#aaylastrainingjournal

For the first time since my work opened back up, we got to work on some training. I was really happy with what she was offering today. She was happy and responsive.

We need some more gridwork to get her back into jumping shape but overall was very pleased.

Proofing the dumbbell retrieve!

I would consider this behavior finished, but its been a long time since we’ve worked on it. So decided to get in some practice. After a few warm ups of her demonstrating she remembers the behavior, I added a bunch of other stuff to add as a distraction to her retrieve. She didn’t bat an eye at any of it! Still remembers her turn and scoop and everything!

I was gifted “Weaves that WOW” by Dr. Amanda Shyne. Haven’t heard of her, but I like all her exercises, and it gives me more to go through.

Here is the first two I wanted o try, which require collection into the weaves. The first two have the jump 10’. Then the jump is 5’ away. She seemed a little hesitant with a few reps, but got it each time. I’m also using one of her least favorite toys and had no food rewards. So I only planned a few reps, with a lot of plain fetch in between. I wished she just liked this toy, it holds up the best in the sand.

Left turn entries!

So this was for a fun FB competition. Pretty much running through Novice obedience without people.

We still have so much to work on. I held the leash in the wrong hand (for what I personally want to do). She did trot for about half the heeling exercises but seemed to loose it about halfway through. We need more work with our about turns and halt to movement with trotting. She still is lacking some confidence/stamina as well and noticed some almost lagging with this.

Pretty much need to work on the figure 8 from the ground up. All pacing with lagging on the right turn and heavy crowding on the left.

This might not look like a lot to everyone. yet I have to say how happy and amazed I am at Aayla’s transformation with this over one month and about 10 sessions. We haven’t been able to work on it much for the past two weeks but dang she is doing great.

I don’t have a trainer for any of this. So its been a lot of trial and error and research to try and figure out how to work towards my idea of a perfect heel. That idea is always changing as well, but regardless I am so happy of where we are going.

We have got our weight shift back onto our hind legs, and an understanding of what I want. (The trot) In the start she needed a few steps of pacing before she could break into the trot. Today she offered several reps with immediate trotting type steps from the sit position. That is new and wonderful. She also started to show signs of being able to slow down while maintaining her weight shift back, and keeping the trot. We even got some floating type steps which I thought was crazy to see because I thought that might be difficult because of her build. It’s not a part of my heeling image but I loved seeing it.

I’m still debating on head position. In the end I’m not going to expect her head cranked back vertical. The hand target right now was to help the weight shift to get the trot. I do want her ear at my pant seam. Which is hard because she wants to forge and wrap so bad. Dang herders. When we start to fade the hand lure we will see where she ends up more naturally.