I only worked Amber for a short time last night - half the course just to demonstrate where to go and how to get there(!) - and to practice our contacts and send aways. I also did some focused work on pull throughs with her as I always have problems with handling multiple pull throughs, and we haven't done them for some time - in denial I think!! Anyway, she was great, as ever - very noisy and full of energy and concentation. Working Amber is always like a very fast, energetic, noisy game of Master Chess!!
So, to the Boy. I asked people to be quite tough with him (not harsh - just not welcoming) if he came visiting. I started working on the pull-through sequence, teaching him what I wanted. I knew he would find this quite boring to start with, with too much concentration required before he had checked out who was there. Yes - I set him up to want to go off and see people.... and he did, but what a surprise he got! No welcoming faces at all. He was quite obviously a bit put out as he returned to me and worked quietly and with the focus I had come to expect. So, the damage done last weekend, when it became too exciting for him to remember he was supposed to be working, has been partially put right. We have, of course, been working on the 'stay with me' fun exercises when out for walks etc too.
I then put him over the more difficult of the 2 courses, with a tight wrap start; tunnel avoidance flick flack (that's a 'flapjack' for Lee Windeatt and any other southerners reading this!) and tough A-scale/tunnel discrimination, with both ends of the tunnel well out in front of the A-scale, which of course was the one to be taken. Later in the course it was the tunnel that had to be taken - again, not problems. Every contact nailed; weaves like a pro - no pulling out before the end, so progress there too.
All in all, a really good night's training for my dogs! (Just a bit guilty that Corker My Main Man doesn't feature at all.... so I've included him by using his picture at the top..........)
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