B-R-E-A-K T-H-R-O-U-G-H

Today was the day, the day to try the Susan Salo set-point grid again :)

When we had our first encounter with it, the results were not good and the reaction was fearful...or was it "going around is OBVIOUSLY faster than going over"......

Today I decided I would try again, since we have been doing jumping and she has been having no issues with going wraps, serps, threadles ect ect...

Wouldn't you know it, she did the grid just fine :) not once, not twice, but like 10 times alternating heights :)

Yesterday I re-updated her on driving to the end of the teeter and she did great on that too :) We will soon be going to letting it drop a tiny bit! Also just rewarded her for walking on the dogwalk back and forth, so when we start running a lowered dogwalk, hopefully it won't be scary or anything of the sort.

The sight of dog panting is always a sign of warmer weather :D

Stuck

I have realized that I get stuck or sorta tunnel vision when it comes to training my dogs, but mostly AMP.

It first started with the running contacts. I was only training them-nothing else and would train them at least once every day :/ Then I quit doing them and started to do some jump work- some turned into ALL and before I know it I am only doing jump work.

This isn't the worst thing on planet, but really I don't need to be doing it and truthfully it probably doesn't help me in the end.

I start the obsession like I have said previously when things aren't going right. So, her plank work was causing issues and rather then just doing a bit here and there I started focusing on it and only wanting to do it hoping that it would get fixed and start running smoothly. Jump stuff was the same way- we were hitting a few walls and rather then just letting it go and coming back to it here and there I started to only do it, again with the same thought process as before.

I don't want to do this and really it isn't fun for AMP either. AMP is a thinker, she likes to be given hard challenges and figure them out. She doesn't want to do something over and over again once she has got it because it no longer take work for her to do. I made her this way- I made her to ENJOY and THRIVE off of the challenges rather then shut down because of them :D I am ok with this, but I have to remember that this is how she operates and work with it.

I might start writing down a plan or schedule of what I want to work on each training session or set goals in various areas to not allow myself to get in a rut. Besides if I get in a rut then she will never get trained and we DEFINITELY don't want that :) The Doodle wants to get out there and play too, like her brother and friends doooo!

After taking a seminar with Jinx this past weekend I have come up with LOTS of ideas and things to train AMP which I love ;) I like being able to know these things now rather than like in Jinx's case learning them later on ;)

And since I haven't posted pics of her in awhile here are some new ones....

small snipet

Here is a small clip of a few things AMP and I have been working on ;)

The jumps are set at 20" and she is starting to understand it :) Well so she has me thinking, AMP always keeps me guess so we will see!

She isn't confident on them yet, but she will get there with more practice!

Going to start training other obstacles now too, since we are outside! horray ;)

One foot infront of another!

We are going just that very thing, left,right, left, right-stepping forward and moving on with the dogwalk training :)

Last night I was suggested by a friend to raise the board a smidge and do what she called the "arm chair training". I was like say what? English please. Just as it sounds basically is, sit in a chair by the board and ANYTHING done on the board YIPPEY :) Simple enough. Since as I stated in the last post about my concern of her just following the toy and not getting the fact that "hey we like running this plank".

The session went GREAT ;) I could tell she definitely was like "Ooo plank=treats". I did lots of rewarding for standing on the board, sitting, laying down, spinning, sniffing, ect basically it was ALL ABOUT THE BOARD ;) (dang stage hog). Then once she clearly liked the board I began experimenting with rolling the treat (thank goodness for round kibble) off the board to simulate her running down the board. I went back and forth a bunch, then threw in just treats for being on the board. She did awesome, so I think this might be going well! Not saying anything official...yet! I even was doing some jump work with her and as I walked over there she started to head for the board in hopes that we were doing that again :D There is definitely some value there at least ;)

Jump work went swell ;) I have been working on rear crosses and wraps. Wraps I am really happy with ;) AMP doesn't like compression, but she definitely can wrap :) Rear crosses are coming along. It usually helps if the trainer is actually good at teaching them and if she actually liked them :/ I don't like rear crosses and I know I decel into them too much, but I am working on it..K? With my lack of skillz AMP is doing well ;) We are still at a low height for the most part, but she turns nice and tight without flinging over landing and then turning! Still practicing her taking the jump if I throw a toy out in front and send her to it, but she is getting better :) all in due time :)

