Back when we first started working with Wendy the Trainer she asked lots of questions about what types of services we'd ultimately like for Charlie to provide. Near the top of our list were things related to safety, and in particular, herding and tracking Tim.
One game that she suggested to get Charlie used to tracking Tim was hide-n-seek. It's pretty basic and Tim gets quite a chuckle out of it. It goes something like this:
1. Put Charlie in a Sit-Stay;
2. Give Tim a treat to hold making sure that Charlie sees it;
3. Tell Tim to go hide (when we first met Charlie we never had Tim hide very far away but now he can even go upstairs and hide);
4. Tell Charlie to "Find Tim" and then issue the release command ("OK").
It seems to be great fun for both of them and leaves them both feeling successful in the game. Our plan is to keep honing this skill so that one day, should the need ever arise, we'll be able to rely on Charlie to keep Tim safe. Just another of the countless reasons we're thankful for Chuck!
