The Basics

I've been exploring the net and my mind is a buzz with things to teach.  For sure, we will be working for a minute or two several times a day on the positions for front, heel and side.  Also, during those short, quick, intense sessions, I will strive for maximum attention and focus and Belle's part.

Things to Work On

I have gone out into the field a few times with Belle to work on the moves we know.  A major task for us will be getting the behaviors Belle already knows on just a verbal cue.  Other more specific items include:

• Backing in a straight line
• Coming into a properly aligned front
• Working more closely to my leg when heeling
• Watching me more closely when heeling

  That's the bad news.  The good news is that Belle is quite comfortable working at a distance from me.  Additionally, I have taught her the following tricks in the past, although most need more polishing:

• Sit
• Down
• Bow
• Stand
• Back
• Sit Pretty
• Wave
• High Five
• Slap Me Ten
• Spin
• Right
• Left
• Jump through my arms
• Weave through my legs while I stand still
• Weave through my legs while I walk
• Kick out front feet
• Line between my legs
• Go around my body
• Go around a cane
• Jump over a stick

One trick that I have wanted to teach Belle for a very long time is putting her paw over her face as if she were shy.

And Now For Something Totally Different

This is a brand new blog for me and Belle.  Below is a post from my agility blog which explains why we will be trying our paw at canine freestyle.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012.  I seldom do any venting or soul-baring on my blog, but today I want to come clean and say, "Hi, I'm Rose, and I tend to become obsessed with my hobbies."  Over the years, Belle has enabled me in my agility obsession, but it has caught up with us, and she has been battling a lameness issue since late March or early April.  The lameness has been very fleeting, and so I put off taking her to a vet figuring it was too subtle a problem for a general practitioner to diagnose.  At the last NADAC trial  (recall I only ran Dusty), a couple of friends told me about a Davenport vet who does chiro and acupuncture, and who is in the process of finishing up her courses in canine rehabilitation.

Belle had her first session with Dr. Taylor yesterday.  Luckily, the problems seem to be minor and with a little longer break from jumping and contacts, some stretches, and icing we should be back on track for agility with no holds barred.  However, I will be much more selective in what we work on and how often we work on it.  In the meantime, I decided it's time to tackle a canine sport that I have been interested in since Max was a youngster--canine freestyle.

Belle knows lots of tricks, including some freestyle moves.  However, I've never tried stringing any of them together until today.  I marked off an area in the field and gave it a whirl.  I was humming You're the One that I Want while we played, but next time I'll take the music out with us and play it while we practice.  Please don't laugh, but here is a very heavily edited video of our first practice.  Enjoy.