In our agility class, I noted that Lotte is far from the least well-trained on leash, which gives me a little bit of hope. I mean, at least I can hold on to my dog! Ask me about the Irish setter who was up in my face at my car window yesterday.
Anyway, I'm taking a step back from heeling with Lotte. I've been complaining a lot lately about her getting excited on leash, and acting like a fool (codephrase for pulling), and the dogs in class have spurred me into finally dedicating myself to changing that.
The biggest problem is that when I take her for a walk, I tend to slip into "I just want to walk" mode, especially if we're somewhere like out on the urban trails. So, I let her get away with it. Lotte, being a typical dog, takes a mile with that little inch of leeway I give her, and we're back to square one again.
With how quickly she's advanced on the tippy board (I think I'm going to upgrade the height of my board today), I have no doubts that she'll catch on quickly. I'll begin working on a formal heel after I get her to the point of nice, relaxed, loose walking in all sorts of distractions. It helps to know how to walk before you start running, after all.
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