Gunny's Training Journal
                               note: the second phase of FF started this evening
               Jan 28 Gunny has been carrying a bumper to and from each airing outside for over a month, in his
                             OB lessons he has done much with a bumper in his mouth = proofing hold is over
                                     note: mild pinch, mouth opened and buck in = five times lesson over (good start),
                                              about 3 minutes
                                     note: all the "turn off pressure" experiences in other areas have paid off  
                                     note: it was much warmer this morning, all the dogs took an upland run with photos

                  Jan 29 Gunny had to be restrained from lunging for the bumper before a pinch, he knew what
                             was coming and was anticipating it........which means he was trying to avoid the pinch
                                     note: slowed way down and was very deliberate about the sequence of presenting
                                              the bumper along with the pinch
                                     note: he doesn't need much of a pinch (less than Daisy or Taffey) 
                                     note: two short sessions today about 5 minutes each
                                     note: more anxiety today, bumper not held quite as tightly (much like a second day
                                              might be expected), tapping the ends of the bumper firmed grip up 
                  Jan 30 Gunny was more "amped" today, lunging really hard (even against restraint) while being
                             pinched, again slowed down to try and get a rhythm to the "on off" switch routine
                                     note: he is a strong pup and bigger than my previous pups (older when starting FF),
                                              got a few spit outs right after taking the bumper, those were quickly corrected
                                     note: still having trouble NOT saying "no" or "good" = no sense in giving him any
                                              chance for miscommunication errors, at the moment he needs to just react
                                              properly to specific physical stimuli and one verbal command = the only
                                              reward is pressure ceases because the right thing is done, any "distractions"
                                              could be misinterpreted and several things are going on at the same time
                                     note: anticipation again was strong today, fewer pinches farther apart helped to
                                              reach some kind of a rhythm, about 8-10 minutes
                                     note: Gunny's attitude is very good, cheerful when finished but he does remember
                                              things. Today when we finished OB he went right over to where the FF gear
                                              was stored, he knew what was next. Tomorrow's lesson with be a lot more
                                              low key with fewer pinches = short and sweet (change of pace) in the morning
                                              because his OB class is tomorrow night 
                                     note: second session at around 11:30 pm was very short, slow paced and effective,
                                              about 5 minutes
                  Jan 31 FF session at 8:30 am, focused on quiet use of sit, fetch, sit, hold and drop with a pinch
                                     note: He will no longer lunge for the bumper every time he sees it. I can hold it out
                                              in front and he will wait for the pinch. He is now into the "on off" light switch
                                              mode. Restraint has him lunging with a longer pinch (not harder). Sit is now
                                              more readily taken because he is less anxious about what is going on. He is
                                              not pouting, trying to wheel away or turning his head to avoid my taking a
                                              hold of his ear. Basically, he wasn't throwing his weight around as much. He
                                              did spit the bumper out on one lunging fetch early on, but after that, the rest
                                              were solid. I threw in a few free ones, too. This was a good session, and he
                                              finished with a great attitude, about 7-8 minutes
                                     note: It didn't take a really hard pinch to get a yip out of him, trying to get just the
                                              right amount to convey the message, but he is not nearly as vocal as Daisy
                                              was (his full sister). This morning there were not many yips.
                             (evening) Gunny went to his OB class and was much more relaxed with the action,
                             heeling was better and down much better, the new lesson was working on the "stand"
                             command which for us was "whoa" = most everyone was struggling with this, but Gunny
                             was a natural as the "sling hold in place" technique was immediately effective
                                     note: "whoa" training for him is going to be very easy and it kind of shoots the
                                              theory that a dog taught to sit won't be very comfortable with "whoa"
                                     note: all the other dogs are so treat conscious they had a "special" exercise to
                                              teach leave it, a treat is put on the floor and it was difficult for most,
                                              Gunny was like......."What's that?"
                                     note: The most interesting part of the evening occurred when the instructor went
                                              around to each dog to do what is called a greeting exercise. This instructor
                                              has a couple of high powered OB dogs that have advanced AKC titles. He
                                              came toward Gunny and told me, "Please, sit/stay your dog." I replied we only
                                              use "sit". He got a little closer to me and quietly said, "That's a good idea. I
                                              wish I'd done that with my dogs." This evening was another good experience
                                              for both of us.      
