The blog has been falling to the way side lately but I am looking at improving not focusing on failure so I will do todays post and not worry about the missed posts.

Yesterday it was a beautiful day, I waited for Bill to get home so we could all go for a walk.  Foolish me didn't put the other two in their kennels just left them in the backyard.  They met us about the entrance to the forest, I thought Max was going to come straight to me but he chose to run on by and Iggy to follow, no amount of calling made any difference.  We had been doing so well I was really disappointed but realistically realize that he has not been trained to come off a running dog.  Anyway searched for them for about 30 minutes and when I found them they came right to me like good little boys.  I had one leash so kept Max on leash and Iggy ran free, about 5 minutes into the walk home we met mister porcupine, Iggy was great when I saw what he was looking at I called and he turned right back to me :).

This morning I really wanted to go for a good walk.  We started the walk with 4 reps of the tunnel I think it is pretty well at full length so I will try curving it tomorrow or later today.  We then did 4 reps of serps on a single jump.  He walked by the jump on the first rep but then did it fine.  During all this Bill came out to split wood Iggy went to run towards him I called and started stepping away and he turned and ran right to me :).  A couple of times during the tunnel and jump work he got distracted I just started to step away and he was there.

We walked up to the agility field, he was great on the road did a recall out of a full run and a couple of fronts with sits.  As we were getting into the field there where a few animal prints in the snow.  I should have worked them right there and then assessed the walk again.  I kept going into the field about 15 feet in I called and nothing, walked right up to him nothing, finally he acknowledged me but had a very hard time tugging.  We kept walking and I went and hid it probably took at least 3 minutes before he came to find me and then he went by me.  We started with some nose touches and some sits then a recall about 20 feet and another all the way out to the road and then he went on leash, he still couldn't give me a decent tug and I didn't want to go to that place so we had a lovely leash walk back home with a couple of recalls to a tug and then brain was able to tug about half way home.

I have been putting my shaping videos on youtube so I can get Christine's opinion.  You know they are not as bad as I thought.  Can't wait to hear her opinion and advice.

Iggy has discovered the joys of snow shoveling

I have gotten complacent.  I think this is why some people achieve such great advances with their dogs and some don't.  I had been pushing the envelope and walking off leash, new areas, longer times.  Somehow the last week or two, granted the last few days have been bitter cold, I am walking the same walk and barely pushing at all.  Today I went out into the field out of the backyard.

This walk had some areas that needed attention.  Coming out of the patio door the minute he was released he was running down the stairs which is fine but had no response to being called.  Today I kept him on leash and called him as soon as he stepped out and played 2 seconds worth of tug because I realize he really needed to pee.  I let him run around the backyard with only calling him once.  Since it has been so cold the last few day and he has been so good around the driveway I have drastically increased the time between calls, I think I see him looking back more.  The goal is to find that line; not so many times that you do the needle in the eye thing, but not so few that he starts to forget you.  At the gate to the field I had Iggy sit and then released him once I had opened the gate and called him back after one step.  He did great, played a little tug went into the field.  About 2 feet later he found a bone in the snow.  Sat there and watched him for a few minutes and then called him, he looked up but didn't come to me, took a step in and he stepped back two steps so I walked away at about 10 feet I called and ran and he came towards me and ran by.  In the process dropping the bone.  I have done some practice retrieving the bone but obviously need some more work.  Walked around for about 15 minutes called him about 3 times he responded perfectly.  Once he had his nose in the snow, which has always been our downfall, and I walked up and touched his butt, nothing I hugged his but nothing, I moved him a bit he looked up and I ran and played tug.  I have seen him startle and look worried when I grab him so I want to work on this when he is intent on something else.

I then came back into the yard to shovel the snow one the deck.  I even let Max out with us.  I let them play for a few minutes without interruption from me.  Max then came over and Iggy was sniffing him i called Iggy.  He didn't respond so I had Max sit and repeated, it took a couple of times but he did start to respond.  After that it got much better and towards the end Max was running up the stairs with Iggy on his ass and I called and Iggy turned and came back to me :)))))).

