-Protocol for Relaxation: I need to work on this every day, if I can ever figure out exactly how to go about it! (Yeah. Haven't done it, need to do it. He is in the habit now of getting bored and walking away. I need to charge the mat and make it a big deal. Meh)
-LAT game: Per Crystal's suggestion I need to start using this with Frodo (We do a combination of this and focusing on me around stuff that he reacts to. A lot of times when I try to use it, he just completely ignores the dog/child/whatever and focuses in me, and I don't feel like I should NOT reward that focus)
-LLW: Over the last few days I have been upping the criteria while out on walks. Now when he pulls I stop. I was letting him get away with pulling towards trees, bushes, etc. but now I stop dead and stay that way until he reorients to me and gives me a loose leash. Sometimes he will look at me and loosen the leash, then as soon as I take a step he tries to pull again. So again we stop and wait for him to loosen the leash and stick with me. It's been going really really well, I am super proud with his progress. It also allows us to work closer to things that he wants to sniff. Onward and upward on this front! (He is doing well with this! I don't think I will ever get him to cease sniffing, but he tends to sniff and keep moving, not holding up the walk as often as he used to.)
-Getting out and about: This isn't something that is going to start tomorrow or next week. I still feel like I have no control when he sees a dog or has a reaction, so I don't want to add my nervousness to the mix by taking him out of my comfort zone just yet. By the end of June though I hope to be able to do things like take him out to dinner or something like that. I can practice at Panera Bread (where I work) because I have room to get away from his triggers (I can go behind the building and I know people aren't going to follow or be) and it is also a place where I am comfortable. There does tend to be a few dogs there because it is off the highway and people travel during the summer, but I've noticed the dogs are usually under control and behaving more than I see in my town. (We have been doing this. I've been taking him to the ATM, I took him up town once, we've been going swimming at doggy daycare. Still want to expand on this, but we haven't been doing terrible.)
-Mat Work: I think I am going to start mat work again, but I may go about it differently. I think I am going to teach him to go to his mat and stay there, and then reinforce the calming signals he gives while on the mat, instead of the other way around. I believe that a better trainer would have more success the old way, but I feel that the new way is going to be less frustrating for me. (Pretty much intertwined with the Protocol for Relaxation)
-Fetch: I need to get out the Cuz and work more on teaching him to fetch. I want a fetching dog pretty bad, plus it would be a great way for him to get exercise in the cold MN winter! (Haven't worked on it at all, bad dog mom!)
-Nails: Another hard one that I really need to buckle down and work on. I really want to be able to clip/dremel his nails without too much of a problem and without him fighting it. My goal is to be able to handle his feet and touch the nail with clippers or dremel by mid-June. (Complete fail. This is something I really want to be able to do, but he hates it and I tend to find way more fun things to work with him on. Right now he is wearing down his nails a lot on the cement and sidewalks, but that will change come winter!)
-Focus/Attention work: Same as last month. I want to actually find some type of program or something though, I tend to do much better and stay focused myself when I can do something like this. I know there was a program I started with my other dog. It was a levels program and I believe the author had llamas and schnauzers or PWDs. The background was purple or blue I think. :p (Another fail. Just haven't done it. I would say that all the behavior mod with his reactivity has in itself helped with his focus, but I haven't intentionally worked on it.)
-Getting Frodo more interested in training/making me click: Again, the same as last month. (Same. Again. Fail.)
Now on to July's goals (the last month we have before moving!):
-Taking Frodo more places
-Protocol for Relaxation/Mat Work
-Positive Clicks 2010 - This is a blog run by someone I know, and they post a few tricks each week to teach your dog. So far I didn't send in a video for the first week (also didn't teach Frodo to shake with his right paw, though he knows his left), and the second video is due today. The tricks for this week were back up (doesn't know it), Go to Crate (going to use his mat), and Crawl (we are working on it!). I want to try and make up the ones I have missed as well as trying to keep up with the new tricks, which means a lot of time will be spent on this! I think it will really help Frodo and I to learn how to work with each other.
-K9 Nosework - This is something that my trainer mentioned to me for Frodo as a constructive way to channel his sniffing obsession. There are no classes or anything around here, but I have instructions on how to do it, so I am going to start working on this at home.
I am going to leave those loosely as my training goals for July. There is less than in previous months, but then again I haven't previously been making my goals either. Plus I do things with him beyond what is posted here (like swimming every week, hiking, etc.), and there are only so many hours in a day!
I really think that's the whole point/goal of LAT- the dog looks at a trigger, but chooses to focus on you instead. I'd definitely reward that.