Parkour (2/2)

Another great class.  We started with some balance beams resting on a scaffold.  My challenge with Gimme is to slow her down and get her to be thoughtful about what she is doing.  She loved getting on the scaffold since this put her at a perfect height for sharing kisses.  I didn't get the camera going on the first one.  When she had to do the low one coming under the scaffold, I used her PB go toob as a lure to make sure she didn't even think about going to the other dog.  She has her priorities, eh.  Here is a composite of her balance beams.  Balance beams video

Our next challenge was the training "ladder".  It is a sturdy framework with extra wide "steps" set in the normal spacing for steps on a ladder.  The goal was to have the dogs step and not hop.  Gimme took to this quite naturally.  Just because its easy doesn't mean she ignores "her" toy on the wall.  Beginning ladder video

We did skinny beam work too.  Of course Gimme continues to be distracted by the toy in the crate behind the bench.  When she got on the bench, she was delighted to find Jo's face at kissing level.  The second time around was quite the challenge for her.  I don't think raising the starting end was really the issue - Gimme just got a bit food obsessed and stopped thinking about her body parts.  Of course I could be wrong, maybe the additional height really did worry her.  She started out well until she got distracted by the toy again.  She finds the narrow beams hard because her reaction when something is challenging is to take a wide stance in the rear.  Supporting her with the harness doesn't really work - I think because it has a predictive aspect to it.  Since she was bailing when she didn't really need to, at the end I straddled the beam and stopped her on it, then cued her to jump off.  Skinny beam video

We had an obstacle course of beams and stuff.  Gimme wasn't really worried about stepping on those disks, I think she just didn't realize she was supposed to.  The second time she stepped on them without guidance.  She's a good girl about doing stuff once she knows she is supposed to.  Beams & stuff obstacle course video

We ended with some Tic-Tac practice.  In some ways it seems like Gimme thinks this is an aframe.  So its especially important to get her to start at an angle.  Because she's so fast and me not so much, it works best when I put her in a sit stay and can get positioned. Tic-tacs video  It'll be great when I get our own Tic-Tac board set up - perhaps this weekend if I can get this head cold under control.

Gimme always enjoys Parkour class and snoozes contently on the way home.