Iggy is becoming very fond of snow shoveling.  I think he likes me throwing the snow at him but then isn't sure so he stands behind me and pokes and scratches which hurts like hell on the cold legs.  He also grabs at your gloves and managed to take one of mine off, luckily I said sit and he did and dropped the glove.  This was great because he often picked playing with me over playing with Max but I wasn't really doing anything other than cleaning the deck so it was very relaxed.

Tooo Cold

It is -33 this morning in the sunshine.  That is just wrong.  We went for a very quick walk and came in to do some shaping.

Unfortunately I didn't tape it but I think it is some of the best shaping we have done to date.  We worked on pivot board and on backing up.  I am starting to relax and I think he is too.  Usually he looks totally stressed any time I attempt to shape and the food seems more of a negative than a positive.  Our goal this week is to enjoy shaping more.

We shaped going around a barrel and backing up.  I used food for both but will try the toy for the backing up on the next go around.  I sat on the floor for the backing up which makes it much easier to watch the feet.  He may be getting it :).

Did nothing else today other than a couple of very short walks we were both tired and I have to remember that day off thing and stop feeling guilty.

I have spent some time thinking about goal setting and realize what I made was a to do list not goals.  Funny enough this has been rolling around in my head since I wrote out the to do list a few days ago and then yesterday John Cullen's blog was about the difference between goals and a to do list.

This morning my to do was to work on retrieving after the jump.  I find that Iggy's retrieve is not as strong as I would like.  My goal is that every time he picks up the toy he instantly runs back to me.  Solution:  I need to start running away every time he gets the toy, right now I am only doing it once in a while.  Let's say for the next three days every time I throw the toy I need to run away regardless if it's with a jump or by itself.

This morning we did one rep of tunnel at about 75% of full length, 2 restrained recalls at about 150 feet and 2 270s the first one he went by the second jump, I am sure I am not turning my shoulders when this is happening on the 2nd rep I started a front cross and he had no problem.

Coming Along

Great morning walk.  The weather is back up to something normal only -11 so we didn't freeze which was nice.  We walked to Doug's driveway he was very attentive as soon as I stopped walking he would turn and run back.  I had one not listening moment and it was a startle, Doug had his pick up parked in the field maybe 500 feet from where we were and it being red really stood out.  I saw him commit to it and called he kept moving I turned and ran away.  He caught up without me getting very far.  I agree with Chris Bach that if your dog doesn't come running away and making yourself a reward is rewarding the not coming.  I think this is more a case of dog was too committed to something else and the running forced him to uncommit and choose me.

Did 3 tunnel entries, 2 from holding his collar, which he allowed well.  Did three 180 reps, I held my line and he had no problem, still working on throwing the toy in the right place.

Tunnels and Jumps

So the seminar is under 2 weeks away and my boy can't do tunnels.  That is our priority for the next 2 weeks.  I did the barrel at the barn and he did it no problem, maybe 15 reps total.  Went out and tried the tunnel by myself today and it didn't work as well as I hoped.  Not really sure how to shape a tunnel so I am just going to do it the old fashioned method of luring through.  I tried a few things by myself but they didn't work so I will get Bill to hold him when he gets home, Iggy went in to get the toy pretty far in so I am sure we can get it done.

We were both slightly off for this training session.  I think I went out to concentrated on the results and not enough on the relationship building.  I will remedy that next outing hopefully in about an hour.

Still have the jumps set up in a 180 pattern.  First rep did great, 2nd rep I did a pull through which he did well, third rep he came between and fourth rep he went around the 2nd jump.  The birds were being really loud and that started to distract him.  Or change that to too many failures not enough enthusiasm from me therefore stimulation level started to drop and the birds became an issue.  We went for a few minutes of walking and he did well.  Then me being me asked for a nose touch on the left hand (where I started losing him at the jumps) and lost him, did end up getting him back and got a decent nose touch before we went inside.

On coming inside he headed to the kitchen and when called ignored me I went and grabbed him had to really reach and grabbed coat @#$% brought him back to the door and revved him up we then went to the kitchen and then called and he was fine.  I think I am not going to change anything just leave it as backlash from not having enough attitude outside.

