Obedience Class #2

This is the first obedience class that Cody could attend and it was much better than the first - probably because it was more practical than theoretical.

Specifically, we learned the best way to teach sit and down, some socialization techniques, and the proper way to make sure the dog follows you well.

For "sit", she said the give the command once and give him 3 seconds to respond. If he doesn't sit, say "no, sit!" and press down on his hips which will force him to sit. Amazingly, it worked pretty well even with all the distractions.

She also said not to repeat the command since it takes away from the impact of the command.

For "down", with which Cody has more problems, she taught how to force the lie. By stepping on the leash so that Cody's sitting, he'll have to put more effort in a bent position. He'll eventually lie down after awhile.

Socialization was not a problem for Cody so that was fairly useless.

The last thing we were instructed to do is to not use retractable leashes for the next few weeks to make sure the dog follows us well. More importantly, she says that it will tire the dog out.

I tried it this morning, and I think Cody thought he was a sled dog. Probably exerting more effort than that since I was not on a sled and I was providing much more resistance than snow would. However, that probably tired him out some (though it's hard to tell when you have a breed that is tireless), and I hope eventually that will make him stay closer to me on walks and jogs.

Tip of the day: When teaching with a non-retractable leash, wrap the leash around your waist - it'll save you from resisting only with your arm strength (so you can save the hand/arm strength to type up your blog post :) )