I Don't Want To Give It Up!

Evan one of my Three Standard Poodles is in training for AKC Graduate Novice for those who  do not have a understanding of this title it is a prelude to Open Obedience. In Graduate Novice his job is to walk in healing on leash in different directions. Directions that the judge call such as forward left turn right turn about turn and fast slow and normal. Figure eight off leash and drop on recall and recall with dumbbell with final recall over high jump and broad jump.. Sounds and it can be  if not taught correct pretty demanding but to a Standard Poodle like Evan he wants to do his job well and so far we have earned together as a team several titles.

Knowing each of my poodles personalities Evan is the most serious of all three but the most willing to do what the task is as long as he is having fun which in all cases is a standard poodle in their training they better be having fun or they lose interest.

Teaching Evan to hold the Dumbbell and taking it was a challenge teaching this behavior took time and patience but in order for him to be successful it had to be a game. This took 3 months but he finally excepted it now the big challenge was adding movement so It was taught in baby steps. Finally he excepted it and now it was a recall with the dumbbell

We are still working on the dumbbell recall why? Because Evan thinks it is a toy and does not want to give it up so he is poky on the recall and while practicing at my dear friends Jean house he took off running with it and into the van he went!  I went back to the drawing board and now when he brings the dumbbell back to me I take it and he gets a different toy attached to me and we tug. My object with teaching this is to let him understand that the dumbbell is not a toy but a working element and in order for him to get the toy he  has to return the dumbbell to me and by doing so we play with a different tug toy and guess what?  It worked!Evan is so eager to please so positive corrections is a win win situation for both Evan and myself.

So for myself relearning Evans situation and understanding why he was doing what he was doing. Finding the solution  only made for a win win for both Evan and myself and that is my job making My Poodle Boy successful!!

Always
Lydia