A ten year project

I was correct...Blaze did finish his APDT Rally Level 1 title last month!

10.5 years of training and we finally completed something!

The funny thing is, I've spent more hours training him than Luna and Griffin together (and probably multiplied by 10).  What's different?

The primary difference is that I'm not quite as enthusiastic about training as I used to be.  When Blaze was young, I would spend hours and hours every day working on various training projects.  I still enjoy training... but not that much.  Now I "get" it and would much rather spend my time on the more interesting challenge of teaching other people to train their dogs.  

Another difference is that I'm more experienced and more efficient.  I can make better training plans and better predictions of what will or will not work.  It just takes less time to train a behavior or task, and to train it to a higher level than what Blaze learned.

The other difference.... Griffin is a normal dog.  Luna is more "normal" than Blaze.  Per the veterinary neurologist a few years ago...Blaze probably has some sort of brain lesion that is impacting his behavior/learning (as well as a cause of his seizures).   Dogs with normal brain function learn better than dogs with abnormal brain functioning.

Blaze wanted to play with the ribbon rather than pose...

APDT Trial

A week ago I took Blaze and Griffin to a run at an APDT trial.  Blaze is not a young dog anymore and I gave him too much of a warm up.  But, even without the bonus exercise (I'm not letting go of his leash!), we passed and I think he completed his RL1, we'll find out when the paperwork is processed.

Griffin....had a lot more trouble. We ended up asking to leave the ring.  He did the sets of stationary signs fairly well....but the in-between heeling was miserable, we tried to fake our way through it, but I just couldn't do it.

He did pretty well during the warm up, was excited about the close quarters and he did some barking (as well as getting barked at).  

As a result?  More training. We'll try to find a way to get to run throughs. I'd like to get in classes at different locations, but I don't know if that's possible.   More get-out-of-the-car-work-and-leave   And similar type things.

Since then, he's been doing really well in all the training we've done.      

How we did not go to an APDT trial.

Last month: "I'll go two days! I'll do two runs Saturday and one on Sunday with Griffin, and Blaze once each day."

Two weeks ago: "I missed pre entries. That's okay, we can still do day of trial entries. I'll go just one day. One run each dog."

Last week: "I'll take just dog. Blaze? Or Griffin? Maybe I'll take them both and decide when we get there and do a few test warm up minutes."

Last Wednesday after off-leash class: "Okay. Griffin isn't really ready for the environment. That's okay. Blaze has had enough training he should do well."

Last night before practice: "Great, I can't wait! He's had enough training it should go smoothly."

Last night after practice: "Wow, it's good I can count, otherwise I would think I'm missing a finger. Or two. Okay. I'm not going to take Blaze. Maybe I'll stay home."

Megan last night: "If I have to go to the trial, you have to go to a trial."
Me: "Okay. We'll see."

Me half-asleep last night: "I'll take Griffin. If we can get from the car to the ring, we should be good. Yeah. That's what I'll do."

Me this morning: "Uh no. Too cold. Not ready. Sleep in."

And so I did not go. I wish I would have. I probably should have. But maybe not. We're not quite ready in some ways. But we're over ready in others.

My compromise was to do an obedience run through tonight between lessons


Hours later I realized I didn't do heeling pace changes. And I did the stays but no video as that's completly boring. We should be ready. Eventually. We had great parts (duration of heeling) and not so great (the stays and SFE foot twitches) and smaller not so great parts (a few bumps on heeling and the completely lost piece during heeling. And my twitching.

Horray for Griffin's brother who got his OTCH today. It only took a year from CD to OTCH! We're very proud.

Finishes

I probably spend too much time on these behaviors. And so while waiting for the car to warm up before leaving classes last night...I 'tested' our finishes.

Verbal or visual cues for both the left and right finishes.



I need to move less. But I'm getting better! I think the left visual is our best one.