Tango shows 'em how to do it!

Tango was really up for it when we went training the other day. Always keen, she was showing the other dogs what it was all about!!!

Here she is waiting for the next retrieve!!

Walking well to heel, always looking up to check where the current handler ( in this case, Gaynor) she really showed her paces on 11th March.

Tango went exactly where she was sent; back, left, right or diagonally across the field and dropped immediately to the stop whistle.

She stayed well, though was keen to get back to Gaynor as were her training pals who were jealous of not only the attention she was getting but her performance - they are now out to compete with her!!!! Yes - even the chocolates :)

My that girl's good!!

We enjoyed the usual beginners class this afternoon. As Tango had been so good last week, the lead came off once we were in the field. She heeled well off the lead all around the other dogs, even walking past Gaynor :). When it came to 'sit and stay' she was much calmer and stayed put really well, no lead, as she was left whilst the handlers walked around the circle. She stayed put even when the newcomer, a gorgeous spaniel pup decided to play and enticed a few of the other dogs along. The system was made much more complicated by moving away from the dogs in a line and past other dogs and their handlers who had also left their dogs!!! Tango handled this well also, although on a couple of occasions she did need to be returned to post!



On the sit and stay along the line exercise, last weeks wait of a count to 5 was improved through 7, 10 and finally 20 before she was called!!! Yeah!!!

Later, getting towards the end of the lesson, still off the lead she saw someone putting a dummy out and decided it was hers. Well, I needed some exercise so running down the field was good for me.

When it got to Tango's turn it was me that got it wrong so we had to do it again, the correct way...and once I had set her up properly, she stood, waited and 'went back' beautifully. What a little star,

My how the little girl is growing up!!

Having had the privilege of handling Tango in the beginners class for one or two weeks, it has been rewarding to see how quickly she is learning. After a week where she wasn't too sure whether she wanted to listen to me, we had a great hour with Gaynor in order to come to an arrangement - that she would do as I say and I would give her a fuss when she does so!!! It was a most enjoyable hour and she and I had an opportunity to get to know each other. I certainly honed my handling skills! That Sunday, Tango definitely remembered and was very good; heeling, sitting, staying. I did keep the lead on since there are a lot of dogs to cope with. So this Sunday I set off to collect Tango for the class. Opening the kennel just enough to let Tango out and calling her name, out she nipped. Closing the kennel I turned to look for Tango, fully expecting to see her having a lovely run around the garden. However,there was no Tango to be seen, but I did feel some pressure on my left calf and looked down to see her standing there, looking up at me, her tail wagging - so very cute and so good!!! This bade well for a great lesson. It was amazingly rewarding to have her work really well, heeling, sitting and staying - all off the lead. The final activity; we set out two at a time, dogs at heel and leaving them about 50 yards away. Tango was first to recall in our pair as she had done so well, I didn't want her to fail and this was the first time she had been asked to do this. However, when it came to the retrieve, we made her wait and she was so good. All in all it was a lovely class and Tango showed what a first class dog she is - and very sweet too. I keep meaning to get some photos. I will try to do that this week, even if it means going and annoying Gaynor during the week.

Sitting and staying with 'gotchas'

Well, it has been some time since I have blogged here. That doesn't mean that nothing is happening with Tango. She continues to grow as a lovely, happy pup. Enjoying playing with pups Beebee and Kenny, she is very fit and sociable; visitors enjoy saying 'hello' :)

Tango has been getting used to other dogs and people in the beginner classes. Walking very well on the lead, she sits and stays well on her own with her trainer. The 'gotchas' are added in the class where sitting and staying with many other dogs around is quite hard. However, she settled down quickly on her first time in the class and has been more relaxed each time. She will sit and stay although she pays close attention to where her handler is!

It is lovely to see how relaxed she is with the other dogs, taking a brief sniff at those coming close but otherwise remaining steady.

If the weather gives us a chance we will try to get some nice photos up next time.

Mistigri'd at the beginners class 24th July 2010

Tango continues to grow – unsurprisingly since she is being well fed and watered. She also continues to thoroughly enjoy playing with her friends Beebee, Kenny and Billy. Chase and roll are two of her favourite games. Of course she has also been learning all the good stuff; sitting, walking to heel, returning when called as well as retrieving dummies to the ‘go back’ command. She is very good at all these things, especially returning with gusto!! On Sunday she had a special treat and went out, not alone with Gaynor, but into the beginners’ class with all manner of other dogs. At first it was very exciting and tricky for her to keep still, let alone sit still. However, over the class she began to sit nicely and to not pay too much attention to dogs coming close to her. Sitting while being left was hard, but as the class continued through, she became much more confident and remained calm as her handler stepped away and walked around her. Best of all was the recall where the return almost, but not quite, consisted of pup and handler doing a backward roll as Tango slammed in. The next one was not quite such a great impact. Best, however, was the retrieve where she went straight out and back with the dummy.Good girl Tango!!!

All work and no play makes Tango a bored girl. Here she has rather a lot of fun with Kenny, Gaynor's pup.

Meanwhile Tango is learning fast to be steady when let out, whoever is doing it and to sit nicely as well as walking very well to heel.

She is a lovely, sociable little dog and is learning fast.

Looking pretty on the 12th May 2010; life isn't all hard work.

After behaving beautifully, walking to heel with a visitor, she had a lovely game with Kenny the little pup.

Tango is lying down here, but that's not always the case!!