Control Unleashed - The Dog's Idea

Well, well!

I'll skip any forced introduction along the lines of "wow, I haven't written on here in nearly two years." Instead, I'll jump right in to it and say that I attended a Control Unleashed seminar at my dog club this past weekend.

Those of you who may still be reading this blog and were around in the beginning know that Control Unleashed exercises played some role in Marge's behavior modification training back in the day.  Most notably, I remember playing the "Look at That!" game when Marge would go absolutely nuts watching dogs, particularly bigger dogs, zip around at the agility field.

I got to recount this with Leslie McDevitt herself, which was super cool - especially since I had Marge on-leash next to me, who had little interest in or concern for the environment around her, thanks in part to some of these games.

Anyway, it's been a long time since I picked up the book, and I mentioned that to Leslie.  I really thought that the seminar would be more of a refresher for me, a way for me to silently nod my head and recall my vague memories of reading and using sections of the book.  How silly of me. Leslie said that since the book came out, she's had a lot of time to think about things, and I guess amend the way that she teaches them.  She wasn't kidding, because the seminar was absolutely mind-blowingly good.

The premise of the entire seminar was teaching the dog to have a conversation with you about the environment, rather than focusing on the environment alone.

It started with the concept of teaching the dog to breathe. I was confused at first by the idea of literally watching a dogs' nose to see if they are taking breaths, but it actually makes a lot of sense.  To just breathe, a dog can't be jumping up all over, stress panting, barking, whining, or otherwise being raucous.  To be able to sit quietly and calmly, to be able to truly connect with the handler in a myriad of environments, is the foundation for everything else.  Drive, interest, excitement.. perhaps that should come later.

There was a recent blog post that circulated about the idea of dogs being stressed in competition settings. Marge herself likes agility and seems comfortable at trials, but can be barky right beefore entering the agility ring.   The gist was that although dogs may appear driven and may appear to love what they are doing (and maybe they do), is it possible that the screaming outside the ring, dilated pupils, nervous pawing, is actually not a good thing?

Based on this seminar, I'd think that the answer to that question is yes.  Seems obvious, but a dog that can't settle ("breathe") may become unglued more easily in a pressure-filled setting.

After that, the rest of the seminar basically consisted of versions of Leslie's games used to build patterns that reassure the dog and rewards that stimulate interest in the handler rather than the environment.  I won't get in to all of them here, but the one I found most amazing was a rendition of CU's "Give Me a Break" game.

One working participant was called in to the ring with her dog to act as a demo.  The participant happened to have her dog off-leash, figuring he'd follow her in to the ring. He didn't.  In fact, he went left, he went right, he sniffed.. he went everywhere OTHER than through the ring with his handler, even after being called.  Pure avoidance behavior.

This is something I've struggled with to an extent when I do things like Obedience and Rally with Marge.. although she gives me a good performance in everything she does, it sometimes feels like I'm dragging her around in those two activities, as opposed to agility, where she appears a lot more animated.

After seeing what I saw, I realized that we stand a good chance of raising the dogs' level of interest and comfort by using predictable patterns and making participation in the behavior "the dog's idea."

What Leslie did was bring this dog into the ring, fed him a bunch of treats, rewarded him for breathing, for calm eye contact.. and then slowly exited the ring.  Once she sat down for a break, the dog eventually looked back up at her.  At that exact moment, she took the dog back in to the ring, repeated the same process, and then left the ring again. The eye contact outside of the ring became the dog's cue for "MORE! MORE!"

The dog who was, at first, completely avoiding the ring was now voluntarily asking to be brought back in.  In the span of 5 minutes or so.  Entering the ring became his idea, on his terms, and his entire demeanor changed.

After a while, Leslie not only had the dog sit and breathe in the ring, but also added heeling and other obedience exercises slowly in to the mix before exiting.  The dog remained engaged.  The pattern was predictable, plenty of treats were had, and the dog was happy.

It's not a perfect system, since dogs can differentiate between practice settings and trials, but it is a start, and can be easily implemented at match shows.  Besides, forming the pattern itself (dog asks to be worked, we go in the ring, do stuff, and then go back to our chair) may be enough to make a dog more comfortable in a trial setting.

An upcoming goal that I have for Marge is to obtain her Companion Dog (CD) title.  She earned her UKC CD several years ago, but in a quest for Marge to be my Novice A Obedience dog, as she has been my Novice A Rally and Agility dog, I'd love to earn her AKC CD, too. If I put her in the ring tomorrow, she'd stand a decent chance of qualifying.  However, I've been hesitant to bring her out because of how different it is than agility.  Things like the presence of the judge and the lack of feedback from the handler may make it tougher for her.  Since a Q with an uncomfortable Marge would not make me happy, I've been very picky about deciding when to enter.

We have been practicing weekly or bi-weekly with decent success. However, after dabbling with the "Give Me a Break" game as explained above, I'm really excited to continue training and see where it leads us.

What's In Store (2012 Agility Preview)

I thought about forming agility goals for the year 2012 and almost started to do so, but for now I'm going to stick with my guns and not form any goals (at least not any goals involving the letters Q and Q, side by side).

I do, however, think my overall plans for the year are worth mentioning.

I plan to go pretty hard this Spring in terms of entering agility trials.  I'm not, and probably will never, enter every single trial on every single weekend, but because things are really up in the air right now in terms of how busy I'll be this fall, I want to make sure we get a lot of agility in while we can.

I already have one overnight agility trip booked, and I'm hoping to get at least another one or two in by the time July rolls around, since Marge clearly enjoys going.  I'm also planning on at least four semi-local agility weekends, which brings the total number of trial days up to about 15 over the next 6 months or so.

Before our first trial, which will come in mid February, I need to make sure that we get to practice on the teeter that has been bugging Marge.  Even though she performed 4 straight teeters for 4 straight Standard Q's towards the end of the year, she still ended the year with a flyoff.  We've made progress on the issue, for sure, but it's not completely gone... and if I start the year with teeter issues and stressy Standard runs, it's going to set the stage for the same stuff we went through in Fall 2010.

No, thank you.

So, despite the cold, and despite the distance, we will make the trip to train on that specific teeter, because I won't settle for anything less than Marge smacking the heck out of it in practice before we trial.

And then, there's Arrow, who I am having so, so much fun with since I start running her in the summer.  In our last trial, we really started to come together as a team, and had very, very close calls in both Standard and Jumpers.  I'm hoping that as long as I continue to practice with her and learn to differentiate her strengths from Marge's, that we will be successful in our next couple of times out together.

