Zumi's Obedience Checklist

Zumi is going to be 10 months old in a few days.  It seems as though we have most of our foundational behaviors started now, at least in obedience.  Of course we are still so far from anything that looks like the final picture.

We've been concentrating so much more on tricks recently and her running dogwalk training that I thought I would look at where she is with obedience.

Novice
1. Heeling- The big one.  Zumi
has fairly decent pivoting skills and some side stepping skills.  Forwardness so far is only about 5 steps or so before I reward.  I would like her to have a bit more drive than I'm getting so I'm thinking of switching tactics and just doing some big right circles for awhile.  I've also started to add sitting in heel work as a criteria for moving to heel and for halts.  Not really lured with food any more, but I am still using my hand as help.

2. Stand for exam- Zumi has 2 versions of a stand- a kickback on the verbal stand and a jump up and freeze on landing on the verbal pop.  Pop is not as consistent with the landing as sometimes she will sit.  Once in a stand Zumi has a very good stand stay while I walk around her and while I tease her a bit with food.  I have not yet done any oppositional reflex light pushes on her.  And I have done zero work with any petting, including touches from me.   I think that's something I will start now.

3.  Recalls- Zumi has a pretty consistant sit stay and of course loves to run.  I have not done any sitting in front while from a distance, instead she gets to jump up on me or go through my legs.  For her front training we're working on the cue that hands at my side means come find position, so far with more of a nose poke still rather than the head up that I want.  We're working on pivots and side steps in front.  I abandoned the platform method as I"m just not good with using it and I find it more frustrating than using hand help or a lure.  But easier to fade I suppose.

4. Stay- Zumi has a fantastic long down.  Haven't timed it but I don't think she would have a problem with 10min+ with no other distractions.  Sit stay has also not been formally timed and I reward a lot more.  Maybe at 60 seconds? 90 seconds?  With food during it still. Has only done 1 group line up where I stayed close and fed a ton.

Open
5. Retrieves- Has a fairly solid send to a dumbbell and knows to rush back and target wherever my hand is.  Has a solid take and hold and is starting to do better with a pickup-sit-hold.  Very recently we started working on actually doing fronts from very short distances with the dumbbell.  Have not worked on any foundation with the high jump

6. Drop on Recall- Zumi has a pretty nice moving down while heeling or while I move backwards, even with some speed.   Has some distance with stationary down.  Have only done a handful of mini drops from cookie tosses.

7. Broad jump- Officially done 1 lesson with 2 boards!

8. Out of sight stays- Zero work done other than boundary training which I will do out of sight.

Utility
9. Signals- She has been introduced to both sit and down signal.  Not the come signal yet apparently.  Generally working 5-10ft distance.  Much better wtih down to sit than the stand to down.

10. Articles- We left off most our training a month ago with a mixed pile of metal and leather.  Zero distance as I'm sitting by the pile.  Still can get a bit grabby but mostly is doing very well.

11. Directed Retrieve- Zumi knows a mark hand signal but hasn't ever done it with a retrieve.  Well maybe to a toy.  Certainly hasn't done gloves yet.   I haven't done much discrimination with multiple targets out yet.

12. Moving stand- Tiny bit of practice a few months ago.  Let's just chalk this up as completely untrained.

13. Go Outs- Has a fairly consistent 5ft send from the start even in new places.  Does a nose touch.  Mostly stanchion based as I do almost all my practice at the club.  But she doesn't seem to need a stanchion the few times I do it elsewhere.  Can build up to 10ft.  Directed jumping not started at all.  Turn and sit not started at all.