Coaching at Sunset Park and The Forum, Tuesday Nov. 30

We had a full day of fun planned for the dogs beginning at Sunset Park in San Marcos and ending at the Forum.

Originally, when we started our coaching sessions way back in April, our focus was to address the dogs reactivity which we believed was hindering their making progress in public settings. Today it dawned on us that our focus has changed. Though we still are aware of reactivity it has improved greatly and now our focus is related to Public Access. We have taken "to the road" and now are actively searching for new places and challenges for the dogs to experience.

Today our focus behaviors included:

L1 including L3 OTR cold testing

• Sunset Park w/ different trainers

CGC at Sunset Park and the Forum

• Working on the left
• Working on the right

Relaxation Protocol Sunset Park and the Forum

• Facing the dogs
• In heal position
• On the right side
• To strengthen 4D for L2 and L3

PAT #s 1-4 in preparation for Thurs. mentoring session using L1, L2 behaviors, at the Forum

• Non vested
• Keeping a small footprint
• Exiting the car
• Walking through the parking lot
• Going through doorways
• Walking among people

Working with behaviors that at L3 and beyond become Vested Behaviors

• Zen
• Come
• Down
• Down/Stay
• Surfaces
• On the Road
• Sit
• Sit/Stay
• Stand
• Stand/Stay

At the end of the day when we sat down to evaluate how the day had gone we agreed that with the exception of two things we had accomplished all that we had set out to do. Many of the behaviors we focussed on today overlapped so we had the opportunity to practice the same behaviors in different settings and through different approaches. The most important finding though was that it sure was a fun day, OTR.

Rooster is not a "Morning Dog" so he mentally prepares himself for the day ahead.

Our first challenge this morning was cold testing L3 OTR. First thing Jan and I exchanged dogs and the day began.