I guess over all, the only goals I am setting for myself is that I train hard enough so that obstacle issues don't stand in our way, pay attention to my handling so that neither dog falls prey to knocked bars or off courses because of my errors, that we practice as many of the skills necessary to be successful as we can, and that I breathe and we all have fun.

I hope that, after our first trial, I can come back to this post and say that I accomplished those things, and then begin to evaluate the rest of the Spring in terms of concrete goals.

Hanging out at our club's agility trial,  November 2011

Shy Dog 101

A dog training dream of mine is to teach a class for fearful dogs.  Shy and fearful dogs are the dogs I'm drawn to work the most with when I'm teaching, and to have a class of 6 or so of them would be something I'd enjoy a lot.

There are very premature talks of a class like this eventually being offered.  If it is, indeed, offered, there are several people (to my surprise) that are interested in being involved in it.  Despite this, I've just as prematurely started to think about what the most important things to convey to a class of fearful dog handlers are if I was, indeed, to teach it.

1. Learn to think in terms of association, not rewards.
The distinction between classical and operant conditioning is, admittedly, something that is a bit hard to teach.  Most people (unknowingly) only think in operant terms when training their dog - "If my dog doesn't bark, I'll reward him" - even when the situation might be better suited to associative learning - type work.

I think the best way to teach this concept is to avoid any technical terms (classical, operant, reinforcement, conditioned response) and to delve right in to the bare minimum that a fearful dog owner should know - how to use desensitization and counterconditioning to change what the dog does, rather than reinforcing outright behaviors.

Getting handlers to think in terms of "loud noise = cookies" or "new stranger = playing with a toy," as well as being able to recognize that fear is not voluntary, would be monumental in the rehabilitation of dogs of this type.

2. Learn how to properly approach a shy dog.
Even those who OWN shy dogs bend over, reach their hands out and talk to the dog to try to get it to sniff them.  The reality is that this type of greeting is super scary to the dog - a big giant human hand is entering their space, maybe grabbing for them, and they just don't like the idea of that.

Much more beneficial is the idea of letting the shy dog approach on their own terms.  Standing or sitting still, not making eye contact and not outstretching their hands is a much more inviting posture for a dog who is afraid of being touched by someone they do not know.  As the comfort level increases, the new person can start to offer food, perhaps by throwing it on to the floor.

3. Learn how to stand up for what's best for a shy dog.
If a well-meaning but uninformed person approaches Marge looking to pet her, I have no problem body-blocking them and telling them NO if I do not feel Marge would be comfortable with that situation.  Unfortunately, this is something that takes a little while to get used to doing.  I can't tell you how many shy dog owners in my classes have allowed people to pet their dogs when the dogs are clearly not enjoying it.  In fact, I myself have had to stand up for these dogs and politely point out to both the offending party and the owner/handler that the dog is uncomfortable.

It would be awesome for shy dog handlers to learn that it is OK to say "no" to a friendly advance from a stranger.  By apologizing and saying that the dog is shy and learning how to comfortably be around people, it minimizes conflict and keeps the dog AND the person safe.

4. Learn about different aids and products that make the process a bit easier.
"I don't want her on pills." "I heard ____ product only works some of the time."  "I don't think she's THAT scared so I don't want to use it."  The excuses are many, but people seem very, very reluctant to add anything in to their training toolbox when it comes to alleviating some of a shy dog's anxiety.  While I do not think the decision to put a dog on medication should be taken lightly, I do think that it is helpful for shy dog owners to learn about medication as an option, should a situation ever arise where the dog needs to be medicated.

In terms of natural or non-invasive products, it is true that the results vary from dog to dog.  However, most of these products are cheap; some, like an anxiety/body wrap, can even be made from household items.  Sampling some of these and seeing how the dog responds would, again, be quite beneficial.  If the end goal is to have a happy, comfortable dog, what's wrong with speeding the process along?

On a similar note, it is also important for shy dog owners to know how veterinarians, behaviorists, and dog trainers can provide their services to help a shy dog get better.

5. Learn to be proactive.
There are certain things in the environment that you can't prepare for - you can't do much in advance about a crack of thunder or a child jumping out from behind a bush.  However, sometimes shy dog owners walk their dogs right in to not-so-good situations.  Walking in close proximity with crowds of people, particularly children, or taking the dog to the park on the 4th of July are, for example, not the greatest ideas, depending on what type of fears the dog has.

The same can be said for situations around the house - if the dog is afraid of strangers and you're expecting your neighbor (who, to top it off, refuses to leave the dog alone) to drop by, put the dog in the yard, or in another room, or in a crate, instead of "seeing how it goes."

Similarly, learning your dog's specific signs of anxiety can be useful in getting out of a situation before it spirals out of hand.

I hope that I get to put my knowledge and enthusiasm for working with fearful dogs in to motion.  I'd also like to hear from you.  Lots of my blogging buddies have fearful or shy dogs and I'm always looking for new ideas. What do you think should be covered in such a class?

The Problem With Dog Training

I have now been in a very active role as an assistant instructor for my dog club's non-competitive agility class for over one year.  Along the way, I've met dogs and handlers who really had me scratching my head - not because their situation was particularly complicated, just that the time to explain and execute plans to help deal with their situation was too much for me to really spend without neglecting the other students in class.  Most times, I've been able to give them suggestions and/or the tools to help deal with their problems, and I frequently did see improvement.  But I still haven't had that feeling that I've really fully helped a problem.  I don't think my problem lies in a lack of ability to convey information or even demonstrate how to deal with an issue, but instead seems to lie in the fact that a huge gap between what I know and what they know needs to be filled, and there just simply isn't the time to fill it.

A current situation that I'm dealing with along these very lines is making me feel a bit frustrated.  Attempting to explain the emotional side of behavior problems to one handler while also attempting to override any previous and ill-suited suggestions to deal with it is a daunting task in a class with four or five other dogs present.  One could argue that the situation shouldn't be dealt with at all in this environment.  But what is an instructor to do in the sixth week of class, when money has already been paid, and a dog's behavior is embarrassing and disruptive for both the handler and the other students in class?

In that respect, I'm stressed out on several levels - trying to carefully correct misinformation that has been put out there without stepping too hard on any one else's toes, while explaining a more complicated but solid solution to the problem and ultimately balancing one student against an entire class seeking personalized attention. It's a situation I've been in before, but it doesn't seem to get easier with repetition.

