Max is such a love sponge! He wants so badly to be best friends with everyone that he often forgets that he is large and he has is exceptionally strong. Keeping him from accidentally acting like a fool is a chore.
Today we reviewed Heel/Autosit which he already kind of knows. We are using a shock collar which he is already used to and I also am using a Titan prong collar to help get his attention on the leash. He has gotten so used to pulling through corrections that the new sensation of the prong collar will help get him back into working mode. Right now his "normal" is to frantically pull on the leash and the pinch collar reminds him not to and it allows the handler to use a lower level of correction on the electronic collar
We also started the Implied Stay, which means that if I put him into a Sit (or later a Down) he must hold it there, even if I move away. Basically, for a dog like Max this is the hardest thing ever. But he made progress today.
We also started Down and that was an argument. But after a few battles he started to understand that when he lays down he gets and ear scratch and when he doesn't he gets corrected. Still a long ways to go but for day 1 of 7 I am very pleased.
Right now Max is playing with Ace and the other boarder, Cooper. Kylie is observing imperiously from my feet but can't be moved into the indignity of playing with a bunch of rambunctious boys.
Tomorrow it is down to more work on what we started today and introducing the Come command with an implied Sit.