Perfect Timing

Our homework paid off! I had a pocketful of treats but my plan was only to use them if necessary, but it wasn’t. Rio was much more switched on to her tug, and much more focused overall. I also realised I don’t need to be treating her every 10s when the other dogs are working, she will sit and watch on a loose lead. Cuddles and occasional tuggy is fine for rewarding her in that situation. I love seeing the work we did a few months ago pay off!

I’m sticking with my rule of “running off = out”. This usually happens towards the end of the session as Ri starts to lose her concentration, but I don’t want to fight for her attention. She has to want to work with me, and if she decides something else is better, then we wander quietly back to the car and she goes away.

Dylan did a few sequences and it become increasingly apparent that he was feeling very sore in his back, so I pulled him. Rio was being particularly ‘enthusiastic’ about bodyslamming him last week, and then flyballing over 14″ at the weekend probably made it worse. I am obviously working on training Rio not to cripple Dylan, but it’s not an easy fix and she has a very Aussie attitude to getting the attention of dogs and people (ie. launch yourself at them). Because she doesn’t do it to the other girls — who have rightly flattened her for trying it, compared to Dylan putting up with it — it’s only something I can train when Rio and Dylan are walking together. But that increases the chances of it happening at all!

I’ve thankfully managed to get Dylan an appointment with the chiropractor tomorrow morning, and we’ll see then whether he’ll be able to run at UKA Dig It this weekend. I’m not holding out much hope.