Sometimes I really wonder: does the ability to understand classical conditioning methods require a genuine and whole interest in dog training and behavior, or even learning and behavior as a whole?  I don't say that disparagingly.  The fact is that we live in a society where it's largely accepted as OK to deal with dog misbehavior with a pop, a snap, and perhaps a verbal hiss.  Can people who just want a nice house pet wrap their mind around the idea of not JUST rewarding or punishing behaviors, but shaping emotions and associations?  Sometimes, the effort really feels futile to me.  It'd be so much easier to just say "show her who's boss!" or "she thinks she's in charge"... but I know better.  I know the dog's behavior is rooted in anxiety and overexcitement and needs to be dealt with accordingly.  How can I stitch up that big gap between what I know and what the handler knows in the most effective way possible?

I hear a lot of dog training people write off pet class handlers with misbehaved dogs as "not trying hard enough" or "letting the dog do whatever it wants."  But the fact of the matter is that dealing with behavior problems is not like teaching sit, down, stay, and come.  It's really hard to convey the right information and sometimes even harder to get a handler to stop resisting what seems like an unconventional training plan.  After all, it only takes a couple of episodes of a couple of dog training shows to see that using food or other high-value items while the dog is barking their head off or growling with its hackles raised is analogous to selling your soul to the devil.

I can only hope I'm making just a little bit of a difference right now.  I think I am.  In the future, if I ever get the opportunity, I want to teach smaller, more personalized classes that work on specific issues.  Fiesty Fido or Shy Dog classes sound great in theory, and that's because they are.  But they're not offered nearly enough.  Subsequently, those teams who need a little bit of extra help are thrown in with the teacher's pets and valedictorians.. and the result isn't pretty.

Yes, You Can Actually Use This Stuff

One of my jobs as Teacher Assistant in the summer section of the Experimental Psychology: Learning and Behavior course is to go over principles of learning and behavior that the students just don't "get" on the first try.  Another is to serve as a liaison between the students and the professor, a sort of peer-mentor type figure who can explain things, talk to students one-on-one in a down-to-earth way.. oh, and turn on the computers and chambers and fetch the pigeons when they're ready to be used, of course.

I'm only removed from the class by less than a year myself.  However, I had a distinct advantage in learning the material because of my experiences using it before I set foot in the classroom.  For a lot of these kids, the order is reversed.  In their minds, classical conditioning is, at best, the image of a dog salivating in an old Russian lab, and operant conditioning is, at best, a food-deprived mouse in a little box pressing a lever to get some grub, as a white-haired spectacled man looks on.

Most times, the students in the class take the class to simply get through it, with no intention of learning anything that they'll ever use. Classical conditioning and shaping procedures and negative punishment may sound cool in the confines of the pigeon lab, but will any of them ever use it elsewhere? I'd like to think - and maybe I'm being too idealistic - that some of them really mean it and really take an interest in it.

It happened for me.  I took an interest in behaviorism and it blossomed for so many different reasons. Why can't that happen for someone else?

For the sake of all the dogs out there who live with owners who don't know how to to deal with fear or aggression or overexcitement, for all of the dogs out there who are given corrections that are unnecessarily painful, harsh, or outright ineffective, for all of the dogs out there who are described as "alpha" or "nasty" or "too damn scared of everything"... I can only hope that some of what I say sticks.  Because while the class is not at all about dog training, the principles that are taught would improve the lives of a lot of dogs out there in this world where we like to talk about how dogs are dominant, cunning and crude little creatures who live only to leech off of us, without looking at all into why they do what they do.

The class has such great practical applicability, even if only because it urges you to consider the impact your own behavior might have on others, let alone the impact that environmental consequences have on your own behavior and emotions, as well as the behavior and emotions of others.

You don't have to aspire to be a clinical psychologist or a dolphin trainer to appreciate, use, recognize conditioning in a productive way, in its simplest forms.

If just a few of the people see that, then I will have been successful.

Buried in Books

We're still here, I promise.  I have been devoting a lot of my time to end of semester exams.  By May 26, I will be able to breathe again, just a little bit (until, that is, my summer session begins and I am held hostage in my Honors advisor's lab, all the while trying to learn a second semester of Anatomy and Physiology)..

Seriously, it will get better.  Please just promise that you won't forget about Marge and me while I work through all of this busyness.

In the meantime, I want to leave you a short passage from the reading material from my Physiological Psychology class..

"One hypothesized source of individual variability in stress responses is called stress immunization, the possibility that early experiences with stressful situations result in decreased susceptibility to stressful situations in adulthood.  In rats, such early experiences with stressful situations (for instance, being handled by humans) led to decreased secretion of corticosteroids in adults in response to widely varying stressors."

Seems like it ties in to what would be considered good or bad early life experiences for puppies, doesn't it?

How To Save Your Dog's Life

Sunday morning, I walked out of my house and crossed the street to my car, Marge's leash in hand.  I glanced towards the corner of my block and saw two dogs standing next to the bus stop pole, presumably lifting their leg and marking it.

I didn't think anything of it until I realized that the dogs were not only off leash, but alone.  

The smaller one (a Pekingese, perhaps) darted over to Marge and me and jumped in the car after Marge when I loaded her in.  Suffice to say, I quickly scooped the little smush-faced guy up and put him down on the ground to prevent an altercation from occurring in my front seat.  

I then locked Marge in my car and pondered what to do next.  The little guy ran off with his elder and larger buddy, some sort of tan-colored mix.  I called out to them, but they didn't respond.   They were now walking down the main road, and the little one had his eye on the field across the street.

I started to walk back towards my car, thinking that there was nothing I could do, but the small dog darted back towards me.  I grabbed him.  No Frogger for the frog-faced dog, I decided.  I couldn't let this dog get hit by a car.  This is someone's pet. I discovered that he had tags, and went back over to my house to ask my sister for her cell phone.

I called, and didn't get a response.  I REALLY had to leave. Thankfully, my neighbor was out and said I could put the dog in her yard.  The sweet little guy played nicely with my other neighbor's dog through the fence and seemed to be in paradise while waiting in the yard, running around it and peeing on the trees with reckless abandon.

Long story short, we finally connected with the dog's owners via telephone and after I had left, the dog was picked up from my neighbor's yard.  Apparently, the bad storms recently had blown down the fence, which led to the jailbreak of these two dogs.  The owner was not worried about the older dog (ugh) and said that he would walk home on his own (I would have still been out looking if I were her, of course).

In thinking about this incident, I realized that there are some things that all dog owners really should do to ensure the safety of their dogs.  

