More Gun Dog Foundations

Having a blast working on this new sport with Zumi!  I think we have mastered the whistle sit in a play context.  She will do a great sit in motion after running after me and even while tugging.

The whistle come has been started and I found out I suck at making repetitive pip-pip sounds.  I have been told I need to learn to use my tongue to stop it more than trying to to multiple blows.

I am currently thinking that I'm going to do all of Zumi's hunt training on my right hand side.  I know that I am going to have slightly different criteria on her field finishes than in obedience and am going to be way less precise about it.  While Zumi could easily learn to tell the difference between the 2 sports, I figure this will make it even clearer to her.  Unfortunately while I did teach her the side position when she was a baby, I don't think I've worked on it since she was like 4 months old.  I certainly didn't get to verbal only and real heeling on my right.

It didn't take that long to get a hand signal finish back with cookies.  Now we're working on doing it with added arousal (can't yet do a functional side with a toy in my hand) and with a dokken in her mouth.

Have also started place box training with Zumi.  Adam made a largish box that apparently Zumi gets to sit on.  Progress has gone faster than I thought with only minimal confusion trying to offer a down and a 2o2o, both confusion with agility obstacles.  

And as promised, here is the Amazing Corgi.  Way cooler than those tollers he says.

And if that isn't a win for positive retrieve training I don't know what is.  23 pound corgi retrieving the weight and size of a mallard on his first lesson.