I don't advocate anyone STOP training their dogs, but a break here and there is good for all of us. When I decided to take a week off from training I was afraid that Abby would forget what she learned and stare at me confused and bewildered when class came around. Surprise of all surprises Abby did quite well in class! Despite loosingher stays (which aren't that great to begin with) she was perfect. She not only did well, but she also had a great time doing it.
We played a few games this week, choose to heel was our favorite. The idea is that your dog is allowed to do "whatever they want" but they are heavily rewarded for being in the heel position. This can be on leash, but is more effective off leash. As a compromise Abby dragged her leash. I wasn't afraid of her bolting as much as I was afraid that she would play on the agility equiptment! Abby got the game and quickly came back to heel position after being sent away. I was really surprised that she did so well until I remembered all the long-line work we've done and all the recall training. Our instructor was surprised at how well she did too!
We've officially gotten back into "training mode" but we are going to mix it up a lot. I think that our new regiment will be more fun and will be more effective. When we can't follow the new plan, then we will learn new tricks - like tonight! I always think it's cute when dogs weave through their owners legs, so I decided that will be our first trick. Abby is a little slow picking this up because she keeps trying to get into heel position! It's ok... She'll get it eventually... But I'm sure that we'll break one or two behaviors along the way...
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