The Zim Family Cocker Spaniel Forum

3 more weeks until class starts, and I'd rather not let this go that long to learn if this is a problem and/or how to correct it.

Cricket seems to be developing a habit of dancing around in a circle every few feet as she walks beside me. Is this going to be a problem in showing her? How do I correct this? Am I letting her have too slack a leash? She is very cute when she does it, and I've probably reinforced it by laughing as she is just SO exuberant!

Chris,
I don't know how to address that. But I don't think it will be a problem for Rally.

When Cherry is not under command, she jumps in circles all the time too. And that is a dog that has a CD and RA title (and maybe an RE tomorrow too).

BTW, Cherry learned how to heel at 5 1/2 months of age on her second day as our dog. I walked with her at the dog park on loose leash and mark the heel position with the "Good" voice marker. She picked that up right away.

Thanks, Stella. Cricket heels beautifully-- she just adds in this little dance every few feet!! Silly girl! She's having so much fun!

Chris,

Cherry got her RE title today under my favorite Rally judge of all time and today is her second birthday!!! I am so proud of the little girl since she was supposed to be executed at 12 weeks by that heartless former owner.

I guess there is really nothing to fix because once you starts training with Cricket, she would know when she is supposed to be working and she will naturally stop dancing when she is working.

And hey, if she does it in the ring sometimes, so be it. Cherry was taking her sweet time scratching herself on a halt-call-front-left-finish-halt station in Rally Excellent B. And she also lost focus at the start line because there were a lot of dropped treat crumbs around that area from yesterday (I guess a lot of people bribe their dogs before heading in and drop crumbs right at the start line). We still got an 86 to finish her title under a judge that is picky with heeling positions.

And oh... Cherry did her dance in the elevator at the Rose City hotel and was seen by a well known OR cocker breeder. I am 100% sure that lady thought that I was a complete liar when I told her that Cherry won high in trial in Obedience the next day. What she saw was a wild puppy in the elevator as Cherry was "free".

Not laughing at her is a good place to start. Tell her "no" when she does it and give the heel command. Click/treat/praise for walking along side you without the spinning.

BTW--you might want to give the spinning a name and treat it like a new command. Especially if you take Cricket into freestyle dancing. You could name "spin" and then have a "no spin" as a verbal correction.

Kelly, who really does give Rally training lessons, will have more authoritative advice.

Colleen Keough