Fran on Friday
Tango is non-stop. Always on the move. You would think that at 7 years old, he’d want to stay still on occasion. Nope. This has served us generally well in agility and we coped through Rally Novice. But the higher levels of Rally and Obedience require a “sit-stay” and “stand-stay.” That means not moving. At all. For multiple seconds at a time. This is really, really hard for Tango. He can do the “down stay” very well. But the stand? On occasion, and more often than not in Advanced Rally, the dog is required to stand still while the handler walks in a circle around him. This has been impossible for Tango. He has insisted on following, or at least pivoting to watch me.
But today I tried something a little different. We were practicing our Rally moves and I put him in a stand position from the sit, which is how the sign I described above usually starts. I told him to “stay,” and I started walking around him, keeping my hand with a piece of cheese in front of him. When I was about halfway around I gave him the cheese. And he didn’t move! I’ll keep it at this for quite a while and then eliminate giving him the cheese halfway around, and then try bringing my hand to my side and standing up straight while I walk around him.
Slow steps. Baby steps, actually, but steps nonetheless!
