Class tomorrow morning is outside.

Class,

Because we will have one extra student joining for the remaining 2 classes, and because we have a nice sized "Peanut Gallery" coming, there isn't room enough for everyone to be downstairs in our ADT studio.

So, heat or no heat, we will have class tomorrow outside.

Dress cool and put on bug repellent as the bugs are vicious right now.

Roxanne

Applewoods Pool Party & Sugar is rapidly recovering!

Place

Double Place (notice the increased sag from Sherpa's weight?)

Every dog wants the bumper..

but Sugar is the fastest dog to launch for it.

After the pool party, tis time for cake.  Wait...what to do with all those wet dogs?

A 45-minute Down/Stay so all dogs could dry out.


What a great way to spend a summer Saturday afternoon-:)

No laughing at me now, we ALL had to start somewhere

Here are video's of Sugar, as a very young puppy, and I, as an Applewoods beginner, learning exactly what you are learning in class.  Notice how careful I am and quite insecure on if I am doing the right thing at the right time?  Please forgive the camara gal...she was 5 years old and these videos are all I have of this training moments so very long ago.

No laughing at me now.....


Sugar learns Sit/Stay, Days 3 & 4. He moved a foot so got a slight correction.








Ho..hum...ok he's got this exercise down pat now! The point of these video's is priceless...if I can learn to do this so too can you:) Roxanne

Video of 3-step heeling with Sit correction

Here's the 3-step heeling you were taught that teaches you how to halt correctly and help your dog to a correct Sit every time.

In this video, I'm teaching the Sit (so have completed the 400th Sit) and have moved into the Sit correction. However, you can use the same 3-step heeling sequence in preparation to halt by doing the first 200 Sits (molding of the dog into Sit) and Sit count 200-400 (molding + saying Sit) if that is where you are in your Sit count training process. The basic mechanics are the same, it's just after the 400th Sit, the molding ceases and you do Sit corrections from then on.

The key here is to set your hands up correctly with your feet so your Left, Right, Sit movement is smooth. Also, remember your verbal Sit begins on your 400 Sit and you will continue to use your verbal Sit at this point in the training.

Confusing as mud, yes? If it's any consolation, I had a tough time learning how to halt correctly with my feet, get my hand/leash sequence correct and remember to say Sit at the right time. I remember thinking, "WHAT? I don't know how to do this! WHAT, WHEN, HOW, HUH?"

LOL...Patience and practice will help you to memorize the correct sequence. If I can learn to do this, so can you.

SUGGESTION: Practice this with your leash and Fido, your invisible dog, until you can think "halt" (or have someone call "halt") and you can do the correct leash/feet movement easily and smoothly. The more you practice WITHOUT your dog, the smoother you are in communicating clearly what you want your dog to do as you are working it.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

Leash & collar payment?

Just going through my paperwork and realized our records don't specify when you paid for your leash and collar?  Please let me know that you have done so and would you be so kind to let me know how you paid for it, i.e. cash, check or PayPal?

You can respond to me at Roxanne@ApplewoodsDogTraining.com.

Thanks...sigh, paperwork:(

Roxanne

Update on Sugar

Sugar is steadily improving day after day. We are up to 15 minutes walking, 2 x a day, and he is moving well.  We started a 5 minute walk after one week when he came up to me and told me, "Ok..you are not taking me to work - ADT - and we are NOT going for my 3+ mile off-leash hikes, nor are we doing ANY obedience training.  I'm going nuts, please work me?" As an FYI...does his recuperation mean he does not work right now?  No, he is working, just not anywhere near what he was doing prior to surgery.

Margot is teaching a "Lights, Camara, ...ACTION!" class for advanced students who, like me, want to be able to do commercials and etc., with their trained dog. Last Saturday, without Sugar, I attended that class.  I got to use Sherpa to learn the mechanics of teaching an on-command "Jump" using a new training tool, the Jump stick.

With Sugar still recuperating, there is no way for him to do a full blown jump of any height.  However, I can teach the mechanics of this new command and so he is learning this new command on  very tiny, short 12" jump heights.

Additionally, as a puppy, Sugar was taught "Touch" which is a great way to teach a dog to target the palm of your hand and put its nose on it on command.  From that foundation, you can then teach a dog to target something else and go to it on command.  So, Sugar is getting 'worked' in the house, when outside in the back yard, and on our walks with the "Touch" command.

Sugar's training continues, as always, it just has changed shape to accommodate where he is at right now physically.

How is everyone doing?

Gasp,

I DETEST HUMIDITY!  Yuck!  Anyway, wanted to know how everyone is doing on their Week 3 homework?

Roxanne