Working on balance

[wildo]

We need more action in the agility forum! I don't have much to offer, but I did snap this pic while Pimg was working on some balance skills tonight. Enjoy!



That is a travel plank up on a fitPaws 22" balance disk on one end. We will work like this for a while, and then I will put the other end on a smaller balance disk. I've also started working her with four paw pods and other balance disks.

Oh speaking of working with her, I've also started shaping her to allow me to more easily cut her nails. I've always been able to cut them, but really- it's been reluctantly on her part. At the moment, I am clicker training her to me holding her paws and putting up and down pressure on each nail. in a couple days, I will bring out the nail clipper and condition her to let me touch her nails with the trimmers. Then I will act like I am going to cut them. Then I will move to cutting them... Hoping to make this a lot less painful process (more so for me!).

[AgileGSD]

Here's some balancing that you don't see everyday...











We're also working on the handstand (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater) and two legged tricks (no video/pictures yet but the dog balancing either on two side legs while the opposite side legs are both lifted or balancing on one back leg and the diagonal front leg w/the opposite back and diagonal front legs are lifted).

[wildo]

That Savvy sure is a crazy looking dude! The weird thing is- in his craziness- I think he's pretty awesome looking! I love the picture of him at the lake or whatever next to your black dog. Such a cool shot!

The shot with Savvy up on the stool is great! I'm still working with Pimg to get her comfortable being that compressed. Last night I could get her to stand on all fours on a 14" balance disk, but the 12" disk I have was just a bit too much for her. She couldn't get it yet. Best pic I have is from her CGC testing where I put her up on a chair for the fun of it:

[AgileGSD]

Originally Posted by wildo

That Savvy sure is a crazy looking dude! The weird thing is- in his craziness- I think he's pretty awesome looking! I love the picture of him at the lake or whatever next to your black dog. Such a cool shot!

Thanks!

And he's every bit as crazy as he looks! He's like living with a real life cartoon dog. Some people love his look, some people hate it and some people say it's really grown on them. I think it fits him well, my scruffy muppet boy

Originally Posted by wildo

The shot with Savvy up on the stool is great! I'm still working with Pimg to get her comfortable being that compressed. Last night I could get her to stand on all fours on a 14" balance disk, but the 12" disk I have was just a bit too much for her. She couldn't get it yet. Best pic I have is from her CGC testing where I put her up on a chair for the fun of it:

Pimg on the chair is pretty good for such a big girl! What a good girl! It will be neat to see her on those little disks. She is going to be better than ever by time you get her back to agility classes.

Savvy is pretty little compared to GSDs - 18ish" tall and 22ish lbs so he more easily fits on things like barstools. I have never known a dog who loved climbing, leaping and balancing as much as Savvy. Yesterday I had them at at the creek and he found a big dried up log that was balancing on a shallow spot, making it like a natural teeter. He kept playing on it, jumping on while it bounced up and down, launching off of it, sitting on it. Such a funny, funny dog.