Bonkers for Sadie: So far so good

Saturday, January 15, 2011

So far so good

This week's obedience class was another success. The class has grown since Trainer Guy decided that instead of doing two small classes per week, he combined the Monday night beginners obedience with our Thursday night class. We have added a St. Bernard pup (I say pup but she's easily 120lbs +!), a GSD and and Irish Setter. Unfortunately, Princess the Pit Bull was a no show, though Trainer Guy sounded like he had been in contact with the owner and they were planning on coming - hopefully she will be back next week!

We began the class by warming up with "loose your dog", an exercise that teaches the dog to watch and follow with you wherever you go. Basically you just move around in any direction and as long as your dog stays within your reach you are doing great, if they loose focus and start to wander off you give them a quick pop on the leash to get them back. Occasionally Sadie looses focus to see what other dogs are doing but for only having done this twice she does very well.

After "loose your dog" we began to work our heeling patterns. It appears that our practice last week has paid off as her "sits" are getting better. This week she was much quicker and though she sometimes still kicks out to the side, most of her sits are pretty close to the correct position. I have been working her along a wall or fence but I think this week I'll see if we can wean ourselves away and get straight sits consistently without it. Other than that though she seems very attentive and moves very well throughout the pattern.

Our new exercise for the week is the "sit stay" and "down stay". Trainer guy likes to teach this in baby steps, beginning with the handler giving the command and stepping directly in front of the dog. Over time you are to gradually increase the distance between dog and handler as well as the length of time in the position. Sadie already knows "sit" "down" and for the most part "stay" so I hope she will progress through the steps pretty quickly. The only issue she had with this was with the finish, once we complete our time we are to return to heel position by walking around behind the dog, on the first attempt at this she tried to get up and walk with me, but I just put her back in position and told her to stay and after that she seemed to get the idea.

Between each exercise we are told to "release your dogs and praise 'em up" at which point we are to play with them like crazy and make the training a very fun and positive thing. Sadie is very driven and LOVES her squeaky toy so this part of class is great for her and I. Bella did play with me but I still haven't found a toy that she is interested in so I had to work her with treats alone. Of course Sadie will work for food but she is also more than happy to work for her squeaky!

She also seems to be benefiting from the one on one time she and I are spending together as I am noticing that she is becoming more affectionate with me. Not that I ever neglected her, and not that she never wanted/showed affection before but I would have never described her as a "cuddler". But lately she has been more willing to crawl up on the couch or bed with me and curl up right beside me, the way that Bella does. It kinda makes me feel bad, like we were missing something before.

1 comment:

JenJanuary 15, 2011 at 11:42 AM
:) Great to read all of this!
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Novice Obedience Exercise Descriptions

Heel on Leash: Dog and Handler work as a team, the leash must be loose and held in a natural position. Orders for this exercise are: "Forward", "Halt", "Right turn", "Left turn", "About turn", "Slow" "Normal" and "Fast".

Stand for Examination: The dog stands in position before and during the examination without displaying resentment. Handler is instructed to "stand your dog and leave when you are ready", after positioning the dog the handler stands with dog in heel position, give the command/signal to stay and walk straight forward approximately 6 feet and then turn and face the dog. The judge will approach the dog from the front, using the fingers and palm of one hand, the judge will touch the dogs head, body and hindquarters. Judge will then give the command "back to your dog", handler returns to heel position. The dog must remain still until judge has said "exercise finished".

Recall: The dog must stay where left unitl called by handler and then must respond promptly when the handler commands or signals them to come. On order from the judge the handler will give the command/signal for the dog to stay in the sit position. Handler will then wakl forward to the other side of the ring with arms hanging naturally. On the judges order handler will command or signal the dog to come. Dog must come at brisk pace and sit stright, centered directly in front of handler. On judges order handler will give the dog the command/signal to finish. Dog must move quickly to heel position and sit.

Finish: Dog is directed to "swing" it's hind end around to the left to come to the heel position and then sit, or "heel" around to the right and behind the handler and come to the heel position and then sit.

Sit/Stay & Down/Stay (Group Exercises): The dog must remain in either the seated position or the down position, whichever is required by the particular exercise. The dogs will line up in catalog order along one side of the ring. The leash is removed and placed with the handlers armband behind the dog. Handlers are instructed to "sit your dog" or "down your dog", and then "leave your dog". The handler will walk across to the other side of the ring and stand in a natural position across from the dog until the judge orders them to "return to your dog". Any dog that leaves the place where it was left during the first group exercise will be given an "NQ" and excused from the remaining group exercise.