Utah Winter 2022 Retrieve Course

Saturday, February 26, 2022

2-26-2022 Hannah's training day with me today

Picked up excited Hannah and man I was ready to do TC work with her as Monday I will have to film her Week 6 EXAMS. So today was THE DAY to do so.

First though, Aleacia and Alan have a phenomenal 'ready-to-use' distraction setup with the livestock and turkeys in your backyard. I did several TC with Hannah facing those noisy turkeys and livestock, then she decided they weren't worth her attention after all.

I am ignoring ALL of you birds!

It was a fowl Sit/Stay indeed-:)

Onward to the park. First, we sauntered all over the park, then did a Recall

And worked our way back to my truck. Hannah maintained her voluntary heel position the entire way

Time to go to IFA, again. We arrived and immediately a family was there with a dog on a harness. The dog LUNGED for Hannah, on-the-spot with cashiers watching and everything, I did a Recall without a TC in hand. Hannah spun around and did a lovely SSIF while that dog kept on making a fool of itself lunging. The family dragged it away towards the back of the store.

I did some light heeling and worked on Stays.

Then worked on some really terrific Sit/Stays.

And then this Sit/Stay! Hannah did FABULOUS!

Heeled her to the back of the store for more work.

One of my favorite ways to tighten a dog's heeling position is doing Figure 8's, many times with multiple circles to work around so the dog doesn't know which way you are turning when. Take 1

And then the foolish dog was there, and I had Hannah do a Sit/Stay despite the foolish dog and its owners who said, "Oh he just wants to play." Yipes, that dog was full blown into LLLL, had on a harness (made to train a dog to pull) and ignorant owners. We kept our distance; I just used their foolish dog to train Hannah that she COULD trust me AND maintain her Sit/Stay. Which she did, beautifully so I might add. We did another Figure 8 exercise

Quiet Time in the middle of the store for over 90 minutes, then I kenneled her in my truck so I could help Kim/Kara inside IFA. Hannah was delighted to curl up in a quiet kennel and go to sleep. Today, literally, there were easily 60 people she had to deal with PLUS that oh so foolish dog.