Building Bennett: Days 10 & 11

Friday 25 October 2013

Days 10 & 11

Day 10, yesterday, was a bust. Between work, a doctor's appointment and an evening class, there was no training done. I was a horrible, neglectful, awful dog owner! I tried to compensate with extra kisses and a shared evening snack of chips.

Today, I started teaching Bennett a front position. With Gio and Romeo, I absolutely adore how they work, and honestly don't regret any of the challenges we've had along the way. Taking into consideration my personal starting point and what we have all worked through, I regret nothing and am absolutely thrilled with them. ... BUT ... if I got to choose one thing to "fix" about their obedience performance, for both dogs I would fix their "front"! It is my own darned fault that they have sloppy fronts. Too far away, crooked, inconsistent, and requiring entirely too much coaching on my part, even years into their obedience careers. I want to nip that right in the bud with Bennett, and am going to work on some SOLID position work with her right from the beginning. Her heel position is beyond what I could hope for at this point. She is fast, eager, and precise ... exactly what I want from her! I want that same level of enthusiasm AND precision with her front position.

I've brain-farted what I think could be a really cool idea for teaching a front. I've never done it before, and I haven't personally seen anyone do it, either. However, I make no claims of being "the first" to come up with what I think is a pretty cool idea. I'm sure someone out there has already done it and claimed it. But it's new for me, so YAY!

With that in mind, I'm making a video documenting each step along the way. ... And I'm going to keep it secret until we have something of a finished product. Muahahaha! I'm doing this for a couple reasons. 1) It might fail horribly, and I don't want proof out there on the eternal interwebs documenting my failure. 2) I know some people *ahem ahem* that will swipe in and end up finishing training it to their dogs before I can get it done with Bennett, and steal my thunder! 3) The video will be cooler if I can splice it all together with each step along the way.

So, bear with me. Long story short, Bennett remains super eager and enthusiastic about our new game. We had a couple hiccups as I tried to figure out what the hell it is I am doing. But an overall successful clicker session!

On a somewhat different, though still related, tangent ... I'm frequently getting whines and/or scratches at the patio doors for potty times now! We did have one accident during our training session tonight (eager puppy didn't want to tap out for a break, and silly me couldn't tell the difference between sniffing for crumbs and sniffing for a squat). But earlier this evening, there were 2 alerts to go outside! Hoorah! Progress!! ... Now, if only I could convince her to completely empty her bladder in one trip, instead of saving some for later. For a girly that can hold it all day while I am at work, I don't know why she feels the need to schedule pee times for every half hour in the evening!

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Bennett

Bennett (CanyonView The Lady is a Tramp) is a female Shetland Sheepdog. She was born on July 14, 2013. Her dam is Ch. CanyonView The Gift and her sire is Ch. Chelson Ashwyn Hollywood North. There were 8 puppies in her litter, 5 females and 3 males. Three of her sisters are going to be shown in conformation, her three brothers went to performance homes, and the remaining sister is a much beloved and appropriately spoiled companion. As with all of her littermates, Bennett is pure for sable, though she has the flashiest white markings of the bunch. Her growth curve suggests that she will stand between 15.5" and 16" when full grown.

Bennett was chosen specifically for me by her very knowledgeable breeder as a promising performance prospect! She was described to me with phrases such as "self-appointed spokes-puppy for the litter", "bold and sassy", "fearless", "very attentive, but willing to push her limits", and "a bit of a bossy bitch". To which I said, "Perfect!!"

Goals

My primary goal for Bennett is, of course, to have an amazing adventure that both of us enjoy and to build a bond of trust, fun, and teamwork!

Being a little more specific, I hope to compete with Bennett in Rally-O (WCR and AKC) and Obedience (AKC). Dependent on how her personality develops, I would like to take her in the direction of therapy dog work. I am of the very strong opinion that therapy dogs are born and polished, not made. It is not a job for every dog, and an owner should not aim specifically for therapy dog work. Rather, solid socialization, exposure, confidence, obedience, and trick training is the objective and, should the dog's personality be supportive once mature, therapy dog is something to consider later.

WCR (World Cynosport Rally-O) offers a Puppy level of competition. Dogs can compete as puppies between the ages of 6 and 12 months. Bennett will be 6 months in January, so our short term goal is to be ring ready for a local trial at the end of January 2014!

Training Philosphy

My training is predominantly positive and reward-based. Do corrections happen? Of course, but they are mainly well-timed verbal interruptions used to prevent or stop unwanted behaviors, allowing for redirection and shaping of desired behaviors. Whenever possible, undesired behaviors are prevented through environmental awareness and encouraging preferred behaviors. When training new tasks, I utilize the clicker with a variety of rewards, chosen to fit the task and situation. I encourage play, curiosity, confidence, and independent thinking! Training is a game, and we always strive to have fun!