BTW, the really nerdy people drive those kinds of distances to show... RABBITS.

(Yes, I know someone who does this-- 22hr drive in the winter? 20 to 50 rabbits in cages inside of a minivan... now THAT is crazy.)

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Anyway. Back to various activities.

For anyone that is into dogging and obedience training, here are some fun things to try in training:

http://championofmyheart.com/relaxation-protocol-mp3-files/

This will result in ROCK solid stays for obedience. Even in the face of minor explosions inside the ring, probably. Dogs also love watching their handlers do frankly weird and amusing things while all they have to do is enjoy the show and get fed treats. LOL.

http://www.clickertraining.com/node/289

That's instructions for target-training with a 'stick' (a retractible pointer) but other trainers use a "tile" or "spot" target that rests on a surface.

Clickers are very basic operant conditioning-- it really is just as simple as in Skinner's original constructs. Some HG+ kids will do well to understand what they are doing using behavioral shaping tools. Both of the following give a good overview of clicker methodology.


http://www.dog-training-excellence.com/dog-clicker-training.html


http://www.dog-training-excellence.com/target-training-with-a-clicker.html


The single most pragmatic, useful analogy about clicker training that I have ever heard comes from an expert on the subject, and a border collie trainer/rescue operator. She suggests that trainers/handlers view the clicker as a "camera" that takes snapshots on the "click." When you click, you'll get MORE of what you just took a snapshot of-- so timing is really critical-- only take pictures of your animal doing what you are LOOKING for them to do, particularly if you are free shaping a new behavior.

One really awesome thing about this kind of dogging is that ANY dog can now be entered into AKC events with a companion registry-- and you can train in tiny amounts of time, really-- a few minutes here and there. Yes, it adds up-- but it is seldom a ton of time at ONCE, so it fits nicely around other activities and commitments.

Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.