Went outside with Bill to retry tunnel.  Bill held him our first attempt but not close enough to the tunnel so Iggy just came around to me.  Next time I held him and had Bill wiggle the toy just inside the other end of the tunnel.  After about 3 reps Iggy was going into the tunnel on his own :).  We did about 10 reps taking a break and walking around in between, some driving forward some coming back.  I was stepping into it every time and started to work the arc.  Goals for next time; make sure I am not driving him with my body; stretch out the tunnel.

Beautiful Winter Day

It's cold but it is one of those days you are happy to live somewhere where it snows.

We went for a walk this morning in the fresh snow.  He was great until he sticks his nose in the snow and then he ears turn off :).  We will continue to work on this.  Walking away and hiding still work they just take a minute or so but the name not so good.

I wanted to work on shaping today.  We did nose touch and backing up.

I actually got a couple of nice back up steps, even better he lied down and I waited until he got back up and rewarded him.  I am still percolating what Christine said "the next reward-able behaviour".  He lied down and I waited with no eye contact, took a bit maybe 15 seconds and he got up, I rewarded right away but the next time he lied down I didn't reward until he had gotten up and moved a paw.  He stayed engaged the whole time.

The nose touch I think I was pushing too hard for number of reps.  So I rewarded 1 rep, 2 rep, 1 rep, 4 rep, 1 rep, tug, 1 rep, tug.  Seemed to work well good enthusiasm and focus.

Wanderings of a Slightly Insane Mind

Without a doubt I over think things, it's just who I am.  Sometimes it actually leads to mind blowing epiphanies, and sometimes it leads to obsessing over details.  Yesterday I had what I considered an epiphany.  In the past few weeks, not surprising being the new year, everywhere you look there is information on goals.  Making them, doing them, how to make them, how to stick to them.  When I started this blog it was about setting up a plan and already in two weeks the plan is gone :).  I have to work on a new plan, again.  Luckily I am the eternal optimist and will keep setting up plans until one works.  Here I am using goals and plans interchangeably that may be wrong, but for me my goal is the plan.

Anyway, I digress my epiphany was without goals you have taken away a huge reward for yourself.  When I look at what Iggy and I have accomplished in the last few months I have no choice but to be really pleased.  We have strong sits and downs on hand signals and verbal, we have a good hard nose touch with multiples, we have a recall that has worked in a room full of people and dogs, we have a retrieve, we have jumping, we have shaping...  Since I have never sat down and defined goals with due dates I have denied myself the sense of accomplishment of achieving the goal.  Instead I just keep wanting more, which is fine but you have to stop and appreciate what you have achieved before you want more otherwise you are never satisfied.

So back to goal setting and planning

Ultimate Goal - an agility dog that has good speed and confidence when running an agility course.  Confidence from having the skills to know what to do and when to do it

1 Year Goal - be able to enter in a trial and have confidence that my dog will be able to stay with me, do the equipment, and handle a starters course in a trial setting

1 Month Goal - this is where I start losing my way, I get overwhelmed by what I need to teach, I don't know where to start or where to go

• nose touch on plexi on the ground
• tunnel from any angle from ~ 20 feet
• 180, 270, pinwheel, serps
• find the line 2 jumps no toy
• LOP with toys no jumps - improve understanding of when to come to me when to drive to the toy
• bang game on tunnel
• jump far, jump turning - put both on cue
• recall with surprise distraction
• backup
• smaller box
• shape go around bucket
• tug all over the basement
• 100% recall in the front field
• front cross on flat

Surprising enough once I forced my brain out of the stratosphere and to write down a list it felt good and doable.  One article said not setting goals is due to fear of failure and that sooooo applies to me, we shall see how this goes.

1 Week Goal 

• nose touch - multiples before releasing him to whatever
• nose touch - moving hand to the ground
• tunnel - short and straight going through consistently
• 180 - both directions with some distance
• LOP with toys no jumps - improve understanding of when to come to me when to drive to the toy
• back up
• basement - tug at bottom of stairs

Put the list on my to do list and am all excited.

