Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Duh!
I finally figured out why Seeker is not entranced with Laura's method of heeling. Laura is all about precision and small tiny steps that create precision. Seeker is all about fun and exuberance. In every other thing I do with her, I make it very exciting and up tempo. With heeling, I have made it B-O-R-I-N-G! It's my fault. So, dear Laura, I have to do what is right for my dog and I am going to tweak your methods to make my girl love heeling. We'll see what happens, but I truly wasn't getting anywhere with Laura's method and I don't have the patience to hope that in a year or more we can take more than a few steps.
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So it worked. I used her tennis ball instead of food and her attitude made a 360. I also gave her my excited happy voice like I do with everything else. And finally, I used the mirror Maggie gave me. I moved it to the far end of the basement and watched in the mirror as we heeled. She is bouncy and straight. You can't ask for more...
ReplyDeleteWe still only go the length of the basement, but at least we're both happier now!
Yes, you must always keep it fun. They love it when we talk to them. Karen is a big fan of whispering. Young dogs can hear us, and they feed off of our enthusiasm. Way to make it fun, Nancy! Good job!
ReplyDeleteI *do* think it's possible to work on precision while keeping it fun. Perhaps you can teach Laura about that.
Ah, I love the idea of whispering to her. I never thought of that....
ReplyDeleteI'll try that today.