Hi Barbara,
I am anxiously awaiting the answer to your question. I am having this problem too!
Barbara wrote:
I wanted to go and mimic Beau, no asking things... just being there.
But then I enter the pasture and he begins to do all sort of fancy stuff, a real jambette, holding his leg still and other things he normally doesn't do so beautiful. So he is doing great things and I reward, so he gives me more... and more and more... and then I start thinking, would he do this or that, so I ask him bow, and he does this fantastic bow (but not long) and he starts doing back crunch and I go jippie!!! everything I ask, he does, so I get excited, and he does. I point at a leg and it lifts, just everything works!
Yes this is what both Blade and Lacie do!
Quote:
But we're not calm, we get overexcited. And when I stop he keeps offering. he runs out in front of me, stops and does 4 beautiful spanish walk steps. I'm hopeless, and reward. But he is definitely calling the shots at that moment.
Yes, this is exactly how it is with Lacie.(with Blade it is like this except he is calm about it, so I just laugh and try to show him again that I either want him to stop, or that I am asking for more duration) But Lacie gets way too excited and offers so many things. I think it looks so beautiful, so I reward, but then she does more and more, even when I stop asking things she still offers her favorite exercises. She also does this when she gets impatient when standing still.
Like you, I start to feel kind of helpless...
I have been trying not to reward when she offers exercises without me asking her to. Especially after she knows the exercise and cue very well. Although it is very hard for me, especially when she does them so beautifully!
I would like to hear other thoughts on this.
Good topic Barbara!