                                     note: late night session was short - sit after pinch/fetch an issue, about 3-4 minutes
                   Feb  1 session at 2:00 pm, focus was on getting to respond quickly to sit after lunging forward
                              with restraint, spent time setting up each pinch/fetch and used stick corrections for sit,
                              a couple of lurches away from me tested my arm a bit, he did spit three out right after
                              grabbing them in his mouth and was quickly "reminded" with another pinch and a
                              slightly assisted bumper pick up from the floor, much better rhythm at the end & eased
                              off the pressure at the end with 6-7 quick pinch, fetch "light switch" results, each
                              session shows improvement, his attitude before and after is good, but he is not thrilled
                              with what goes on in between
                                      note: today's afternoon session went about 7- 8 minutes (longer than usual)
                                      note: I have transitioned over to the Kwick Bumper in preparation for "going to the
                                               floor" in the next week or so
                              (evening) the plan was for a short session late, tonight Gunny made the transition from
                              "this is something to do, I know what you want, kind of fun" to "this is work and I'm not
                              too thrilled with it any more" = got some spits after reaching and fetching, plus the
                              bumper became invisible when I lowered it = important stage = now it becomes real FF         
                                      note: this is the 5th day of FF pinch with 9 session, he is in the stage where I want
                                               to clarify the "light switch" effect with repetition (most of the extraneous
                                               behaviors with the exception of sitting are minor), as soon as it is "clean"
                                               we will transition to the floor, about 10 minutes
                              Interceptor 

                  Feb 2  (morning) worked on heeling and sitting with chaining the whistle on sit, he is doing this
                             quickly, finished up with a remote sit and three "here - whistle sits" on the return   
                             this was done to work on reinforcing the sit command during FF which he has not been
                             going all that well
                                     note: FF continued in the same mode as last night's phase - this has become work &
                                              not nearly as much fun, the session lasted about 8-10 minutes, some spit outs,
                                              refusals occurred and some pinches had to be transferred to the collar's plastic
                                              buckle, the "invisible" bumper was often present and Gunny was breathing
                                              harder when we finished, lowering the bumper was not what he wanted, but
                                              we did make some progress on the sit command - good session & important
                                    note: day 6 of pinching, just starting to move toward the floor, focusing on making
                                             controlled, uniform steps - verbalization is now going well using "fetch", "sit"
                                             "hold" and "drop" at the same quiet level, when he is struggling I work much
                                             slower, but when Gunny is "getting it"...the "light switch" effect can be rapid
                                    note: next session = try to get the proper height changes into a good rhythm, no
                                             rush to the floor
                                    note: need to switch to a thicker collar, the thin nylon is twisting too easily and got
                                             my fingers trapped a couple of times when he turned = the disadvantage of
                                             doing FF with a little older and bigger pup
                             (evening) started with some straight forward heeling, transitioned to a chained "whistle"
                             verbal "sit" and finished with a remote sit and three "here/whistle" sits (no verbal), Gunny
                             was quick and precise on each sit - excellent!
                                     note: FF was only about three minutes, good, slow rhythm from the start, kept
                                              bumper out of sight, then presented in slightly different positions so he would
                                              have to kind of look where it was at, using a pretty good restraint, he was
                                              diving at the bumper and sitting quickly afterwards, good firm grip with no
                                              head shaking and an excellent drop from a solid hold with a willing "here it is"
                                              attitude = this was good, probably "light switched" about 15 times with good,
                                              consistent "reps", finished with a bit of fun afterwards and ten minutes later
                                              he is sleeping like a log in his crate 
                                     note: "light switch" means....pinch (pressure on)...until bumper is in his mouth...and
                                              pinch released (pressure off) 
                                     note: three fingers under the collar with thumb and index finger outside & thumb
                                              inside left ear (left side heel), four fingers under the collar if using buckle &
                                              with Gunny I am mostly in the middle of his ear, but move slightly, last night
                                              used a little more "meatier" part of his ear on the refusals (no buckle tonight)
                                     note: 6th day of pinching and 11 sessions averaging about 6 minutes apiece
                  Feb  3 first session today was very similar to yesterday's....short 3 minute OB lesson followed by
                             a FF session of about 6 minutes, good rhythm, few spits, extended restraint and lowered
                             bumper to a little below the knee (I'm short), learned a few years ago that FF on cement
                             or quarry tile gives me a traction advantage, sit was much improved today and he is very
                             determined to turn off the pressure......still a hint of anticipation = more "freebies" today
                             with maybe twenty "reps" 
                                     note: began and finished with short OB lesson = ended with a remote sit followed by
                                              three "here"....."whistle sits" = solid & finished with a "walk away - return" off
                                              leash on a "down".......good job!
