Tia - is now getting very clicker savvy.

Have been working on the following.

Ball drive.
Each morning when she is her most energetic I do a bit of throwing her tiny tennis ball in the hallway, this way there are no distractions and she can't run off with it. I do a little bit of tug with it, and let her chase me with it in her mouth. I am also working on "catch". I started off with a soft toy, then I went to the tennis ball. I bounced the tennis ball until she was following it with her eyes, and then threw it for her to catch, the first time she caught it, I think it was a bit of a fluke.


We are up to Step 21 of the Shirley Chong clicker retrieve. She is up to the stage where she will pick up the dumbell from the ground and place it into my hand.


Backing
We are still practicing this using a puppy pen as a barrier. She is moving about 5 feets backwards but sometimes seems to jump backwards.


Cavaletti
Have also been getting her to walk over a ladder on the ground. So she will learn to use her back feet, she seems to move them together like a rabbit.

Swimming
She will now happily go into a paddle pool when she is hot. Out at the lake I still have to coax her in with food lures so she will start swimming. Swimming is a very good form of exercise and it may help her back legs.

Close Door
I have been shaping this one. I smeared a little bit of cheese on the cupboard door and c/t (click treat) her for sniffing, then waited for a nose touch. She gets a little confused and sits next to the door looking at me and hitting the door with her side. At one stage she got frustrated and jumped up with two feet and slammed the door close. I c/t that and she is starting to get the idea now. I now c/t for when the door shuts. I am also altering my position. She nows where the treats are and would like to get them without doing the work.


Mat
Have been freeshaping this out of the Click Quicks book. She will go towards the mat and turn around and then lie down backwards onto the mat. If she misses and I don't click she then move her body backwards.

Crate
Have been working on crate training using "COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO POSITIVE DOG TRAINING, 2ND EDITIONby Pamela Dennison I tooks the other dogs out with me to do the paper run, and left Tia in the crate with a couple of bones to chew on. She was still quiet when I got back an hour later and still chewing her bones. I found this work best in the morning when she is at her hungriest.

Paw Touch
Have been working on paw touch to a target using the "Quick Clicks" book.

Socialisation
Have been getting Tia out and about, and she is well and truly used to the car now, and does not sook. Have taken her to friends places so she can meet new dogs and new people. She is much more confident, usually plays with the dogs we introduce her to. When she sees people she runs up to them and sits in front, (I didn't teach her this). She is a little nervous of cars when I walk on lead around the street. Took her to a flyball class, mainly so she could get used to the sound of barking dogs. I also did some recalls to a tug toy on the flat. To get her focusing on me when there are distractions around. She did quite well, loves her tug.

Rear End Awareness
Got a phone book out, and lured her to put her two front feet on, I then moved around the phone book and clicked each time her back legs moved. She kept her front legs on the book but moved her back legs. Here is a video of my older dog doing this. I also noticed today in the garage when she got stuck in a narrow aisle, that she just simply backed out when she couldn't turn around.

Stays
These are still very challenging but managed to get one step past her. It seems as soon as you say "stay" she moves. Haven't had this problem with any other dogs I have trained.

Rollover
Have been luring her over, she is not yet confident but still working on it.

Recalls
She is coming to the sound of my metalic audible whistle.