Building Bennett: Days 12 & 13

Sunday 27 October 2013

Days 12 & 13

Day 12, yesterday: See, this is why I didn't post a video of my "awesome new idea for teaching fronts". I tried it, I didn't like it. Idea discarded! Back to the same old routine with good plans of being pickier about the final goal. So that is what we did this evening. Bennett and I worked positions, front and heel position, speedy speedy speedy, lots of enthusiasm! Play, tug, treats, I want FAST and snappy position changes. So far, so good! Bennett approves of fast and snappy, so we're in agreement.

Day 13, today: Sunday mornings are for lazy naps. Luckily, Romeo and Bennett ran themselves into the ground last night during their fits of zoomies. They were both more than happy to chill and snooze most of the morning ... after potty time and breakfast, of course!

Yesterday, Bennett's ear glue let loose, so I tried to follow instructions from her breeder to fix things. I failed. It was a big goobery, glue-crusty mess! Sewing glue EVERYWHERE! I took advantage of the lazy atmosphere to re-tackle the ear issue. Bennett was a trooper and sat nice and still while I clipped and pulled and brushed to try and sort out the mess. For the most part, she was happy to lay on the couch and chew on the string of my bunnyhug as I fiddled with her ears.

This afternoon, we took our training-so-far on the road! Well ... into the parking lot. Due to space constrictions, I can't do much moving heel work indoors. We've been working positions in the living room and that is fine, but anything with motion is a little awkward. This was our first official attempt at working a moving heel. Overall, I'm REALLY impressed with our progress ... and was even MORE impressed when I got to see it on video. We definitely have a very promising base to build on here, and Bennett even showed me a glimpse of the sassy-pants strut she is going to have once she figures this all out! YAY!! Another prancing Sheltie heel!!

I tried to upload our heel training video, but Blogger complained. So HERE IS THE LINK to the video on Facebook. Most of the people reading this blog will be my friends on Facebook, so it should work. If you somehow found your way here and are NOT my Facebook friend ... I have no idea if you'll be able to see it. Sorry.

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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!