
Rocky did great, he’s totally getting it, I might start asking him for duration. I switched sides too, lowered criteria for the right side (his right) and funny, the extreme neck arcing came back! so funny how they don’t generalize well, and that you need to teach each side evenly. I do believe he caught on alot faster on this side that the arcing away didn’t get him anything. Overall he did great.
When I went to switch donks, I totally forgot that Daisy is in heat, so there was a moment there that I thought I’d have to leave the pen LOL… I just let them settle for a minute, then continued on (they were good after that).
I also had to remember that Daisy’s brain sometimes falls out when she is in heat. she tried to grab my bag twice on the left side, but the duration & insensity is MUCH MUCH less!! by the second trial I was going for duration again. bout at 2.5-3 seconds, trying to click her before she starts fidgeting. (it least her fidgeting is backing up!).
I worked a bit on the off side, lowered my criteria, she always wants me on the right, so I really have to reinforce her staying where she is (she’ll try to switch sides sometimes). 3rd trial I took her into the small pen that adjoins the shelter. and practiced some more.
She did very well ’on lead’ and wasn’t fidgeting as much. Got some really pretty moments. a few times that she did back up I just redirected her to step up again (rather than drift with her)..I loved those moments, I would pick up the lead, start sliding down nice & light and then she’d step up (c/t). really liking that lightness, never really made direct contact to the halter.
Great session!
I watched Hannah’s riding demo & it gets me so jazzed up. I love how she transitioned the ground work to saddle with the targets. I now realize that the last time I tried this with Rocky I put the targets WAY too far apart. didn’t really set him up for success.