Elena & Indie, Miniature Schnauzer, 7 months old

So target training going well! 🙂 You can slowly bring the bowls more in line with the mat for one part of the session (to teach her to run straight through the target – like she will eventually have to on the DW). But don’t hurry, you can keep a small C for a long time, if they are completely in line, she can start focusing on the rewards more than she does on the target. For the second half of the session you can keep the bowl on one end more or less in line with the mat, but place the other one even more to the left/right so she also learns to go to the target and turn sharply. Now and than you can also just have her go to the target and come back. It is ok to move/run along as long as she stays focused and makes good hits. When she is not, get more passive again and help her focus on the target again. And yes when you are moving, it is good to try everything. To be far in front, to be behind, to be sideways, to be close,…

– I don’t have any special method for A-frame usually. After they learn the dog-walk, A-frame usually comes easy. We might use the same target for a couple of sessions, but A-frame usually comes easy if they understand DW well.

– The second dog of the same handler is usually the auditing price. But the next LPA will only start in May and I think you want some continuation with Indie, so if you want we can make some individual arrangement for both dogs.

In general good job, but when working indoors, try to use some carpet or something to prevent her from slipping. She slipped quite a lot in the cik/cap session and that is quite demotivating. Other than that, she seemed quite talented and she kept trying even when she wasn’t rewarded immediately…. 100% verbal discrimination is quite difficult and it requires lots and lots of practise. But it can be a good challenge for winter days. Although still at this age for me it is more important to try teach as many different tricks as possible and not neccessary perfecting them.
What you really need now (agility wise) is to teach her to go wrap even from some distance and with you moving along and even with the toy in your hand. So when you are standing on the field she is able to search for wings/jumps and not just jump into you. Handling is almost never just verbal, there is also a visual component, so for me working on verbal discrimination alone is already masters degree. 🙂
Target – I think at first she just didn’t realise you are having a shaping session. Different environment made her a bit distracted. But once she figured it out, she was doing well. Next time you can try with just some static “touch the target and come back” repetitions to get her in the shaping mode and than gradually add movement from bowl to bowl. Although I think she will remember what to do next time. 😉

Starting with the plank training parallel will do no harm, but if you are planing to do the target, I see no reason to hurry, take some more days to teach the target perfectly and than combine with the plank. 🙂

I mean target makes things easier – because it defines what you want a bit better. So nothing wrong with your way. 🙂 Sometimes with young pups I would just do running up the plank and hide a treat behind the edge as a pre-exercise – so they like running to the edge of something. But it doesn’t make a huge difference in the end. Both approaches are ok.