Get Out...WAY Out

So I finally found a way to work on Abbey's distance skills right in my own backyard...literally. I have these two huge palm trees that stand right by one another...a respectable distance away...and there's a enough space where Abbey can get around them. Much like with the cones people put up when teaching puppies flatwork. So I am beginning to use the palm planters as my means to getting my dog to go "out" and away from me. Abbey is such a velcro puppy and we haven't been able to do any type of gamblers or distance game because, well, she just WON'T.

I made this discovery yesterday and started working on it. At first she did what she usually does when she's too unsure to move away from me, she looked at me and barked feverishly. After a couple repetitions, though she was in business as usual. I was very excited with how she progressed even from yesterday to today. It almost makes me want to buy a set of cones so that we can try this out in the front yard...forbidden territory. I want to go to the field and practice. That would be especially exciting. For now, though, we're kicking it in the backyard.

Abbey's teeter and DW still aren't 100% where I'd like them to be so we are going to work, work, work on that. We also need to try out more independent weaves while keeping that same speed she's got. We're in Masters now...AHHHH...and kind of have to know what we're doing. But wait, I'm still a starters level handler...shoot. Okay, we'll TRY to know what we're doing.

Anyway, right now Abbey is lying next to me completely pooped after our morning session of training. And in the next five minutes she'll want to play ball.

Oh, about those pictures...when they show up, they show up, okay? ;)