                             (evening) short session got near the floor pretty good, but "on the floor" he was not ready,
                             after a two attempts pressure increase wasn't effective and backed off to a few higher
                             position and quit = about 5 minutes
                  Feb  4 (morning) after a few solid ones half-way to the floor, I moved to a couple inches off the
                             floor - more pressure on the plastic buckle, loud yowling and a pick-up went good, sit
                             not nearly as fast, tried going up and down the ladder height-wise, but the floor is a
                             natural barrier this morning, it is not the height because even off the first step of the
                             staircase he wasn't ready, started to get a little "hot" myself so I backed off to higher
                             positions with some good reps and quit - about 10 minutes
                                     note: this was not the time to try & win a battle, many times a pup will not "get it"
                                              one day and have it click in the next, more pressure, more noise and worse
                                              sits could be avoidance or it more than likely is confusion, since this is the
                                              first time on the floor...he gets the "benefit of the doubt"
                                     note: (to self) persistence in the long haul wins over absolute insistence in the
                                              heat of every moment....and force fetch is more effective with persistent
                                              use of attrition
                             (evening) did basic OB lesson first, during this FF lesson work at changing positions up
                             and down with no "floors" at all, needed to get him looking AT the bumper, worked on
                             sit, consistent repetitions with a steady rhythm (set timer for ten minutes - an
                             audible reminder to keep it short) - 10 minutes
                   Feb 5 (morning) did some OB first, especially working on quick sits (used whistle chain), this
                             FF lesson was a continuation of last night's focus - making the bumper a target by
                             holding left, right, high and low, he now is looking for the bumper instead of just
                             impulsively lunging forward, also did some "light switch" repetitions very close in
                             rapid succession - many excellent responses this morning = consistent reps
                                     note: sit corrections at first were with a heeling stick, but as the lesson progressed
                                              I only had to show him the stick by turning sideways (in back, right pocket)
                                              and this got a quick sit, he is showing more responsiveness to what is going
                                              on and not nearly as vocal this morning
                                     note: Gunny continues to respond well to "thumb and index finger" pinches, I
                                              know they are very moderate because I've had no issues with a sore hand
                                              or any finger/thumb discomfort
                                     note: dang......he is strong, sure glad his "knowledge" of sit and heel are solid
                                     note: the bumper position change idea is proving to be more effective because he
                                              is "looking before fetching" which increases his focus, using quite a bit of
                                              restraint on most reps, this means a FEW "no pinch freebies" and "no holding
                                              backs" change of paces are mixed in, did a few where he did not have to
                                              move off the sit position
                                     note: timer was set for ten minutes, but we quit after 8 minutes - excellent session,
                                              this is more than enough time to do an effective lesson - he could do more,
                                              but this is attrition and long lessons don't fit into my steady, daily diet of
                                              repetition = give him time to assimilate the concept of turning off pressure
                           (evening) did a short lesson - 5 minutes repeating the morning approach which was
                           varying the positions of the bumper, tonight however, we went with rapid repetitions,
                           the speed depended on his sit, it went very well and got in many, many reps in the
                           short lesson, started giving him some praise with an occasional "good", he was focused,
                           no vocalizations and giving good effort on the steady diet of restraint, moved nearer to
                           floor on occasion and could sense a little anxiety with those, all-in-all this was the most
                           consistent set of responses to date (ear still looks pretty good, too)
                                     note: excellent session - go to the floor a little tomorrow
                                     note: 9th day of pinching and 17 sessions 
                                     note: may move to the carpet area of the "rec" room when we start "fetching" off
                                              the floor, tile and concrete have a tendency to make a pup be careful about
                                              lunging down on a bumper (it hurts their chin)
                   Feb 6 (early afternoon) deep snow outside - worked on reps in various positions - excellent,
                             then moved to the carpeted area to work lower, "fetched" everything that I had my hand
