Dog Community

We've made Progress! w00t for Mouse!

Xeph

Posted : 8/27/2006 7:15:05 PM

Strauss and I have made progress in our agility training!

This past Monday at class, I was bitten only twice! Sounds awful I know, but before he was biting me upwards of a dozen times, so only twice is a big deal to me!

We did mostly distraction work on Monday, and not much work on actual obstacles unless they were things we REALLY needed to work on (like weaves). I had my clicker with me, and I clicked him every time he looked at me.

He only had a serious lunge/pull ONCE during class! Big switch from him lunging all the time! He still screams, and I honestly think that part of that is just him not knowing what else to do...can't deal with the excitement any other way (As much as I hate noise, I do prefer screaming/barking to spinning). But now, instead of lunging and screaming at the other dogs, he lays and watches and screams to me xD! I'm so proud. We may actually be ready to run in the Pet Expo again next year

ladiebug

Posted : 8/27/2006 8:16:00 PM

Way to go Strauss! Keep up the good work.

nyiceprincess

Posted : 8/27/2006 10:03:51 PM

Great news! Sounds like he has come a long way from the problems you described before! Way to go!!

corvus

Posted : 8/28/2006 4:25:22 AM

Poor confused Strauss! My corgi stands there and barks her head off when she's very excited because it seems like she can't possibly express herself in any other way. She tries so hard to keep quiet, but it often proves just too tough for her.

Sounds like all your hard work with Strauss is paying off. Hurrah for you and Strauss! [sm=proud.gif]

agilebasenji

Posted : 8/28/2006 9:17:40 AM

Good work!

Xeph

Posted : 8/28/2006 3:16:35 PM

Strauss and I have class again tonight, and we're going to do some more distraction work. I've made it a point the last couple classes that he go LAST (before we were almost always going first), so he learns patience and that he WILL be rewarded for waiting.

I didn't realize before that in today's "Instant Gratification" society, it not only applies to people...but to dogs! He was always instantly sated in his need to do agility...by going first! So now he's either last, or in the middle, and on a rare occassion, I allow him to go first.

Strauss still will jump up and "Woo woo row row!" in my face, but instead of biting my arms, he jumps up and kisses my face (He's always done this before, but to do this in agility instead of biting is wonderful ^_^).

I've got high hopes for the boy, and am actually planning on getting a MACH on him, as there aren't many MACH GSDs, and his instructors think he has potential.