training diary

Grey has got into aunty J's school. Grin.

Today we went out on the lead to the park with L and the baby in the pram. While they went on the swings in the little kids' play area, Grey and I walked on the lead round the park with a bag of treats. We had a brief spell off lead with his toy in the enclosed basketball court until a park rubbish collector told me I could get fined for that. Although there are no signs up?

While in there I was throwing his toy for him and enticing him back for cuddles and a bit of tug and not insisting he let it go. Basically getting him to come back to me for good things and if he lets go we throw again and keep the game going in quite high energy.

Today we worked on teaching him 'twist' at home which is an anti-clockwise spin.

Last night we had gone down the beach and I was playing find it by clearly throwing a treat and then calling him into me for a puppy recall to get a treat from my hands. He stayed much much closer to me and he was very engaged. Came back on the whistle a few times and it was much easier to finish the session on a positive not and loose lead walk home.

He's doing really well on the lead now. I can manage the odd lunge at lorries but more often than not he's rewarded for being calm around them.

Training diary / March 16th p.m.

Palm Bay playing field.
4 month old pup in the distance and a man with a kite.
Let him watch the pup for a while. Reinforced him to look at me. Released him and he ran off to the kite man then came back to me fast.
Worked the long line with 3 x check ins. Refused 1 x recall. Just about to do another and he came in. Played with the toy 5 x. No bouncing off me. Back to the car. He struggled a bit and tried to back out of his collar. Managed to calm things and get into car.

Training diary / March 16th a.m.

Botany Bay.
40 secs for the 1st voluntary check in. 3 x voluntary check ins.
Worked the long line. Played with the labradoodle pup. Came away nicely. Ran back and came away again.

At home:
recall
up into the car
played fetch with the toy.

Training diary / 15th March a.m.

Out to Botany Bay. Tried out a flexi lead in case that was safer around other dogs. Not sure about it really. He was good on it, but it can give your hand a bit of a jolt and I can see how it's an issue for other dogs and your dog if the handle is dropped. I'll keep it anyway, as it might come in useful for something.

Interrupted play with other dogs x 4.
Recall on the line x 2 good.
Threw the toy on the long line x 4.
Had to settle him down to calm down and look at me when distracted by a dog in the distance.
Responded to name 5 x.

Training diary / 14th March p.m.

Took a trip up to the top field so he could meet some other dogs. Did 2 x recalls away from other dogs that he'd gone to say hello to. The recalls were really nice. On the way back we stopped off in the old town to try out the Newtrix Collar to see how he was on it as I'd been given the ok for him to meet other dogs and that we'd need to do that on a head collar so we could go somewhere without the car next week. He had a nice trot around the old town as much of it is pedestrian and there isn't much going on on a weekend. But he does seem to be better about traffic as well.

Training diary / 12th March a.m.

Barked in the car all the way to the field which is 20 mins drive away. But did calm down once we got there. Waited for calm before getting out of the car. I realised I had forgotten his harness, so couldn't do line work. Did 5 x voluntary check ins. 10 x respond to name. A woman arrived at the field with two little dogs. Grey dropped to greet as usual. I took hold of his collar before the woman came into the field. Grey started frustrated barking and rearing up. He carried this on while the woman went right over the other side of the field. We left the field and went to the car.

Training Diary / 11th March a.m.

Out at the field in Marshside at 9a.m. Weather sunny and nice. The first voluntary check in was longer today at 2 mins. He had gone over to an area of the field we'd not been in before and also had a poo in this time. We did 5 x voluntary check ins in total. 3,4 and 5 he hung around after release. Did a nice bit on the long line although pinged the line twice. He was slow on 1 recall on the line, then refused a 2nd. I walked the line and quietly parked him. Waited 2 mins for eye contact. Then 10 x treats for response to name with eye contact. Threw the toy 5 x.No bouncing off me or barking. A to B walk back to the car.

Training Diary / 10th March a.m.

Session 6 Tuesday March 10th
back to the old field at 8.00.
30 min session.
Calm to get out the car.
A-B walk to field.
Calm before 'you're free' release cue.
Came back at 20 secs including having a poo.
5 x voluntary check ins 10 x treats.
Long line 'this ways' 3 x check ins 10 x treat.
Recalls x 3 on long line all instant and good 10 x treat.
toy - can't sit for it. I still played with him and he didn't bounce off me.
A-B walk back to car.

home training:
20 x 'up up' and 'off'
20 x response to name
various sits and downs
played with rope toy, had to be reminded with treat to release on 'thankyou'

Training diary / 9th March p.m.

