Apache's focused training

Tonight it begins, Apache's new focused training!

I lost my way in his training for a while after feeling like we will never compete like I wanted to do with him. But now I found my way again and I will try to track his training as good as I can. I have focused a lot on his fears and I want to put my focus on something else for a while. Imitation training would be fun but I have other things in mind for now.

First I want to write down the things I want to work on.
¤ Leashwalking, walking next to me with sloped leash.
¤ Better retrieval of more and (to him) stranger things. Different shaped toys, plastic bottle, shoe, etc.
¤ Chin on lap.
¤ Stay off the couch unless invited. I tried this before but I gave up too soon.
¤ Focus.
¤ Attention.
¤ Relaxation/doing nothing.
¤ Sit/stay.
¤ Better down/stay.
¤ Making him more solid in staying despite distractions.

These are things I have intended to focus on but always procrastinated. I really need to work on his self control. I love his enthusiasm but I can't get anywhere if I can't tone him down to be more serious when we are working together and somewhere inside I still hope to compete in a few years. So, today's goal. We will start with strange retrieval just because it has been a little while since I worked him and he is usually pretty calm during this. After warming him up with this I will work on his focus and hopefully succeed in massaging him afterwards for the relaxation.

I will update this post after the training and sum up how it went.

* * * * * *

Time trained: 1 hour in which 20 minutes active training and 40 minutes relaxation.
Goal of the day: Fetch things he finds strange, focus, massage to relax.
Achieved: All three.
Notes: Fetched yellow and black rope/ball/football toy and a heavy ball, down/stay with eyecontact and distance, and massage and successful massage despite earlier fear/stress from Andy's noises.

New goals

So what's new?

Digger is doing absolutely great! He is like his normal self.

Ixxi too is her normal self, she plays, she cuddles and is spick and span healthy.

Andy has been diagnosed with dry eye and glaucoma so he is on daily eyedrops for life. He needs to diet since his eyesight got bad.

Apache is doing great too. We didn't get to work this summer due to my health but he doesn't care. What he doesn't know is that I am in the making of giving him a life purpose. I will get back on the train to challange him to get better and have a clear path on what I want to teach him. Sometimes it's the owner who limits a dog's potential and it is very much true with me and him.

Frodo has grown up to be a fantastic two year old! He has mellowed out, he is attentive to me and there are things he does that seems like he is trying to take care of me during bad days.


I always have so many plans and then they fall through due to my health, but my medication is leveling out and I am so goal focused now with Apache that I don't think it will fall through. I have other future plans in which I need to mend the "issues" of Frodo and Apache first. I really don't want my health to stand in the way of this one!