Bella Rally Class: Week 3

Ok so we really need to start working on the stay again. Last night we went to Rally class. Again we had to leave the dogs in a down stay to go walk the course and again Bella refused to stay in place. Trainer guy said that he was watching her and that he can see it in her body language that as soon as I start walking away from her she looses her confidence and starts to get nervous. That is apparently what is causing her to run off. I guess it’s back to the basics on this one. I’ll have to place her and then start by walking only a few feet and returning right away and then slowly increase the distance and the time so that she understands that I will come back for her. The trainer guy said that we have been making so much progress until now so he really wants me to focus on the stay to get her back on track.

On a more positive note Bella is really improving on her heel. We are working on her focusing on me and looking at me while we are going, instead of looking around checking everything out. This makes her better able to watch where we are going rather than going off on her own. I’m really please with her progress on this, it is what I have been working on so I don’t get yelled at for correcting her with the leash too often.

Bella also met her first jump last night. She went over it with some hesitation but it wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. After class was over Trainer guy offered for anyone to play on the course a bit if we wanted, so I took Bella back to the jump and spent a few minutes going back and forth over it. At first I had to go with her but at the end I made her do it twice by herself she seemed to be getting the hang of it. I want to see if there is some way I can make a jump at home to work on it some more.

The other good thing that happened last night is that I think we are making progress on our “back”. I’ve been practicing along fences so that Bella learns to back up in a straight line. But during class when we were learning the last of the signs we had to do a “back three steps” in the middle of the yard. Bella still kicked her butt out a little to the left but she did considerably well compared to our past efforts. Again I’m seeing progress and am very proud and pleased.

I cant believe though, that there are only two more rally classes left!