Revisiting old training protocols

After and during camp I had huge light bulb moments. I have always been a fan of linda M, but wasn't a true purist as to her system. I like to take little bits from every system and fit them to what works for me and my dog. I bought the handling book even though I have all the clean runs the articles are in. Something about having everything in a concise book just makes you motivated. I have so far read over the 6 trained and untrained cues that we went over in class and am currently working deuce back through the recall to heel exercises. I did them when he was younger but he also wasn't as fast and as motivated then as he is now. I think it is good we are going back through them as he is having major collection issues and it is costing us time (running past me on lead out pushes) and qs (running past the weave pole entry because he is going so dang fast). I like having a very deliberate, written out approach as to how to work through exercises. The pictures help too as I am a huge visual learner. I still would really, really like a DVD as some times I get a little confused, even with the pics. I know I have a ton of questions, just on recall to heel for my trainer tonight for clarification. I guess this getting up at the butt crack of dawn really is a good thing as that really is the ONLY time that it is at least bearable to work the dogs. Deuce is getting lots of drill work and stella gets to watch and then stella gets to do some basic training.

I am hoping to get tony to let me take stella to class tonight to get her around other dogs and people. We haven't had her out as much as I like, other than long walks in the park down the street and having kids come over and play with her. She went yesterday for her rabies shot and was a little timid and scared, a side of stella that i didn't know existed. She growled at the clinic cat which shocked me and then when we had her on the table, she was a little scared. We got her to do some behaviors for yummy cookies on the table but she still was a little up tight. I will go back this weekend and do some training there and bring deuce with us (to say he loves the vet office is a huge understatement, he L O V E S the vet's office). She did get on the floor scale and offer a sit like a big girl and is actually up to 16.4 lbs. She is also enjoying having her uncle cayce here (tony's brother) as she gets to stay out with him most of the day and doesn't have to go into the ex-pen. I think that is probably why we are getting better sleep at night. She did stir a bit at 4 something but went back to sleep and stirred again at 5 thanks to the big dogs but is laying back down and going back to sleep till the alarm goes off now. YIPPEEEE!