Started the play with purpose challenge, noticed how quickly I can get frustrated when I’m not Confident with what I’m doing - started social play ( no food or toys) needs work!!!!! Morning focus is food chase games I’d already started & play challenge will be an opportunity to get feedback & progress 🥳🥳 Hoopers - getting more distance & working on rear cross - I just can’t keep my hands down - so working on this daily at home

We haven't done this in awhile. Let's see some recent pics.

What went well this week?

Morning training Continuing building motivation to run away on cue without arm movement. Hoopers homework - work towards left/right on cue - currently hand movement Food chase games - getting quicker chasing me & racing towards food - need to think about getting him looking forward & not always at me Walks - reaction to vehicles only if less than 2/3 metres & speeding - only had this 1 time this week Off lead heeling - just doing 3/4 times during walk for short periods - no lure & dropping hand lower Have reviewed my targets to make sure I keep adjusting & make progress Manic week so not managed evening focus on lead communication

So I just watched @Lynn May and Leto's wonderful sendaway in her post yesterday and it jogged my memory that today is Thursday. Challenge time! Funnily enough I filmed this earlier in the week - it was always going to be week 7's challenge! Go and check out Lynn's vid if you've not seen it yet. If you can try to scroll back through old posts, @Gary Martin posted a video of a phenomenal send away too. It has forever stuck in my mind as being the dream picture one day! What is quite cool is that Lynn has filmed the beginning bit - just sending your dog to a bowl of food from a distance. I also started here. Remember: - the distance isn't the important bit to begin with - you want your dog really focussed on that bowl and super eager to run to it. - Restraint builds desire - create some eagerness by holding the collar or harness before releasing - Make sure you have the behaviour solid before you add the cue I've added in a target since, which I have also rewarded separately with food and play. You can combine the target with the food bowl so that you can eventually fade the bowl out and the dog will still run to the target. I used a contact mat but you could also use a lightweight fence post or a cone. Try to place the bowl so that they need to contact the mat to eat the food. In the video I filmed earlier in the week, I actually have her dinner and I'm "premacking" this sendaway. She clearly knows I have the bowl of food but she gotta go do that send out to access it! So it makes the exercise even more challenging. The complete sendaway (for UK working trials anyway) requires a sit or down once they've run out to the correct spot. Don't try and teach this in combination with the above stuff. Work on just downing on the mat/next to the cone in close proximity to your dog, then work at being a litte farther from them as you give them the cue to down. Eventually you can combine the two behaviours. I found this tricky with Aster. She's not a natural downer and I had no idea what I was doing haha but if I can do it you guys can ❤️