Tonight we wanted to go back and do some simple backaways — a scenario where the helper taunts the dog with the bite sleeve and finally allows a bite, reinforcing a particular physical and mechanical technique by the dog.
Laev loves this. She thrashed and strained in her collar while the helper teased her — one pass, a second, and then he cued me on the third and I released her to the bite.
Very nice! We did it again, just the same.
The third time, Laev made little effort to reach the helper on his first and second pass, just a nominal lunge and barking. But on his third pass, she was more than ready for him.
So this dog, who spends her alert time in total berserker mode and rarely touches the ground (www.CaninesInAction.com/laev/laev-video.shtml), was thinking clearly and rationally to evaluate patterns and make cost-benefit analyses. I have always said that Laev chains faster than any dog I’ve ever met; the problem is, she often does it when I’m not looking for a chain!
Of course we promptly changed the pattern of our work. 🙂
