Gunner Advanced Rally

 Tonight Gunner and I played advanced rally with both FOOD and TOYS as distractions. Gunner is doing a great job with changes of pace, and his pivots are improving. Next week we will be virtual trialing Rally Intermediate Virtual course three.

Pearls:

• When pivoting, the handler stays in the exact same place with their feet as they pivot around. Pivot in place as though you are pivoting on a paper plate, keeping both your feet on the paper plate as you pivot.
• Start fairly close to the start cone. Get Gunner in good heel position before removing his leash, then once I remove his leash just hand it or toss it away and begin the rally course from this good heel position.
• Practice solid sit-stays at home so I can leave Gunner in sit, then walk away and toss or pick up his leash, and then return to him while Gunner maintains the same sit position.
• If Gunner gets close to a good position but sits a little crooked, do NOT fix it if you are competing in the ring. Take the minus one point for "out of position" rather than risking minus ten points for busting the sign. 

Gunner demonstrating his fancy heel trot:

Gunner playing rally with food and toys as distractions:

RIV 3 course we will be trialing this coming week at Cowtown Dog Sports:

Gunner Rally Intermediate Virtual Trial

June 21, 2023 UPDATE: Gunner got a qualifying score of 92 from AKC judge Karen Wrey with the comment "Nice handling!" I'm really happy with Gunner's progress.

Gunner and I played rally in another virtual trial. This is our first time doing an intermediate course. Gunner is doing a great job with prompt heeling position and changes of pace from fast to slow. Our homework includes working on pivots and me working on my own precision with footwork.

Pearls:

• Moving at a brisk pace helps Gunner stay focused and motivated.
• Keep pivots brisk; cue and pivot more quickly to help keep Gunner moving around the pivot.
• For sign 119, Right Turn Dog Circles Right Forward, the handler stays still until the dog passes around and out of the handler's path, then the handler takes one obvious step to the right and then the pair heels onward. 

Gunner playing at the Rally Intermediate Virtual trial:

Jackie Playing Weaves and Fun Courses

Today Jackie showed me that she can easily do independent weaves with me more than ten feet away from her. Our homework includes continuing to proof independent weaves, with me farther away and in different locations. We also need to play weave entries from different angles and with Jackie on my right-hand side.  Jackie is doing a great job with weaves, stopped contacts, and directional cueing. 

Pearls:

• Begin to play with allowing Jackie 10 feet (or more) of space while she's doing weaves. Trust her to enter the weaves, and play with allowing her as much space as possible.
• Think about Jackie's line of travel. When she has a tight turn, guide her path so that her approach to the next obstacle is reasonable, safe, and easy for her.
• For homework, practice "Round, round, round!" with hoops, and "Here!" recall turns back toward the handler.

Jackie playing weaves and fun courses today:

Weaves, Serpentines, and Distance

 Pearls:

• Verbally and bodily cue the next obstacle before Jackie lands from the previous jump or obstacle
• Smoothly indicate Jackie's line of travel to her as though you were guiding a laser pointer along her path
• Never fuss at her if she misses an entry or makes a mistake; rather, call her back to you and start again
• Keep moving. Run run run!

Jackie playing weaves, serpentines, and tunnels with distance:

Gunner Playing Rally May 25, 2023

 Tonight we practiced leash skills in intermediate-level rally, with distractions of toys and food items placed throughout the course.

Gunner playing rally:

Up Close

Pearls:

• When playing "Round round round!" once Jackie has gone through the hoop  (or over the jump, or around the barrel), keep your arm closer to you when she is on the return rebound back toward you to keep her moving toward the next obstacle (and prevent her running back through the obstacle which is an off-course).

• Proof weaves to the point where you can be running in any direction, in front of or behind, including distractions, so Jackie will always enter the weaves correctly and stay in the weaves until the end independently even with distractions.

• Throw the lotus ball with the hand farthest away from the last obstacle in the series to keep Jackie focused on the driving hand for direction. So if the last obstacle is on the handler's left, throw the reinforcement with your right hand.

Jackie playing:

Understanding Dog-Human Companionship

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296307002214

This is an interesting article on the human-dog bond.

Ten Family Friendly Dog Breeds

 Head over to the BreedExpert for my recent article Ten Family Friendly Dog Breeds. This article came out well and I'm rather fond of it!

The pinnacle of dogdom, the wonderful golden retriever:

Grids and Teeters

Jackie is continuing to gain her sea legs on the full-height teeter, and we had fun playing on the grid again today.

Jackie playing grids and teeters:

DIY Doggie Dishes

Check out some homemade recipes over at Breed Expert in my article "DIY Doggie Dishes: Crafting Nutrient-Rich Recipes for Your Pooch." You'll find several good recipes for dinners, treats, and biscuits, including vegetarian options I put together for when you're feeling like cooking at home for your pup.

Note that the Breed Expert website does not represent my opinions or beliefs. My own articles, and only those articles that I have personally authored there, are what I know to be honest and accurate information. The other authors and opinions on the Breed Expert website in no way reflect my own opinions and interpretations. 

My hope is that my writing for Breed Expert will continue to shift opinions to agree with science and common sense that reward-based scientific training is the best and only way to train our dogs.

I support the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's position statement that only positive, humane, and fear-free methods should be used when educating a dog. Reward-based methods should be used for ALL training, including challenging behavior disorders.