Devon’s obedience training

I haven’t posted yet about Devon’s obedience training. We started with a new private trainer in Ohio, Linda MacDonald. I’ve known Linda for years through the One Ash Kennel and obedience training. Since I’m taking privates with other trainers in Ohio, might as well throw one more in! Plus I’ve heard great things from my friends who train with her.

Devon is eating up this obedience training. She’s naturally good at it, and luckily the moving heeling I’ve worked on with her was solid so we could build on it and not start over (Whew!). Linda liked Devon a lot on our first visit. Of course Devon walked into the building with a bumper in her mouth talking away not knowing who she would find in this building but thinking it had possibilities! Linda said she naturally wanted to work with me, so weaning her off food wouldn’t be a problem. We worked my pace in heeling, right turns and about turns.

Linda also told me how to start scent articles. I’ve been working this process in the early morning up in the bonus room. While Devon’s not getting it as quickly as I expected her to with all her tracking work, I can see the wheels turning and she’s giving me her best. Even better is the look on her face as we’re working. She’s sitting at attention with bright sparkling eyes as though if she stared at me long enough she could just figure it out. Even funnier is when I say, “Hide your eyes” and I put my hand over her eyes, she waits patiently and doesn’t struggle to see what I’m going to present her with. It’s just too cute!

We’re also starting to teach her a focus word for go-outs, which she loves. Hey, tell her to look at food and then she runs to get it? She’s all about that!

So even though she’s doing four sports right now – tracking, field, agility and obedience – she’s really having a ball. I’m glad that Devon is in various stages of the four sports, doing advanced learning in field and tracking, firming up foundation in agility and doing fundamentals in obedience. All Devon knows is that she gets to have fun playing games with mom, and she loves it!