Training Even and Lynn

So the puppies have started learning agility handling...bars on the ground, nothing to jar their little puppy bodies. I use more the Linda M style of handling (although I am not a purist to a "system")--but I do the same thing for every dog :)

They are doing calls to heel and side...front crosses, rear crosses, sending out to jumps laterally, go on (run ahead to a jump)...simple things like that. Dana Pike calls it "ONE DAMN JUMP" stuff :) Very fitting description!

I used to try to do this stuff with younger puppies...and I have since decided it is much less difficult if I wait until they are older and have a greater sense of their bodies and their minds are better able to process things :)

I have also learned to train "waits" and "stays" when they are a bit older as well (I see people trying on 8 week old puppies...really??)...and as they get older these things seems easier for them to grasp and takes far less time --at least for my dogs.

Both Even and Lynn are doing great on waits and stays...Even is the thinker pup, drivey as heck, but is GREAT at working through problems....Lynn is more of a doer...would rather bark and get excited than settle and think through things :) But she is getting better and trying things my way :)

Luckily for me I have had both and trained many more with students of both kinds...Even is not as much of a thinker as Gator was though...he seemed to almost get "analysis paralysis"....OVER thinking! She doesn't have that issue at all :)

So I haven't put anything together at all until tonight...sequencing is the least of my worries and I usually don't work much on it until they are older...but I thought I would just SEE what they would do if I strung a few jumps and a tunnel together.

Even did it quick and FAST and looked at me like "is that all you have?!?!"...GOOD GIRLIE!!!

Lynn did just what I thought she would do...over the top at first...crazy barking girl...then figured out she wasn't going to get rewarded for THAT...and then she did great ;) Fast as well, maybe a bit LOUDER :)

That is probably the last sequence I will be doing for a while...but it was great to see them extending their strides and then collecting for turns :) LOVE IT!

I am always amazed how people want to skip foundation work...and go right to running things..when in reality if they would DO their foundation work, they would have a MUCH easier time running sequences when they finally get to that point!

I am so blessed to have these two puppies :) They are awesome workers, super smart and are VERY drivey...and intense. I said my intention was if Andy decided not to keep one of the girls, I would raise her up and sell her as a started dog for herding...but I can't see that happening anytime in the future...they are both way too cool to work in agility and on stock!