Week: 3

Two down, fifty to go, and I am already starting to feel behind.

Accomplished Last Week:

Core Studies – Weird week. I tried to work Loose Leash in the form of Synchronized Movement and discovered Zachary won’t walk next to me anymore (read about it here.) Guess what is back on this week’s worksheet? Beau seems to be coming to terms with the sort of pivots Level Three requires.

Once again, Quizzes were a bright spot – not because the boys were terribly good at them (they weren’t – see parenthetical comment as to why) but because they provided so many “teachable moments”.

Quiz results: Beau = 84% (Honoring), Zachary = 92% (Bowing). Still working on Quiz layout and format (see further down for the latest flavor.)

I’m now consistently doing a long down (Rally Honor) with the non-working dog at the other end of the room. The hardest part is getting one to stay down while getting the other to come with me for working, but it gets easier each time. Until I get some rubber backed mats I can’t do sit as their paws slide too easily on the floor.

Citizenship – Struck out, other than Zachary’s paws on the console. That is going to be a long journey but I think we will get there in the end. Actually, a long journey would probably make the end come a lot sooner.

Family Member – Zachary continues to grow more comfortable being brushed. Both dogs are making surprising progress stopping play when I ask. It’s surprising as I have been working on this for months (years?) and it’s only in the last few weeks that progress has been made. I’m sure Zachary’s maturing is a major part of it.

Zachary’s staccato barking at outside “thuds” is really getting annoying. After a week of doing nothing, I finally had enough today and spent an hour thumping on walls and rewarding nothing (ie: no barking.) I haven’t a clue what he is thinking as he has no interest in the item making the noise, nor does he show any protective inclination. It’s almost like I somehow trained him to react that way.

Extracurricular – Contacts: good news = I finally removed the last vestiges of xmas on Sunday. Bad news = I finally removed the last vestiges of xmas on Sunday. Worked Retrieve, and wrote about it here, and here.

Posted my overview for Extracurricular Activities, and an example for Photography.

Just For Fun – Didn’t get there at all.

Video - Released a Beau and Zachary “What would happen if…” video.

Planned for This Week:

Core Studies – More Synchronized Movement in the house as the weather is supposed to be downright awful. Must get moving on Watch (attention).

See right for the quiz of the week (click to see larger):

Citizenship – Weather will be too bad to plan on getting out, but I might try getting a family member to practice food Zen.

Family Member – Continue with thuds and thumps – probably enlisting a family helper to up the ante. Need to work on being calm for collar/leash (Zachary only) and assuming we can find a break in the storms to go for a walk we’ll work on that too.

Extracurricular – Hopefully get the board in the house. Keep going on gloves, working on the hold.

Just For Fun – Yes.

Field Trip – Indoor only… probably just a couple trips to the Pet Store.

Blue Bar – Video Heeling for both, and Front and Finish for Beau. Figure out what I want as the Extracurricular Activities for Dancing and get that darn mat!

(You know the drill - click to see a larger version)