I'm so glad I took the time to teach Shalimar before my surgery that she must stay behind me when I go up & down the stairs. She's allowed to be one stair behind or farther, but not any closer.
The next command I really like is "time". Thank you Peggy for training on this command! We've worked on this & did not give up until she got it. (That's pretty much the key to training, huh?). As Peggy taught us, we would say the word "time" and if she didn't stop or come towards us, we sought Shalllie like a heat seeking missile. There were a couple of times where she tested each of us & we had to hunt her down for 30 minutes or so. Now she's got it & doesn't test it. It's a lifesaver when my knee is killing me & it's time to come inside & I don't have to chase down an active puppy.
My latest "ah-ha" moment seems silly, but I was trying to work with Shalimar outside & wasn't getting great results. I suddenly realized I was wearing sunglasses & she couldn't make good eye contact with me. Once I took them off, she was great.
I'm looking forward to when we can get back to class.
Here's a picture of Shallie "getting" the soccer ball. One of her favorite things to do!
Glad to hear you are feeling better, and also that you are keeping up with Shallie's training. Great reporting, too; thanks! I especially appreciate your big "ah-ha" moment--that is an important detail in dog training; sunglasses kill a major line of communication between people and their pet dogs. I hope to see you back at dog school soon!
ReplyDeletePeggy