Week 4

This week, we took our contact training to the next level by adding motion and testing how well Sunny could perform the behaviour when things became more challenging.

Until now, we've mainly been working in controlled situations. This time, I wanted to see what would happen when we added more speed and excitement — and, as expected, we discovered a few things that still need some work.

Let's take a look at how we got on with the different contact obstacles.

The Contact Project: Dogwalk training

We started with a warm-up on the floor. I rewarded Sunny with food for hitting the target, then added some motion and switched from food to a toy. The toy made things much more exciting, and Sunny initially got so focused on the toy that he forgot about the target. When the reward didn't come, he quickly adjusted and started hitting the target again.

Once he was ready, we moved the target onto the dogwalk. With a static start, Sunny did brilliantly. After my cue, he ran across the dogwalk and touched the target with both his front and hind feet. Next, I added a wing before the dogwalk so Sunny could wrap around it before entering, giving him more momentum. And that's where we found our current limit!

On the first attempt, Sunny jumped off the dogwalk. On the second, he touched the red contact zone with both his front and hind feet but missed the target. On the third attempt, he managed to touch the target slightly with a front foot, but it still wasn't the full behaviour we're looking for.

For now, I'll mix motion with a static beginning and gradually make the exercise more difficult. I'll also replace the toy at the end of the dogwalk with another wing. If that goes well, we'll eventually try removing the target from the dogwalk altogether. We're not there yet, but that's exactly why we're doing this project — to find out where Sunny is now, identify what needs more work, and build from there.

The Contact Project: A-frame training 

Just like with the dogwalk, we started with a warm-up on the floor. Sunny had to get into the square, and this time we used only food as the reward. Once he was ready, we moved on to the A-frame. Sunny did amazingly well. He was focused, had a perfect position and hit the red contact zone nicely. This time, he was rewarded with a toy. I thought we were ready to take the next step and remove the square.

With a static start, Sunny's first attempt was perfect. So I added a wing before the A-frame to introduce some more movement and momentum. And just like with the dogwalk, we found our limit. Sunny jumped off the A-frame.

We'll go back a step and use the square together with the wing. Once Sunny is successful with that combination, I'll start making things more difficult again. I'll also remove the toy at the end and replace it with a second wing. From there, I'll alternate between removing the square and putting it back. The goal is to gradually build up Sunny's confidence and consistency until he can successfully finish the A-frame without the square.

The Contact Project: Seesaw training

The seesaw is a little different. Sunny is usually very good at following my cues, but on the seesaw he is still quite hesitant. I can see that he is really trying, but something is holding him back.

I don't think we've built enough muscle memory and confidence yet for me to ask for the same progression as with the dogwalk and A-frame. I did try to take the training to the next level this week by adding more movement, but honestly, it didn't feel right. Rather than pushing Sunny when he's not ready, I decided to take a step back and keep building his confidence.

For now, I'll continue lowering the seesaw, asking Sunny to perform the behaviour close to the obstacle, and slowly adding my own movement. We'll take it step by step and see how he responds.

Sometimes the best thing you can do in training is recognise that your dog isn't ready for the next step yet — and that's okay. The goal is to build a behaviour that Sunny feels confident performing, not to rush through the process. Have a look at the video and you'll see what I mean. 🐾

This week showed us that each contact obstacle is at a slightly different stage. The dogwalk and A-frame gave us some new challenges, while the seesaw reminded me that sometimes it's better to slow down and build more confidence. Now we know what we need to work on next. We'll keep practising, gradually increase the difficulty, and see how Sunny progresses.

This is definitely not the end — there's still plenty more to work on!

Thanks for following along with our Contact Project, and we'll see you in Week 5! 🐾