Sport can Fetch!

Ever since we started looking into Flyball, I have been working on teaching Sport to fetch. Before, he would run at the ball, sniff it and high tail it back to me.

So I started clicker training him to fetch. First, I would click for any time he put his mouth on the ball. Then I would click for him picking the ball. Then I would roll the ball away from me and click when he would pick it up. Eventually I would only click when the ball made it within a foot of my lap. And then I would roll it further and further away.

I wasn't being very proactive about it but we would do it every once in a while. Last night my friend came over and grabbed a tennis ball and started waving it in front of Sport. I told her, "Oh he doesn't play fetch that well." But then she threw it and he went and got it and brought it back and dropped it in her lap! All day he has been playing fetch with me!

I was so happy. I know this is silly for those of you with retrieving dogs, but for a dog that would not fetch anything at all... I am very glad.

Speaking of flyball, we went to the tourney this friday. It was so much fun, but unfortunately, I was so busy the whole day that I couldn't work with Sport that much. But it was educational and it gave me more insight into how the sport works. I can't wait to start competeing with him!!!

First Flyball Practice!

I am so unbelievably happy with how Sport and I did today at our very first flyball practice/lesson.

I'll start with Sport: He was a champ. He was very nervous at first but didn't bark at all!!! He woofed under his breath when someone got locked out and had to knock on the door, but that is excused... because he only did it once and it wasn't directed at anyone. He approached a bunch of people, though he did back away when they tried to pet him. But with a few treats, he was practically in their laps. We practiced jumps and some dead ball retrieves. He focused beautifully and within an hour he was WAGGING HIS TAIL! I am still beaming from ear to ear.

And not to be arrogant, but I am pretty pleased with how I was doing too. I brought Sport's crate and crated him if I ever felt like he was getting too nervous or stressed. As soon as we got there, I did some focus exercises before we entered the building. Then we went in and socialized a bit and worked on some jumps while it was still relatively quiet. He got a little concerned about the barking once more people showed up and I crated him for a half an hour. Then whenever everyone was busy, I would pull him out and work on focus exercises and "look at that!" I was shoving treats down his throat at first, but by the second time, he only had eyes for me. We were working on jumps again when the head of our club showed up. She said she was surprised that it was our very first practice because he was doing so well and he was so focused on me.

It was kinda an unusual practice as there were three or four clubs there and around twentyish dogs. Three lanes and pretty chaotic and loud. But the club that we are joining were all so nice to us and even let me run a couple dogs! They all seem much more relaxed and nicer than the other couple clubs that were there so I am very glad. Sport seems to really like them as well (even though he did snap at a pap when she stuck her head into his treat bag...)

He did shake, tuck his tail, and yawn a bit at first, but by the end he was all wiggle butt and very relaxed. I honestly just wanted to expose him to the noise and work on desensitization.... I didn't expect him to have that much fun, but he blew me away and actually enjoyed it! I am so proud of my boy!!!

Flyball update

So apparently the flyball club sent an email out to everyone saying that practice was cancelled, but it wasn't sent to me! But I talked to a member and she said that she felt badly about, though it really was no big deal.

This Saturday is the first practice that we are going to. It has been pretty wet here and this weekend is the first time that they could get the indoor facilities to practice in. Normally they do outdoor practices, I guess.

So I am going to go and help them set up and just get Sport acclimatized to the noise and activity of it all. I don't think that he will be ready for any sort of lesson yet, but hopefully I can do some desensitization training and focus exercises.

I am really nervous and excited at the same time. I hope Sport isn't too freaked out by all the noise and activity. I just need to remember to stay focused on him and know when to say enough is enough.

Boo. Flyball.

So after finally hearing back from the flyball club in Loveland, Sport and I loaded up and drove a half an hour to go to our first "class" which is actually just a practice for the other dogs.

We get to the parking lot about fifteen minutes early and no one is there, so we walked around for a bit. At one, still no one was there so we went and sat in the car and listened to music.

We waited until 1:30 and no one showed up. We drove around and walked around and I only saw one other dog, but they didn't seem to be part of the flyball club.

So we got back into the car and drove another half an hour home. :(

I was really excited to meet the club and to introduce Sport to everyone. I don't know why no one was there, but at least Sport and I got a good walk out of it. I hope that we can attend another practice soon, but with finals week coming up and the holidays, it looks like we will have to wait until the new year. Poor Sport.