Lyra – 7.5 months – Directed Jumping

by | Mar 29, 2012 | Lyra

A few weeks ago I introduced Lyra to basic jumping skills.  When she understood that finding a jump and taking it created a positive reaction from  me, I introduced a minor hand signal to indicate which jump I wanted.  I also began facing her to complete this concept,...

Lyra – 16 weeks, starting opposition reflex

by | Nov 23, 2011 | Lyra

Lyra is pretty good at paying attention to me, especially if I’m holding food or toys.  If I’m playing with her, I can usually get her to drive back to me with her toys for more interaction – she loves to tug and she understands that I’m a big...

Lyra – Blending Behaviors at 12 weeks 6 days

by | Nov 1, 2011 | Lyra

When Lyra showed some proficiency at a series of small behaviors, I wanted to string a few together.  I am starting by teaching her to pick the dumbbell up from the floor, climb on the platform, and return the dumbbell to me. Lyra has a pretty good understanding of...

Lyra and Structured Shaping

by | Oct 30, 2011 | Lyra, Musings

I’m a competition obedience trainer.  Someday I might play in agility as well.  As far as I can tell, there are certainly no more than a couple hundred tiny behaviors that I need my dog to master, and many fewer that I’ll actually name or consider an “end” behavior. ...