[EJ]

Here is our first set of exercises, the nose touch and paw touch. The nose touch presented the least challenge. I used the plastic lid to a canning jar, and Charley “got it” right away. I rewarded him from my hand, rather than tossing, and just noticed this while viewing the video clip.

The paw touch was more challenging. I used a yoga block, which isn’t used in training. Charley has received a lot of reinforcement for looking at me since he came home 2 weeks ago. Sometimes he stalled during this exercise possibly expecting a treat to come his way for eye contact alone. The other challenge was that Charley had difficulty locating the treats (his regular tiny kibble) that I threw as a reward. Is this due to the patterned rug? The vision of a puppy? I’m reluctant to use a light-colored cheese, which may be more visible, due to potential digestive issues. Any suggestions for light-colored treats? Maybe a different type of flooring? I noticed that some handlers completed this exercise on a concrete surface.

Looking forward to feedback, and to watching tonight’s first session.

Elisabeth

• This reply was modified 4 days ago by EJ.

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