WOAH It feels weird being in the same level for three whole days!
Tonight we practiced the hand signal commands with chairs again, and made the dogs sit while we tried to walk around them (almost like a “stay” command–which Danny knows but isn’t perfect at).
His best stay is definitely a Lay Down so I will use that for my go-to position for what Danny should do if we’re not moving but connected by a leash. We practiced the one where I’m walking backwards while luring him and then turning with him ending up on my left side again. Danny’s getting the hang of this one, but once we do it in random space instead of in a vertical line he gets a bit too distracted still.
We also learned “touch” which is where the dog’s nose touches the palm of my hand and then he gets a treat. Apparently this will be very useful in avoiding distractions, in games, and as a building block for more complex behaviors. Danny already knows this command, so I ramped it up a notch by having him touch my hand to the side, up high, down low, and even between my legs!
Good news!–> He wasn’t as hungry this time, which made the training treats desirable but not absolutely-urgent-feed-me-nows. I actually almost ran out of treats tonight D:
I might need to get Danny a no-pull front-clip harness so that he learns to walk more properly on a leash! 😦 $$$
Hopefully our next class is Saturday!
Spreading Smiles With Dogs That Heal 