For one, the fact that this dog was wearing identification while he was out on the town led to his quick reunion with his owner.   I know that people have their qualms about dogs wearing collars in the house (and I get that completely - most importantly, dogs left unsupervised in crates should probably have their collars taken off).  However, I'm not sure what would have happened if this dog wasn't wearing ID.  I had to leave; I'm not sure if my neighbor would have kept him indefinitely.  I, of course, cannot have a second dog in my house.  Would I have had to let him loose and hope that he found his way home?

Also, I feel like it's common sense to check the perimeter of your property/fencing, particularly after bad weather, before letting your dog out.  This dog got out because the wind from the previous night's storm had damaged the fence.  I know that any time we get a bad wind storm here, I stay right by the door while Marge is out and check the gate beforehand (it has blown open in the past, even when locked).  If someone else in my family is going to be letting her out, I leave a note on the door telling them to do the same.  Paranoid?  Maybe.  But better safe than sorry.

Lastly.. although it wouldn't have helped much in this case, where the owner was unaware that the dog was loose, I truly believe in the importance of a solid recall or emergency word.  There have been times I've dropped the leash accidentally or the gate was left unlatched.  But, thanks to a reliable "Marge, come!," I have been able to avert crisis.  When Marge hears the magic C word, she is all ears.  I reinforce it every single time (sometimes with jackpots, sometimes releasing her to a fun activity a la Premack) and never use it if I am not certain that she will respond to it.  We have other "recall" phrases as well, such as "want a cookie?" and "are you hungry?" that can be used in an emergency.  Many people feel that because their dog just stays on their property and never walks off leash that it's not an important skill to have.   But a recall sure is a handy thing to have in the dog training toolbox when the toddler lets the dog out the front door or the leash somehow wiggles free from your hand... or the fence blows down and you forget to check your yard.

Nothing is foolproof, including life, gates, and leashes.  I think that we should do our best to ensure the safety of our pets and attempt to keep Murphy's Law at bay.

Tuesday Training 44

Agility - And Lots of It
Our performance training has almost solely focused on agility for the past month or two.  Marge has improved in leaps and bounds.  I am still seeing start line stress, which I'm not happy about, but she's dynamite when she's on course.  More attentive than she ever has been.

For my next two trials, the plan will remain the same - very short lead outs.  If I don't lead out at all, it tends to make the run less structured for her because she doesn't understand the whole unclip-and-go start to a course.

Our first trial of the year is this Saturday - we're doing one run, JWW only.  This is because I really did not want the stress of running her in Standard for her first time at a trial in about 4 months (and at a brand new place on a brand new surface, to boot!).  The trial site is also quieter towards the end of the day, which I think will be good for her.  Our friend Spirit, the Golden Retriever, will be there, which I hope will make Marge happy.  This trial is a BIG deal for her.. and I really hope she likes the trial site.

A Bit of Barkiness
One thing that has cropped up to a very small degree is Marge's dog reactivity.  It's a bit different than it used to be and I'm not quite sure that it's really rooted in fear.

She has been getting barky at agility class watching certain dogs run.  Now that we're in an Excellent level class, the courses are harder and the dogs are more driven.  I think she's feeding off of their speed and energy level.  Once they come back to the sidelines to sit with us, she is paying them no mind (whereas in the past this would, at minimum, lead to raised hackles and general worry on Marge's part).

Time to go back to Look at That, I think.  Quite frankly, it's so mild that I am not worried about it at all, especially since I know how to combat it.  It might actually be a GOOD thing for trials - I mean, I won't be that girl with the annoying barking dog standing right at the ring exit, but perhaps the fact that she is more amped up in an agility setting will detract some from the worry and stress that she sometimes feels. I'll experiment.

New Folks, New Exeriences
I had a couple of friends over  on Sunday.  I put Marge in her crate while they came in and settled on the couch (which is not far from her crate).  She let out one "WOOOO!" while in her crate because she knew that there were people nearby.  I waited until she calmed down (10 minutes or so), and then let her out.

Not a hackle raised.  Just what I want to see!

She was not very privvy to being petted, especially by my male friend, but took treats from them both, investigated them thoroughly, and then sprawled out on the floor just a few feet away.  Very, very successful, especially since it's been a LONG time since she's interacted with strangers in my basement.

We also made a quick trip to PetCo for Layla's food on Saturday.  Marge did pretty well in the store - she was a bit uneasy, but was responsive to me, took treats, and searched for yummy stuff on the floor.  She interacted a little bit with two store employees, whose hands she targeted with her nose.

She got a Natural Balance food roll and a bag of biscuits out of the trip.  Unfortunately, she heard some loud noises on the way back to the car and panicked, but took treats once she had climbed in.

And that's Marge's current training, in summary.  I'd write more, but on top of everything else, I'm getting sick again.  Sinus infection and pink eye.  Lovely!

My Good Girl

It's times like these that I thank my lucky stars for having such a good dog.

Marge has truly been angelic through all of the stress and busyness I've been up against the past few weeks.  She's really matured a lot lately, it seems. I've been doing my best to keep up with her walks, training sessions, etc., but I know that I am skipping some here and there.  Yet, she's being a good girl, sleeping at night and and staying quiet throughout the day save for an occasional poke on the nose to remind me that I need to do some fun things with her.

She's actually had a fair bit of new and exciting things going on.. I just haven't had the time to write about them because of my cat, and class, and pigeon lab research, and and and.

She has been a demo dog two weeks in a row now in the Agility For Fun class I teach.  She demonstrated "roll over" to the students with no reservation - a big deal, considering that meant lying down and flipping on her belly while surrounded by many strange dogs and people.  She also made fast friends with a disabled boy (to my absolute surprise and delight - we all know Marge is a bit sensitive to those who walk, talk or act differently than she is immediately used to). He called her "really cool," petted her and asked her to perform some tricks, and said he wanted to try running agility with her. She got a little barky during one class when some dogs got the zoomies, but nothing unbearable.  And, she stuck right next to me while off leash at the end of class, despite the other dogs/people milling around.

She has also made quite a few new dog friends... the newest being a young Cairn Terrier I am walking and feeding while his owner is away this week. She's gone walking with him two days in a row now, and I'm hoping that I might be able to let them have a little playdate together soon.

We've been doing a bit of agility as well.  We had class Sunday night, as well as a practice session out in New Jersey that same morning.  Really don't have any complaints.. the biggest things that stick out in my mind are our good but not great contacts (simply haven't practiced them enough) and a bit of start line stress. I'm trying my hardest to prepare her for our big day at Dream Park next weekend - our 2011 agility debut.