                             on, but getting 100% refusals on a bumper laying there by itself, did several with minimum
                             touches and tried a few propped up on the toe of my shoes , no hand on = refusal & more
                             pressure wasn't getting it done = backed out with good responses up higher and quit
                                      note: continue with very close to the floor tonight in a short lesson with no "tests"
                                               of leaving it on the floor alone, repeat the "no tests" routine tomorrow
                                               morning with no FF lesson in the evening because of OB class, Friday
                                               try to transition to leaving it alone on the floor
                                      note: 9 minute session
                             (evening) change in plans, something about the way he was being cheerful with the
                             whole process suggested to "up the ante" and make it a little more like force fetch,
                             he was turning his head sideways as soon as the bumper was near the floor, started
                             to bawl and flop with more pressure, used a step on the staircase to have it bit higher,
                             but insisted that the bumper was almost not going to be touched by me, it felt like it was
                             not the time to be all "warm and fuzzy" - it was the time to challenge him a bit, he picked
                             it up off the step a couple of times with my hand near it and we quit with tail wag, what
                             cued this approach was his tail wag at the start of the session......it was just too much fun
                             for where we were at = not looking at the bumper was the read to push = avoidance,
                             there was an immediate need to deal with this sudden display of avoidance, this session
                             lasted 10 minutes and it seemed longer (the timer helps to keep perspective)
                   Feb 7 (morning) , started first with going through all the basic OB skills including alternating
                             "sit" & "whoa" commands while moving at heel, remote downs and sits were solid,
                             about face and U-turns plus circle turns counterclockwise and clockwise were very good
                             FF focus was to get on the floor and through any avoidance, used the lower step of the
                             staircase and transitioned to where my hands would not have to be on the bumper,
                             incrementally each rep got closer, but his avoidance was in full bloom, eventually there
                             was more urgency in his focus as avoidance was clearly not going to work, got three
                             good "picks" off the step & immediately turned to use the floor = after three semi-refusals
                             he was diving and fetching off the floor = lots of "good boy" praise produced tail wags
                             and we quit, lesson was about 8 minutes - mission accomplished and yesterday's read
                             was accurate = we are not ready for walking fetch yet = more floor reps
                                     note: 11th day of pinching, his ear was a little red today and the tip of my thumb
                                              is sore, I was using the plastic collar buckle instead of my index finger and
                                              I don't pinch the ear in the same spot which seems to help all the way around
                                     note: 11th day of pinching and 20 sessions - very pleased with progress to date & his
                                              attitude remains upbeat, there is definitely stress for him as he sleeps like a
                                              log after each session = mental fatigue....................that is why keeping the
                                              lessons short is necessary, measured, fairly applied stress extends boundaries
                                              by challenging perceived present norms = this is not something Gunny
                                              would do on his own
                                     note: no FF session tonight - OB class at 6:00 pm
                   Feb 8 (morning) Gunny had a short FF session preceded by his usual OB lesson, during the OB
                             collar conditioning was started, he was a very quick study with this and we only spent a
                             few minutes with it, he has been wearing a collar (bark and turned off e-collar for quite
                             some time and fully CC'd to hear several months ago, the pinch collar is somewhat like
                             a e-collar correction in that turning off pressure by complying is a rapid event
                                      note: the FF session was a continuation of yesterday's sequence with getting to the
                                               floor and touching with the index finger the barrier, it is rather amusing how
                                               he feels that me touching the bumper makes it visible, but otherwise picking
                                               it up becomes a refusal, very close this morning and finished up working off
                                               the bottom step off the staircase = less than 10 minutes
                             (evening) went to the staircase rapidly and soon he was picking up the bumper when
                             my finger touched the bumper, after a few reps.....I faked him out and he grabbed it. This
                             resulted in him making a new distinction......"OK, I get it." and we quit = 10 minutes
                   Feb 9 (morning) short OB lesson with one long remote sit and one long remote down, e- collar
