This weeks training challenge (Willow)

[Stacy]

This week Willow has decided that sitting for exam is terrifying. We've practiced. She will sit and let me go over her like a champ. Feet, ears, tail, teeth. No problem. But when the instructor bent down to pet her she flailed around like she was sure she was going to die.

I've really tried to socialize her. This is her 4th set of 6 week group classes. I've made sure she's had good experiences with people - except for this one lady who pinched her ear, which is a story I'm still too angry to tell... I'm not sure if I just create shy dogs because I'm not super social, or if she's going through a fear period. (I wouldn't mind blaming it on the first 17 weeks of her life before I got her. Katie isn't a shy dog!) Whatever it is, it's not tragic. We can work through it. I just need to keep taking her and having people greet her. But this is another area where I need to stretch myself. I don't have a come talk to me face. You know how some people meet a stranger, hear their life story, and become lifelong friends? I'm not like that. So walking up to people and asking them to greet my dog feels incredibly awkward. But it's what I need to do. 

Dog training is hard! I have so much respect for the people who make this look easy. It's not. I think this is the downside to having three dogs. I really need to do better at putting 2 of them away and just working on one at a time. I don't do that often enough. Luckily I can still keep getting better!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jasper is the most social dog in the world, and he has been since the day he got here. Still, we also struggled with sit/stand for exam and petting by a friendly stranger. He would break the sit or move to dodge the hand coming toward him. 

I don't know how they do it in dog shows, I never paid that much attention to how a judge first moves a hand toward a dog, but I do know that in every day life, you never go straight on at a dog's face or the top of their head without giving them a chance to sniff your hand first. When our instructor did that, Jasper was fine. So she told me that when we get to the parts of the test where the person asks "May I pet your dog?" or "May I see your dog?", I should say "Yes, but please let him sniff your hand first." And that worked very well. 
To this moment, I am not sure that's even allowed, lol, but I don't think they can  come take away his CGC title at this point, lol. 

[Stacy]

I don't see why that wouldn't be allowed. It only seems polite to ask the dogs permission before petting them. I'll have to try that. It's not even a fail if she doesn't remain sitting. She just has to be calm and not look like the Tasmanian devil on the leash.

I also used a training collar in our last class. She was doing so well with it that I decided to just use a buckle collar this time. I don't want it to become a crutch that we can't get away from - although that may be a mistake, I'm not sure. She pulls and pulls. Maggie never pulled (during classes - cats and squirrels were a different story.) She made it so easy. I'm not sure how I'm ever going to convince Willow that I'm more exciting than the dogs she wants to visit with. There's this little part of me that would just like someone else to train her. But I know that my skills are half of what needs to be trained. If someone else trained her we would still struggle with my lack of coordination. It's better to learn together. And it's kind of the point of having and training a dog. We're in this together. There are moments when I feel like we're never going to get it. And then there are moments when I think we're amazing. Last night was just not one of our amazing nights. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There have been and continue to be many moments when I've been close to tears from Jasper's lack of focus on me in favor of "oh my God there are other dogs here, I have to go see them RIGHT THIS MINUTE!" I would have gladly hired the local "I will get your dog an Obedience title and I will do it force free" highly recommended trainer if I could afford to give her $200/hr, which is what she charges. 

But it's probably a good thing I can't afford her, because you're right: "It's better to learn together. And it's kind of the point of having and training a dog. We're in this together." 

We ARE going to get there, and so are you. It's not a race, there is no deadline, and the rewards are the same no matter how long it takes. In fact, maybe they are sweeter. So enjoy the ride. :) 

[GBK]

OMD Karen we are so here right now. My super focused on me pup has turned into a teenager and would rather bark and look past me to the new dogs in class.  He has trouble focusing on me in our heel and would rather check anything out rather than look or listen to my commands.  He tries to anticipate what my next command will be and it's soooo frustrating LOL  I think our play dates have created a monster, he just wants to play, play, play.  He might need a good run in the park before our next class on Monday.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You may have something there. The best heeling Jasper ever does is when we are walking back to the car after an hour at the dog park. ;)

[GBK]

Exactly!

[Stacy]

You're absolutely right. We're going to get there. And if she doesn't have a million titles by the time she's a year it's okay. And if we have to take the CGC class 3 times that's okay too. But I really wish I knew what some of those people do to get such amazing attention from their dogs. I swear, they are glued to them. My dogs get distracted if a dust mite floats by. Do they bathe in hot dogs? It's beautiful to watch. And I really want that. Maybe it's just more practice. But I wish there was a manual for that!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You will get there.  Greetings do not have to happen with you instigating lifelong chats. I tend not to be chatty when I am by myself and in strange environments. I used my neighbors, especially young ones, a lot.  When you are at a park or other place where kids frequent, they LOVE to be invited to be part of the training (of course I am an educator and have no qualms asking kids of any age to do stuff).  I asked kids to skateboard, scooter and ride bicycles by me.  I asked them to hold Ned or Clancy and I walked away. I asked them to walk by and ignore them and also to greet. We had the dogs stand and asked kids to run their hands over them.   Ned and Clancy were wonderfully trained with the course we took.  We put in lots of hours, but sadly, we didn't keep practicing them and pretty much only used their skills in the summers, so they lost most of them.  Our faults totally. 

I am sure you know to do this but you work with them on a skill by themselves, then in less and less controlled environments for  EACH skill.

We are tearing our hair out now with Ned when he is with the others, he decides that he should bark and lunge at other dogs - he thinks he is protecting us.  He NEVER does this when he is by himself with me. If we see this coming on, we make the boys sit and watch the person and of the dog pass by.  It works for us - even our wild child, Charlie.

[Stacy]

We will get there. It may take a while, but we'll figure it out. I was just laying here thinking about it and I had an epiphany. If I pull the car out of the garage I would have a very reasonable size training ring. I need to practice more, but the house is not really big enough, the yard has too many distractions, and the training facility is too far away to just pop in for 30 minutes of ring time. But the garage could be perfect. Genius!

I commented tonight at Maggie's rally class that the people who are best at this make it look so easy. Like they're just out for a stroll in the park. I would like for us to be like that. I think more practice will really help. I just love it when there is a creative solution to a problem. 

[GBK]

You could also start practicing the signs on a normal walk.  I used to do this all the time with my first two.  Provided it's not 110 where you are, that is my problem right now.  To darn hot to do anything outside in Vegas.