Hit It!

Zio surprised me yesterday evening while we practiced turns. I gave him Monday and Tuesday off from practice after the tournament, so this was the first time since Bonham. I went back to basics and did four or five wall turns with him and he was really doing great! We then went over to the box using the 10" jump board. I normally just set the box against the fence, but Zio was hitting it so hard and high (without the ball) that it was tipping back. I had to stop and brace the top of the box so he wasn't lifting it off the ground. No jumps, no ball... just sending him to the box from about ten feet. I was soooooo impressed with how fast he was turning. I'm talking Hyper Flight dog fast. Hit the box and springing back in one motion.

I should have stopped with that progress. I didn't though and put the ball in the box. He did three more great turns, but missed the ball each time. I should have stopped with that progress. I started envisioning him getting to the tournament and not getting his ball though, so I stopped rewarding him if he didn't get the ball. Of course he went back to his slow turn, pausing on the box to get the ball. I realized after the fact that I should have not worried about the ball as long as he was pounding the turns out perfectly. I can hear Mike Keck's words in my head...."Initially, the ball might bounce off of them, but the ball is easy to teach and they will figure it out." Maybe not verbatim, but the same thought.

I think I'll start on the wall again next time without the ball and see if I can get him to pound out the turns like that again and be ecstatic about that progress.