Well, Wall-e really impressed me at obedience class yesterday!! First of all, this class when we practiced our recalls, the instructor told us to put our dog in a Sit-Stay instead of having somebody hold the dog as we walk away from them. I expected Wall-e to break his Stay, but what a good boy -- he didn't! Even when I led out twenty feet the second time, he still didn't break.
But what really impressed me was his heeling. This class, the instructor introduced turns and changes of pace. About turns, right turns, left turns, fast, slow. Wall-e was brilliant and listened to my cues right away. He used to bounce around whenever he was heeling (bounce straight up in the air instead of trotting at my side), but now he trots beside me beautifully. Actually, a more accurate term is "prances". He looks so happy trotting by my side!
We play a game every class, and this time we played the dog version of Musical Chairs. All the dogs/handlers heeled around the perimeter of the training room when the music played (with the instructor occasionally saying "right about turn," or sometimes "Sit and Down your dogs"). When the music stopped, we had to rush over to the chairs in the middle of the room and tell our dogs to Sit. Once your dog sits, you're allowed to sit down in the chair with your dog still sitting in front of you. One dog/handler is left over without a chair, and they're "out."
WOW, Wall-e's heeling was AWESOME during Musical Chairs. I couldn't believe my eyes!! He was heeling perfectly, doing his happy trot, staring up at me the whole time, never breaking his gaze. Incredible. I was so happy with him!
~Nat
Sounds awesome! How did you get Wall-E to do such good heeling and to pay attention to you so well? Mom wants my heeling to be way better than it is!
ReplyDeleteActually, Wall-e does it all on his own! He's always had awesome focus, since the first day he came here. I do always make sure to talk to him and just chatter little random things as he's heeling, and make myself interesting so he really wants to look at me. :) Also, I only click/treat him when he's staring up at me as he's trotting along beside me, not if he's looking ahead or on the ground.
ReplyDelete~Nat
Sounds like an awesome class! I wish my dogs had better attention when heeling, but we only do rally, so it's not as important.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work Wall-E!!
Sounds like you've got a little obedience star in the making :-) Keep up the great work!
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Way to go Wall-e. That boy deserves a special dog treat.
ReplyDeleteDog Speed,
Essex & Deacon