Scorch and I took a few weeks off (to my dismay). Tonight I made time to take him to the train track field again. I've been re-reading Shaping Success and we worked on the Premack Principle tonight. We went out without a tennis ball, but of course he managed to find one.

Loose leash walking to the field went VERY well, probably the best it's ever been. We worked on fronts on the way and heel-up. A group on a porch commented that he was a good dog. *beam*

In the field, we worked on recall. I'm thinking of using the word "front" for my show recalls. That seemed to work better with Jack and let him know I needed a specific position. Right finish was a bit awkward, especially since I forgot what command I was using (finish? return? I think it's finish...).

His free heeling was excellent. We kept it in short bouts. On a break, he found the aforementioned tennis ball and I made him leave it, heel up, and/or stay before allowing him to take it. I used the hand signal for directional take-its to get him accustomed to that signal. I'll have to be careful to not always pair it with the release.

His stays overall were really nice, although he was a bit shifty when the tennis ball was out. We ended it on a high note. His loose leash walking fell apart on the way back when we passed a beagle, but he made friends with her, so I'm pleased.

A nice return to training overall.