11/23/2024 Huguenot Park
- Maureen Woolley, Duck & River
- Nov 25, 2024
- 1 min read
Conditions: sunny, dry short grass, no significant wind, 60F
Goal: dog spine on track line, take water prior to start
Track 1 & 2: heel toe walk for 50-55 yds, food drop every 4 steps
Method: leash on in car, tried water…River ignored the bowl with chicken treat in until I stuck it out of the water on the side of the bowl. Walked up, and moved my 5 ft leash to her harness. She started sniffed around the flag a little, finding no article she kept going, picked up food. As we moved forward and she got a couple of food drops, she shifted to turn her head right to pick up the food or turned around for it. At the end of track, I took her off the harness and tied her to a fence off to the side near my car while I picked up flags.
Gave or should say tried to give her more water and started next track. On track 2…River was very similar except she only picked up the food by turning her head to the right.
I had her ball out beyond the end flag and she was happy to get released to go get that for her reward.
Positives: she is very willing to start and track but easygoing on the track. She is straight spine right next to the track line.
keep trying the 'treats in the water container' - if she says 'nope' then do not give her the treat. just put it in your treat pocket, toss the water, get to work. if she says 'nope' and you give her the treat....well she will never learn to take the water. sounds like she is tracking with a straight spine on a short lead - all good. not sure that i am following what the 'picking up food by turning her head to the right' means. you say that a number of times.