Today was supposed to be a rest day since we do class on Friday and are at the barn on Thursday.  For our morning walk we pushed the boundaries by going out into the front field.  I don't know if it's the long grass or what but I have a hell of a time calling him off when he sticks his nose into the snow.  I imagine the grass has a lot of mice.  Anyway we had two failures and worked through them so will go out there again tomorrow.  Will have to ponder how to improve, maybe consider putting him on leash for that part of the walk would be a good idea.

Worked on our 180s in the front yard with snow.  He did great managed both directions with nice distance.

Details, details, details

It's all about the details, but if you obsess over the details it won't work @#$%.

I had been doing very well on attitude when working Iggy which was probably our biggest problem.  Look at the issue unemotionally and solve it.  As we move along in our return to training I have to push the question is when and how much.  Then we get into the issues of do your trust your observation skills or are they being coloured (and you know they always are) by your emotions.  Sometimes I feel he is going to that place but then I question whether it's my perception or his attitude that has changed.  I have been fighting a cold for about a week now so everything is being coloured by not feeling well.  I do think I am getting stuck and need to break out of the rut.

Ahhhh now that the bitching is done I feel better and ready to look at the problems with a clearer head.  I have always been unhappy that unless I am set up in the recall pose he comes out of his crate and sniffs the air stretches and then comes to me.  Duh I figured it out last night I have to take off running no matter where I am standing or how I am standing.  I hate working crate games in the winter because the car is so dirty but I washed the car last night and this afternoon we will go out and work crate games in the car.

I am sure Iggy's attitude in the last few days is different, not as good as it was, so I need to do more relationship building games.  Today we are going to do "The Smoke Ya Game" and "Tug Sit Tug" don't just stand there take off running.

I am at the barn tonight so I think today we will just play these games and we will work on some jumping skills at the barn.

Creating Traction

I have been negligent in my record keeping and the training has been sliding.  I don't know if the record keeping tends to disappear when things start to go wrong or vice versa.  Hopefully I will go back and fill in the missing days so I won't spend a lot of time on them, I will just say that yesterday I saw the Iggy I used to have and need to never let that happen again.  I find Iggy is very much like Max forgets nothing and it quickly colours everything.

This morning I wanted a positive fun experience.  I decided to do the back yard on leash, since last night the recall was not pretty in the back yard.  I have to remember that all places that we had bad recalls I now need to go through and really increase my reward value by doing 100s of recalls before I give him freedom.  The other thing I have to remember is his recall seems great as long as the time between recalls is pretty short the longer I let him get invested in the environment the less likely I will have the stellar recall I expect.  I have complete faith that it will come but sometime the patience and work required to get there is frustrating.

So this morning we walked the backyard on leash.  We did about 1/3 on the GL and the rest on the buckle collar.  I worked not pulling on leash or better said coming back to me when he feels pressure on his collar.  I started on the GL, when he pulled I backed up and tugged with him for turning his head.  I think because of work I have done before doing Walk Away with food the pressure on the collar stresses him out but after a few times of being rewarded for turning with tugging he was getting the hang of it.  We did 2 recalls about 50 feet he did fine.

I think that worked well and we were both happy with the results.

What's With The Basement.

We do most of our work outside or upstairs in my house.  There is much more room in the basement and I wanted to do some shaping today so off to the basement we headed.  A couple of weeks ago we had gone to work in the basement, I had done one exercise and noticed that Iggy spent the rest of the time in the crate, around 30 minutes, panting.  Usually Iggy is fine in the crate lies down and watches or even sits and watches but no panting.  I was on the elliptical for a lot of that time and wondered if maybe that was what was causing the anxiety.

We head down I put him in the crate.  Got all set up let him out and tugged.  I thought he was a little off but wasn't really paying attention, my focus was on the shaping we were going to do.  We worked on going around a bucket, I think it went well.  After about 8 treats back in the carte we go.  After about 5 minutes I brought him back out and he was started to get very agitated.  You can tell because he loses the ability to tug and starts using his paws and swings his ass into me.  Did a couple of treats worth of shaping and put him away.  Again brought him out 5 minutes later and he was a mess completely unable to tug and wired.  I put him back in the crate and figured I would just let him settle down, in an hour he lied down once I rewarded he got up and that was it he panted the entire time.

