Retrieve Arousal Levels Update
I've been continuing to work on Zumi's little squeal with her dumbbell sends. And I'm excited to say we have made another breakthrough, however small!
I've been trying the following ideas to help bring Zumi's arousal level down with her dumbbell:
- Doing work with the db on the ground for awhile before sending.
- Throw the db and heel away, then eventually mark and send her to it.
- Throw random objects for her to retrieve from keys to water bottles to anything else I find around me.
The next idea was something I again did a while ago with her but haven't done in a long time. This is still mildly difficult for her. Zumi can turn away from the db and do work but I can see some slight hesitation on the turn away. Occasionally if I'm heeling and halt facing the db I can see Zumi give the db a quick glance. That toss before doing work certainly gets her arousal level up. However when I eventually mark and send her to the db she doesn't squeal. I will be doing more of this work in her future.
The final idea was doing formal retrieves of different items. Zumi already knows how to retrieve random items, although she's a little rusty with being smooth with the pickup and delivery. I do a quick warm up with each item by handing it to her to hold before setting her up and tossing it.
This has been the biggest help to her arousal issues in the last few weeks! No squeals at all on sends to different items and then I can even throw her db pretty far and she still doesn't squeal! I think the reason for this is because she is thinking so hard on HOW she is going to pick up the awkward items that it just tones down her adrenaline a bit. It's hard work!
I'm not sure if this will continue to help as her confidence increases with being able to smoothly pick up all the items, but it's at least been an interesting route!
