Day 127

Hops went with us to the trial again today and was very well behaved in the car, crate, and out and about at the trial. On the way home we stopped by the hardware store and Hops and I walked around the parking lot while Jeremiah did some shopping. Hops was really good and greeted a nice couple. When we came home Hops was full of energy so I played tug with him as the reward for stays and recalls. Fun puppy! He was still full of it after that so Jeremiah and called him back and forth, having him do different tricks for us. He did a great job with the recalls and tricks and is finally tired!

Day 126

Hops had a shaping session with the plunger this morning and made it around three times for one treat! Wow! Hops then played some fetch in the backyard with me then in the afternoon he went with us to the trial at Argus and was a good puppy. He greeted lots of dogs and people and sat nicely while we watched others run. He then stayed in the car while Jeremiah and I went out to dinner then drove to Seattle to attended an awards ceremony. He was really good in the car even though he was crated most of the day.

Day 125

Hops had three go around the plunger shaping lessons for breakfast and continues to improve, offering to make the turn away from me more and more. I keep forgetting to write that the entire time I have been shaping Hops to go around the plunger I have been taking turns working all three dogs. So while Rice and Dillon have their turns Hops has been on a down stay. He has been doing a great job, having to be put back sometimes but holding the stay about 95% of the time. Good puppy! Hops was also brushed this morning and had a couple of rough spots on his toenails filed down. He was fine for the brushing if he was lying down but would not stand stay for it. We have lots of work to do there! He was pretty good for the nail filing, better than last night as I was a better trainer and gave him cookies for good behavior : )

 

Hops went to work with me and we played some fetch with a tennis ball while I set up. He was perfect and brought the ball right back to me every time, in exchange for a piece of kibble. After that he started his new nosework, odor continued class. My mom came in and handled him for me and he did a pretty good job. He tried to work her a little in containers, and tried heeling with her some instead of searching, but once he came across the odor box he downed and put his nose on it. They will come together as a team : ) Mom did a great job working with him! He did alright in interiors but needs work on elevation and getting his nose directly on source. He was alerting a little early sometimes. Overall though he did a great job and being in a class before being crated for hours really helped! The only time he fussed for the rest of the night was when Rice came out for a demo. Jealous puppy! Hops came out for a demo too, a rear cross demo and did it perfectly! After all the classes we played some more fetch but with an udder and we were in the agility arena, then we did tunnels, tables and chutes for tugging. To end the night I gave him a food toy and did some agility with Rice and Hops stayed quiet. Good boy!

 

Breakthrough! I did one more shaping sessions with the boys for dinner and Hops was able to make two complete circles around the plunger for one treat! Woohoo! And, he was able to do it going in either direction! Good boy! So Hops and Dillon have figured it out. Rice, on the other hand, is still making a U shape around the plunger : ) 

Day 124

Hops started his day with a play session with me at work, doing tunnels and chutes and tables and stays and comes for tugging as the reward. Then he was a little fussy in his during class, wanting to play too. After the first class he had another tug session with me then played with his dobie friend before her class started. After that he was good in the crate for the rest of the day. During one class he came out for a rear cross demo and did a great job rear crossing a jump standard and performing a rear cross on the flat.

 

When we came home all the dogs and I ran around the yard did recalls. Hops came when called well and loved running with everyone. He is getting either braver or stupider with Dillon though, nipping at his heels. Dillon has given him many warnings now but a big correction may be brewing, and deserved!

 

Hops went with me and Dillon to agility class where he greeted everyone with enthusiasm but was able to refocus on me if I asked him to. He went though some of his tricks for me and greeted Aqua the border collie nicely. He of course, peed when he greeted Elinda : )

 

Hops needed his nails trimmed so Jeremiah held him while I dremmel’ed his nails. He was good for the first two but fussy for the last two, granted we did not use any food… bad trainer!

 

Hops had a shaping session with going all the way around the plunger for his dinner. I ended the session by reviewing some of his basic cues: sit, down, stand, face, roll, touch, say hello, back then finished with some it’s your choice work. He was a good puppy!

