I confess I’m overloaded on many fronts – pain is uncontrolled, too many drugs are leaving me groggy, stress from parents, guilt over not training enough. Yadda yadda.
Anyway, yesterday and today we worked on retrieving. Yesterday he Got It. He suddenly made the leap from pulling and mouthing the dumbbell to holding it – and it was dramatic. Lipping, rolling, yanking, getting clicked for the smallest break in movement – and suddenly he grabbed the bar, closed his mouth on it, and made solid steady eye contact with me. This? Yes, little one! This!
And today he has it in his brain. With very little discussion he was able to pick it up from the floor and hold it long enough for me to get it. From there, another very small discussion for him to pick it up and continue to hold it while I reached for it and held it with him.
Finally I was able to toss it 5′ away and have him bring it back and hold with me, albeit in three steps (pick it up and bring it close, pick it up and give it to me, pick it up and remember to hold on to it when I reach for it). And I ALMOST got to pet him on the head while he held it.
Then I took him for a run in the mud.