Goals progress report

Here's what I wrote this time last year:

"My goals for Walter's 2007 flyball year are for him to do independent full runs as part of a line-up. Once he realizes that he's supposed to pick up the ball and bring it, then the rest will fall into place... Come on Wally, we've got all year, you can do it!!"

Well, he's not quite there yet. Ok, he's got a long ways to go, quite literally. He doesn't like to run on ahead of me, even if starting from only two jumps back, nevermind four. The exception to this rule is if no one else is around, in which case he's not shy and does it no problem. On the bright side though, we finally managed to convince him of the merits of picking up the ball and bringing it, so that's one hurdle overcome.

By the end of 2008 it would be great if he can (a) catch the ball from a sprung box (which we only just started to do last practice); (b) drive out ahead to do the run even if people are around; (c) smooth out his turn; and (d) do it all in head-to-head and in a lineup.

Ohh!! I just now thought of something that may just help him learn to love driving out ahead of me in a busy flyball environment. I'll try it at our next practice.