I personally love threads like these so New Year's is tomorrow, time to reflect and (if you're into this, I know some people purposefully don't) make resolutions or stake out goals for next year.
For me, 2014 was the year of learning:
Rally and nosework basics. Took a few classes, and am eager to delve more into these two sports in 2015.
That Astro doesn't care for agility. He's not built for it, either, which probably plays a role in his dislike.
What type of dog I like: hounds and more hounds and did I mention hounds?, plus a small handful of giants and spitzes, with the odd sporter or terrier, and a smattering of "outliers" (Shar Pei, Chows). Anything else is a no-go, no matter what I try to convince myself or how many people tell me to get this or that dog and that I need XYZ if I want to do ABC...
Similarly, that I cannot live with frenetic, twitchy, barky, bitey, overly reactive dogs and not wind up wanting to kill them. Working with them at work is somehow entirely different and I enter a zen state where the dog doesn't bother me, I care only about modifying behavior:rofl1:
To reward more often, and care more about reward placement. I was so worried about huge things when I first got Astro (OMG this 9 week old puppy just slammed me down in a RG fit!!!!) that I sort of disengaged with mechanics, but now that Astro is a reformed RG and all-around ok dog, I got to go back and play around more with the clicker.
What I accomplished:
Astro's CGC
Two apprenticeships in dog fields
Taught my first ever classes
Went to ClickerExpo Europe and an Ian Dunbar seminar, did a full participation in a 5-day BAT seminar (aced the test but haven't had the opportunity to do much BAT since ).
Goals for 2015:
Get a title on Astro in something, will probably be NW1 or RN. I don't care what the sport is, just that we both have fun doing it
Get myself a whippet puppy! Then put the foundations on him or her. Would really like to do puppy agility stuff with the little sprite, I miss agility, though I know I'll have to wait to play around too much.
Go to at least 2 seminars
Apply for an animal behavior course in England - you know, nothing too crazy
For me, 2014 was the year of learning:
Rally and nosework basics. Took a few classes, and am eager to delve more into these two sports in 2015.
That Astro doesn't care for agility. He's not built for it, either, which probably plays a role in his dislike.
What type of dog I like: hounds and more hounds and did I mention hounds?, plus a small handful of giants and spitzes, with the odd sporter or terrier, and a smattering of "outliers" (Shar Pei, Chows). Anything else is a no-go, no matter what I try to convince myself or how many people tell me to get this or that dog and that I need XYZ if I want to do ABC...
Similarly, that I cannot live with frenetic, twitchy, barky, bitey, overly reactive dogs and not wind up wanting to kill them. Working with them at work is somehow entirely different and I enter a zen state where the dog doesn't bother me, I care only about modifying behavior:rofl1:
To reward more often, and care more about reward placement. I was so worried about huge things when I first got Astro (OMG this 9 week old puppy just slammed me down in a RG fit!!!!) that I sort of disengaged with mechanics, but now that Astro is a reformed RG and all-around ok dog, I got to go back and play around more with the clicker.
What I accomplished:
Astro's CGC
Two apprenticeships in dog fields
Taught my first ever classes
Went to ClickerExpo Europe and an Ian Dunbar seminar, did a full participation in a 5-day BAT seminar (aced the test but haven't had the opportunity to do much BAT since ).
Goals for 2015:
Get a title on Astro in something, will probably be NW1 or RN. I don't care what the sport is, just that we both have fun doing it
Get myself a whippet puppy! Then put the foundations on him or her. Would really like to do puppy agility stuff with the little sprite, I miss agility, though I know I'll have to wait to play around too much.
Go to at least 2 seminars
Apply for an animal behavior course in England - you know, nothing too crazy