Practiced rally tonight. Am SO pleased with Eli, he's taken to heeling so well. He just looks up at me so unceasingly that I feel as though I'm wearing a raw steak as a hat or something. And all of a sudden, his finishes have *clicked*. He moves smoothly and unerringly right into position, and I'm so proud of him.
And I'm so frustrated at myself where Nike's concerned. He's rally embodied when he's off-leash. On-leash he turns into a wandering, sniffing, uncertain dog, which I know are signs that he's stressed. But I've been trying to make the leash a GOOD thing. He gets treats when it's on, he gets praise and attention. Tonight, I thought I would make it easy, no rally, just me and him walking in circles in the backyard. And he'll focus on me for a little bit, and then check out a little. It's frustrating, because I can't figure out how to make the leash less threatening for him. But I'll keep plugging on, every little bit of leash fun will help.
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