# Panda training update



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Thought you'd enjoy these videos of Panda in class tonight. We were doing heeling with distraction and recalls with distraction. The floor, as you can see, was strewn with cotton balls. Anyone whose dog ate a cotton ball owed our instructor a dollar per ball. 

All the other dogs in this class are WAY older than Panda... The next youngest is 8 months old, all the rest are over a year. Panda has had no formal heeling training yet... Just stationary heel exercises. She did great! At first, we were supposed to let them just look around, and then reward them for giving us their attention. When they joined up with us, we could start heeling.

She also LOVED doing her recalls. Right now, i have her finish between my feet. This is to teach her to stay nice and tight, and straight. In time, she will learn to back it up a bit and finish in front of my feet.


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## Kidpsychpdd (Jul 31, 2013)

I think that she might like circus dog training with that ability to balance and hop on her hind legs :laugh2:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Kidpsychpdd said:


> I think that she might like circus dog training with that ability to balance and hop on her hind legs :laugh2:


Yeah... She does a lot of that.


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## Ollie"s Mom (May 23, 2014)

That is so cute. What a good baby.


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## Raffi'sMom (Jan 25, 2016)

She is so cute!


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## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

Such a happy girl! She's doing nice work with you too.


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## Annabellam (Nov 2, 2015)

lovely dog. Those classes seem so interesting and fun! I bet she will learn a lot in between. Perhaps even to :juggle:


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## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

So great to see how happy she is while she is in class and what a smarty pants she is too!


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## Sheri (Oct 11, 2008)

She is such a joy to watch, just like Kodi and Pixel. I'd love to just be able to go to your classes to watch for my own entertainment!


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## Chi-Chi's Mom (Dec 10, 2015)

Your training videos give me LIFE! Great to see Panda doing so well. Thanks for sharing.


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## whimsy (Apr 3, 2010)

so much fun to watch that cutie bounce around! She seems to pick up on things fast! She looks so happy


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## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

krandall said:


> The floor, as you can see, was strewn with cotton balls. Anyone whose dog ate a cotton ball owed our instructor a dollar per ball.


Cotton balls? Is that safe? :surprise: It must be, but I'm surprised!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Sheri said:


> She is such a joy to watch, just like Kodi and Pixel. I'd love to just be able to go to your classes to watch for my own entertainment!


Well, if you're ever in MA, let me know! I seem to be at the training center almost daily!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

whimsy said:


> so much fun to watch that cutie bounce around! She seems to pick up on things fast! She looks so happy


We were there for a private this morning (I split one between two of the dogs) and it was amazing. She just seemed to "get it" after last night. Even though that was our FIRST heeling last night, she was a zillion times better today! We were even weaving up and down between cones!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Jackie from Concrete said:


> Cotton balls? Is that safe? :surprise: It must be, but I'm surprised!


Yes, it's safe, There was actually a vet there too. 

I wouldn't make a constant diet of cotton balls, but if a dog does eat a couple, they squashed down and just get passed on through. Very few dogs actually EAT them, anyway. Many will do what you see Panda doing (because you don't TRY to keep them away, the whole idea is for them to learn that stuff on the floor isn't that interesting, and they get PAID for sticking with their handler) ... picking one up, tasting it (yuck) and spitting it out. There was a Lab who picked up several, and SPIT them into the air each time. It was pretty funny!

As I think I mentioned, our instructor charges $1 for every cotton ball EATEN, so you really are supposed to make yourself more interesting and fun than the stupid cotton balls. (the "charges" get saved up and sent to a dog charity intermittently) There is a cattle dog in the class who is, well, a cattle dog. Stubborn, hard-headed and determined. And, clearly, not to discerning when it comes to taste. She had done this exercise in another class a few days ago, and her dog ate SIXTEEN of them. A world record!  But she DID learn... last night she ate one, then left them alone and did some VERY nice heeling!!!


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## 31818 (Oct 29, 2014)

krandall said:


> TAnyone whose dog ate a cotton ball owed our instructor a dollar per ball.


Well, I would have been $20 out of pocket had Ricky been there! :crying:

Excellent work PANDAmonium and Karen. These videos are so entertaining and instructional for us. Momi says that Panda has travesura (mischief maker) written all over her! :wink2:

Ricky's Popi


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ricky Ricardo said:


> Well, I would have been $20 out of pocket had Ricky been there! :crying:
> 
> Excellent work PANDAmonium and Karen. These videos are so entertaining and instructional for us. Momi says that Panda has travesura (mischief maker) written all over her! :wink2:
> 
> Ricky's Popi


Tell Momi she is absolutely right! When we don't call her Pandamonium, we call her Miss Trouble!!!


