Flip w/ Ball

The flip with the food lure is very snappy and flashy. Now I've upped the ante by using a ball lure. It looks lovely. This was a fun exercise since he has to show control with the ball moving rapidly by his face (aka not bite the ball and my hand) and flip into position, show fuss focus and then release. I was thrilled. A little puppy coordination showed up and he fell against the wall at one point, but he did not lose his focus!

Flip Finish Intro!

I want Kastle to have a flip finish (and a flashy left about turn!) so I started working on that tonight. I started him on the perch, moved to the flat and then to the wall and into fuss position. He's snappy, but not verbal at all - so far, so good however.

Distraction Training

It was wicked windy and cold today. Therefore, we decided to meet a couple of friends and go to the local place that we train. This was Kastle's first time working consistently away from a wall for heeling. We also introduced (soft) left turns. He yields easily to me so turns should be pretty simple to do. Finished up with some out of motion exercises from the front.

Tennis Ball Impulse Control

We need to get some control with the loose tennis balls at flyball practice. I LOVE impulse control exercises :-) We bought 24 tennis balls and cut them loose at Pawsitive. First, I just brought Kastle in and watched his mind explode. After a little while with that, I asked for obedience (down, stay, come and get *this* particular ball) and work for one ball - not outing and grabbing others endlessly. Then I brought out his flyball reward tug and asked for the same thing. When I felt confident he was understanding, Jason started to pick up the tennis balls - while bouncing them or tossing them towards us. Every time Kastle would get the sudden urge to grab one of those, he would bite his tug harder and shake it. It was a well-learned lesson!

Snow Play

I brought my pack to meet Lies at the park with Pan and they had a ball. The little Cardi girls were chasing the two GSD boys and Pan was focusing on Kastle - who I made carry a jolly ball the whole time. Pan kept biting Kastle in the butt and eventually Kastle would get sick of it, out his ball, charge Pan, grab him by the scruff and shake him - which Pan would stand perfectly still through until I snapped at Kastle to quit and they would start all over again.

New Flyball Reward, Boxturn Work

Kastle did so much better this week at training than he did last week! I am so happy :-) His boxturn is finally coming together, using a PVC jump and a jumpboard to guide him with a helpful person stepping in as well. The new reward toy seems to be doing the trick (double braided climbing rope with a tennis ball on the end) to keep him with me - I only lost him to loose tennis balls a time or two. I'm also now using a negative reward marker (NRM) for dropping the ball before he makes it over the jumps. By the second time, the concept was clear enough that when he dropped prematurely, he tried to grab it again on the bounce to bring to me (hitting a jump with his face and tipping it over) and did manage that so it was overall an excellent session.

9 Months with Me

I forgot to get the pictures of Kastle and I, that we take every month, so I did that today.

 

Also, the dogs' new water collars came in :-)

Happy 9 Months!

Kastle is 9 months old, 55 lbs today. I did his head shots the other day and I wasn't sure what I would have time/room/lighting for at the flyball tournament so we just squeezed in some stacked shots between our heats.

Released.

Reward with Mom.

Flyball Tournament

This weekend was Kastle's first introduction to a flyball tournament. Flyball is the most intense, loudest, yelling-ist, high-energy environment I've ever been to. It's a place that shy dogs cower and intense dogs go into overdrive. Thus, I wanted Kastle to get a good look around before I ask him to perform in such a venue. He did wonderful. I let him carry his ball on a rope, that way when it got to be too much (aka he wanted to chase the loose tennis balls), he could bite his ball. It worked wonderfully. I also had him lay down in our crating area to see how he would settle - he was fantastic. Such a great dog!

Almost 9 Months Old - Head Shots

My little puppy is going to be 9 months old in two days, these are his head shots. His fluffs are almost gone and his face is starting to get a little thicker/broader.

Stacking Practice

Still practicing stacking the opposite direction - it's much harder for me than it is for Kastle!

I now only stack Kastle with the ball, no food, so he gets a very clear-cut stay and release.