I'm not quite sure when this grueling pace is going to let up.  In the meantime, I'm doing my best to split myself in as many ways as I can.  Some would probably say I should give up the blog for now - but I am proud of what MargeBlog has become and know that putting it on hold would likely bring it to an end.  So,  I'm continuing to update, despite the chaos! Please forgive me if my visits continue to be on the erratic/sporadic side.  Once I get my kitty better, I think I'll be able to devote more time to reading.

Tuesday Training 42

Mother Nature's dealing us a crappy hand this week, which means we'll need to stay inside and weather yet another snowstorm in the next 24 hours. That leaves lots of time for potential training.

I totally stole this trick from Sara & Oreo.  Despite the fact that I knew cards would get punctured, slobbered on, and bent in the process (Marge is not as elegant and gentle with her jaws as Oreo is), I just had to try it for myself.

I first shaped Marge to pick a single card out of my hand using a clicker and treats.  Shaping it didn't take her long, as mouthing an object is usually one of the first behaviors that she offers.  She did have some trouble when picking one card from a hand of multiple cards, though.. I guess since the slobber made them stick together a bit..

At the beginning of the video, Marge was mildly distracted by Layla, who was hopping up on to the furniture to get as close to the heat vent as possible.

So, where to go with this simple little trick? Leave it as is, or build on it to teach Marge something more complex?

Let me know your ideas!

To The Future (2011 Goals)

I did not set training goals for 2010; I tend to have a problem with a) setting goals that are ridiculously low or b) goals that are impossibly high.  But I'm going to give it a valiant try.

I will say that Marge was enormously successful in our training endeavors this past year.  In 2010, she completed three titles and got very close to finishing three more.

I essentially have our trial schedule for the first half of 2011 already set.  We'll probably be doing about 10 days of agility from February to June, as well as at least two (hopefully more) days of APDT Rally.

With that in mind, my performance goals for the first half of 2011 (January - June) are:

Agility
- to complete the OA title
- to complete the OAJ title
- to accumulate TWO qualifying scores in Excellent A, regardless of class (Standard or Jumpers),
- and, most of all, FOR BOTH OF US TO KEEP OUR HEADS SCREWED ON STRAIGHT WHILE WE'RE IN THE RING!

Rally
- to complete the RL2 title
- to accumulate TWO double-qualifying scores towards the ARCH title in APDT Rally
- to begin training for APDT Rally Level 3

Obedience
- to attend ONE obedience match with Marge at my club
- to drastically improve heeling footwork
- to maintain performance of stays, fronts, and finishes

At the end of June, when we have a month or two off, I'll come back and see which goals we met and which we didn't meet and hopefully form some more goals for the Fall trial season.

General Training
In terms of general training/management.. it's hard to form specific goals.  I hope, however...
- to continue to find ways to socialize Marge (such as attending more club meetings with her)
- to push our boundaries; to better recognize when we can dive a little deeper and when we need to back out of a situation
- to keep her active and outside as much as possible without having her scared
- to continue to make progress regarding her situational fears around my dad

Here's to a successful 2011!

Tuesday Training 41

I've had this post scheduled for a few days now.  I was going to scrap it in favor of a post about the snow storm, but the snow will be around for so long that I think it's OK if I wait to post about it.

We've had some visitors, lately, and Marge did well with all of them.

Last week, my good friend B stopped by for a quick visit.  Despite an initial grumbly display by Marge, heard from behind the basement door that confined her, she settled down quickly and accepted lots of pats and praise.  B interacts with her in a way that doesn't scare her, which makes his visits enjoyable for all of us.

On Christmas Eve Eve (yes, that's intentional), my mom's good friend stopped by to deliver some homemade quiche to her.  Marge was initially sent outside since she reacts so strongly when someone goes through the door, but when she came back in, she did a quick sniff of the friend (with hackles raised), then did a whole-body shake and acted completely normal.  She even showed off her up-and-coming trick, a directed "fetch" that I hope to put to good use to obtain her APDT Rally Level 3 title.

That same evening, Marge's wee friend, Nappy the Chihuahua, stopped by outside our house with his owner to deliver Marge a gift.  It was adorable - Nappy had a big stocking attached to his leash and dragged the presents over to Marge, like a tiny Santa Claus.  Marge was totally unfazed by his arrival and interacted with his momma, too.  Over all, she wanted to go inside, since it was so COLD, but it was nice for her to respond so favorably to their presence.

Lastly, in the wake of the giant snowstorm we've just experienced, our elderly neighbor stopped in to pay me and my sister for shoveling out her front door.  Again, Marge was in the basement while Lily came through the door, and then came upstairs with me.  She was more than happy to accept the treats and pats that came from her.

I'm still wrestling with how to tackle the door issue.  If I'm there and someone comes in, she tends to rush the door growling (which is just a display because then she starts sniffing, but I can understand why some people wouldn't like it).  If I'm NOT there, she tends to stand back, growl once or twice, and not really approach the person (this situation seldom comes up, though).  Right now, I usually send her outside or down the basement to allow the person to come in and then invite Marge back up slightly thereafter.  Sometimes, I let her stay in the kitchen and feed her treats while the person comes in the door, but she tends to get more freaked in that scenario than when I simply send her out.

Despite her imperfections, I think all of this is proof of the success she's made in dealing with people.  She's far from perfect, but also far from where she started!

Winter Park-Hopping

One thing I have not been very good about lately is bringing Marge to different locations for walking and/or training, aside from dog events.

Now that I have some more time, I'm going to try to bring Marge to different parks at least once a week.  Even if we start repeating (which I think we will), I'd like to re-expand our choices so that Marge is comfortable walking in a variety of different parks.

Last week, our destination was the boardwalk, where there was a fair amount of people around.  Marge did quite well, if you recall from my last post.

Today, our choice was the long path along the road in one of our "National Recreation Areas," despite the fact that I am in the midst of a long post-reinforcement pause (hah) after finishing all of my work for the Fall 2010 semester and, therefore, want nothing more than to bum around on the couch.

We walked 2 1/2 miles together over the course of an hour, with some running, some sniffing, and some obedience work thrown in.  It was quite cold for me, but I think Marge enjoyed herself, for the most part.

There weren't very many people around and Marge did give oogly eyes to a couple of men that she saw, but she never outright panicked and always took treats.

