Big improvements

Realised today at breakfast how much the monkey has improved. Previously having food on the table would have had us in full on defence mode and he circled, sniffed and planned his attack. Today I realised how relaxed it was. He managed a lovely 'leave it' when I'd placed a dish of his food on the table in preparation to do a bit of training with him and I'd walked away. So, Mr Monkey, well done you!

We're working the L3 Go to Mat. Need to look at duration now as it's 1 minute. He can now go to mat and lie down in different locations.

This morning I practised his nail filing. Funny how it takes him a while to get started. Without doing a couple of hand touches he often just stares. After the touches he just seems to get it. The touch thing is what I'll often do if he gets stuck in training. Not sure if that is a bad thing or not. It seems to signify to him that he's in the game and off we go.

We also worked on 'stand' and 'sit up', where he comes back into a sit from a 'down'. The sit until released is coming along really nice too. I can now drop a handful of food in the kitchen floor and yesterday a piece of sausage in the park at 10ft from him without him moving until I give him the 'free' release cue.

Still struggling with LLW. He can loose lead walk up to a pile of food on the pavement. But without this obvious training cue, he's still boinging around on the lead like a young puppy. So still not able to go on linear walks into town. For the moment I'm doing little training walks and then the offlead training runs when we've gone out to a field in the car.

Better days

Up and down at the moment. We had a much much better day yesterday. Probably because I had to go back a few steps to make sure he was calm and able to manage being out. We went up to Epple Bay where I was able to park right next to the path down to the sea. The path is a steep slope, with a high stone wall either side. So no sideways distractions and the goal of getting to the sea in front. I've started using the parking technique I learnt from H where I stand on part of a long lead if I need to do things with my hands like when I faff around getting out of the car and he's excited. It stops him pulling me all over the place and calms him down. A lot of Grey's pulling is to do with him easily being able to pull me off balance.

Once we had calm and managed to do a nice training walk down to the bay. I guess this could be a bit of a premack principle. In any case I could see it working for him. He wanted to get there, and the only way we were getting there is a on a loose lead. The other cool thing was we had the whole bay to ourselves and there was only one entrance and exit. So we did loads of nice recalls and this ways and finding food.

At home we've been practising the release cue from sit. And he's doing really well with that. Yay!

Today I drove up to the fields where we've sometimes walked to with friends. I decided to drive as the walk would have been too stressful to get there and it ends up taking me ages. Practised LLW lots and then a lovely session on the pathway. There were about 3 vans that came trundling down the bumpy farm path where we were walking on lead. He did really really well and I got him to 'leave it' and sit nicely for treats. So I'm so proud of him and releived we have light at the end of the tunnel that he can get over this. Just have to remember times like this on the next time I get stressed out. And another thing that has been so good for us both is that he hasn't had to have his headcollar on in weeks and is being managed without an antipull harness either.

Release Cue Training Session 3

With dropping food on the floor in front of him.

Me having a go at the release cue training

I made a little video of the first session of release training. My body language is awful! Argh! Keep still lady! And what's with the body blocking? But anyway, here it is! Much room for improvement.

Nice video of a viszla being taught a release

From the lovely Fanny Gott's site: