My Sit Wall

 I teach straight sits in halts by muscle memory and the clicker. The dog gains muscle memory by me ensuring that they have to sit straight. The dog gains an automatic sit in proper position by using the clicker.

I typically hear people recommend training halts against a wall. This forces the dog to sit straight. I've taken this method and tweaked it a little. I make sure my wall is something my dog will not lean against. I notice a lot of dogs leaning into the wall when they sit. Leaning interferes with getting good muscle memory of straight sits. To prevent this, I make one wall of my healing something that will move slightly if my dog leans against it. I typically use a metal exercise pen. I have them handy, and they move and rattle if my dog leans on them. You  can also use ring gates, but I find the stanchions get in the way.

I use the wall for about 1 week, back off and see what I get. I usually use it about 2 weeks consistently and then intermittently as a reminder for my green dogs.

Muscle memory is why I do not teach a halt by physically placing my dog in a sit. When you place the dog, they will automatically give some resistance against you and will not use their own muscles to get to the position you desire. Repetitive placement may work for some, but I don't recommend it.

Why I Disappeared...

Sorry for disappearing off the blog. We've had a rough time lately. In September Soda Pop started with a cough. I took him into the vet. They thought he just had an irritation and sent him home with medications. It improved from the initial cough, but he was still coughing every day. Soda was still running around like a maniac and seemed to feel fine. At an agility trial, Soda turned blue. I pulled him from the trial and went over our local vet's head to take him to the veterinary teaching hospital at Oklahoma State University. Soda was diagnosed with a thoracic collapsing trachea and a hiatal hernia. Based on the internal medicine vet's recommendation, Soda is retired from agility. They encouraged us to continue obedience so long as Soda can remain calm (hahahaha anyone who knows Soda knows what a struggle that is). They want him kept extra skinny, so activities like heeling are essential to his weight-management (I always keep my dogs trim, but they wanted another 1/2 lb off his trim weight).

We tried an obedience show out a couple of weeks ago. I only had Soda entered in rally. The first day we had a bit of a rough start. The second day it seemed to come together. It was hard not doing our normal, excited warm-up. Saturday Soda got a 99/1st place, Sunday 98/1st place. He finished his RA title!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zd0wq8yVkg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQVH_2O9aoQ&feature=related

Roo Bear made his debut in Beginner Novice obedience. I hadn't taught him halts or fronts yet, so I was REALLY pleased with his score of 196/1st place!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o60Ts9vj7P8&feature=related

Onward to Novice for Roo!

Roo is also filling in for the last few agility lessons I had paid for (for Soda). We'll see how that goes.

Note on the dumbbell. Roo is doing great on reaching and holding. Today I started free shaping the hold with him picking it up from the floor. He is reaching and holding at the obedience building as well as retrieving it with restraint.