Today I really realized how much Lilli appreciates the little things in life. We went to the park to work on loose leash walking, focus exercises, and distractions. There was a little sitting area near the car with lots of flowers and benches, so I decided to make that our "chill out" zone. We worked on focusing on me and sitting. I've also been asking her to jump up on things on cue to have just in case we need it during the competition. We were both sitting on a bench when I looked over at Lilli and saw complete joy in her face. She was gazing at the sky and the people walking by and looked so peaceful. How long has it been since she was able to enjoy life like this? We enjoyed life together for a few minutes after that.
My goal in this next week is to see life more in Lilli's eyes. What do I take for granted that she values so much because of her past as a shelter dog?
I'm learning more from this little dog than I ever imagined.
As for training, she is becoming more confident each day with hand touches. I love teaching targeting with hand touches because it is a very useful tool. It is a physical object that they can focus on while in public that means "please come touch my hand." It is a great recall tool! Tonight while we were working on it, one of my other dogs wanted to join in on the fun. See the video below!
Loved the video! That is too cute that they were both targeting your hand at the same time. :)
ReplyDeletecheers,
Mary