For the next exercise Kienan set a chair some distance from each of the mats. We were to start with the chair facing the mat. We were to call our dogs, click treat, praise, sent therm back to the mat, click treat, return to our chair but turn it so it was now facing sideways to the mat. We again were to call our dogs, click, treat, and then send them back to their mats. Finally, we were to set our chairs with our backs to the mat, call our dogs to us, click treat and than send them back to their mats. Matilda and I had been working in the backwards chair position for a while when a dog on the other side of the open space went over to another dog. Nobody was hurt, but there was a squealing sound from a little dog. It upset Matilda. She didn't want to go back in the direction of the noisy encounter to go to her bed. She walked around in front of me and then lay down in front of me. Finally she did go back to her bed.
Our last exercise was start line stay practice. Half of us put our dogs in their crates. The other half put their dogs on a sit-stay in front of a jump. The dog owners were to click and treat their dogs for staying in position. Those who could were to take a lead out position. Those of us with our dogs in their crates were to go around to the dogs on sit stays and try to distract them by jumping around, making noise, squeaking toys, finally we were to offer them treats and the dog owners were to tell them to "leave it". Matilda did really well when it was our turn, but she did become stressed and started singing when I took a lead out position as if I were about to release her to the jump.
