You’re Doing it Wrong
In order for this post to make sense you have to understand two things about Molly. One – Molly has an awesome memory. She learns how to do things, and does not deviate from the way she learned how to do things. She remembers being slighted by people. Two – with many dogs there are two lists; the people we like and the people we don’t. Molly only has one list – the people she likes; no one else exists. According to Fancy Dog Trainer Lady, she’s not affiliative. She doesn’t take treats from strangers. People put their hands out to greet her and she acts confused (looks at the hand, looks at the person, looks at me, then at the person, then at the hand and then at me, etc). She’s not afraid. She just doesn’t understand basic social conventions. She’s so my dog.
Elsie and I spent this lesson trying to figure out how to convince Molly to flank toward me for the crossdrive. After discussing what i was seeing the few times i’d tried to flank her, we decided to head back to the little sorting box (4×4 pen). The little pen allows for significantly more control. First, we started with basic flanks; i stand in the middle and she did beautiful little flanks and little fetches. Then… after completing a little fetch i walked with my back to the fence. The hope was that i could allow her inertia to come all the way around and push them off of me. Or not.
You see, this is what i should have been doing: Since she was balking at the balance point and flipping around… i should have been stopping her at the balance point and THEN calling her ‘away to me – here’ or ‘here – away to me’, whichever works. But that’s not how it works in the small pen to Molly. You’re supposed to go to balance. *I* was apparently doing it wrong. So she’d start to slow down after she went to balance, i’d down her and then she’d not come toward me.
But i was having learning problems of my own. I couldn’t anticipate the stop and down her at the right time. Then i couldn’t get to the side of the sheep to call Molly to me. After watching me struggle, Elsie went in with Molly. While Elsie and Molly have met a number of times, it just never really dawned on me that they were in the same space but not interacting. So as i watched Elsie try to handle Molly – with lots of Yes! and encouragement – it was obvious that in Molly’s mind she was working for a stranger and she was not happy about it. After a little work, Molly would walk to Elise and she could be helped to cross over. That would be after she slipped through the gate at the least amount of pressure. Poor spoiled beastie.
When I traded spots with Elsie, she was better and I could see what i was doing wrong. I’m still not getting to the right place every time but i’ll get there. After a little convincing she’d come toward me, but not in front of me. Why? Because she thinks you’re not supposed to do that. After taking her by the collar and using it to guide her in front of me once of twice she was coming more easily to me. Little by little the place that she is balking is getting just a touch closer to me and further off balance.
So the lesson here is to help her learn to complete the flank. That Away to Me and Come Bye aren’t always just about going to the top, but sometimes is going in a circle.
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