Nika is so biddable that if I get it right with my cues, she will get it right. Over the next year, we will be working on distance as she still checks in with me instead of zooming ahead on the course. That of course, also has to do with my handling--I'm doing well to keep up with directions and not get lost myself.

/

Everyone imagines a well trained dog. But how do you get there? If you don't enjoy training, it can be difficult. 99% of succeeding in having a well trained dog, is, can you guess? Training.

So the key to having a well trained dog is to enjoy training. For me, I get a kick out of the dog's mistakes. For most handlers, figuring out why the dog did something other than what the handler wanted is part of the delight in the process.

Here is Nika on Friday, doing the Jumpers Excellent Course. About two thirds of the way through, she makes a mistake in the back, by going around the jump and jumping towards me instead of going over the jump as I had thought I had directed. We have been working in training on going around the jump, just as she did here. I think it is adorable that she had the "bright idea" to do a reverse jump, even though it cost us our Qualifying run. This encourages me to add clear communication to when I mean a reverse or forward jump. Dogs are so earnest. Often they just need to understand what it is we want.

In the home, are you making your requests clear? Do you allow your dog on the furniture only "sometimes"? Do you say "Down" for "get off of me" and also for "lying down"? Do you give a command without following through, so that the dog knows that you don't really mean it? Our dogs want to do the right thing, but it is up to us to be clear in what we are asking.

/