Mimi's Epiphany

Class with Mimi the last two weeks has felt different. I've been thinking about why this would be so for several days and I am going to take a stab at trying to explain it.

When you train a green dog, a dog like Gracie for example, you have to "reset" the dog often when you do a specific task or exercise. For example, on Sunday I introduced Gracie to a plank with a target at the end (a setup to help her learn contacts). I had to realign her to my side before every attempt at the behavior. The realignment itself is its own task--I still click and reward her for moving into heel position and sitting by my side facing the same direction I am facing. So we can't do multiple attempts at moving down the plank and touching the target. Each try at that task is interrupted by the other task of realigning her position--the reset for the actual exercise of moving down the plank. Dogs of course can easily learn several different tasks at one time as long as you are clear on your criteria for performance and reward for each. Performance and reward can be rapid but each task is very short in duration, separated by other short tasks. Lots of resets.

I realized today that I have not been "resetting" Mimi. I can repeat sections of a longer course within the same course flow if I make a mistake, giving me a chance to learn the correct handling in the right context (at speed, correct dog and handler positions, etc.). I can reward her contacts while we are running a course and then continue on to complete the course. These sorts of things used to be "resets" for Mimi, separating what went before and after into completely different events.

I believe that Mimi now understands the concept of the course. This is a huge leap in learning for her and I think it happened in the past few weeks and I'm just now seeing it. More importantly, she trusts me to tell her what she needs to do. She expects me to give her direction and is completely willing to follow my directions once issued. That is an even larger leap in her understanding of the game. It means that Mimi and I run as a team. Not just handler and dog running around a course, but equal partners in the adventure, each contributing to the outcome.

It is so difficult to explain the connection between us but it is as much emotional as it is physical. I turn my shoulders, she turns. I tell her "hit it!" and she drives to the end of the teeter and slams it down--even as I am moving to another position. I drop my arm, she pulls in to me. I am giving fewer verbal commands because I just don't need them. Mimi and I now have shared goals--completing the course at my direction and at her speed (remember that sports car with no brakes metaphor--it still applies!). What an exhilarating feeling to be connected to my pup like this!