I’m using a toy, because with food I wouldn’t even bother starting 😄 I’m careful not to put pressure on him with my body language and keep moving backwards, also deliberately avoid intense movements so that he doesn’t shut down. He offers either backward movement or a heel position. Eventually, he squeezes out a few little “ehhh” barks, and I reward those. I don’t take the toy away — I exchange it for food that I toss on the ground and finish everything with food chasing. If I manage to activate this sweet pup, it’ll be my biggest win of the year 😄

I might not be able to attend the live call but will try my best, so here my questions: - is a verbal cue to stop social play when gone too far similar to a tactile cue (collar grab)? I use my “uh-uh” a lot with both dogs also during play and I find it conflicting for them (it signals that they did something wrong) so I’d like to stop using it but want to hear the difference between verbal and tactile “correction” during play - Tokaji is definitely a dog that likes to hold stuff in his mouth during play (even social play) so that would not interfere with the play? Is it advisable to use a toy or something neutral / different (ie piece of clothing or slipper etc) that is not also used during toy play?

ps. I think I replied to everyone now but if I missed any post please do not hesitate to give me a nudge! ps.2. apologies for the delays with some of the post I missed. I'm loving that you post a lot and comment as this is the beauty of community here! just on occasion I may miss something! so again send me a nudge if you didn't get the feedback!

So here is our social play from today. Inside is not a place he associates with toy play so we are starting there. I will use a toy without a handle to keep in his mouth next time. I paused the game when his tone changed ie pre death shake because I don't want that type of intensity. Should I embrace the Mali leg hug 🤔 and if so, how, as it really restricts my movement lol. Also I tried to end the session with a clear "finish" and lowering of my energy. I think that will take a bit of time to filter through to his brain lol I tried to keep it short as well.

I'm running behind with this challenge due to the tax man needing me to complete my returns but now they are all sorted I'm going to catch up 🙄 But in the meantime, myself and a friend are running a workshop with Alex in April focusing on play with purpose and Heelwork hackers. The early bird ends tomorrow but I'm happy to extend it a few days if people are interested. There are only a couple of handler places left. https://facebook.com/events/s/alex-lato-play-with-focusheelw/890963660177447/