Weaves # 5

I don't really feel like posting but feel like I would be remiss not to. Weaves continues to be an interesting class. While we were setting up the course Carmen, Bug, and Monty were loose running around. Callie arrived and Carmen was somewhat obnoxious trying to intimidate Callie. I scruffed her and she screamed bloody murder. Oye. Talk about my emotions getting the better of me - Carmen is a DRAMA QUEEN and I know this yet I felt like a complete and total heel. I am not saying I handled it in the best way - since as Katrin said, me being there could be interpreted as "backing her up" (among other important factors like the timing of the scruff, etc) but I also didn't handle it completely inappropriately (just mostly). Yet my emotional response to Carmen being a DQ was a bit over the top. I am definitely emotionally exhausted.

Carmen proceeded to behave really well with Callie and Meeka running around loose and for the rest of the class. Yay!

Carmen is so funny. She REALLY wants to learn, wants to figure it all out. My somewhat lackadaisical training at the moment isn't helping her! Slowly but surely she is getting it. Katrin noticed that upon exiting the weaves she turned AWAY from me, not towards me. Unusual!

She is also currently not recognizing tunnels or finding them terribly boring. Either which way it is something to work on. I am on vacation next week, so I am planning plenty of puttering, hiking, and training, and that's it!!

This afternoon I started seriously trying to train down with Bug. At first he was all freaked out - which was definitely not want I want! Katrin recommended I teach him a fold-back down versus asking him to down from a sit. She said she had more luck with the fold-back down with Destinee (Honor's sis) than from a sit. In a fold-back down you essentially hold the treat beneath the dog's chin and slightly back and the dog "folds-back" into a "down." I got about 8 downs out of Bug and two of them were actual fold-back downs. I will take it!!