Heat wave and training

Ok, so I know I haven't been blogging lately.... sorry about that. Things here have gotten slow and HOT!!! And I mean hot, not like "oh it's warm today" or "yea it's kinda hot", I mean like "HOLY SHIT SHERLOCK HOT!". It has been well in the upper 90s and 100s with humidity sky high, which make doing things outside very difficult and unpleasant. So, in turn we have been doing tricks and training inside, in the A/C.

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First off, Riley still was not getting the concept of weaving. We were stuck on the treat stick and I was frustrated we weren't moving forward. So what do I do? Push it away and forget, out of sight out of mind....right?

Of course that's not the right thing to do, but it's all I wanted to do at the time. Then one day in agility class a friend (who just switched to the same time as Riley and I) asked how we were doing on weaves. It was like he knew we were having trouble! I said "weaves? what weaves?" He laughed and asked if I heard of 2x2.

He explained how he and his dog did it and I had also seen the 2x2 method done by some fellow bloggers. I was a little wiry about doing it because Riley isn't really toy motivated. Shoot, what the heck! I'll give it a try!

I started with a treat container I threw, but even then, Riley only cared for a few reps. Then I used a squeaky tennis ball and BAM! Crazy Riley appears! Followed by progress! Did you hear that? PROGRESS! We are just up to two sets of 2x2's but he actually looks like a weaver!!!

I'll post a video of his latest weaves soon.

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Second, I've been working with Grace and her Rally skills. She is doing great but just needs some fine tuning on the basic things, she has a tendency to swing her hind end out when she sits. We are participating in a 'show and go' this weekend and it will be our first ever competition like setting (mid July we are participating in a official rally event at the Reliant Center!). I am nervous but excited at the same time. We have been practicing here at home (which is easy) and I've taken her to the petsmart that's close by and working her there (which is harder), getting her use to noises, sights and distractions.

Most definitely will be posting video of the show and go and of us at the Reliant Center!

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I really need to get my camera back out and start taking pictures again!!! And I promise to write more then once a month!

Oh, P.S. I ordered the pups new collars so you are guaranteed pictures in the near future LOL :D