Learning the "Obstacles" of Therapy

Chief and I spent some time in our therapy gym, getting used to some of the equipment and making up our own games. Chief is learning fast that things aren't as scary as initially thought. It's fun to watch him explore the room, nose something, wait for the reaction, then mentally tell himself..."see, it's no big deal" as he prances around.

Today, while we were in the gym, I used the opportunity to expose him to some of the obstacles that we use when our kids move through obstacle course. Here we are practicing going over a jump, using the command "over", with the eventual goal of me being at a distance from Chief as he maneuvers the jump himself. I'm working on basic agility course with him, hoping that when he's in therapy, he and the child can go through the course together. This photo was staged, as the camera was not cooperating with us and Chief was losing interest in the jump. Who said technology was to make things more convenient???

By the end of our session, I was able to take Chief off leash, set him up about 5 feet behind the jump in a sit position and give the command "over". He would jog alongside me, and go over the jump without me having to go with him. The last time, he cleared it with a little twist and attitude at the end...almost his own little "tah-dah", which earned him a HUGE jackpot!!!

I can't say in words just how fun this dog is to work with. His energy and attitude (outside the occasional bossiness during training when he gets bored) is really intoxicating!! Chief is just a joy to have around this clinic. Again, I thank Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue for steering us toward this little (well, big) guy. He's truly a amazing!

Now, if I could just get him to clean up his toys.....(maybe next week!) :)

Tammy