"On the Mat"

So today was the idea that I introduced the cue and pushed Bran's little brain a bit harder.

This morning, I placed the mat several steps away from me and introduced "on the mat" as he settled himself into a sit - which he did with no bother because he is now Super Bran who is not phased by the fact that the mat is in a different place, that he has an audience, or anything! Each time he settled, I clicked and treated several times with him in place, then threw the treat away to get him to move. Each time he headed straight back, with a big waggy tail and a big smiley face, and went straight into a sit on the mat :o)

Later this morning, we went out into the garden and I placed the mat even further away from me. This time there were a few hesitations and a few rather cheeky moments like this one.....



......but he quickly remembered what he was supposed to be doing.....



NB. Although Bran's demeanour isn't that of a happy, excited dog in the videos, please trust me when I say that this is purely because the camera is out and not because I am wielding a very large stick and forcing him to perform ;o)

All in all, I am absolutely thrilled with the progress that we have made in a few short days and to have Bran trying to force interaction and being so keen a participant in his short learning sessions is just amazing.

Morag - I don't know how I'll ever thank you!! It feels like a whole new world of possibilities has opened up.