We are back!

I'm going to send an email update to all my Yahoo groups. Baron and I are back in school! Okay not any formal training class but we are back on the train your dog wagon. Why the huge break? Well two reasons. I received advice to lay off for a while and I *think* by doing so Baron is showing more interest in learning. Also my own job became hectic as I was leading a project team to hit a rather impossible deadline but we did it! I kicked 5010's butt! 5010 is the new required ANSI format for HIPAA in the healthcare software world.

Anyways. Since I've started training Baron again I managed to teach him to shake hands! He picked it up right away and I think even now we have moved on to a verbal cue in less than three sessions. I'm super excited because he's offering me the behavior and seems enthused about training unlike before. His ears are perked up, goofy grin and offering behaviors. I have such a smarty dog :P

A funny and proud moment for me happen today. I was in the kitchen chopping up some treats to start working with him and I told him Out then Stay. Well when I walked out of the kitchen, with treats on chopping board and sat down on my stool he was still sitting in front of the kitchen looking at me. He hadn't moved. Then it struck me! I had told him "Stay" and well.... he stayed! LOL

Silly me. So I placed chopping board down, grabbed a treat, walked up to him and clicked and treated him.

I like video taping our training sessions even though I cringe at the fact that I can see just how chubby I am LOL. Seeing this video I see several "mistakes" I've made. I need to be faster on when I click for one. But I think it shows just how much more improved Baron is on the interest level to train.




Here is an example of our training earlier in the year before our break. At 34, 35 seconds into the video above I think he's a bit faster to respond than what I see in the video below. Also It's hard to see but in the video below there isn't a fast moving wagging tail as in the new video.







Ok more to come soon!