Training Day 23

When we got there today all of the dogs, except Bailey were playing in the Tennis Courts. Bailey was in the den inside of his crate. He was so happy to see me today. Since the Tennis Courts were in use I decided to do bell training. He did amazingly well today and looked up at me, or came over to me every single time I rang the bell. I have kind of decided that the bell ringing meant "look at me" since Bailey is always around me. When we first began training I wanted the bell to mean "come to me". But since Bailey will always be near me(either on leash, hanging out or playing) I decided the bell just needed to mean "look at me" and then from that point I can direct him to the task I want.
So when his buddies went inside from the Tennis Courts it was time for another game of hide and seek. He totally remembered the game and did great! My aide is starting to phase him out of the verbal commands and starting to only use head and eye commands. He's excellent at sitting and staying without verbal cues.But since "Go find Eva", is new to him he's having a little more trouble figuring it out without using verbal commands. It will come. At one point he found me in the gated side run of the Tennis Courts. When my aide came in to start a new round of the game she told Bailey to sit and stay but when I turned to go and hide (like I usually do) he would not stay with my aide. Eventually after my aide went ballistic with happy voices/dances he finally decided to stay with her. He was having a hard time staying because unlike the previous games he could not see me out of the corner of his eye as I was leaving to hide.  After he was tired we went back inside and he crashed out.
When my aide was fixing lunch Bailey  found a small disassembled plastic squeaker from a ripped up toy (don't ask me where he unearthed it from). He was having a good old time chewing it up and I was nervous he was going to swallow it so I stared at him with intensity and he immediately dropped it and left it alone. What a good boy.
After lunch I wanted to do one more session of hide and seek. He did amazing! We walked him back to the house without a leash and when he was told to "get busy" he seemed to do it right on command. Then it was crate time and I left for the day.