I've been away for a week. Tonight we got back into Level 3 (Level 3!). L3 Focus Step 4 - Dog holds eye contact for 10 seconds with you not looking at the dog. That was fun, and pleasantly surprising. Not as difficult as I thought it would be. It took us 4 clicks to get up to 10 seconds, based mostly on the idea that when I want to shape her I look where I want her to be. This is also the cue I use when I want her to Look at something rather than Watch me. After 4 clicks she had it, though. We'll see tomorrow if she's got it well enough to pass testing.



Syn giving me 10 seconds of Focus while I look in the mirror.
Her tail is wagging furiously.

We moved on to L3 Come. Step 1: Dog comes 5 feet with distractions. Late evening at home out in the country - I couldn't think of any distractions other than kibble on the floor, so I spread some. She couldn't come to me through it. She tried going around the coffee tablet get away from it, but it was spread there too. I backed up to something she knew - straightforward advanced Floor Zen, which she's pretty darn good at. Watch how great she is at it - click here to see a video. Why are these videos on their sides? I have no idea, sorry.

Once I was sure she could do that comfortably, I started asking her to Come through the kibble, but it was still very difficult. Click here to watch her first attempt.

I put a treat target in her face and led her through the minefield a couple of times, then just walked through with her a couple of times, and after five or six of those, she was able to do it - but still not comfortable. We'll try again tomorrow.

I'm glad to be home. I missed the little pumpkin.