Clicker Training, Shaping, Rally O,....oh, my!

Last Sunday's Rally O/Clicker Training/CGC class was a lot of fun. It's an advanced class for dogs, meaning those that have gone through basic obedience are welcome, and we don't have a definite focus. This suits Astrid and us just fine, because we attend classes for the fun of it all. If we were younger we might zero in on Astrid's specific talents, or ours, but we're not and we don't. We've already passed our CGC so I guess we could say cute tricks and Rally O are as specific as we get.

The instructor said something about the air conditioning being cranked up too high in the classroom so she had set up a Rally O course in the parking lot. We must be a little frustrating as students partly because of our enthusiasm as we're out on the course as she is setting it up. We navigate the course almost flawlessly but there is something missing. The instructor says Astrid needs to look at me more often. Translation: Astrid never looks up at me at all and she needs to. This is something I've never insisted on. I know she is turned into my voice, at least I HOPE she is. She certainly seems to be as I keep up a constant chatter talking to her about what we're doing and about to do next. Right now, I'm focusing on a novice Rally O course. Maybe I should look ahead to the more advanced courses and I'll understand the importance of her focusing not only her head but her eyes on me more often.

Today, there's a Halloween costume contest at Petco that we're going to. While being a great promotional tool for the store, it offers a perfect opportunity to socialize. This will be our second year. Last year, Astrid went with a big band-aid on her rear end. Her costume? A 'pain in the butt' of course! This year, we'll be sporting a Halloween print bandana from her own Astrid Nicole Etcetera collection and a poof of cotton on her rear end. Her costume? A dressed up bunny! We don't do much for the store in the way of purchasing their Halloween costumes for dogs, but we sure have fun.

Tomorrow it's another training class...hope we'll focus on clicker training, or Rally O, or shaping behavior. Maybe it's mom with the focus issues!?