Obedience Practice
I have been focusing on 3 things with Lance: go outs, scent articles, and heeling. I'm sure forging will be a constant battle despite the progress we have made but I feel like we could be ready for utility by summer.
Go outs- Lance can do 1.5x the distance of the full go out now the first attempt, no back chaining. I have started doing most of them with the jumps up now and I think it just clicked that he isn't supposed to go over any jump after all! Today though I was working on a long distance send and forgot there was a broad jump set out perpendicular to his path. Lance headed out to his spot with great drive but then did a double check when he saw the broad jump and veered towards it before I called him off.
Also today Lance noted a piece off fuzz 2 feet in front of him and thought he was supposed to mark it. When I verbally corrected his mistake Lance thought he wasn't supposed to move from his sit at all. I had to take a step forward to send him out and Lance made a wide birth around the fuzz before coming back to the original straight line. We of course try the same setup again to work through our issue and again Lance doesn't move at first and then veers widely around the fuzz. Silly corgi.
Go outs are also being done immediately after the glove exercise but so far I haven't been able to replicate his mistake in trials of going out to where the glove was. I haven't been leaving the gloves out since I wasn't sure if he was ready for that level of proofing but perhaps it will help his confusion between the exercises?
I am still sending him all the way to the barrier to touch it and then asking for the sit. I am also walking out to reward him and am doing the directed jumping portion separate.
Heeling- It's going great when we practice by ourselves! Lance still needs me to back up most sessions but usually only once! However heeling in his weekly class he is much more likely to forge. There's usually only one other dog and the instructor but I guess it's enough to amp him up more!
That's hilarious! Jun will do the same thing to objects that I've told her to leave, for example, if we try to heel past them. "No way, not going anywhere near that treat, look how good I'm being!"
It sounds like everything's going along nicely! I know utility is the hardest, but the exercises seem some of the most fun to teach.
Good for you and Lance. It sounds like you are making a lot of progress. He is obviously ver focussed if a slight verbal correction makes him so aprehensive around bits of fluff. He's definitely working hard!
LOL Jackal does the same thing when I tell him not to touch something. Fuzz? Really Lance? :D What a silly pup.
It sounds like he's doing really well. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll raise my arm a little and see if I can get him doing it without touching my arm. I know doing it this way my arm is probably a cue now lol.
Jackal actually does know how to back up from in front of me. I just haven't taught him any of the variations you mentioned, such as beside me or toward me. :) I'll definitely put it in the poll. Thanks again!
Woof, woof, woof! Yay, dogs!! :)