The Big Plan

I want to put together a list of tricks, skills, cues etc for Indy. Things she already knows, things I'm in the process of teaching, plans for the future. It's basically for myself, just to help keep me on track and focused, but I thought I would share it....this way anyone who feels like it can call me on anything I'm not living up to!

At 5 months
* = skills already understood * = skills partially taught * = skills we haven't started

Basic behaviors & Tricks

1. sit *


2. down *


3. come when her name is called *


4. wait to be released from all open doors & her crate *


5. 1,2,3,4 lift each paw on cue *


6. perch work *


7. step backwards onto any (appropriate height) object (this leads to teaching handstands) *


8. cover face with paw *


9. put all feet in small bowl *


10. ride a skate board *


11. walk backwards *


12. weave through legs *


13. weave backwards through legs *


14. run and pounce front feet on target *


15. left & right directional cues *


16. walk in heads up heel position *


17. handstand *


18. sit up/beg *


19. cover face with both paws *

Agility specific things - the only agility specific things we've started are the teeter with me holding the end, she's doing really well and loves it! The table, again I'm really pleased with her, we've started recall to heel exercises.

1. Have full understanding of postional cues


2. teach jumping using Linda's foundation work


3. teeter- run to the end, crouch down and wait until board hits the ground and move


4. Contacts-Silvia's method. (With full ability to turn using direction cues, and fully independent of my position)


5. Table- get on, stay on, get in postion fast and leave on cue, quickly


6. Come in close when cued, not after taking an obstacle, immediately come to whatever location is cued (AKC courses are getting tighter and tighter and I find I'm needing this skill more all the time).
7. Full understanding of verbal obstacle cues....I tend to run silent and depend 100% on motion cues, it does work well, 99% of the time, but I need to break this habit.
8. Full understanding of forward & lateral sends.
9. Weave poles- find the entry no matter where I am, stay in no matter where I am, with speed. will probably use 2 X 2 but may try channels

I'll probably be adding to this list over time.

Any thoughts on things you would teach if starting a young dog

Indy week 2

I haven't had much time to keep up here....Indy's keeping me pretty busy and there just isn't much going on, with no trials and only the occasional agility practice.

Indy's been doing a lot though. She's all better after her vaccine issues. I realize now, she really wasn't feeling well, but by Monday night she was back in action.

We're continuing working on sit, down and stay.....stay is tough for her, but she's coming along. I started playing some shaping games with her, just clicking for almost any novel behavior. At first she really didn't understand, and would look at me like "just tell me what you want me to do!" but she's starting to get the hang of it now. She learned hand touches very easily and I'm shaping her to sit in a large food bowl and we're working on riding a skateboard too. The skateboard, aside from just being really cute and funny, gets the dogs used to things moving under their feet, which is very important for agility dogs. We're playing, playing playing ALL the time right now.

She's been coming out hiking with us and I'm amazed at how well she keeps up and handles the cold and the snow. Socialization is a big focus right now, she's met several of my dog walking clients (both dogs and owners), and she came along with us to the Strip district yesterday, which is an area of town with lots of variuous food markets and street vendors, it's pretty hectic but Indy took it in stride and came inside some businesses in her little carrier bag too.

Agility wise, we started working on a low teeter. The criteria for her teeter is to run all the way to the end, and ride it down and exit as soon as soon as I say OK. she has not one bit of fear and just charges out to the end, while I hold the teeter up and gradually lower it, she's not phased by riding it down either!

We're also working on some agility foundation skills on the flat, both front and rear crosses on the flat with no equipment and recall to heal.

The pugs are coming around. Abby as been playing with her a bit, but I swear it's just because it makes ME happy whenever she interacts with Indy...no major issues with anyone at this point, I think they're coming to terms with the fact that she's here to stay