Seven has a sick obsession... ME. I have never had a dog so intensely focused on me. I am finding it to be both a good and bad trait. Obviously, focus is great for the competition ring where there are so many distractions. I would not call Seven bombproof, but she appears to have no issues with her environment simply because she does not give much attention to anything other than me.
Seven's recalls are awesome. She even fell down once because she turned so fast she lost her footing. I can call her off of a toy I have thrown. Before all the winter weather started, we had the opportunity to walk fence lines on a 20+ acre property. Unlike Riley, Seven checks in regularly and keeps tabs on me. She even chased a rabbit into some brush and then immediately checked in with me.
The downfall is that Seven is not good at being quiet and calm in her crate. She gets very anxious and loud if she thinks I am doing something that should involve her. It does not matter if I am training another dog, setting up a course, or sitting in a chair. Or whether she can see or not see. Or whether she has company or no company. Seven screams and yelps regardless. Unfortunately, she will also chew crate bars and has already damaged her teeth. She is more than happy to get in the crate because of all the Kongs, bully sticks, and treats she has received, but she quickly gets worked up and begins to protest. Me... I hate it! And despite all my efforts, there has not been much improvement. At the most recent agility trial, I crated Riley in the building and Seven out in the van because I did not want to listen to her and she seems to do best completely removed from the situation (or maybe I do best).
Otherwise, Seven's training is progressing. She is doing a lot of jumps and tunnels. The teeter is almost full height and we are working hard on weave poles. The weather has not been very cooperative so training has been sporadic and I have neglected to use my camera as often as I usually do. There was one week where we were iced in for several days and I was sick with a cold at the same time. There was an entire week that I did not train the greyhounds... that only happens when I am out of town.
All in all, we are trying to train as much as we can and I will try to do better with pictures and videos. I leave you with Seven's frog legs.