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## PaulineMi (Feb 5, 2016)

What are you using for treats during training?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

PaulineMi said:


> What are you using for treats during training?


I use lots of different things. It's not important as long as they agree with your dog, and they like them... A lot. Kibble may be useful for very beginning pet-type obedience, but for serious training it is important to use soft food that the dog can swallow quickly without chewing, cut into appropriate sized pieces. So tiny pieces for young puppies.

I use Happy Howies food rolls pretty often, or Fresh Pet, or roasted whole people meat. roast pork is my favorite, because it doesn't crumble the way chicken and turkey do, and is a nice lean meat. But the possibilities are endless. One of Kodi's favorite training treats is blueberries... They just don't hold up well in pockets!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Just wanted to add that her attention has NOTHING to do with the specific treats I'm using (which is why the kind of treat really doesn't matter) ... It is because, even though we'd never done any real heeling before that, we've spent a TON of time on attention games first. So her "default" behavior is to look to me to see what game we are going to play next. She will also give me this kind of attention if the reward is play rather than any food at all.

...AND, remember, that she is still in the magical "puppy stage" where most puppies, especially Havanese, WANT to stick with you. When they become adolescents, even if they have had quite a bit of prior work it often gets much, MUCH harder to keep their attention. They become more confident in their OWN abilities, and they also get much more interested in other dogs as the hormones start to kick in. That's one of the main reasons that, if you are serious about competitive obedience, you want to get as much foundation work as possible done during this magical puppy phase. Then when they come out the other side of adolescence... Most of them start to remember it again!


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## Laurmann2000 (Sep 12, 2015)

Fun videos again. I live how happy you and your dogs always seem.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Laurmann2000 said:


> Fun videos again. I live how happy you and your dogs always seem.


If they weren't happy, I wouldn't be doing it.


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## Lisa T. (Feb 5, 2015)

krandall said:


> Just wanted to add that her attention has NOTHING to do with the specific treats I'm using (which is why the kind of treat really doesn't matter) ... It is because, even though we'd never done any real heeling before that, we've spent a TON of time on attention games first. So her "default" behavior is to look to me to see what game we are going to play next. She will also give me this kind of attention if the reward is play rather than any food at all.
> 
> ...AND, remember, that she is still in the magical "puppy stage" where most puppies, especially Havanese, WANT to stick with you. When they become adolescents, even if they have had quite a bit of prior work it often gets much, MUCH harder to keep their attention. They become more confident in their OWN abilities, and they also get much more interested in other dogs as the hormones start to kick in. That's one of the main reasons that, if you are serious about competitive obedience, you want to get as much foundation work as possible done during this magical puppy phase. Then when they come out the other side of adolescence... Most of them start to remember it again!


When does a havanese go through the average adolescence phase?


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lisa T. said:


> When does a havanese go through the average adolescence phase?


It usually starts between 6-8 months, and depending on the dog, it can last until 18-24 months. (Sometimes longer for intact males)


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

I enjoyed watching the videos of you and Panda. Such a smart and happy little puppy. Love how she prances!


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Very cool video. Smart Panda too. Tucker starts his first training class tonight. We are excited and nervous!!!:laugh2:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

M&J said:


> Very cool video. Smart Panda too. Tucker starts his first training class tonight. We are excited and nervous!!!:laugh2:


Thanks! Just remember that this is a competition obedience class. It does NOT replace puppy kindergarten, where the puppies get to play with each other. That is even MORE important at your puppy's age. Panda does puppy K AND her competition obedience classes.


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

Yes...no competition here. Just Manners 101 class. He is polishing up on his basics to start then on to more learning. They have puppy play days there too. :smile2:


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## MarinaGirl (Mar 25, 2012)

M&J said:


> Yes...no competition here. Just Manners 101 class. He is polishing up on his basics to start then on to more learning. They have puppy play days there too. :smile2:


Take advantage of as many puppy play days as you can before Tucker ages out.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

MarinaGirl said:


> Take advantage of as many puppy play days as you can before Tucker ages out.


I second, third and FOURTH that!!! Puppy play is really MUCH more important than a "manners" class at this age!


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## M&J (Mar 1, 2016)

He will get plenty of those now that shots are up to date.....:smile2:


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