Last 30 minutes...

Alright. Since that last intro, we've spent the last 30 minutes doing some happy marker training. Working on positions, and just basic stuff. We started the session with food, and ended with a toy... I was tired of getting my fingers chomped. A happy, hungry DS is a slightly nippy beast at times. Have you ever tried to hand feed 5 cups of kibble in a marker training session? It takes a long time.... As for being overly excited taking it from me, I didn't want to squash the drive and correct him for being rough, so i just UPPED the drive, and brought out a ball. :) ...kibble can wait till it's in a bowl for tonight, when my finders are NOT involved...
Break down of German training commands:
Fuss - Heel (at left side, while looking @ handlers face)
Sitz - Sit
Platz - Down
Steh - Stand
Blieb - Stay (not used in SchH, but it's a good reminder in training at times)
Hier - Come to front (sit immediately in front of the handler)
Gib Laut - Speak
Aus - Out (drop it)

What I found: (most of which I've known- but it'll be nice to see it written down in front of me)
When Koenig is in doubt of what I'm asking for, he'll offer Fuss. He can find Fuss from ANY position, and it's very clear in his mind what this means. I'm not saying he always gets it perfect.... but he understands. He can find it from across a room, or from being aligned in heel position on my right side, does not matter, he'll get there when I ask for it. (and generally pretty darn quick!)

Hier is tough for him, in that the position isn't solidified in his head. From a recall he knows to come to front, but from Fuss, I'm having to step off with my left leg, to help bring him around front to Heir. He will get there 50% of the time from my right side w/o help, but still needs assistance the other 50% of the time. I need to help clarify this for him. He should be able to find the front position as easily as he can Fuss.

Reasons not to hand feed a overly excited DS... CHOMP.

Sits Platz and Steh...... Sits and Platz we're good to go in any order, but with the Steh, he's most consistent about getting it the first time w/ no negative marker if I'm standing next to him, and he's at my left side. If he's in front of me, or any distance away, we're about 50/50 on him getting it the first time. If he does not get it correct, he gets a negative mark (Nope) and he knows he needs to try again. Need to put more work into the stand, when he's at different places in relation to me, inside, in a low distraction environment for awhile before taking the work outside and proofing it. I've been working on the stand at training, but now it's clear to me that he really does not totally get the command, and I need to back it up for him.
Had some very very nice heeling, but that was expected, as we're in the living room (It's COOOOLD outside).

Did some silly agility stuff. Jumped dining room chairs, no big deal for my bouncing brindle boy. He sure does love to jump!

Thats it for tonight. Work early in the morning, so it's off to bed!