Training Diary Day 22-24

Day 22

I started to work on Erik choosing to stay out of the kitchen whilst I am making lunch. It is a small amount of duration and a small amount of distraction, so it is a good place to start building up his ability to wait whilst not being entertained.

We also trained staying out of the kitchen whilst I was cooking dinner; I had measured out his dinner and used that to reinforce him staying out of the kitchen so the duration and distraction were slightly more for the evening session. (As my friends will point out, training whilst I cook is only going to be practiced infrequently!!  Well I wouldn’t want to overdo it!)

After dinner we did some more crate games and had no squeaking at all. Massive success 🙂  We did some collar grab game whilst having a toy under my arm, and some multiple change yer mind game with tug after the second release and he only made one slight mistake.  The mistake came after two change yer minds followed by a rep of collar grab where he should stay inside after being sent back to the crate, he came halfway out before realising that I hadn’t released him.  He didn’t get caught out like that again.

I think one more session like this and then I maybe need to up the excitement levels a bit to see how that goes.

Day 23

We started this morning with a bit of staying out of the kitchen whilst I made sandwiches for lunch.

This evening we worked on some more crate games with lots of extra toy distractions and some more distance on the send to the crate. Note to self, close the door on the second crate that I have in the living room or things get a bit confusing for Erik.  He, quite sensibly, chose to go to the crate which was nearest to us when I started to increase the distance from the crate we have been training with.  Just goes to show that he has generalised his go to bed cue 🙂

I also started to rev things up a bit with the collar grab game and still no noise. We did several change yer mind games and only one mistake and no noise.  I think he may be ready to go to the next level.

Day 24

Erik did some more waiting outside the kitchen whilst I made lunch and cooked dinner.

We then practiced some stop to throw whilst hunting and walking and it is getting much stronger, no mistakes today. He also practiced the permanent blind on this walk and he was better on the first try of two today.

We also did some more crate games and upped the level of the distractions outside the crate with the door open; donkey made a reappearance after some time off and didn’t manage to trigger a mistake! We also increased the distance to the crate and after a bit of a misfire the first time where Erik took go to bed to mean get on the sofa, he managed to get it the second time and then we managed to get all the way out into the hall way.

(Poor Donkey needs major neck surgery, not only is his stuffing showing, his squeak has nearly fallen out!)