Day 123

Hops had three shaping lessons of going all the way around the plunger this morning. He is improving and he even turned away from me a couple of times. Then we did some formal retrieve work and he retrieved a plastic cup, a measuring cup, a toy, a plastic dumbbell, a metal dumbbell, an old cell phone, a bib and leather leash. He did a great job, understanding that I wanted each object in my hand. Sometimes it took him a couple of tries but for the most part he brought all the objects directly to my hand. I was kneeling on the ground so I was not very high so it was easy for him to reach my hand. I then brushed Hops’s teeth for the first time and he was really good for it. We then spent a few minutes outside with the chuck it before leaving for work. Hops continued his new trend of retrieving the ball before I release Dillon from his stay. Cool! So today I threw two balls, one for Hops in one direction then after he left, one for Dillon in the other. Hops is growing up!

 

Hops went to work with me but stayed in the car then on the way home he went into Rite Aid with me to get my meds. He heeled very nicely through the store, was great with the people he saw and was good when he was petted by a friendly woman.

 

When we came home Renee and Taffy were there waiting for our play date. Hops and Taffy played hard outside then played again when we went inside. After they left I brought Dillon outside to play ball with Hops and Hops retrieved Dillon’s ball like this morning so I again threw two balls. I was quite impressed by Hops bringing the ball back so far with Dillon out there! Before all he wanted to do was chase him.

 

Later in the evening I did three more short shaping sessions with Hops. He made big improvements and is turning away nicely now when going counter-clockwise, making full circles. Going clockwise he turned away a couple of times but he still needs more work going that direction. Dillon continues to be the best of the three dogs at learning this new trick.

 

For the rest of Hops’s dinner I had him practice position changes from a distance. I had him in the part of the bedroom that is raised a step so if he moved forward when he changed position he would be off the ledge. That set up worked well and I was able to get further than ever with him being able to sit, down and stand without moving forward, with me about 15 feet away. If he moved forward I just said uh oh in a light voice and he would immediately put himself back up on the ledge and would get it right the next time. Good puppy!

Day 122

I did a quick shaping session of going all the way around the plunger then left for work. Hops had a short play time between my lesson and class but was fussier than normal in the crate. I think more and more he wants to be out playing with me! Especially if Rice or Dillon is out : )

 

When we went home for my break I played with hops in the backyard, doing all of Mary Ellen Barry’s foundation recalls and no go zone exercises. Hops did great on most of then but he needs more work with stopping in heel when there is no motion and stopping at me when I cross in from of him when he is heading toward a toy. All recalls were rewarded with his toy. After that I brought Dillon out and threw the ball for him and Hops chased him and came every time I called him. Every once in awhile Hops went for the ball and brought it back instead of Dillon! Good boy!

 

Hops went back to work with me for my second shift. He stayed in the car for the nosework class, then had a play time with me. He did stays and comes, moving sits and downs, practiced the table, ran through and did sends around jump standards and we played lots of tug as a reward! And during all of this tugging, Hops lost his last puppy tooth! He was then good in his crate for the next class then came out for his fun and focus two class. We started class with stays and comes to play tug, then did lead out pushes and 3 small sequences with jump standards, doing different types of front crosses, the table and the chute. We ended class with some time on balance disks. Hops was great at everything and focused very well on Jeremiah tonight. After class Hops and Love played and played and played! It is so fun to watch them wrestle run with each other! They loved it!

Day 121

Hops had a shaping lesson of going all the way around the plunger for breakfast then he stayed with Jeremiah during my first workshop and he was given a good report. Jeremiah brought him to me for the second one so he could do demos. He greeted a bunch of students first, loving them all of course. Hops was very good in his crate during the workshop (2 hours) and did wonderful recall demos. After the workshop he and Ali (his Great Dane friend) were turned loose together. They had not seem each other in awhile but they remembered each other and got right to playing! They are the same age but boy is Ali bigger now! Hops is much faster though and literally ran circles around her!

 

Hops had another shaping lesson for dinner. He is doing 180 degree turns around the plunger no problem now but he is stuck there and is so far unable to make the next turn on his own. Dillon is the only one of the three dogs who has been able to turn away from me to complete the circle around the plunger.