Not quite there; there are a few, but what I'm walking on is grazing land. The other side of the valley, which you see in some of the video, is covered in trees - there is also forest above me. We are close to the tree line, though, so if I walk up through the forest for about half an hour or so, I break through into the open again. The tree line is maybe 200-300m above where I live.
No, it's all me. J sometimes copies bits I do and I cringe quietly to myself.... ETA: ok, sometimes not that quietly! I do try and praise him when he does something right, though
I was so busy looking at you and Luna that I didn't look across to see the trees! I did, however, notice some rooftops and the steep drop
It's not really that steep there - you couldn't fall off it. It's a series of terraces that the dogs can actually run up. Even my OH, who is very scared of heights, is able to walk along it with no problems
Not much going on at the moment with gundog training, because it's too hot most of the time. The heat really affects Squidge, it seems, and turns her into a real plodder - I can't say I blame her! So, as it was overcast and cool this morning (you'll notice from my attire, still, that my definition of "cool" may not correspond exactly with yours!), I thought it was perfect for getting her out for a few retrieves. I've just started on memories with her, so I did a couple of marks, followed by a split. She is pretty steady most of the time, and is starting to sit a lot straighter at heel, for the most part! She'll never have the speed of the other two, but she enjoys it all!
She is doing so well. You may find yourself surprised at how her energy for a retrieve develops over the next few months. Honestly though I can see much wrong with her desire from where I am sitting. She is very steady and crisp in her positioning and simply love her focus on you I think, now she has nailed her steadiness, and understands what this means, she may get very quick and focussed on the retrieve. That's what happened with Benson, he is now VERY quick, like a chocolate Bolt with short legs! Steadiness....umm...yes...well.... I know nothing though...although it is thrilling to see how much Benson loves to work now!
This is the thing. If you put in too much steadiness at the beginning the desire can go out of the window unless you have a dog with a very strong retrieving instinct. It is a balancing act.
