RFE practice (113)

Sorry to be so far behind - as everyone else, things are topsy-turvy and blogging has fallen off the back burner. This is the last practice for awhile since the training center has temporarily closed its doors. J'Anna and I considered meeting to do a nosework practice, but decided not to.

Heel/Side warm-up video - I wanted to start with heeling and other position behaviors to encourage Gimme to focus and did seem more focused than recent weeks. She could be entering her false pregnancy at any time, so I was happy to see this.

"West" video - I started working in the corner where I'd have two mirrors to see what Gimme was doing. You can see she starts by trying to turn it into "otto". I've realized having her back into position is too much like "otto"; she gets moving and then habit takes over. And backing into position, even when she realizes what I want, the position isn't aligned as well. I brought a grooming table over to create a barrier. She wasn't too sure about the table at first, but then got used to it. I find it works best when I start with a barrier and then move forward a bit, so she has to sidestep to stay in position.  Gradually I then start the behavior without a barrier. So in two other sessions we used the wall and then worked away from it. She's getting it.

Backward weaves video - I'm still using barriers to get a backward weave. This has been the most impossible behavior to train, but I need it if we are going to get the next level RFE title. I used the wrong cue for the third try starting on "side" position. She doesn't really know the cues yet, so it doesn't matter. I am making a concerted effort to only do a few repetitions with her most favorite reward of all - peanut butter.

I've been working on these at home and may have discovered a way to do them where she is more comfortable. I need to tinker with it some. It'll probably cost us points, but not nearly as bad as if we can't do the behavior at all.

Container - myrrh video - J'Anna and I are both trying to move up in UKC nosework, so we are adding some nosework practice when we get together. One of my concerns is how Gimme would do with myrrh in the presence of odors she has a longer track record with - because lingering odor messed us up on our first myrrh odor recognition test, which UKC doesn't do anymore. So, I wanted to have multiple odors out. I don't know what happened, but J'Anna didn't record when Gimme found the first or second boxes. What you see is the myrrh box - which I know because I rewarded Gimme with peanut butter for it. Gimme did really well, despite my concerns.

Interior - myrrh video - This is the first time Gimme has search for myrrh in any element other than containers. She got the first hide in the corner in just 25 seconds - corners are hard. Just 21 seconds to the high hide in the windowsill. I loved how she passed it, then turned rapidly back to it. Another 21 seconds to find myrrh under the edge of the matt. It was just over a minute to find the last hide, which was a hard one. It was in a little basket, in the shelving in a tight space. She likes to get her nose right up to them, but there wasn't space enough for her to get up there. I thought she did a great job.

This was a good training session. Gimme did so well, despite her impending false pregnancy. Interestingly she still hasn't started. It may be because she's getting older. Maybe, since I'm home from work and she's getting daily walks, possibly it's helping relieve stress/tension. I do notice she is more guardy about outside noises, but nothing else yet. Time will tell.