@#$%  I have been thing why.  All I can think of is we used to train down there last winter when things where not going so well and that is the association he has.  Other than that nothing has ever happened and even with the training before I wasn't like I would take him down and beat him.  Must remember what I tell my students why doesn't matter all that matters is how to fix it.

Class went very well

I was very pleased with how class went last night.  The three exercises we worked on was going around the pylon, 180 degree jumps, and table.


First exercise we did was the pylon.  I was all stressed out and not concentrating as I should be but that will get better with time.  I don't know what I am scared of because I know it's fear that makes me like this but that's the way I am and there is no point stressing about stressing.  Iggy and I were supposed to shape going around a pylon.  I had worked on get out and it was coming along but I had not shaped the going around, I have seen the benefits for the dog of shaping and need to start doing some shaping regularly now that Iggy is working with me much better.  Anyway my first attempt I was doing a lot of moving and not letting Iggy figure anything out.  I need to stand still.  I was worried he would pee on the pylon and of course he attempted it :), Christine just grabbed him by the collar told him to cut it out and moved on.  I then realized my boy was trying to put his back feet on the lip of the pylon, not surprising since everything I have shaped to date is about feet.  He wandered away once but came back when called.  I originally took him out on leash and then was reminded to have him on leash, makes sense, especially in that very stimulating very distracting location.


Second exercise was the table.  At first we started with this tiny table that he was having a hell of a time staying on while tugging but did manage it.  A sheltie then came over and had a play with him, also an intact male and definitely changed his state.  I stood there and did nothing, later in the class Iggy went over and tried to play with a dog and Keisha just grabbed him and held him until I could reach him.  I loved it she never let him interact with her dog never allowing Iggy to reward himself and her dog to enjoy it or get upset by it, I need to react when a dog comes over and we are working and not just stand there.  After this he was unable to tug on the table, was able to after some work tug on the floor so Christine suggested get him on the table then release to tug.  As soon as I would remove the tug he would jump on the table so that was working fine.  I kept Iggy on leash for the entire exercise.


Third exercise was the jumps.  First thing I worked on was that he would retrieve the toy in this environment.  No problem, Christine pointed out to be careful what I am doing near the equipment because on his return to me he went around a jump.  Will have to watch that in the front yard where the jump is set up.  Went very well held him by he collar and released while stepping towards the jump.  He took the jump no hesitation and I dropped the toy heading towards the second jump, repeated with the toy a little closer to the second jump.  Third attempt went for the second jump and he did it, I rewarded with the toy.  I should have just dropped toy in front of him and I threw it instead.  Makes me think back to Splash and Oliver getting distracted thinking we where about to throw the toy instead by placing it we get rid of that chase thing.


Iggy did well in the fabric crate.  He was relatively quiet, I covered him when I wasn't close to him and rewarded him when he wasn't covered.  He started to get the whole sit while I unzip the door towards the end of the class, all I did was unzip that hold the side of the crate until he say usually right away.  The last time I put him away we ran towards the crate and the door flap was down, I felt him fight me but I was already committed to putting him in.  Need to work on crate door flap being down and him going in.

Today is rest day, it's a beautiful day with fresh snow, we went for a walk just around the backyard.  Since I use to let him loose in the backyard and we do most of our work in the front yard I find his recall is not as good in the backyard so I am trying to remember to walk there once in a while to work on this.  I have to bring him out on leash and do recalls as soon as he runs out the door because I have tried and he never stops, usually gets to the bottom and then maybe thinks about coming back up.  


I think the leaving me while working is a startle thing so since we were all outside I asked Bill to help me.  I tugged with Iggy and he honked the car horn.  Iggy moved away a few times but never more than a foot and re committed to the tugging without any cues from me.  I am sending Christine and email to hear her suggestions.

First Class tonight

Tonight we have our first class with Christine and I am sooooo excited.  Can't wait to see how he does and what we do.

