Getting With the Program

So a couple friends convinced me to start a blog. I love to read them, but it turns out that when I write, I am obnoxiously opinionated, and no one is interested in that! So the poor lonely blog has sat empty as I've written and discarded many entries before they went public.

I've decided to try a new tactic and focus on the ups and downs of training my young dog. It can serve as a record of what we're doing, and a motivation to keep me moving. See, my little dog is just so darn cute it can be a little difficult to be serious about the whole training "thing" when most everything he does is just adorable.

Through circumstances mostly beyond my control, I've been sitting on the sidelines instead of competing for the last several years (years? how did it become yearS?), so I have high hopes for my little Larry. I hope we can do everything! Obedience, rally, agility and maybe even herding.

Here's where we're at. Larry is 11 months old. He knows sit and down and (sort of) stand. Has a recall with mild distractions. Will usually walk on a loose lead. Can (but doesn't always) perform all agility obstacles with the exception of the weavepoles and teeter, and is showing signs of footwork in the open weaves.

What we're working on:

• Obedience - Stay - he has springs in his butt that set off as soon as I move my feet
• Obedience - learning heel position
• Grooming - holding still for longer than 10 seconds
• Manners - keeping his feet off the table
• Agility - weavepole practice, distance tunnels and sequencing jumps

My goal is to practice at least 10 minutes per day and post once a week on our progress. Maybe not the most exciting read, but hopefully it will keep us on track. And there may be the occasional non-training post just because.

Oh, and here's Larry:

Isn't being this cute challenge enough without having to learn stuff too?