Our Busy-ness...

I don't know why I'm still surprised by how smart Gimme is... but some of the things she does just astound me.

Recently I decided to INTRODUCE the "under" position, where she stands between my legs facing forward with me - for our future in freestyle. I emphasize introduce, because its usually a slow process for that position - at least it has been with my others and other dogs I've seen being taught to do it. In no time she was completely comfortable in the under position and so we quickly played with doing a figure-8 between/around my legs. It was really fun.

Then she just "invented" the cutest move. She was sitting at front, staring at me and I was trying to free-shape something else. Apparently she wasn't done playing with the under, and did a spin on her hieney, while scootching toward me and ended up in under position. Of course, I jack-potted the dickens out of it, so got it several more times. Actually that's a pretty advanced move - so I know she wasn't the first to invent it. It just amazes me that she figured it out on her own.

A couple weekends back, I went to two obedience seminars. The first was a 4 hour Denise Fenzi workshop, where I took 5 pages of notes. Then there was two days of Michele Pouliet, where I took 15 pages. I learned so much I hardly know where to start. Sure am glad I hadn't done much with the retrieve as I really like what Michele showed us. I also learned tons from other exhibitors, since I had a million questions.

The really big news is that Gimme did soooooo well when I took her in the building. I was able to get her in three times a day: before the seminar started, during lunch and after the day ended. I set up her soft side crate and used it to practice the Relaxation Protocol. Gimme did sooooo well on that - much more than the limited practice I'd done deserves. I do think it helped that we had practiced RP in that crate - so she knew what to expect and how to win treats.

She also did well with general attention. She was, of course, highly distracted by all the people and dogs and general activity and newness.... but then after a short while, using what I learned from Ursula, I was able to help her get through it and get some responsiveness to cues she already knew. Sunday she was only distracted by people and/or dogs when they got within about 15 feet. She might watch them if they were moving around at a distance, but didn't feel the need to respond - watching them with interest and calmly. Our last session after the end Sunday, we actually had a very short training session and she invented something new... its like a get in... I don't think I can use it in obedience, since it includes a serious lean on my leg (she's practically resting her head on my knee with me standing), but I may be able to build on it to get her backing around me. I know I've said this before, but she is soooo smmmmarrrrht.

This is huge progress for her since she was a whiny fussing wild child at the seminar in February, so much so that it was very distracting for other participants, so I could only expose her during breaks. Of course she's two months older now, but I also think the work I've done and my new understanding of how to get her brain in gear makes a big difference.

The funny thing was that in the hotel - she was quite pleased with the fact that we had a second bed. Both nights she spent the majority of the time laying sprawled diagonally across the bed and really effectively taking up the whole thing. (boy how I wish I had a picture of that) The first night she slept there all night. The second night she started there but crawled in with me when it got colder. That Sunday night she was quite disappointed to realize that Serta failed to make their delivery while we were gone. She walked in the bedroom and looked around as if to say, "there's something missing here." Every night since, she walks in the bedroom, stops in the doorway and then sighs. Sadly for her, my bedroom is too small for a second bed.

Also she just thought up another fast one. I have a bell hanging on the front door so she can tell me when she wants to go out. She rang it earlier and when I got in the living room I found her waiting at the door to the kitchen. So apparently she now thinks its the bell for her servant to come running. Not! I made her go outside anyway... the stinker...