Ottoman training fun

We actually work table in passing quite often. Today I got ambitious and spent a WHOLE 3.13  minutes building 4 dogs mad table skillz.  The video is very close to the entire session- only edited to move the bloopers to the end and cut the time it took to set up and turn off the camera! Sally really didn't want to get pulled off the table. Brody really wanted to be paid. Sam and Thea both thought the whole thing was fun. I was happy with the way all 4 dogs allowed each to be worked in turn. I suppose I should work Brody and Thea first next time!

My expectations are clear  for Sally and Brody the cue "table" means they will drive onto the table and lie down. Sampson has no cue yet  - though after this session I think he is probably ready. Thea has no real cue either - she hasn't worked table much. The table here is usually Sally's height and Thea doesn't get to work in class. Given I doubt she'll ever run a standard aac class (which has a table) I'm not too worried about saying  "table" and then "down" if the need should ever arise.

T.A.B.L.E.

After bypassing the table in House League last week I figured we'd better work a little table this weekend.

Working table now means saying "table" and watching Sally drive onto a flat surface she can see, hanging on it and lying down. Sunday we worked on a wide variety of surfaces (as you'll see) and me being in varied positions (including sideways to table, back to table and sitting on the ground).

Sally was great. Drove to table and only once waited for a cue to down (the cue of putting one arm behind my back - something she inadvertently learned when very small).

Wobbly picnic table makes a great test.

Calm and ready

After the down cue (I was sitting for this one)

She wasn't sure she fit on the bench but she did and then was very pleased with herself.

Always ready for action!

box work of the vareharri sort

Table




jump


J -----------------J
u----------------- u
m ----------------m
p----------------- p


Macaroni
Tunnel



no idea if the formatting will work but I have been playing with a box of sorts the last couple of days




Table 1



6---- 2
jump


J 7 ---------------3 J
u ------------------u
m----------------- m
p 9 ---------------5 p


8 Macaroni 4
Tunnel



one example of the fun Sally and I have been having :)




Table



7-- 3
jump


1 J ------------2 J
u -------------u
m ------------m
8 p 6 --------4 p


Macaroni 5
Tunnel

they type of thing I ask brody to do
He can easily threadle or serpentine just about anything


Thea does lots of straight simple lines - but even that's been good for teaching her not to drop behind me

Three days of box work in a row - have I mentioned I like summers?

the biggest challenge is having all the dogs wanting to work at once - Sally has to do a down wait but I can see it kills her .. good for her though right?
Brody won't wait but he trots along at my feet unless he's cued to do something .
Thea will jump with Brody and try to grab his tail as he passes her - she's HILARIOUS.

Today I too advantage of the desire to work together and sent all three dogs to the table together - whoever got on it first got a treat - Thea and Sally were seriously racing each other!

gearing up to work

Building a shed today and grabbing moments in time to run weaves with Brody and Sally.
The floor for the shed was a ladder of sorts so all the dogs did some footwork.
Miss Sally worked on wait and GO. She also decided the shed side up against the woodpile made a good stand in for the aframe and went up and over the wood pile. Crazy girl!
Everybody had fun leaping on and downing on the table. I lef tit very wobbly on purpose and it didn't phase anybody for one second.

It was nice to be fooling around with equipment a little. Brody LOVED it. 6 weaves as if he'd been working them all winter. Amazing really.

What do you value?

Food above everything? Being warm and cosy?

perhaps a sheepy tug toy on a bungee cord?

if so you'd relate well to either Sally, Thea or Brody. They are so different to each other it's astounding! (In case you are new to this blog - Sally is the toy worshipper, Brody thinks anything is worth doing if you get paid in food, and Thea is all about creature comforts!)

I was working Sally a little today with the fleecy and wow - talk about a motivator .. I had to actually alternate with kibble as she was TOO ON.. especially with the little bit of table work we did. Ran the 2x2 a couple of times - BAM WHAM flying through them - tomorrow I'll have to get 6 poles up for both Brody and Sally if the weather holds ... Sally's enthusiasm motivates me!

We worked wait - she wants the fleecy so badly she'll even let me tug with Hank with it and hold her stay ... AMAZING.. or maybe she's finally growing up?

It was fun to work a little .. actually great!