I started working with the dogs one-on-one this week and they really seem to enjoy my undivided attention.
With Sophie, I am working with her on responding to hand signals and the dog whistle; she is catching on rather quickly. So far, it is just “stay” and “come”. I first train her formally for about 15 minutes, then soon after our training session while she is sniffing around the pasture, will spring one or two “stay or “come” whistles on her. She does much better responding to them in formal training than on-the-fly, but she is coming along. Over time I will be reducing her formal training with these two commands and begin formal training on casting her.
I have also begun training Squirt, our American Eskimo cross, who is at the same level of training as Sophie. She learns in a slightly differently manner than the Labs and seems to catch on a little quicker.
With Dakota, I am starting with the basics using the “power bar” method Mike Gould discusses. I should have (consistently) trained her with this method when we first got her but didn’t. Dakota surprises me in how quickly she is responding to this method since we have always fought and struggled with her over just the basic commands and walking her on a leash.
