I've recently started the Heeling and Playing with Purpose courses and I'm really happy with how my dogs are starting to open up. I can already see a difference in the way we play, even though we've only just started putting some of Alex's advice and techniques into practice. Sharing a short highlight from one of my first sessions with my mal Karma. I'm planning to make a video of me playing with all my dogs too, partly to share my experience and partly to hopefully get some feedback on what I could improve. Something funny happened today actually 😂 I was out on the field where we usually train and play, and one of my Australian Shepherds randomly offered me some fancy prancy heeling without me even asking for it. That really surprised me because until now he's only ever done that for hot dogs 😂 I feel like changing the way I play with them is starting to change their mindset too, which I absolutely love. I've already been through Social Playing and Food Games, and now we're moving on to playing with toys, which I'm really looking forward to. This time I'm trying to take things slowly, spend more time actually practising with my dogs and keep going back to the courses to work on changing my own habits rather than rushing through everything. Still very early days, but I'm really enjoying the process and loving the courses so far. Thanks Alex

Heel work in the garden

Im aware that Freddie does much better in the garden & at classes than out on walks/new areas. This area in videos we rarely go but is good for reactivity training - joggers, cyclists, pushchairs etc. @Alex Lato should I change my heeling criteria as in go back a step when in a different environment? ( not in garden) should I only be doing heeling in garden first until really reliable or at a certain step & then take outside? Would you keep training different things to training areas & keep off lead walks separate?

Continuing with heel work but less last week as was away on collie camp. @Alex Lato in your last feedback you said to start adding in anticlockwise spin - took me a little while to get my hands organised - I noticed I could still have my right hand further to the left. Is this what you meant?

Continue at any opportunity to practice our heel work, I have decided to change Maggi position slightly back to my side, I think I was bringing her head around to much and this didn’t suit us for many reasons 😀 She is now looking up and and can walk nice, still more work to do.