                             conditioning was continued - he understands e-collar corrections without any issues
                                      note: this mornings FF lesson took off right where we were yesterday and moving
                                               from the stairway step to the floor went well, after a few "finger touches" he
                                               was picking it up all by himself, with a few refusals corrected by continued
                                               pinches, the session ended with Gunny picking the bumper up off the floor
                                               in a mini-walking fetch mode without pinches, a couple of those at first were
                                               refusals because he lunged and passed over it, each refusal was followed by
                                               immediate pinch corrections, he finished with several clean pickups with me
                                               standing beside him and commanding fetch (precursor to walking fetch)
                                               excellent session = less than 10 minutes                                      
                             (evening) refreshed fetching off the floor which went very well, moved to walking fetch
                             with one bumper and that went nicely, too.....mixed in a few pinches to see what his
                             reactions would be - no issues and zero vocalizations = less than 5 minutes
                                      note: the Kwick Bumper design is working great off the floor
                                      note: started with basic OB lesson, worked on "scoot" command and "free" release
                                      note: 13th day and 24 sessions
                                      note: perspective - for two months hold was imprinted and gradually transitioned
                                               to "hold/drop" on sitting and finished by proofing with regular "holding"
                                               during the OB lessons, Gunny always did like carrying things around in his
                                               mouth and would not drop them even when distracted, he has a very
                                               natural an excellent mouth 
                                      note: find the rest of the PVC adapters and assemble the four Kwick Bumpers used
                                               in multiple bumper walking fetch = after walking fetch, frozen hen pheasants
                                               will be introduced.....just sitting (no walking fetch yet on birds), transition to
                                               walking stick fetch and repeat all phases of pinch fetch with e-collar fetch,
                                               finish with pinch, stick and e-collar fetch with frozen hen pheasants & ducks                 
                                               first......then thawed = future "stuff"
                   Feb 10 (noon) - 30º wind chill outside, Gunny's OB lesson first - worked on heeling and sitting
                               as we moved around the 54' oval training area, transitioned to whistle sits with a few
                               e-collar corrections for quick responses and conditioning, moved on to new "skill"
                               command - "scoot" and then chained the new release command "free" with "OK",
                               Gunny is a very good student, made two rounds with multiple "sits", two with multiple
                               "downs", two with multiple "whoas" & finished with three alternating each "position".
                               He is good with this. The OB lasted less than 10 minutes.
                               Then we did a short FF lesson. Went right to the floor with a few pinches & "freebies",
                               no issues, then did a couple in place "to the floor" and finished with six "heel/ sit" laps
                               around the oval finishing each with a "walking fetch" pickup = first three were perfect,
                               got a refusal on the 4th resulting in quick pinch correction and the last two were solid
                                      note: this was a very good session, the idea of incorporating walking fetch with
                                               the OB ring went well, this evening each round will be a "sit" a "down" a
                                               "whoa" and finish with a walking "fetch" imprinting that "sit, down, whoa
                                               and fetch" are all commands with no choices
                                      note: tomorrow we will introduce multiple Kwick Bumpers around the oval with a
                                               quick review of pinch fetch to the floor & start walking fetch with four Kwick
                                               Bumpers, not going to be real "picky" with fast sits in this first lesson = focus
                                               on fetching and holding for drop, will tighten that up shortly, put bumpers far
                                               enough apart to do a "sit" in between
                                      note: Gunny's remote "sit - here - whistle sits en route" are good
                                      note: any question of the extensive OB inside and lack of outside work (due to nasty
                                               weather) causing him to want to be "clingy" was negated when we took that
                                               one good day to run outside - he was off by himself at times & searching the
                                               snow covered corn field by as much as 200 yards and only came back when
                                               I called - Taffey was helping and so were the fresh goose tracks.
