What to teach next?

[Matsuki]

I'd definitely teach watch me. I know with Piper that this is one of his big problems and had I known I'd of started teaching it early. In our early classes we were taught to teach them with us seated on the floor at their eye level however I found that this didn't teach the dog to look at your face when in heel. Now I teach it with me standing in front of him and it's so much more effective and then I work myself around him in a circle keeping his eyes on me at all times. Good luck with obedience, I love watching and seeing them learn things but watch out...once the dog has the obedience bug they won't let you get any rest. Most days Piper won't let me sit down for 5 minutes because he wants to do his 'excercize's' all the time lol.

I think I need to do this...Sansa is hilariously oblivious sometimes and I think it would help. Any suggestions on teaching heel? I've been teaching tricks in a bizzare order...she doesn't heel properly but she's already got weaving down like a pro. (so fast, it's hard to keep up walking as she weaves)

 

[Pam]

Besides all the important commands like "leave it" and "wait", it is fun to teach the difference between "nose touch" and "paw touch" and then apir with items. Beau needs to be kept constantly busy so we have been working on identifying objects and then combining with nose vs. paw touch. It is a fun different type of game and a bit less restrictive than the other commands--I'll have him run to the object to touch now.

That said, I would second taking all commands on the road. Beau is fabulous doing everything at home and pretty good in training class but take him to a store or a parking lot and it all changes--so we are working on that.

Pam, mom of Beau, 15 months