My friend, Mary, got me started on a habit that I like very much. It's actually sort of addictive. Heeling to music helps me keep a rhythmic pace. The dogs really seem to pick up the beat, and it seems so much more enjoyable than drilling the heel.
With Samurai, I've started having him "pop" up for a treat on the left hand turns. Turn, take one step and pop up for treat. It's really getting him to dig in and power around those turns.
Taylor is working hard on his dumbell, and I'm working hard to try to throw it correctly. We use the smallest size dumbell made and it is very hard to throw it any distance accurately. It's kind of like throwing a toothpick with pieces of wood on the sides. I am improving, or at least I hope so.
One thing I'm trying is throwing the dumbell with the long end leading, getting it a bit of a spin as it is released. This helps it not bounce around so much, and it sort of digs in as it lands.
The other thing about a small dumbell is that it is very hard for the dog to see, especially when it falls up against white ring gating. Taylor's eyesight is not all that sharp, so I give him a hand on that one.
When you're working at the far extremes of a sport, you have to make allowances for what is normal within that particular context.
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