RBI Touch It

Plan: Touch It with nose and feet, on 22' line, increasing distance

Equipment: cones in various locations, tarp, ball, upside down large garbage pail

Large pylons with ropes were in front of mirrors, causing Z stress and sending her RBI. I found myself rushing in my head to have her touch as many different things as quickly as possible. Even though I wasn't physically doing this, she noticed my emotions and shut down further. I stopped, gave her stretches, and played with lead by the leg, this brought her out of it, and me too!  Instead of thinking about touching everything, I slowed myself way down and focused on each item individually and Z's response to it. I'm learning, slowly but surely, as well.

Today Z taught me:  Can direct Z to touch familiar things from longer distance, but new things, or when in a new place (eg. cones in different places than on floor) she needs me close to teach her what she is supposed to do, or maybe to give her confidance.

With the tarp, I sat on the garbage pail and directed her from more than 10 feet away, yo yoing her back when her ears went back. This increased her confidence and she volunteered to touch it with her feet. Then when asked to come forward she did, with ears forward!!! Nice, we quit at that successful point.

Maybe she was more confident with the tarp today because I was further away, so not "nagging" her with my presence/pressure?