Working on my freestyle routine in pieces. I'm feeling good about it. Lots of fun! Doing a mix of listening to it and going through the motions without Tom and going through the commands with Tom but no music. Realizing that it is one huge behavior chain! Like maybe 40 behaviors.
First verse is:
pre-music-- touch (jump up), hup (jump on me), sit, touch
Music-- target plate, come, jump, spin with me, down, dead dog, down, dead dog.
That's the first verse out of five.

I have the first and last verse well planned and about half the moves put into the middle. Maybe 3/4. Haven't worked on the middle with Tom yet.

Worked with Opal on teaching her to blow "bubbles", today. I think she does get it but she likes to see if dipping her nose in is good enough or if she really has to blow bubbles. I've been rewarding the first nose dip to give her the right idea but will probably stop rewarding nose dips and raise the criteria to first doing a little bubble. I'm afraid if I wait for the finished behavior at the beginning of each trial she'll quit on me. The challenge with Opie is asking for more but not letting her quit.