Out agility arena is almost melted which will help TONS! I can actually get out there and work her on more things then just one item here and there :) I think once she gets more pieces put together she will do AWESOME :)

Another day another A

oh wait no...another day another running plank ;)

Well did another session of running plank with AMP! Not much new I guess! She did stay on the board better :) I am now kinda concerned that she is only doing the plank because of the toy being thrown, since whenever I don't throw the toy right she doesn't go on?!? I am asking my MANY little helpers (elves as I call them) to see what they are have to say :) Love my elves and would be lost without them!

Here we go, here we go again....

AMP and I are starting our running dogwalk journey again :)

Started yesterday, but I am just going to try and forget what happened yesterday :/ I think you get the hint why.

Today tried something I hadn't tried for her contacts yet...First used mats before the plank and then instead of having someone hold her, I just held her and threw the ball :) It was a success! Well everything minus my bad throwing :/ lol going to have to try those softball pitching days and bring them back :)

Did two sessions today and I was happy with what I was getting! It can only hopefully get better from here!! Definitely going to stick with this for awhile and not ask for criteria until she is consistently staying on the board.

What I find odd, but good, is that if she stays on the board she hits VERY nice, and if doesn't stay on well, she doesn't go on..I guess that is self explanatory ;)

I am VERY happy and so much happier from lastnight :) Thanks to my good friend Kim for her help ;) and others that I have talked too!!

Finally here is the video....

Real Women...eh

AMP is a 'real women' now and she does NOT like it!! She came in season last Monday just in time for a trial this past weekend! It was an indoor trial, so AMP had to crate out of the car and could only walk around outside-no getting visit friends :( She wasn't happy with the arrangement that is for sure! I guess it isn't the being in season part just the not getting to be with us that isn't to her liking! Oh well doodle part of life!

Since she came into season I have not really done a whole lot of training with her just because we can't do anything outside and that just leaves the house. Since I have stupid white carpet and AMP HATES the "in season britches" with a passion will probably try and burn them, I couldn't do a whole lot. This afternoon though I decided the bleeding wasn't too bad, so I would do some stuff :D

She was wonderful! Tik/Tok is going really well! I am now using a jump upright rather then a plunger and once she has that down well I will SLOWLY add height to it.

Continued to do some jump wraps and she can easily jump 22" and wrap the jump!! I with wraps I have been hugely rewarding her driving out of the turn fast, since I missed doing that will Jinx. Did some targeting over a jump to a toy at 22" and she has no issue :) I am now starting to add in call to heel over one jump- just started that today and she did perfect at 20" no issues, very confident with it, tight, and no crashing into my leg either :D I do think once she gets the compression stuff mastered she is going to be a fine jumper to be honest. She is pretty light and effortless in her jumping. I even went back and just did some beginning Linda M once jump rewarding and she can go up to 26" without thinking twice :) Of course that is no speed, no movement from me, jut jumping, but still great from her start!! Now I have to start working the rear cross stuff :/ For those of you who know me...I basically avoid rear crosses at ALL costs! Just don't like them. SO...they are hard for me to teach and AMP is a lot quicker with body language and ques than Jinx, so it is going to be interesting figuring out my timing!

The teeter when I last did it was going well. I think it may prove to be our biggest challenge at this point since she isn't all that keen on it! She will run to the end nice now, and can do bangs at the end when I hold it about a foot off the ground fairly well, but more concerned what will happen when we starting doing larger drops and stuff like that. She may surprise me- like she is known to do :)

Table and tunnels are no issue- well as long as she STAYS on the table and doesn't use it as a trampoline..hee hee!

Spring I think just might be coming :D :D This means I can hopefully start working her running plank work :) HORRAY! I am VERY VERY excited :) In the weeks to come I am going to start working on plank, serps, and threadles-aka handling challenges- and maybe even some weave poles..oooo exciting :)

I think I want to get AMP a power harness too :) they are expensive, but so cool! Made me laugh when I looked at the sizing and AMP can fit in a size Mini..haha...a border collie in a mini? What a goof :)

pretty much a whole post about nothing much, but it will get more exciting :)