Fanny's First Track
- pre-count food for 15 steps. Food every two steps. When you run out of food you know you've gone 15 steps. Check line-up after every two steps.
- put down a flag to the left of my left food and scuff 15 steps, but when you have about three pieces of food left, put down your second flag. Finish the track and lay down an article with food inside.
- walk five large steps. Pre-count food for 20 steps.
- Put down your third flag and scuff 20 steps. Put down flag and article the same way you did after the first track.
- Walk five large steps. Pre-count food for 25 steps.
- Put down your fifth flag and scuff 25 steps. Put down last flag and article the same way you did after the first two tracks.
- Walk straight another five steps and walk around the track. Do not back track.
She started off pulling me straight down the track and after about 6-7 steps realized there was something that smelled really good behind her so she started trying to backtrack to pick up the food. I got her moving forward and she stopped to pick up all the hot dogs and started using her nose. At the articles, she stopped but didn't indicate the articles until I got there and got down on my knees. After that she laid down for the hot dogs inside the articles.
I forgot to offer water at the last article, but I offered her some when we got back to the car and she wouldn't drink any.
Seems like we are making progress. She remembers this game.
FANTASTIC!!! And your track laying was STELLAR!!! Great job. Let’s repeat that again…maybe at a different location if possible. If not, just repeat and let me know how it goes. I think with her anxiety about stuff, the more new places you can practice these early beginner skills the better.
ReplyDeleteAlso, might want to play with taking her for short walks (collar, not tracking harness), in areas with people (I use playgrounds or parking lots, but park FAR FAR away—far enough that she’s not nervous, and just wander around giving her high value food. Don’t ask for any behavior—no eye contact, no commands—just wander far away from the activity and get her to take treats. Let me know how that goes too!
We can do both. I can lay tracks at Pole Green Park and that’s a great place for walks too. There’s also the battlefield and a few fields near my house.
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