Yay! NOW Articles are fun!

Moto got the day off yesterday from everything, since we had our obedience lesson AND I did that difficult tracking session on Tuesday. This morning I tried articles again which was a world of difference. Moto clearly was stressed when he saw me set out the article, so I played with him a bit to release some of the tension. I set it out, sent him and when he approached it he laid down, remembering the ear pinch. I just stood there quietly and let him work through it as I could see his wheels turning. I LOVE watching this dog think! He licked the bar for a few seconds (I'd put a tiny smear of cheese on the bar) and then sure enough, he picked it up and brought it back. I cheered him on and his tail wagged and he was very proud of himself. He got a big paycheck with some squeeze cheese. After that it was a piece of cake and he brought it back just fine. If I have a good results again tomorrow we'll introduce article #2 maybe. This is a dog that is very smart, but cannot be pushed too fast.
I'm very excited as next weekend is a show 'n' go all the way in Omaha, NE, a 3-hour drive away. My dear friend Kathy will be there with her talented dogs and her husband's new pup - who is the same age as Moto - will be there. There should be lots of great trainers with their dogs so it should be a fun day to train and watch other good handlers. Hope the weather holds so we can go!