Friday, February 8, 2008

ABC # 5 - Out and Nose Target

For your amusement, I am including the YouTube video of Ike last week working on outs. Very funny, he kept targeting the cone with his foot, and I flail about like a goober. That's always funny to watch. I can't remember if I wrote about that class - I think I might have been too tired. [Ann, you will especially enjoy this!]



Foot targeting comes up because last night in ABC class we worked on target plates. And d*mn if Carmen didn't pick it up in a snap. Who is this dog? : )

It's very, very exciting.

After last week's seminar and last night's ABC class I am determined to try and shape a nose touch with Ike. I think he has become confident enough and operant enough that it might be possible.

Last night we also worked on Outs. I think it is official - I am not coordinated enough to use toys while training my dogs! Carmen did really well with the outs and absolutely excelled with the targeting. By the end of the class I was at least 10' - 15' away from the target plate and she was hopping over jump poles to "Go, touch."

Negative: She was in Nervous Nellie mode and much more vocal last night.

Positives: We were working off lead and she was really tuned into me (for Carmen). The targeting! Swoon!

5 comments:

Katrin said...

Honestly, I didn't think she was all that nervous. but that could have been because I wasn't so focused on you and her with 5 other people there all working at the same time. Every time she got a little reactive, she got right back to work (as did all of the dogs, Iris was especially impressive with her ability to explode then get back down to business). Usually when dogs are really nervous it takes more work from the handler to get them back on task.

Jules said...

True...even though she and I have just a good-time relationship at the moment, she is very responsive. I was especially impressed when Strata came boing-ing in after his bathroom break and for a moment she was totally gung-ho about charging him. Then she said, "oh yeah, we're working/playing."

Both Iris and Starta handled that situaton *really* well (as did the handlers - yay!).

Katrin said...

THANK GOD!

ann-and-partner said...

Julie, I loved the video. I had watched all on the first page before I had to turn the computer off. I couldn't take all the crying. Partner recognized your's and Katrin's voice right at the start and he went nuts! You remember how loud he cries! I had to keep pushing him off me. Katrin suggested I run the videos as a distraction while I train/work with him. Haven't been able to yet. My new neighbor in the apt. next door has visitors and Partner's loud, nonstop crying drives everyone mad! haha, I loved Ike's foot touch!!

Jules said...

That's hysterical! Your neighbors must think you are torturing him?! ;-P