TGIF :-)

I think we're all happy about that :-)   I'm definitely liking the new job but we all needed the week to come to an end so we could enjoy more training and time together :-)

Took the pups to the MPSC field as soon as we were done at work.  Had plenty of daylight left to work both dogs.  Started with Tor and finished with Gata.  Thought about doing 2 sessions with each but decided it would be easier all the way around to do a single seesion with each of them.

Tor - just puppy play stuff, lots of outing his tug, position changes on the field, and we even started working on running the blinds.  Started on the right side blinds.  Will teach him to run high side on all blinds, that means right hand turn on right side blinds and left hand turn on left side blinds.  Since he naturally turns left handed, it will probably be harder to run the right side blinds though he's so athletic I'm not really worried.  Just did a couple of little luring him around the blind.  When he did the turn in the correct direction I threw the ball for him.  I then ducked into the blind and called him into me there.  If he came from the correct direction, I quickly rewarded again.  Did that a few times and enough for his first session on blinds.  Will get the right handed turn pretty solid but not entirely finished before starting left side blinds and then start working on distance and stringing them together.

We ended up by running through the big culvert drains that are kept out there for no apparent reason.  Good puppy exercise plus it teaches him to run away from me to get his reward.  His default is to stare at me and will his ball/tug into his mouth ;-)  Tor had a great time running through those and didn't seem to care that they are a little slippery :-)

Gata - position changes and heeling.  Worked on reinforcing the concept of "silence".  Decided to make it a little less tedious for both of us by changing the consequence from being put in the car to backing up (away from where we were heeling).  This works really well when heeling onto the field (thru a gate) and heeling into start position to run blinds; where there are very obvious visual markers.  I liked what I got with it but am not sure that it will work as well if she starts talking once we're on the field.  I think I will try it for awhile though and see if it works.  It is definitely something that could be used in competition between exercises without being noticed as opposed to taking my dog to the car.  So, definitely worth playing around with a little.

Ended by running blinds with her.  She just loves that game and was flying around the blinds :-)  Both dogs were very happy and tired at the end of their sessions.  A tired dog is definitely a good dog :-)

Stopped by club for a little bit in SJ.  Needed to drop some stuff off with a friend there so we hung out for awhile.  Played around with Tor near the clubhouse.  Have not been focusing on his socialization as much lately and could see a subtle difference.  If that's what he ended up like it wouldn't worry me, just didn't like the idea that he was sliding backwards a little.  So will have to make sure that I continue to work on his socialization.  I think it will just take a little more work than I expected to make sure that he remains neutral to friendly.  Just want to make sure that he doesn't continue sliding backwards, he has come such a long ways.  Definitely don't want him to end up a sharp dog given my lifestyle.