We had the most awesome walk this morning.  Went out the front door as always and the birds flew away and he looked at them like he was going to chase and then turned back to me, it was beautiful.  We proceeded to have a great walk, he ran and played but responsive any time I asked for it.  On the way back to the house he started to chase the birds and I called and he turned and came back to me.  I am so proud of my little boy.  Now I need to start working on stop look to me and then chase when I tell you you can.

I had to go to Kemptville so took him with me.  We got out in a parking lot very close to the cars on 43.  We were out maybe 5 minutes walked around did a sit and a down, went for a pee.  He responded well to me when asked, stood still and waited for him to look at me and he did withing 20 seconds each time.  Right before I put him away I offered him a treat and he didn't take it, I popped his mouth open dropped the treat in and put him in his crate.

The art of shaping

Today is our shaping day, we also have class tonight so I don't want to do too much.

The day started out well.  I decided we would have our morning walk on leash and he got distracted so when I called him he ignored me I instantly took off running and was not able to get him not paying attention again.  I should have hesitated right now I should probably take off most times to keep that fast turn and run towards me.

Did some shaping to go into the box.  He was working well and then Bill started feeding the other dogs and Iggy could here Max going on like he does and got distracted.  I was very proud of my Iggy he came back to me every time and I ended it because it was just going to get worse.

As for the actual shaping I think I should have been rewarding more of his attempts, hopefully Christine will have time to watch the video and give me her opinion.

I took Iggy with me to the barn last night.  I set up a jump set point exercise.  He did it once all good, found the line, got the toy, came right back to me.  Then Tracy started making noises in the stables, Iggy did the jump but ran right over the toy and to the gate, I called him when he had gotten to the gate and he turned and ran back to me.  We repeated the same thing again.  Very very happy with the recall not thrilled with the leaving the exercise.  We walked away from the jumps and started some tugging some PB & J and he did well.  At some point he left and I called when he was half way to the gate and he turned and came back.  I also tried some get its to the toy and then chasing me which worked well.

Better solutions to the above incident.  Stop the jump exercise immediately don't try it again.  Do nose touches or tugging or something and then release him to the gate.  Play easier games such as tug, sit, tug and PB & J.  Still have to be very very happy with that recall :).

Things that make you go hmmmmm

Didn't do much else with Iggy yesterday.  When I came home after class did some tugging and releasing to go to the bathroom and then right away tugging, no real freedom.  That worked great.

This morning went out played tug after he went to the bathroom.  Wanted to try more RZ so ran around in a circle about 30feet in diameter with him in RZ.  Rewarded with the tug, he did pretty well I did some decel and kept going until he put himself in the right spot and then rewarded.  I just don't think he is getting it but I am having a hard time figuring out what to change to improve his understanding.  I need to take it back to step treat step treat and video tape to hopefully see the spot where we lose the understanding.  Then I will have video and can get Christine to look at it and give me her opinion.

We also did some get outs with the wheelbarrow, took him a second to figure out what I wanted but then no problem, still very close to the wheelbarrow but he is moving out nicely.  Two reps off the right hand and three reps off the left hand.

I then let him go off leash for a run and to go to the bathroom.  Asked for a nose touch first and got a lot of biting more than I have gotten in a long time.  I am guessing too stimulated or at least on the verge of too stimulated.  He was doing very well with the recalls and then I called  him back just as he got sight of something and took off to a sniff, I walked towards him and took him by the collar and moved him away and sat him.  Did a few recalls and released him to go sniff but he wouldn't leave me.

So what did I learn, what do I need to change.  No freedom, he is allowed off leash but 1 minute and back to tug, I don't want any sniffing issues for at least 3 days then we can increase the freedom.  Take a day or two off from RZ and then set up the video, I think I may just be going to long on that exercise, maybe lets try it Thursday at the barn where I can bring him out for a few seconds and then put him back in the crate.  Better yet just open the garage and use the car crate.

This afternoon I was thinking we would work on find the line with the jump and maybe if all goes well LOP with two toys.

