I suggested to Ginger that maybe she can offer "semi-private sessions." Her normal rally classes have 6 dogs and are $85 for 6 weeks, so I said that maybe she can offer 3 week sessions, with only 3 dogs, for $85. It'd be a lot more individualized attention, and if we chose the dogs well we could do off-leash stuff w/o worrying. Once Inara got used to being off-leash around those 2 dogs, another dog could be added in. I'm not looking to get her playing with other dogs - I want her to IGNORE them entirely.
I may also just do some private sessions with Ginger out and about in the community, just for the change of scenery. We all know that dogs don't generalize, so I do maintain Inara's training elsewhere. It would be nice sometimes to have Ginger on walks in the park with me when other dogs are passing in close proximity. Not because I don't know what to do, but because my confidence increases with her around,
.Any other ideas for me as to break through this impasse? I'm going to start working hard with Inara on training/walking w/o relying on the leash to keep her by me, even outside. It will be on, of course, but only as an emergency measure. But while we're doing that, I want to DO something - classes, seminars, something.
Duh! I didn't even think about that. I just kept thinking to myself "a long line won't work in class because the room is long and skinny and she'd be able to reach the close dogs" but it finally registered that I can hold the shark line at a normal leash length so she couldn't go anywhere but wouldn't realize she isn't on leash. I'm going to do this again, just because I need to: