Wednesday, March 21, 2012

We Don't Care What ANYONE SAYS...

I am continuing to study, adapt and learn from Mia the super duper Red Dawg :)

She has a TON OF DRIVE..HOLY CRAP! And she doesn't know how to use all of it yet :) So we are working on impulse control stuff...and continuing the toy drive building stuff. But she at times will go so over the top in drive we have to calm down a bit :) I LOVE IT...I really do. I figured it was in her, she is Klink, Lynn's and Even's half sister afterall :) And if you have met those three, well...there is PLENTY O' DRIVE there!!

Anyway...Miss Red Dawg ate something dead on the walk the other night and had a small bout of "intestinal distress"...so the food sock wasn't gonna happen (try putting chicken and rice in a sock...when a hole is ripped open--rice goes FLYING EVERYWHERE...um DUH Loretta!!). So she wasn't overly excited about toys...time to BRAINSTORM...

Then it hit me...

She has this REALLY ANNOYING habit of, when SUPER excited, she would attack my feet...seriously. It's annoying, and she is always in front of me...so I have been working on her at my side...things were going well...BUT...

What if I could USE that annoying behavior to get that TOY DRIVE??

DING DING DING DING!!!!

So...insert this video :) Me...tug toy, my feet, and a red dawg :) I'd say it was a pretty successful session, wouldn't you?

Yes...my ankles got bit several times...OUCH...but I wasn't going to even let her have a HINT she had hurt me...she was in the moment, she was TUGGING!!! OMG!! And she was happy...THOSE are the only goals I have :) Building drive sometimes can be painful...but the benefits outweigh any bruises or bite marks :)

And yes...I am FULLY aware I look like a dork...ask me if I care?? HECK NO!!! :) I'm ONE HAPPY GAL TONIGHT!!!!! :) We don't care what anyone says! :)

Observe, observe, observe your dogs...in agility, in herding, around the house, on hikes, get to know them...and even though they can't TELL you what motivates them...they will show you :-)

And I wish I could motivate my ewes to lamb...seriously...they are going to explode...it's scary how HUGE they are!!!