So went out this afternoon and had an epiphay, slow the @#$% down.  I am pushing too hard and we are going back into old habits.  Need lots more relationship building and a lot less testing of value we are just not ready.

Did 4 reps of find the line, Iggy set up about 10feet from jump I am about 10 feet past the jump, jumps set at 16" he had no problem with it but his attention was wondering when I left him in a sit.  Solutions run to my set up place, don't turn away from him keep him engaged.  I then left him in a down for a few minutes, I really need a crate out there.  I then went to the driveway and worked LOP with two toys.  He nailed the first one ran to the wrong toy on the second one and nailed the third one I then did one rep of drive to the toy on the ground since I am moving.  I had his attention the whole time and played a lot of tug in between reps.

I release him to pee and right away called him back to he is getting off  leash but in very very small increments.  I then tugged for a minute or so and pulled the toy out and he froze and looked around I waited about 30 seconds and touched his collar which right away brought him back to my world and he sat.  We tugged and then did 5 reps with full attention.

I am walking a very fine line of pushing the envelope and not losing the drive.  I have to remember that it is perfectly fine and even expected to once in a while cross the line into the dark side as long as I notice the cross and right away take steps to correct the lack of attention, drive, etc.  It is so hard because when he is working I am having such a good time.

When things don't go as planned

My plan today was to concentrate on RZ.  I am not progressing the way I feel I should be with his walking.  He goes into RZ but then as soon as he is rewarded he leaves, I think this is because when rewarding loose leash and I put pressure on the leash and he comes back to me I reward in RZ and then release I would guess right away from his behaviour.  Since I have rewarded the wrong behaviour often it is probably going to take some correction to fix it.

This morning we went out had a pee and headed to the driveway.  I played some tug and then pulled his leash back and cued close (left side) and started moving.  I would say reward and correction where about even, did about 3 rewards.  The correction was pulling him back and allowing him to find RZ.  Stopped played some tug and did some more work on the left again about 3 rewards.  You could tell he wasn't sure what was expected, I waited for a pretty position and released to play tug.  I think next session I will go back to step treat, step treat, to build the value.

After that I took him off leash and we went for a walk, all was good his responses where normal.  We were walking about 100 feet from the squirrel tree and he headed for it, I let him run to it and get a good sniff around walked up to about 5feet and recalled, nothing.  Walked closer and recalled and he came right to me we played tug I moved a little further away while tugging and released him to the tree.  He barely engaged with the tree and I recalled and he came beautifully on the next release he ran towards the tree stopped a foot away and looked at me to call him :).  Still needs work but happy with the progression.

We continued to walk around the front yard.  He started hunting in the long grass probably for mice, I called him nothing, I walked up within a foot called, nothing, I grabbed his collar moved him a few feet let go called nothing, finally on the next call he responded I praised and petted and let him go back again I called nothing when I go to within a foot and called he responded.  Released again he responded on the first try we played tug.  I released him to go play and we headed to the house he stayed hunting for about 30 seconds then followed me and went into the big cedars.  I called him he came out right away and when he was almost to me detoured to the squirrel tree.  I called him he ignored when I got closer he responded I put him in a sit did two recalls and went inside.

I am guessing that his little brain just went into sleep mode, regardless remember what I always tell my students why is irrelevant all you need is the solution.  For today at least he will stay on leash and we will work the long grass for recalls.  The other issue may be I am doing to much and need to back off a little bit.  So only two more work sessions today and both very short maybe 2 minutes.  Tonight at class he will stay in the car.  The rest of the time he will be on leash for bathroom breaks, maybe he can go off leash for 5 minutes when we get home tonight.

I had a few minutes while Logan finished breakfast so took Iggy out for a pee and did some shaping for the back up.  Brought him out of his crate did some tugging, removed the toy from his mouth and sat in a chair and looked for any backward movement of any paw was able to reward almost instantly.  I was throwing the reward in the right place between the front paws slightly back but I was waiting for him to eat the reward and then look up on hindsight I should have kept rewarding because in taking the food because of the position he would have again backed up.  We did about 4 treats and then he started offering a lot of downs, I think in the excitement I started leaning forward in the chair which is close enough to his down cue, I released the downs I know I shouldn't but can't help it (I am not 100% convinced that is wrong) and it started to go downhill so we stopped.  I started working on the stand cue (Chris's method) did one cue rewarded 6 treats for holding the stand and put him back in his crate.

