Another quick post from me.
First of all a thank you to Emma Francis for training on sunday! We met up at the field to do some training with the baby dogs and the big boys. Had a really good time. Did some straight line stuff with a tiny tunnel with Dizzy and Khuma. Really made me realise that I need to be a lot more "dynamic" with Khumes than how I work with Dash! I'd kind of taken his abundance in motivation for granted, I think. So I've got to give plenty of verbal freeback and encouragement, really set her up to succeed, woop her up and make it mega exciting. All fun stuff.
Then we did some work on weaving and other bits with Jack and his beloved Treat n Train. Then it was the big boys' turn. Working on straight line stuff (trying to get the dogs to bounce the jumps and not put extra strides in) and then we worked on a small course. With me practising tight turns tons and tons. The dog can do it, I'm a bit naff!
Emma and I made a bit of a pact to get working on handling skills, confidence and actually RUNNING like the wind (especially for competition)! (Shock horror) I've always known I've got a dog that would do really well with a really good handler, so I've decided I should definitely do my best at becoming that really good handler. After all, as Emma said, the boys always put their best into it, so so should we!
In other news, I've got a few videos to share of the guys on their walks and out and about!
The first one is of the collies playing "The magical treat tree" game (an idea that I picked up from a seminar on stress in dogs by Winkie Spiers last year).
This basically consists of finding yourself a tree, putting both dogs in a sit wait (self control practice! :D), whilst you stuff pieces of cheese, sausage and other treats into the gaps in the tree bark. You then release the dogs and let their noses show them the way.
Great mental stimilation and a nice chilled, de-stressing activity for them.
Second video is of Dash and I practicing his emergency down on his way out to his toy. It is still a work in progress, but we are getting there, gradually. Good boy!
That's all for today folks!
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