Light Bulb Comes On

I think I'm finally getting it. Training dogs is a joy, not a chore. We are having fun. I see a dog coming down the street and it's a new exciting training challenge. I used to get anxious, either turning around and going the other way, or getting mad that the other person wasn't turning the corner and going the other way. No wonder Shane was reactive. We are even getting past the houses where he'd go nuts. I attribute it all to Janice's class on Tuesday nights. She makes us do all kinds of exercises where we just have fun with our dogs. I just love that class.

I have developed a new start line routine that is really working! Shane goes nuts when I take his leash off, so now we do a few spins before I put him into a sit. I am dying to try it at a show, so I nervously filled out a NADAC premium for the October show. There are 7 shows that weekend, so I'm hoping everyone goes to the other shows and this show is small. There is a local show the weekend before, so we are going down to just work on being in the crowd. I hope I'm not rushing. It will only have been 5 months since the incident. I won't go through with it unless I'm really ready.

Maggie is coming along. I taught her teeter, table, and tunnel this weekend. Well, actually, Shane helped with the table, and Frank helped with the tunnel. Maggie will only do agility if she knows I have food, otherwise, her attention is elsewhere. So much so that I can work Shane while she just roams around the backyard. Shane does agility just for his Frisbee. Working with Maggie feels like working with Woody in his later years. I don't see any backcrosses in our future.