                                      note: Gunny is wearing a pinch collar, flat collar and an e-collar plus is aware of
                                               a heeling stick, when it comes time for stick fetch Gunny will have been well
                                               stick conditioned and the correction tools will not be out of balance, the pinch
                                               collar is removed during walking fetch (I don't need to grab a handful of
                                               metal prongs. ), but I still have a heeling stick and e-collar available
                                      note: the e-collar is NOT being used in conjunction with "fetch"..........yet
                               (evening) repeated this morning's session with two rounds of alternating sit/down/whoa,
                               brought back to start and did an ear pinch fetch proofing with the aluminum can loaded
                               with pennies = he was spooked by it a little, but the FF was stronger - not a problem, did
                               4 rounds of the "sit/down/whoa/fetch" as a walking fetch exercise using some restraint
                               with the leash = all well done with good sits & drops = he's got this down
                                      note: the Kwick Bumper continues to promote consistency with his mouth
                                      note: use 4 Kwick Bumpers around the circle tomorrow, after forcing with a Dokken
                                      note: walking fetch with 4 Dokkens next day move on to hen pheasants when ready
                    Feb 11 (morning) Gunny did a quick round of the oval with multiple sits, four Kwick Bumpers
                                were already placed on the floor (three in the pool area & one in the upper "rec" room,
                                we went around the "loop" four times picking up 16 bumpers in the walking fetch drill
                                with sits in between each pick-up, 3 times we needed to do a pinching sequence, but in
                                general he was fetching up nicely, would have liked to have seen a more aggressive
                                dive, but they were solid pick-ups on command, sit/hold & drop sequence was not bad
                                      note: need to do repeats on this aiming for crisper performances
                                (evening) concentrated on OB lessons and did 3 walking fetch rounds 
                                      note: OB was very good, he can heeling along and either sit, down or whoa on
                                               command alternating, the front sit command is improving and his backward
                                               walk front a front sit is excellent, extended remote down and sit is very good,
                                               these have been tested by animated actions by me from a distance, after
                                               returning to his side and walking around him there is a lengthy delay in
                                               releasing him
                                      note: the first three walking fetch pickups required a pinch, after that the next nine
                                               were solid
                     Feb 12 (morning) did a walking stick fetch around the oval training area - Gunny picked up 14
                                 Kwick Bumpers without a hitch - the first one had him reacting the stick just as if it
                                 were normal - speed obeying the command, this gave me a good feeling about him
                                 and his ability to quickly and correctly respond to pressure even with a very new
                                 presentation
                                       note: he was diving after the command to fetch, but exhibiting any anticipation
                                                (Gunny was waiting for the command)
                                 (evening) do an extended OB lesson first and repeat this morning's walking fetch
                                       note: tomorrow do walking fetch and introduce "leave it" (he has been imprinted
                                                at the OB classes, but not with respect to bumpers on the ground)
                     Feb 13 (afternoon) short OB session with a 4 "leave it" round followed by a round of 4 "fetch"
                                       note: very good with this & finished with one round of stick fetch
                     Feb 14 (morning) reviewed all the lessons for tonight's OB class
                                       note: Gunny was very at ease during the class & can do everything quite well,
                                                he likes it and his tail is wagging all the time, still a little "wiggle butt" when
                                                anyone approaches him
                                       note: did a very short session of e-collar conditioning to sit & here
                                 (evening) OB lesson went very well - need to work on eye contact during remotes &
                                 "antsy" motion as I return at the end of remote drills   
                     Feb 15 (afternoon) did a short session of "e-collar fetch" which was taken in stride = good job
                                (evening) short session of "e-collar fetch" off the floor - he was diving with restraint
                                from the lead - after 4-5 he was getting a little "amped" (no pun intended) so we quit
                                        note: he is taking this all in stride and finishing happy
                     Feb 16 (afternoon) worked on alternating sit, whoa and down during a heeling exercise, did
                                 lots of turns and worked on walking backwards, short session of sitting e-collar fetch 
                     Feb 17 (late evening) OB lesson concentrating on extended sit, down and stand = increasing
                                 his focus, his backward heel is fast as he scoots ahead of me = excellent coordination
                                        note: did a quick walking fetch                        
                     Feb 18 (afternoon) long session of OB with 3 minute remote sit, whoa and down (each)...then
                                did whistle sits off a heeling motion and recall returns = good job, finished with four (4)
                                retrieves of bumpers progressively placed farther and farther away = good retrieves &
                                off leash, still releasing him on fetch
                                        note: each Kwick Bumper was placed on end to imprint the extended pile drill
                                                 routine (much easier to see)  
     &nb