Shaping to Combine Physical and Mental Exercise

Lily is shaping savvy.  And she has great shaping stamina.  We have shaped for fun ever since she was a puppy.  She loves this "game" and seemingly never tires of a shaping session.

At 5AM there are few things better to exercise Lily both physically and mentally than shaping.

A seemingly simple shaping exercise.....I thought.  But, not so!

I want to teach Lily to "go" and continue "going" until I tell her to halt.  I began in the tile "hallway" between the front door and the living room.  Just shaping.  But Lily kept moving backwards.  I want her to move forwards.

I was slow on the uptake.  And getting frustrated.  Until I thought of giving her a target to go to.  I guess I was lumping.  Of course I was lumping.  I wanted her to walk from my chair the entire distance to the living room.  Once I put a carpet piece just a few feet away, she turned and walked to the carpet. I am clicking the movement and not the arrival.

Back and forth.  Back and forth.  Trotting back and forth.

Farther and farther moving the square.

Eventually the square was IN the living room.  Back and forth.

THEN.....I moved my chair back a few feet and Lily lost the behavior.  She sat.  She lay down.  She nose targeted the exercise ball.  And when I moved my chair back to its original place I had to also bring the carpet square closer.

Then she added heading for the carpet, detouring around a dining room pole before continuing forward.

What began as a seemingly simple shaping exercise turned into an interesting training exercise.

However.......she received both the physical and mental exercise that I desired.