Recall Day

Today Iggy was able to turn towards me when he could see the squirrel on the tree on the first call :).  We were standing on the porch, when we came out the usual birds and squirrels took off, as usual he went to the corner to watch the squirrel tree and I called and he turned and we partied !!!!!.  I can call him no problem before he commits to the squirrel so this is definitely the next step in the process.  It took a few minutes for him to engage with the tug but he did engage.  We then went to the other side of the house and had an off leash walk into the field, he was very attentive, I would pause and he would turn around and wait to be called.

About 11am we went out and did two restrained recalls of about 100ft, I used "come" instead of his name and faced him until he was about 2 body lengths away then turned and took of running.  Have to be more careful when I say go see, I was 5ft away from Bill when I said go see he did a 180 and took out Logan.  Iggy had been getting better about not taking out the boy but when he gets revved he feels everyone deserves to be bounced.

Went out again around 3:30pm and walked in RZ to the squirrel tree.  I didn't put him in RZ I just walked funny and hummed the pink panther music and he walked in perfect RZ position, he is such a funny boy.  Three times between the porch and the tree we had a game of tug.  The closer we got to the tree you could see his eyeballs trying to look at the tree and still tug.  This happened at about 5ft from the tree we tugged for about 30 seconds and then walked away.  Then when out to the drive and worked RZ.  Three times pulled him behind me and cued "Side" as he was finding the spot and I rewarded multiples using cheese.  We tugged for a bit did, then did three reps of sit release, I did cue the out should be pulling the toy out of his mouth.  There is a guy using a chain saw across the street and that noise was very distracting Iggy did the job but you could tell some of his brain was thinking about the chainsaw.

Am planning on going out and doing the other side of RZ with cue later on this evening.

I think tomorrow will be flatwork, I want to work decel, accel and get outs.

The plan

On my list of New Years resolutions is to be better about record keeping so I figured I would try a blog.

Iggy is a one year old border collie.  This blog will be about our journey towards Iggy becoming an agility dog.  The past year have had some good and a lot of bad but we have definitely turned the page and thanks to Christine seem to be on the right track and moving forward.

Planning is a weak area for me and part of the goal of this blog is to put down a plan with goals on paper.  I am thinking we will have a daily subject we will work on.  I am going to set up lists of skills under each subject and tick them off as I go through them.  I don't want to let a skill go by the way side, so easy to do with stuff I don't love to do :).

One of Christine's suggestions was to put Iggy away for a while, basically follow Ruff Love by Susan Garrett.  Iggy was working for me but it seemed more like he did it because he had to and not because he wanted to, something was missing.  On October 31st, 2010 the crating began.  The first couple of week he came out to go to the bathroom on leash and then back in the crate, the next few weeks slowly we increased work and out time.  Started with one minute twice a day and now we go out a few times a day for 10-15 minutes.  I am constantly assessing his state and increasing or decreasing his activity accordingly.  So far so good he is working great.

Yesterday was jump day we did; wraps, front crosses, reward out in front, serp and find the line.  Throughout the day we would come out and do a max of 6 jumps, never did we repeat any skill more than twice.  He did great, I had the jump up to 26" and down to 16" and he handled the height with no apparent concerns.  I have also in the days before that increased his exercise with a 25 minute off leash walk being the culmination since he was doing so well.

Today he is tired.  It is supposed to be recall day.  We have been having an issue with some squirrels in a tree and him not responding to me so we went on leash and walked in RZ position to the tree and then did 3 recalls off the tree.  The squirrels weren't there but the tree was enough to change his state.  I have to be sure he doesn't have access to these squirrels or this tree until I can call him off of them.  I took him out later in the early afternoon to do restrained recalls but he seemed tired so we did one 150ft restrained recall that was awesome and I put him away.