Training, Day 2

I just finished my second training event with Scout. Like any new behavior I tend to teach my dog I do a quick review session where I don't ask anything we haven't already practiced. So tonight with Scout I started him on leash right next to his target and didn't use any cues but click and treated him for laying down on target. Now you'll remember from Training Day 1 I finished on a positive note and happened to throw the word "Car" out there and have Scout lay down on target with it. This was moving too fast and purely coincidental that he actual downed.
I ideally should have a more specific plan written out, but I don't and I probably won't. However, I am recording every session so I can review and make alterations where needed. Tonights session being a perfect example of having to do that.
So back to the session. I primed Scout with some close proximity targeting of the blanket. He quickly remembered the game we were playing and we were able to move through review with ease. Then I decided I would walk him away from the target to get him standing again. Starting with just a few steps away and moving more to 10-15 feet. As we started approaching again I tried using the verbal "Car" and found, no pun intended, that it back fired. The thing with training is you can't change too many things at once. I hadn't really done enough practice on the approach and target the blanket to also be adding the verbal. I don't believe it was the walking distance but the distance of which I stopped myself from the target that was too much for Scout to process. He hadn't entirely associated the target as his mark as it was to lay down right in front of me. When I positioned myself 3 feet away he was missing his target by about a foot and downing right in front of me. This was an indicator to me that I was moving, what do you know, too fast. So when Scout missed his target I turned and walked a few steps away and he followed. I then stopped at ~ 2 feet from the target (I was about 1 foot away when we started yesterday). Scout would look over his shoulder for the blanket, back up and down. Jackpot! Several treats one right after another! Then I went back to being right on top of the target again. He was dead on and after the jackpot a bit quicker about downing on the blanket. After 3-4 repetitions at about 1 foot distance, I moved back to about 2 feet again from the target. Scout had caught on! He was approaching the target (blanket) and dropping into a down no sooner than his feet touching it. Perfect! This is what I was hoping for. I did about 3-4 more repetitions of us walking out about 10-15 feet and on the approach back I would stop anywhere from 2-3 feet away from the target and wait for him to down. He continued to be quick and we once again quit while we were ahead. I just want to remind you I tried the verbal at the very beginning of the session today and quickly dropped it as it was too early. So at this point Scout is choosing to go to the target with out any cue such as pointing or telling him to down. Baby steps folks but we'll get there!