Strangely enough, I think the lack of people was bothersome for her, as compared with the boardwalk.  At the boardwalk, there was a steady flow of people, and perhaps I'm anthropomorphizing, but I think she "expected" their presence, whereas in this park, a lone individual would slowly approach along the path only every once in a while.

Most times, her strategy to cope with the approach of a human is to direct her attention towards a tree, garbage can, or other smelly object and sniff her heart out (which may be a signal to the humans that she has no intent to bother them, may also make her feel more secure, or may be unrelated - I think it's all three, depending on the situation and her body language).

I am fine with this because it is MUCH better than her fleeing; I also feel that if she was very nervous, she wouldn't be able to do this with people walking by in such close proximity (since it happens frequently in our neighborhood, where people pass sometimes as close as 1 or 2 feet from us).  Sometimes, she looks as though she is indifferent to their approach and is sniffing just to sniff, which may very well be the case.

We are also working on her glancing at the incoming person and then looking back towards me.  I am rewarding her for both behaviors (sometimes for looking at them, sometimes for looking at me), so as to work to build a positive association with whatever's approaching and also to maintain her ability to focus on me.

It worked absolutely smashingly with an aggressive-looking Shar-Pei who walked (er, pulled) by about 30 feet away from us.  She was able to watch the dog and get the information that she needed (because would YOU want to keep your back turned from something that looks scary?), and also able (and quite willing) to look towards me.

I hope to have more posts like this over the course of the winter, hopefully with more photos than I had today!

Tuesday Training 40

Whoa, it's been a long time since I've had a Tuesday Training post!

For the first time in a long time, I have some video from agility class.

We ran two mini courses.  The first, I don't have recorded.  But it was straightforward, except for a 5-jump modified serpentine (yes, 5 jumps!).  It took us once or twice to figure that out, but we eventually were able to run the whole thing clean.  It's been a long time since we practiced all of that sending out-calling in type stuff, which I am sure we will spend some time on once we move indoors for the winter.

The second course, I have on my camera, thanks to Louie.

It was hard!  We did the opening pretty well, but Marge bailed on the last pole (it has everything to do with the set of poles, and nothing to do with her.. they are 22" spacing and as you can see, constantly falling over), so we lost a bit of momentum there.  THEN it took a bit to get the handling down pat for the pull-through and threadle.  The second run, also included in the video, is much better.

And, would you look at all of that table offering?!  She jumped on the table several times tonight unprompted, plopped right down and wiggly-waggled her little tail. I was VERY happy about that.

Going to keep this post short and sweet for tonight.  I'm likely going to have some more agility stuff to ponder about over the weekend, so stay tuned until then.

Revisiting Obedience

After our two class drop-ins in September, we sort of forgot about Obedience training and went back to focusing on our agility trials.  Marge did NOT do as well in the second class as she did in the first (where she was called "fabulous" by the instructor), but she didn't do terribly and seemed to still enjoy it.

I watched a UKC Obedience trial at my club this past weekend, so once again, the activity has been on my mind.  I actually went in to the ring with a friend's Dachshund, as the sit-stay exercise was condensed in to one group for the Novice dogs, and she had two dogs to show so needed another person to handle one of them.  The Dachsie girl held the 1-minute sit for me!

I've started running through exercises with Marge again in my living room, drawing on the little bit of guidance I received from our club's instructor two months ago, and adding in some ideas of my own.

I think that, if I ever compete, I will choose UKC Obedience.  The trials are smaller.  We have two every year held at my club.  And, from what I saw on Saturday, the atmosphere was very laid back.  I'm not crazy about registering Marge with ANOTHER organization (it'll be her fifth one - NADAC, CPE, AKC, APDT), but getting to trial at our home club is really the most important thing.

So, if we were entered in a trial tomorrow, how would we do?

Heel on Leash
Pass.  Marge's heeling has come a long, long way.  Her about-turns look really good, providing I get the footwork right.  Her left turns are also fine.  I do tend to lose her a bit on the right turns, so I think she'd get some points off for lagging.  She sits straight when we halt, too.  The one thing I anticipate about competition is losing eye-contact with her, or only getting it some of the time.   So, I think we'd pass, with some deductions.
Figure 8
Pass.  We haven't actually done this with people yet, but my gut feeling says she'd pass this one, too.  I don't anticipate her sniffing anyone, though we certainly would practice at matches and stuff to really proof the whole thing.  She lags a bit on the rights - as you can see, it's a recurring issue that we're working on.
Stand For Exam
Fail.  She might hold the stand-stay, but not without a lot of shrinking and lip-licking (which is not a situation I'll put her in).  We won't compete until I am confident that Marge understands the exercise and realizes that all the judge will do to her is pat her three times on the head, neck, and back.  Oh, and we sure as heck won't show under a male judge, either.
Heel Free
Pass.  I think there'd be more lagging than with the Heel on Leash, but not enough to fail the exercise.  I'm the kind of person who wants only to qualify without the finishing touches (I like my runs to look good and feel good), but, if we set foot in the ring today, I think that's how it'd look.
Recall Over Jump
Pass.  Her fronts have gotten consistently more straight, and I'm not sure that the jump would affect her much in any way.  She might need to get used to the idea of two people standing on either side of the jump, but I think she'd perform the exercise.  Finishes are a work in progress, but she's absolutely doing them.
Honor Down
Pass. In UKC Obedience, the "Honor" dog does a down-stay during the first two exercises of another dog's run.  I saw how it was set up at my club, and the Honor dogs in Novice were definitely not more than 20-30 feet away from their handler.   She has no problem whatsoever with her down-stays.  I'd just like her to get some practice actually being in that position while another dog is working.
Long Sit
Pass. I just participated in this exercise at the trial and am confident that Marge could hold a 1-minute sit-stay with other dogs around.

I'm toying with the idea of taking Marge to a match and just playing around with her.. having some people stand in the ring as Figure 8 posts, maybe just mill around the way a judge would, etc.  My one concern is getting unsolicited advice and being told to do things in a way that I'm not comfortable with while at the match.  If I need help, I'd rather ask for it or go to class.  There are so many different ways to train these exercises, and it can get kind of overwhelming and awkward for me when a more-experienced person tells me something that I don't agree with. Constructive criticism is OK, advice is OK too (heck, I love getting advice on my agility handling), but something in me tells me to do this Obedience thing by myself.

