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    I'm on the internet tonight, shopping for cheap sheets, all in the name of excellence in dog training.

    This spree is at the recommendation of my trainer, Mary Vogler.  For several weeks she's been away, or our schedules haven't meshed, and I haven't been able to visit her for the training sessions I consider vital to Spur's progress.

    This morning I was able to reach her by phone to gauge her reaction to a revelation that struck me, in the shower of course.  And the result of that conversation is that I am now shopping for sheets.

    What's this all about?

    We emerged legless from the recent AKC trials at CalExpo for two reasons.  One is that on Day 1, I was overcome by nervousness and totally blew the handling of one exercise.  The other is that on Days 2 and 3, Spur simply would not do the go out exercise.

    This is the exercise in which I command him to run away from me until I tell him to stop.  Then, via hand signal, I direct him to take one of the two jumps in the ring. 

    On Day 1, Spur did the goes, but shakily.  On Day 2, he was mystified by the command.  On Day 3, he went out, first over the bar jump, then over the high.  Both of which are disqualifying moves.

    But why was he so confounded by this familiar exercise?  Knowing the goes to be a problem, I'd made the exercise a focus for several weeks.  The result was that he did lovely goes at the match one week earlier, running out towards nothing.  In the park, we've been practicing with babygates, to great success.  At home, he runs out to a ribbon, a cone, a babygate, a post - anything I set up.

    At Cal Expo, we arrived early and practiced doing the go-out to the babygates outside conformation rings.  And yet, from inside the ring, my command to "go" produced only confusion.

    When we went back to the park to practice following our CalExpo failures, he returned to form with lovely go outs. 
   
    This was making me crazy. 

    And then, this morning, a flashbulb popped in my head.

    When I stood in the ring at CalExpo, I clearly saw the babygates and stanchions that formed the ring.  In fact, the area behind the ring was bounded by tall drapes of cloth, big blocks of blue and white.  This is what Spur was looking at, contrasting blocks (because he can't see color) that may well have obscured the familiar gates.

    Dogs are situational.  Every dog trainer knows that the big job is to make everything familiar.  But sometimes this is easier said than done.  To make it familiar we must first learn to see the situation through the dog's eyes.  And that is not so easy.

    But I am giving it a try - and for now, that means sheet shopping, so I can drape my gates with contrasting wide stripes, and familiarize Spur with that visual.  It seems so obvious.  But it took me days to realize the background could be an issue.

    Mary, of course, understood the problem immediately, had dealt with it herself, and had an immediate solution.  Yet another reason why her insight and knowledge are so invaluable.

    Once Spur is more experienced, he'll learn to be comfortable in different settings.  But for now, every details matters . . . much.

    Our next shows, coming up in May, will be outdoors.  I'll be practicing in the park.  I'll be sending him out toward people in chairs, as they might be in these venues.  And I will have the sheets at the ready, for a time when they'll be needed.

    Am I truly on the right track?  Spur will let me know.