Is Jan 18th live chat up yet? I feel like I'm missing out on training gold!

Reanne - I'm way behind on those too! I got a taste of one when I sat in on half of one and now I feel so lost without being there!!

Forrest - Since switching to the hand out to the left (see linked vid in last student vids) I've lost all forward movement. He gets stuck in stationary eye contact land. :-(

Emily, Elsa did that too!  Last night Breakthrough! My forward movement in the previous 3 or 4 sessions was minuscule, like body leaning forward slightly her head and neck move forward I click and reward, then shuffle left foot slightly, any forward movement click reward.  Once she figured out the movement part I  went back to marking for position. Last night she jumps up to moving with me! Although I haven't watched my video yet, so although it looked great from my angle it is likely not desirable lol!

Oh man, I'm feeling extremely embarrassed I didn't ask this earlier (like in HTB1).  10 years ago when I did competition heeling with CKC (I had a Newfoundland and Bloodhound) we were told to have the paws in line with the balls of your feet or the dog's leg in line with your leg.  These are pretty different and dog dependent.  Since my position with Elsa isn't really consistent, (except forging lol) does anyone have a tip to help reward in the dog in the correct place?  ex. leg with seam of pants, or breast bone can't pass leg etc?  We need help! My other dog's position is so much better and easier to mark and reward! 

This is what I reckon... use a mirror or film it and do a few reps of getting Elsa into heel position and work out what you like the look of. Check out how it looks from the side as well. Then once you know where you want her to be, you can work out how it looks from the top! Then every time you reward her in heel, consciously think about where you are rewarding her - are you drawing her backwards or forwards or outwards - and correct your reward position if it's not right. Then repeat until muscle memory kicks in.

Thanks Maelyn!  I didn't really think about what I like the look of.  I don't see many GSD's here in the obedience ring to see what they are up to, each team to their own I guess.

Then it's up to you to set the bar. No pressure!!!

I just think that if you want to be consistent, then you need to know how it looks and how it feels so you can be consistent!

Hi Maelyn,

getting aware of our own incorrect movements in a mirror, as already Forrest recommends, is without doubt a great help. But as our dogs are outdoor dogs we have no mirror there.

Now finally I have noticed, that I can see the dog and me in glassdoor which reflects too if it  is closed. Normally I have it open, because all the training stuff is in there. I can't see us  so clearly as in a mirror, but the important things I can see us. Thanks for your reminder, it made me think, what I could do and searched for a solution, but then I discovered that I had it before my nose, I simply had to close that door!

Thanks for your input. Very  useful!