I've changed up our training set up when we train Obedience.  I rarely carry treats in my hand - sometimes, I don't even take them out of the closet at all.  I want Marge to be focused on me with the possibility of reinforcement in her mind, not focusing solely on the cookie (which, I think, has affected us a bit in agility).  So, we'll run though a couple of exercises, then she'll run inside with me to the treat cabinet and get her reward.  We do this several times throughout the day, often at high-excitement times (like when I first come home, or before dinner, etc).  Of course, this has all been in my house, so it'll be interesting to see what will happen when I finally get to work her during some ring rental time at the club.

It would be nice to add the letters U-CD to the front of Marge's name, but only time will tell how far we really get.  The next trial at our club likely won't be until April -- and probably the same weekend as one of our favorite agility trials, so hooray for conflicts -- so we have lots of time to practice and mull it over.  We'll update on this again after we do some ring time or attend a match. Guidance is definitely appreciated!

They Learned, I Learned

MargeDog with student "S", doggy doppelganger (except the color) and fellow fearful dog!

I haven't spoken recently about the non-competitive agility class that I teach.  It actually just ended - after 6 months of teaching it, the head instructor and I both decided that we needed a break.  Two other club members were interested in teaching it, so they'll handle it for now and we'll hopefully eventually go back to it after they decide to stop.

It really was a great experience.  It got a little commonplace towards the end, mostly because there are only so many obstacles that you can introduce, and teaching them got a little bit repetitive.  But, the teams were a lot of fun to work with, and many of them show great promise that they'll be successful if they continue training.

Some of my personal favorite teams:

• A rowdy, anxious, dog-reactive Shepherd mix with an equally anxious/nervous momma, who struggled with control issues at the beginning of his 8-week stint in the class.  Some clicker training and Control Unleashed exercises later, and he was able to function pretty well in the group class setting.  He didn't stick around for another session, but continued obedience training.  They've still got some work to do, but his momma's thinking about getting him in to Rally or maybe a special class for reactive pups.
• A married couple very new to dog training with a yappy but extremely biddable Miniature Schnauzer.  They had some real handling issues in the beginning and had no idea how to get a handle on their dogs' barkiness and make themselves more interesting than the larger environment.  A few classes later, and they were able to get him to focus on them after he began barking.  He also shows some really nice obstacle focus for a dog with no agility training.  I told them that I really hope they continue with him - he'd make an awesome little agility dog!
• A student with Down's Syndrome training his Dachshund.  This dog absolutely *adores* this boy and works his heart out for him.  His handling improved greatly over the 16 weeks that we've worked with him, and he's continuing another session of the class.  We hope that he might be able to show his dog in one of the smaller agility competition venues one day.  Definitely one of our "feel good" stories!
• A shy mixed breed who needed some serious intervention from Pavlov to help her get over her fears of the various agility obstacles.  I helped desensitize/countercondition her to both the tunnel and the chute, and she's made some great progress with jumping (she doesn't seem to like to pick up her feet!).  She definitely enjoys the class, and her momma holds out hope that she might be able to dabble in Rally, too.  Her mom has become a much more confident handler who is learning how to read her dog's body language and help her correctly when she starts to get nervous or scared.  We're going to be doing some training together so that I can introduce her to the sport of Rally, which is exciting - they're a nice team and the dog has a lot in common with my own girl!

As you can see, the class sort of became a safe-haven for those who might not have been ready for mainstream classes.  Reactive dogs, shy dogs, handlers with special needs, new dog owners - we were extremely accommodating of a wide variety of dogs and people, which made the group a lot of fun and, quite honestly, gave me a lot of opportunities for learning. And, let's face it - not every one has the time to devote to serious formal training.  So, some people got a taste of training in agility in a safe environment that they otherwise could not have gotten, without the rigors of foundation or competition prep classes, and several of them have decided to go on to basic training classes (some are already in foundation agility!).

The class taught me to be:

• innovative, like using large cones to keep a tunnel without tunnel bags in place (in a class full of small dogs, we didn't have to worry about the tunnel rolling around!)
• creative, like making "new obstacles" out of PVC, hula hoops, broad jump planks, or the striped bars from the obedience bar jump
• quick on my feet, because yes, we did have a scuffle and I was in the right place at the right time to break things up
• motivating - it's easy for people to get frustrated when their dog won't perform for them, so it's really important to explain why their dog acts a certain way and how they can change their dogs' behavior using a reward system

It'll be nice to have my Monday nights to myself again for the winter, but in a couple months' time, I think I'll be itching to do it again!

Walking In A Dog's Shoes

I was eagerly sitting in my Experimental Psychology class listening to my Professor teach, as usual.  Then, someone said there was a huge bug on the window, inside of the room.

The description (namely, the size) was enough for me; I didn't even have to see the bug.  I got the heeby-jeebies, wiggled in my seat, and had the burning desire to continuously keep looking over my shoulder and side-to-side to attempt to locate the invader.

I heard the words the Professor was saying as he continued to teach, but could not process them or think about them for at least a few minutes.  My mind was preoccupied, whether I liked it or not, due to the big bug. Despite my very strong drive to succeed in this class and impress the teacher, I could not pay any attention to him because of the very scary thing supposedly clinging to the wall.

I hope you see what I'm getting at, here.  Next time your dog is afraid of something and "blows you off" when you ask for a behavior, think of my experience in my favorite Psychology class with my least favorite creature in the world.

The Nose Knows

I've been interested in nose work for a long time.  A lot of people have told me that it's great for confidence building and relationship making - so it's perfect for us.

I'm hesitant to sign up for classes because that would mean taking Marge to a different training club (which I suppose could be good for her agility/rally career, but I'm not ready to do it yet), so we played around a bit today for the first time at home.

It didn't take her long to figure it out at all.  I started with three shoe boxes, and by the end of the session, upped it to six boxes of all different shapes and sizes.  It's VERY cool to see her little brain going.

I only recorded one time outside, but she actually did it several times, got VERY excited each time, and started to mark a bit when she found the correct box (looked towards me when the bowl was in the shoebox and she needed my help to open it).

Someone I know offered to send me notes from a K9 Nosework class, so I hope we can build on the fun that we had today.

Dogs and Kids (Never Thought I'd Say It)

I was kind of misleading when I said I was working "full-time" at an internship.   I'm working 5 hours, one day a week, which is the amount of time required for the class that I am taking in conjunction with it.

I am not a "kid-person."  Historically, I've had a ton of trouble relating to them. (And don't even get me started on the months-olds; I have no experience with infants, and the thought of holding a baby in my arms pretty much terrifies me.  I think I have a slight phobia.) But really, yesterday was kind of cool.  At my internship, I'm working in a group setting with kids (ages 4 to 8) who have been affected by substance use in their families (parent, sibling, etc).  This week was my first time with them.

