A day Of Breakthroughs
I said from the beginning that our problem with Spanish walk was all me. I had a total mental block. I seem to be recovering! It started with me learning how to ask him to step each front foot forward alongside me. He has that down pretty good. We’ve been using a target to get more height.
Today I asked for two steps before clicking. Starting with the leg he prefers to offer and clicking on the leg that’s harder for him. In the process of this it occurred to me, major breakthrough and duh moment, to pull forward on the lead a little as he paws so he steps down in the middle of the paw making it a big step instead of a paw!
I don’t know why it never occurred to me in my quest to add forward to his pawing. Maybe partially that I so seldom touch the lead. He works almost all the time at liberty. It also helps to hold the lead and encourage him to keep his head up while we are working on it. He wants to touch the target with his nose and be down there looking all the time.
Now he is giving a couple of steps that actually step forward! I can’t wait to go play again! Of course there are no pictures. There never is of anything cool, and it’s hard to do while holding a camera.
Also I got the best present from my husband, carpet squares! It seems like a little thing, and he says they wont work as my Christmas present but I love them and we are having lots of fun with them. I am enjoying imagining all the things we can do with them, in the mean time here is a little of what he is doing.
Also, also working on putting his head down. A simple thing he learned long ago, but with a twist. Trying to see how far away I can go with him staying on his mat (carpet square) and lowering his head on cue. We did it a little in the yard yesterday, grass worked nicely as his reward.
Still doing the painting. It’s too cold for real paint now, we’ll have to get out technique perfected for spring painting.
doing good!