target cue.

• Play "Go out!" with an object, such as a basket or hassock, in front of the target so Jackie gets used to positioning herself with the ball between her and the handler.

• Begin to fade the "Front!" cue and allow Jackie to organically arrange herself facing the handler with the ball in between, ready to be pushed toward the handler. 

Brief clip of Jackie playing "Push!"

Meggie Basic Manners Week Two

Meggie is acing Basic Manners at Lucky Dog Training! She's rocking nose touches, sits, "Leave it!" and down stays,  -- all while turning it into a tasty game. Adding recall fun and perfecting loose leash walking, it's all about rewarding that calm and settled vibe!

Pearls:

• Meggie is continuing to rock in basic manners group class at Lucky Dog Training Center. This week we warmed up with nose touches, short sit stays, and releases. We practiced brief down-stays adding duration while the handler steps or turns away. 

• We introduced the "Leave it!" cue, where the dog avoids taking a dropped piece of food. Phase one of leave it is while your hand is closed, you cue "Leave it!" and as soon as Meggie relaxes off of worrying the treat in my closed hand, I reward her with a cookie from my other hand. Phase two is the same but having a treat in my open hand while Meggie leaves it and is rewarded with a cookie from my other hand.

• Continue to reinforce calm, settled behavior when Meggie is relaxed on the floor.

• We played recall for the first time, using "Meggie here!" as our cue. Always reward both cued recalls and captured check-ins. 

• Loose leash walking is coming along nicely, with added steps and using the marker word "Yes!"

Meggie Freedom Run

Freeeeeeeeeee! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee!

After 121 long days of activity restriction due to ongoing heartworm treatment, Meggie is medically cleared by her veterinarian Dr. Jenny Elkins to resume normal, vigorous, physical activity.

To celebrate we went for a romp!

This sweet girl is available for adoption through BCSAVE.

Meggie's freedom run: