HOMEWORK Week 1 Days 5 & 6: HIGH levels of distractions for both LL and QT

 

Bella is an over-the-top ENTHUSIASTIC 5-month old Lab. She was one of my Board'n'Train dogs. I thoroughly enjoyed her focus and drive, but WOW! the Longe Line workouts with her, well quite frankly, were workouts.

Week 1,Days 5&6 against HIGH levels of distractions. Round 1

I mentioned that Bella, as a Board'n'Train is used to train other dogs. In another class, I was teaching, Bella was THE distraction for dogs doing Sit/Stays.  I also mentioned that for the 1st time ever she was molded into a Sit and held it for over 5 minutes during that class.  Here's the Longe Line workout that wore her out so much she choose to remain seated (she was really tired) instead of being a Sit "Jack in da box".

Remember, the purpose of Longe Line workouts are to teach the dog to choose wisely and remain by your left side in the safety zone of approximately 5'.  The Longe Line dragging between you and the dog gives the dog the choice to be wise (stay in the safety zone) or choose to be unwise and leave the safety zone.  Bella had some critical thinking decisions to make during her Week1, Days 5 & 6 of Longe Line workout at VERY high levels of distractions.  Here's what happened.

 The Jolly Ball had been thrown and Bella zero'd in on going 'that direction'

Look at the intensity of Bella's focus.  Notice I'm already moving away knowing full well she's paying me no attention at all.

Again, I'm already moving in the opposite direction knowing she's going to ignore me and hit the end of the longe line. That is her choice to ignore me and she will experience some discomfort. It is her choice. We learn through our choices. So also do dogs that are given a chance to think, choose (wisely or unwisely), and choose again.

Is Bella paying attention to me?  Oh no, not at all and I know it so.....

  I've thrown out my safety loop and am running in the opposite directions of Bella's focus.  You can't see clearly but my left hand is picking it up as fast as I can to make another safety loop ....while I keep moving in the opposite direction from Bella...knowing she is not paying attention and will quickly learn the error of her choice, again.

Amazing what one good distraction will do for a dog learning that paying attention is the wiser choice. This is just after the correction that occurred above & I'm circling around to help Bella by getting her on my left side - the 5' radius safety zone.

Round # 2

You can see the 'distraction' is still quite present, and Bella is VERY INTERESTED (see her head and body position?), but she is choosing wisely to stay within the safety zone, a 5' radius close to me. Notice my hands are stacked correctly?

She couldn't stand it so away she goes towards the distraction and you can see from my body positioning, I'm preparing quickly to turn around  by moving in the opposite direction of Bella.

Round # 3

Here Bella has bolted after the distraction, learned the error of her choice and I'm coming around to get her back into the safety zone area.

Bella's up and focusing again on 'the distraction and not me'...soooo

I head in the opposite direction once more.  However, ANY tension on the line tells me to both release the safety loop and check back to see what's happening.  Once I look back I can see the Longe Line looped around Bella's back leg so I simply turn toward her for a few steps to release any pressure.

She can step OUT of the Longe Line which she does and wisely (notice her head and body position is towards me?) opts to head towards me.

Bella choose to come up on my right side so I want to help her succeed. How to do that? Here I'm making a small circle around Bella (look at her body language, she's really, really tired) so I can help her and position myself on her right shoulder (at my left and in the5' radius safety zone). She is reading my body language and choosing to move towards my left side as I continue to circle her. This circle was approximately 270 degrees to my left so I could come behind Bella and get on her right shoulder and continue forward.

And now! Despite the intensely interesting distraction STILL happening, notice where Bella is and where her focus is?  She's looking at the distractions, but not moving towards them AT ALL. She has learned, via being given choice, that staying close to me, regardless of what else is going on, is the wise choice to make.

Round # 4?

An incredibly tired, relaxed, calm and quite content to sit still FOR 5 WHOLE MINUTES Bella.  This Longe Line scenario ONLY lasted around 8 minutes total and Bella is done bolting towards cool distractions.  Wisely, she has opted to remain still and wait for the next command.

In reality, she is just plain tired as really good Longe Line workouts mentally wear a dog out of energy. This happens quickly when LL is done correctly. Bella will be given a cool-down time on the LL in the yard, offered water, then either be kenneled for 30 minutes or I will do Quiet Time with her.  In the yard, with the dogs loose, doing Quiet Time? Yes, and she is so tired, mentally, she will relax, lay down, and rest.