Dylan 11 Months and Beyond
Dylan is growing up and what a wonderful surprise each day to see how this age maturity translates into new behaviors, skills, and talents. For example when crossing a small road for construction trucks in Flagstaff he lunged and bark at a passing truck as we waited for it to pass. Today when I took him on his field trip to downtown Sedona I expected to see this behavior as we watched cars and trucks go by and also crossed several times in a cross walk. He was fine and even at times quite focused in this new area.
Have given a lot of thought to his training and showing - not wanting to push him too much so he will continue to enjoy all he is taught especially in obedience. He has LOVED scent work since day 1 and does amazing with finding my scented article with any number of articles in a pile. He is just starting herding on goats after being introduced to them a few times during the spring. So my plan is:
Have given a lot of thought to his training and showing - not wanting to push him too much so he will continue to enjoy all he is taught especially in obedience. He has LOVED scent work since day 1 and does amazing with finding my scented article with any number of articles in a pile. He is just starting herding on goats after being introduced to them a few times during the spring. So my plan is:
- Continue with his obedience at home and in new places: he is doing some lovely work with DB retrieves (both over low 8 inch jump and on the flat), gloves, go outs, early heeling a few focused steps, fronts, finish to the right and left, recalls.
- Work on his NOVICE RALLY.. taking an excellent class from Fenzi on notice rally. I have done rally before but wanted to be in a class to see how it is taught. Excellent class with early work on focus and heeling since there is heeling a few steps in rally. The pivot dish is used which the dogs love. Then all the moves are slowing introduced.
- Expose him to the show environment with other dogs and people through what comes so easy and enjoyable to him - SCENT WORK. He is entered in 2 NACSW L! trials this fall: one in Sedona ant the other an overnight in Tucson. Also several NOVICE AKC trials. Even if he qualifies in all elements he will not move up to Advanced. The goal is more than titles but exposure to other people, dogs, showing and distractions which one can only get at shows.
- Then when he is ready we will start NOVICE RALLY, continue with scent work and he should be ready to start preliminary herding tests on sheep/goats. No hurry to start obedience but just build a solid foundation with focus in rally and scent work.
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