Seeing a dog (and handler)learn is always a big deal.
Huge congrats!

Did a couple of run throughs of the automatic sit we learned to do properly on Tuesday and Sasha definitely has it.

The first few were a little sloppy but then she did 4 good ones in a row so we had a small party and stopped training for the night. We'll keep working on this.

We also clipped one foot worth of nails and had another small party with a chunk of boiled chicken as a reward.

Yeah! My girl's brain is starting to work!

I see two brains starting to work.

Last night was nail clipping.. Chance was easier than Duke one nail each. It was Chance's first time so I didn't want to over do it. At least they both like ear cleaning!

Last night as I worked with Chance in a down, trying to lure him back to a sit, (he does not understand going back to a sit from a down yet) he stared with his head straight up in the sky at the bit of hamburger in my fingers. Like it was some sort of unattainable goal. I backed off and after a moment or two, he sat up, I rewarded that. Before his HW treatment started, I tried my very best to get him on the A-frame but he just seems to lack the confidence for it. We'll get back at that in May/June once he has a chance to be reconditioned from strict rest.

I am going to try to feed him his kibble through the crate door by hand tonight to help build more of a bond as that's really escaping us so far - no fault on either side, I feel, just taking him a really long time to truly trust a new set of people.

Duke and I have gotten an invite to a semi-private agility course this weekend which I think should be fun - it's set up for beginners so there should be nothing there that's too hard on his hips. I'm excited to see how his skills transition from the backyard to a strange place full of other dogs! Better pack the steak bits

Kristin; Is your A-frame hinged, so that it can be opened (spread) wider?

With young dogs at our training club, we open the A-frame so that it is not as steep and start off walking the dogs across it.

Yep, I dropped it down to a gentler angle once we got Duke's bad hip news back. Chance can stretch his tiny toes up to hit the last crossboard(?) but I'll drop it lower later - if I could just find something he'd go nuts for I'm sure I could get him up there I am actually re-reading your prey thread thinking of ways to try and get him to tug with me, but we'll have plenty of time to work on that. (But no sleeves, ever. His nerves are shot enough.)

IMO, the toy that had the biggest impact in the beginning was a Dogzilla treat ball. Without that, I don't know how I would have gotten her to chase anything. I gave one to another member of this forum, and she said she'll never be without one again.

After being inspired by those impressive entries in the training video contests, we've been working on Bailey being able to distinguish between her various toys and fetching them selectively on command. Still a work in progress.

OK, and this is stupid but, we've actually been working on backchaining and rolling over. We're proud of Bailey that she can respond or undertand around 70 words, phrases or commands but we also have to have the only dog in the world who has never learned to roll over. The only other little parlor tricks she does is shake hands and she can walk through my legs as I walk. All our other commands have some level of utility. Thought this would be fun and a little different.

Amber doesn't roll over either but... she does take medication on command. I taught my last dog and her to open their mouths when I say, Say Ah, then just drop pills into the gaping hole, they swallow and poof gone. Makes giving meds so much easier.