30 mins
We went to a different field. I didn't like the field because I was worried he could run back to the car. So won't go there again.
A-B from the car to the training area.
He relaxed quickly. 1st voluntary check in 15 secs!
Check in 3, 4, 5 he hung around. I messed up the order of the long line routine. He free ran with it instead of me holding it and doing 'this way'. He refused the 1st recall, then came back after 5 secs on the 2nd recall. So that taught me the importance of the programme. Got hold of the end of the line and did the 'this way' and reinforced check ins.
Struggling to get him to sit with before the throw of the toy. Tried waiting and waiting for him to sit or to reconnect. he just carried on staring at the toy. Need to check what to do about this.
Realise I messed this session up and should have gone home after refused recall and at least should have done some recalls on the line.

Training diary / 9th March a.m.

8am - 8.34am
Calm getting out the car. A-B walked into the field. Parked and waited for relax before release. Didn't seem to take long this time.
x 5 voluntary check ins. First one 50 secs, but he had a poo during this time too!
Stayed very close for the last 3 check ins.
Worked 'this ways' on the long line. Got 1 x voluntary check in on the line.
Did 3 x recalls. 1st recall was instant. 2nd he refused and then I counted to 10, recued him, he didn't come back straight away, and just as I was about to walk the line he came. I held his collar gently, parked him and waited until he looked at me.
Then threw the toy 3 times. He isn't managing to sit yet for the toy.

home training:
1 x recall from another room with treats scattered.
1 x recall from outside to inside the house with treats scattered.
Both times instant return.

Noticed that humping me behaviour has stopped at home. Barking in the house has improved too.

Training diary / 8th March p.m.

Picked Grey up from kennels at lunchtime, so we didn't have a morning session.
Waited for calm before releasing, but I made a mistake. I accidentally let him go and he zoomed off without the 'your free' cue. Argh!
It took him 50 secs to check in.
5 x check ins in total. Check in 3 and 4 he didn't even go away from me after being released. He hung around for more.
Did work on the long line. A couple of pings but mostly staying in range. 3 x recalls with 100% success. 3 x throws of the toy. Then at the end of the session he started to get freaked out at something and just started barking and barking. I parked him and had to hold on to his collar. He couldn't look at me or respond to his name. In the end I collected him up and walked him A to B style holding his collar to the car. he jumped up himself on the 'up up' cue.
Session length 30 mins.

home training:
worked on sits and downs and responding to name. Also working 'up up' on the sofa and lie down before getting 'off'.

Training diary / 7th March a.m.

Field at Marshside.
Time: 8am.
Waited for calm before allowed out of car. Settled quite quickly. Lead in A-B style with hand on collar to the field. Waited for calm before released with 'your free'. He zoomed around for 34 secs before checking in for first time.
Did 5 x voluntary check ins with treats x 10. Last 3 check ins was really close and short time between each one. He stayed standing and didn't do the lying down thing to take treats which seemed an improvement.
Put on the harness and long line. Worked 'This Ways', much less hard running and only pinged on the line once. End of line released and did 5 x recalls and he did every single one. Yay! Got the toy out and he bounced off me once. Toy put away. Parked him and released him after check ins. Toy out again. waited nicely but excited. Couldn't get him to sit. Threw the toy 3x. First time had to walk the line. Second time he dropped it near me. Third time I walked the line and took it off him nicely. Walked quickly A-B style back to the car. Jumped into the back of the car with no lure.
Session length 34 mins.
No afternoon session as he went to kennels for the night.

Training diary / 6th March a.m.

session 1 - 6th March
Had to drive around and look for a suitable field. I ended up stopping by the side of the road near Marshside at what looked like a great solution. Field had a public footpath running through it, but not in an area with a lot of dog walkers. Grey was stressed and was barking and lunging at traffic outside the field. I tripped and stumbled over at one point but held on to him. Got into the field and calmed down. I released him with 'your free'. He ran round, had a long wee.
First voluntary check in 1.59mins This includes having a wee.
5 x voluntary check ins with treats x 10 each.
The last 3 check ins he was staying really close to me.
'This ways' on the long line.
10 x response to name.
Recalls x 6. He responded to all and ran past me on all of them. Bumping my legs on one as he ran past. I walked the line and waited for check ins. Then did respond to his name.
Got his toy out and he bounced off me so I put it away.
After the last failed recall we went home.
session length 38 mins.