Of course, I can't say too much about it, because there is a big fancy word called C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L-I-T-Y.  I mostly observed the group, since I'm still new, but I really realized that I already know a good deal about the things that I'll face as I help them work to overcome the things that are bothering them... because they really aren't that much different than dogs.

That's not an insult.  In fact, it's probably a compliment, and, at the very least, a testament to just how powerful learning mechanisms are.

Here's some food for thought (infused with pictures from Marge's early morning walk this week for your visual pleasure):

When they're messed up, it's because someone else messed them up.
Why do dogs have behavioral problems like fear, aggression, and anxiety?  Many times, it's because something set those things off.  Living in a cage.  Being abused.  Having to fight for resources.  Growing up without littermates or parents.  Getting sick.  Even if we go to the biological level and say that fear/anxiety/aggression may have a genetic base, it is many times a person who makes the decision to breed two ill-temperamented dogs and brings a litter of puppies in to this world with a disadvantage.

So, just the way I believe that the environment in which a puppy lives is extremely critical to their success as an adult dog, the same goes for people.  Kids don't just wind up with behavioral problems; their environment plays a huge role in what they're like.  Family situation. Money situation. The larger social/political/economic context of the time in which they live. The neighborhood.  The food they eat. Where they sleep. Witnessing violence.  You get the idea.

When they're messed up, they all respond differently.
Some dogs could be beaten over the head with a baseball bat two hundred times and still wag their tail when ever they meet a new person. Others will develop terrible anxiety and fear as a result of it.  Still others will become reactive and/or aggressive.

Each one of the kids I saw yesterday had their own way of coping with the difficulties in their life.  One was hyper, talkative, and clownish. Another was completely stoic and seemingly unaffected to the point that it was actually a little scary. And, the last was pretty much "normal," if not maybe a bit on the emotional side.  I would have never guessed it.  All along, I thought that kids were all just crazy little people, without ever really thinking about it.

They're annoying.  Irritating.  Make you want to rip your hair out!
There have been plenty of times where I've been frustrated by a dog's behavior.  Whining.  Barking.  Lunging.  Inappropriately-timed zoomy fits.  It's inevitable that we'll sometimes feel stressed out about it.

Now, I wouldn't be a good candidate for this internship if I was already feeling that way, after so few sessions.  (I'm certainly not!)  But, I can see how it'd be frustrating to deal with a kid who can't sit still, or talks at the wrong time, or swears, or won't follow directions, or won't open up to you.  Understanding the "WHY" behind these behaviors is essential (see Point #1, of course) in having some empathy with them and patience for them.

Operant techniques work with them (when you're teaching voluntary, non-emotionally based behaviors, of course).
We reward when we like something; we withhold or take something away when we don't like something.  That's how I train my dog, anyway.  And it works, because it makes a behavior more likely if we're using a reward that's reinforcing enough.

There was plenty of operant conditioning going on yesterday.  Kids got a prize at the end of their group session if they were well-behaved (positive reinforcement).  Kids could not get a prize if they had acted badly during the session (negative punishment).  Kids were given time-outs for bad behavior (punishment, positive or negative depending on how you look at it).  Since they knew these rules in their head, there were very few problems and they were, for the most part, well behaved.

Structure works with them.
Dogs with behavior problems like to know what's coming next.. it minimizes anxiety.  This makes schedules and structure work so well for them.  If they can be certain that the scary man on the street is NOT going to approach them, ever, under any circumstance, they may feel better about walking in close proximity to him.  If they know where they're going to dog training class, who will be there, and what they'll be doing, they may be less reactive.   Walking at the same times, taking a nap in their crate each evening, it all plays a role.  Making life predictable for dogs who have faced so much unpredictability is a good thing.

As I've learned, the same goes for kids with issues.  The kids in this group know the exact structure of their meeting.  It never changes.  The content may change (books, arts and crafts, etc.), but the format does not.  The reasoning behind this is exactly the same; if their life at home is filled with turmoil,  they may very well be eating ice cream for breakfast and watching their parents get high before they go to bed.  A group therapy session like this may very well be the only structure that they have, for one hour a week.

They're cute.
Yeah.. this one's self explanatory.  What's better than a fuzzy, four-legged animal whose favorite pastime is licking your face?

And, well.. you won't see me opening a daycare or applying to teach Kindergarten anytime soon, but I have to admit, the kids were cute and sweet.  Especially the one who did a Steve Urkel impression.

Fabulous

Well, we took the leap and gave it a try.

The whole car ride there, my mind wavered between thinking it was an awful idea and thinking it'd be a worthwhile experience.

Turns out it was the latter of the two.

We totally rocked in Novice class last night.  Not only by my standards - the teacher called our work "fabulous" on one occasion (I think it was the recall) and said it was obvious that we'd practiced a lot at home.   She seemed surprised by the fact that this is my first dog, my first competition dog.  Scary, considering the fact that the last Obedience class we took was Beginner 2 in the early months of 2009 and save for some tips from friends, have had absolutely no formal competition training.

I have tons of work to do if I'm going to do this right, no doubt.  My footwork is completely screwed up, particularly on the about turns.  Marge and I ran in to each other on more than one occasion, but we also had better heelwork than I ever could have imagined in a brand-new class setting.   And, now I know what I need to work on (cueing the about turn by turning my body when I'm stepping on the right foot!!!!).  I'm also not making the traditional T shape when doing the about turn - it sends Marge wide - so we're modifying it a bit.

We dabbled with the stand for exam.  She stood there and barely paid attention to the instructor, who did not touch her (by my request), just walked up next to her.  We practiced heeling offleash.  We performed the recall exercise, and Marge's front was so lovely that I threw her a little party and forgot about the finish.

We did stays.  She held both the sit and down with no problem what so ever.  Even put her head on the floor on the down.  Didn't matter that there was a strange Cocker Spaniel next to her.  She didn't even look at him - or any of the other dogs in the class, for that matter.

I really enjoyed it.  I think Marge did, too.   Her focus was the best I've seen in a while out of ANY of our activities.  I'm kind of impressed with myself, too.. I really had no idea that I had trained her to such a high level on my own by reading, studying, and watching others.

So, yeah.. as if I needed to add another activity to my busy schedule and Marge's growing agenda, we just might keep at this for a while and see where it leads us.

Stay tuned until next week - I think we're going to go to class again.