Gia - session 72 - more walk and trot poles
I started Gia out on the lunge line again today. She was a little distracted because my neighbors had a ton of people over, and she was really trying to see what was going on. I was able to get her refocused on me though, and we started over the poles at a trot. She didn't stop this time, just hesitated the first few times through, but then she went very smoothly over the poles in both directions.
I took a little more time at the mounting block today because she has been a bit impatient. It took a couple of tries to get her in place and still before I could mount. Once on, I had to remind her to stay still several times before she finally stood for three seconds without trying to move. Then I asked her to walk on. She was a bit more tense today. Possibly because of all the extra stuff going on, but possibly simply because I made her stand more still today and she didn't like it.
Right away I started her walking over the poles scattered about the arena. In the beginning I had to do a lot of turning away to get her attention on me, but eventually, she was focusing more on the poles than the people. She only hesitated slightly in the beginning, and then all the successive poles were no big deal. I did try to put her over a pole that was quite close to a standard at one point, and she didn't like that at all. I stuck with it, and we had to go around it a few times, but I made her face it the entire time. When she was ready, she stepped over it, and it was no big deal. She got a lot of verbal praise for that one!
Once she felt pretty good over the poles at a trot, I ended our session with a trot figure 8. She was much more focused by then. After I got off, I had a little extra time to spend with her on the ground. I took her out to the grass to eat while I turned the clippers on. I brought them to her face, and she pulled away slightly at first. After just a few seconds though, she approached the clippers and touched them. She didn't jump, and even let me start rubbing her with them. I was then able to clip her entire muzzle for the first time with no help whatsoever from the twitch! This was a big step forward for her and the clippers! No promises that it will go like this next time, but at least it's a start! We ended our day on that wonderful note ☺.
I took a little more time at the mounting block today because she has been a bit impatient. It took a couple of tries to get her in place and still before I could mount. Once on, I had to remind her to stay still several times before she finally stood for three seconds without trying to move. Then I asked her to walk on. She was a bit more tense today. Possibly because of all the extra stuff going on, but possibly simply because I made her stand more still today and she didn't like it.
Right away I started her walking over the poles scattered about the arena. In the beginning I had to do a lot of turning away to get her attention on me, but eventually, she was focusing more on the poles than the people. She only hesitated slightly in the beginning, and then all the successive poles were no big deal. I did try to put her over a pole that was quite close to a standard at one point, and she didn't like that at all. I stuck with it, and we had to go around it a few times, but I made her face it the entire time. When she was ready, she stepped over it, and it was no big deal. She got a lot of verbal praise for that one!
Once she felt pretty good over the poles at a trot, I ended our session with a trot figure 8. She was much more focused by then. After I got off, I had a little extra time to spend with her on the ground. I took her out to the grass to eat while I turned the clippers on. I brought them to her face, and she pulled away slightly at first. After just a few seconds though, she approached the clippers and touched them. She didn't jump, and even let me start rubbing her with them. I was then able to clip her entire muzzle for the first time with no help whatsoever from the twitch! This was a big step forward for her and the clippers! No promises that it will go like this next time, but at least it's a start! We ended our day on that wonderful note ☺.
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