The suggestion of a cheap bath mat or towel that we could gradually cut smaller has been very helpful. I appreciated that each SD Foundations group class began with working on that– it has become semi-default for hitch while away from home. The time in classes/ homework exercises on zen while standing or moving were next level for us. Look at That has been very effective with both dogs and people, and “Watch me” has become a good indicator of whether he’s “in the game”. I’ve appreciated your encouragement to add tactile cues for hitch. I think these are going to be instrumental in advancing public access skills. The cues I came up with in class were much too awkward, but I’ve come up with new ones to re-cue.

In general, I appreciate your consistency in pointing out mistakes I don’t notice while doing them. while I had familiarity with all of the above concepts that aren’t SD specific, it’s frequently hard for me to notice errors in the moment. This was particularly helpful for missed “clickable” moments.

The location isn’t very convenient for me geographically, but I liked the space itself, and your classes were well worth the trip. I really appreciated the expectation that the dogs pause and wait at the entryway. I also appreciated your clear instructions during orientation on how to take your dog to their spot without getting in another team’s space. If you had some classes further south it would mean I could come more frequently. But, again, they were well worth the trip.

Look at That has been very helpful in him being more calm about both upsetting as well as over-exciting things. (Caroline Moore and I actually talked about how Look at That worked miracles for both Hitch and Albee 🙂 )