Leave it practice with Riggs
Riggs practicing leave it with random items
Leave it practice with Riggs
Riggs practicing leave it while I throw random stuff on the ground.
Place practice with Riggs and distractions
Riggs practicing place with distractions and lots of me moving around. Going around him has been tough for him.
Riggs practicing place with Finn
Part of place is staying there until released. Finn acts as a distraction. Riggs just needed a gentle reminder to stay put even though Finn was moving off the cot.
Anytime you add something new or challenging to a skill your dog is learning it’s important to lower your expectations and remain consistent.
This stuff is hard for a young, teenage dog who just wants to party! Be kind. Be realistic. Be predictable.
Place practice with Riggs and Finn
Riggs practices place and releases with Finn as a distraction.
Harness vs Riggs
More work with Riggs’ harness. He doesn’t like his harness but his body language is changing. He’s no longer avoiding coming close when I bring it out.
During this session I put the harness on him and clipped it. His body language went very stiff and lots of whale eye as I clipped the harness. Once on, he was stiff and refused to lie down. We’ll continue to work on this in the days we have left.
Orientation recall game with Riggs
Riggs and I played a recall/orientation game and not once did I roll a treat under the pantry door! That’s a record. 😁
Intro to shake with Riggs
Tonight I introduced shake to Riggs. I’m not as interested in the trick itself but changing the way he feels about having his feet touched and handled. Riggs is very much a no touchy dog in some situations. The more we pair being touched with rewards the more we can gain more cooperation and less anticipation of something unpleasant.
Stay & Touch with Riggs
Riggs practicing stay and nose targets. This version of stay is a new challenge since he isn’t on a cot or mat.
Working it out with Riggs
I love this so much. A dog who has learned to follow markers and trust a human even when a behavior doesn’t make sense! Riggs was trying and I love that so much!
These simple games do so much for a dog’s confidence and helps them with spatial awareness. But even more important is the communication that’s happening.
Riggs is a fun little spitfire.
Working with a box with Riggs
Riggs learning to do stuff with a box.
Recall Rep with Riggs
Recall Rep with Riggs. Practice, practice, practice.