On Wednesdays, King knows he’s heading to Rally Class. The hint: I’ve cooked up an extra large batch of liver to use as power treats in class. The liver is a magic bullet. King L-O-V-E-S the liver. But, that said, King R-E-A-L-L-Y enjoys class. Although dogs are not there for playtime, King gets to see other dogs, and shows by his wagging tail that this is pleasing to him.
The true benefit of training class is the mental, as well as physical workout King gets. I can see the wheels turning in his head as he’s figuring out what is expected of him with each maneuver. Part of today’s lesson was to get our dogs to put both front paws on the top of a box that was about 8″ high. Once mastered, we were then to start teaching the dog to pivot around the box. To start, with each touch of the box, the dog is treated, when the dog actually puts one paw on top of the box, he’s given a bunch of treats. Both paws on the box earns a bonanza of treats. King caught on to this game quickly, his mental wheels turning rapidly… Both paws on top of this box = a mouthful of liver. YAY! I’m getting that!
Rally is a great class to take. This is the class I take all my dogs to at one time or another. There is always something new. Many different maneuvers are being performed, even jumps, it’s a combination of obedience and agility. Our trainer plays some music to get the dogs warmed up at the beginning of class, having each dog gait around the ring individually 2 1/2 times. King was in his element this morning gaiting around the ring, his tail wagging to the beat of the music. Just like showtime for him!
Both class training and training at home is a combination that works well to build a strong relationship with a dog. It’s all FUN. The dog loves being with you, learning good manners. At home, I take every opportunity to teach a command. Time to go outside: SIT at the door. No one goes out until all three of our dogs are sitting at the door. The door is opened: STAY in a SIT until given the OK signal to go outside. Time to eat: DOWN and STAY. The dogs enjoy doing what is expected of them and know it leads to their reward. Working together, we build a strong human-canine bond.