Along with the ups and downs of our usual training, Lilly had one agility-like victory this week. Happy dance with me, will you?
First though, you might remember me bragging about Lilly’s very advanced LEAVE IT, where I toss food right at her and she doesn’t take it. Well, it doesn’t transfer to things (really good things) already on the ground that she didn’t see placed. I eventually did get her to lay down right next to piles of treats and not take them. But, she stole quite a few, when I didn’t move fast enough to stop her.
Stinker.
She also wasn’t too keen on WAIT as we descended some broad stone stairs. Step. Wait. Step. Wait. Why? Rabbits in the bushes.
She did, however, kick major @#$@# at WHOA on a ledge. Basically, you toss food behind to get the dog to move away from you. As the dog snacks, you back up. Then, as the dog turns toward you, you say WHOA (or whatever) to get them to stop at the drop off, which provides a handy visual cue. It’s easy to practice in doorways or at the top of stairs.
Lilly knows this game well, so I don’t even have to say anything. She just stops and sits or downs right on the ledge. And, this week, she did it with 2 new dogs on either side (about 4-5 feet away each). Excellent, yes?
In addition, she hung in there when an ambulance went by sirens blaring. She even kept it together when skateboarders and kids on scooters whizzed by. I was shocked. She did respond, but she did not react. Maybe playing with her skateboard at home is helping.
BUT, now the big news.
There were a series of benches set 2 by 2 along a path. Gigi wanted us to practice getting the dogs to jump up, run across, and jump down on cue. For us, that’s HOP UP and OK. A cue and a release. But, it also essentially a segmented dog walk. So, I gave Lilly’s leash some slack and started running.
Without hesitation at all, she hopped up, ran bench one, jumped the gap to the second bench, ran bench two and jumped down. She raced to the next set and repeated all the way down the line and back. I didn’t ask for any contact behaviors (2 on/2 off) because I wanted her to just let loose and run.
At the end, I threw in our end-of-run routine of jumping and kissing and hugging and treats. Lilly LOVED it.
So, I know it’s not quite agility, but it’s an agility-like behavior in a brand new setting, with lots of distractions, including other people and other dogs very near by.
One more note on Give Me a Break GameI continued working with this game to instill training desire and lower stress. One night we played with her exercise ball. One night we played MAT. One day we shook hands like mad women. One time she rolled over again and again.
Sometimes she showed genuine enthusiasm for the work. Other times, she simply did what I asked because of the high rate of reward.
Each time I gave her a BREAK, though, she didn’t beg me like nuts to begin again. Leslie McDevitt talks about dogs tugging at their mats to begin the game. But, what Lilly does instead is throw more subtle behaviors at me. She’ll give me a very good, patient down. She’ll hop up on something nearby and give me 2 on/2 off.
But, she didn’t get pushy or overly excited or kissy this week. She just waited for the game to begin. I would count to 25 and start again. But, I think I’m supposed to start the game as soon as she deliberately engages me.
I’m beginning to think Lilly’s more subdued response comes from spending so much of her time during the day like a service dog would. She lays down nearby while I work and waits (sometimes I worry too desperately) for me to engage her.
Congrats to you & Lilly. Gigi’s classes sound like fun, maybe when it warms up I’ll sign up for one with Strummer. I took a few from her many years ago when Lola was a pup but it’s been a long time.
Yay!!! That is wonderful news.
Doing the happy dance with ya,
Lisa