Sharon says:

Hello. My dog, Toby, hurt himself last week and I can’t run him for a couple more weeks. He should get over it, but for now I’m not supposed to let him run too much. So I will post videos of some of our runs at previous trials for feedback.

I have taken some of your other courses including a small space courses. I have really appreciated the quality of your feedback. My problem is that my small space is smaller than your small space dimensions, so I usually have the stuff a little closer than the maps. I hope that’s OK, since Toby is small. Also, my main problem is that Toby will not run full speed in the yard, so it makes getting good timing for my cues very hard to practice. Sometimes he won’t run at all. It has been hard to get him started.

I’ve been considering his trials as handling practice, and am improving a little by watching my trial videos and trying to figure out what I did right or wrong with body language and cues.

My other main problem is consistency with my cues. I don’t know what cues to use or when to use them. Toby is trying to teach me, but sometimes I’m a slow learner.

I’m hoping by joining the VIP program, I will be able to learn what body language to use and when, and decide what verbal cues to use and become more consistent with them so I don’t confuse Toby. He really seems to like trialing. He’s a wonderful little dog.