JulesP

Well done Dova!

Any results from today?? I had a good day herding training. Poppy was good. We had super light sheep for our first run and she handled them really well. She seems to work the light sheep better than the heavy ones. I had another go with Brock and he was a bit tragic. lol. He would do a very nice instinct test though! During the actual work he alternated between running off and saying hi to the people watching and taking chunks of wool out of the sheepies! Forgot to mention - there were some corgis there today. They worked really nicely. This herding group is really getting an interesting mix of dogs.

Checked in to read your results. Very sorry Nina

That sounds like a good idea! I would want to do something different in the stays though. ie stay right in front of my dog. And that might upset the other dogs. Poppy would not cope at all with other dogs coming up to her. Kallistar's story actually made me feel sick!

Errr why??

Have fun guys! I am going to a lesson on Saturday. I'm going to take my older dog as well this time to see if I can get him working now I have more of an idea.

You will be doing lootttsss of footwork in your class. There is a handout too if you ask the instructor.

Gee you are brave Dova. I am still being a sook about started!! This is what I normally do - Walk across the mouth of the obstacle (not in it though). When you are at the fence dog should be just level with the obstacle, drop dog. Walk very quickly out around obstacle, sending dog around as you go. If you move quickly enough the dog should send sheep through obstacle before they can follow you out. Walk along obstacle.

I've had some going from night to day issues. Same equipment too. Both dogs have also had kittens when going over a dog walk with a tunnel under it for the first time!

What I did was sit on the ground, getting slightly hysterical (prior border refused to retrieve) and begged Poppy to pick the damn dumbell up. There may have been tears too. My lovely little girl cocked her head at me and went and picked the stupid thing up! ;) ;) :worship:

I did have this problem with Poppy, at about the same stage. If I was standing past the second pole she would cut into the line of weaves without going around the first one. Susan says to not make it easier when they make a mistake but I used to just back up a bit if this happened. She soon worked out that she needed to go into the first entrance. I think this comes from the wrapping around the poles at the start and them thinking that going around any pole will make you happy. I think the temptation is to go too fast as Susan seems to go so fast in her videos. I went backwards a couple of times when it became apparent that I had rushed a stage.

Thanks Agility Dogs. Your CK does remind me a heap of Brock. Yes Brock is very soft and does hate making a mistake. He has been quite tricky to train in general. Yep I've watched One Jump. Brock was fairly tragic at the exercises. So I tried with Poppy and she was good! p.s. the reason I keep doing with agility with Brock is he does love it! His tail wags away (in a gentle fashion!) lol.

I said that because if they were a different breed then I wouldn't get half the negative comments about their speed that I get. I would get 'good on you for having a go' comments. I've owned BC for 18 years Pax. Both dogs main motivator is me. Which is why they run as fast as me. Unfortunately I don't run real fast anymore. I do have good trainers. However I know that there are other handling systems which is what this thread is about. I wanted to know if other systems allowed for closer handling.

One thing I really need to work on is not stopping dead with shock when a move goes right!

That is a bit cheeky! I would be catching mine, slapping them on lead and putting them in the car for that. Brock is umm super friendly and I can see him going and kissing the judge in the middle of a run

Doing the herding has taught me a heap about what my dogs do 'naturally'. That is what I mean. They naturally aren't run in a straight line miles away from me type herding dogs. All dogs have natural instincts and ways of working. As a trainer I also try and improve what I do. I try and manipulate my dog's natural abilities. The one size fits all dogs is not a good approach to training IMO. I put in a heap of effort Vickie. I train everyday and go to dog school every week.

Ok let's get this woman to Vic!

Opps sprung!

Thanks Ness. Poppy is about as fast as Ness, she might end up faster as she has only just started. Brock is slower! I did a heaps of food throwing in agility but have had to scale that back a bit as it was causing problems in obedience, too much sniffing at leaves in case they were treats. I'll try with the tunnel but I don't have great tunnel suck. Having some success with Poppy and a standing rear cross. It might even be that they are too aware of me, so the slightest deceleration as I go to cross makes them halt. They are both super sensitive to what I am doing. I guess I feel that rather than making them into something that they aren't, that I need to change what I am doing. Maybe that is wrong.

Because I am made to do them Because I have been told that there are times when I am going to have to do them. Ness do you have a link to a run of Ness'???

The main area that I run into problems is a rear cross. With getting around a course, they go as fast as I go! Which isn't super fast But you never know they might turn into speed freaks at a trial!! I am currently too embarrassed to enter one though. If they were a different breed it wouldn't worry me!

You want to come and run with the dogs??? I am heaps older than you

Tried that Kavik. Also tried sending around objects. That is why I am interested in different handling styles.

Yeah they will go out to an item but that is not translating to going out when there isn't an item.

Hoho! They are both just clingy in general. I go to the park and let them off and they pretty much stay within 2 meters of me. I take them out into my paddock and after a brief bolt around they come and sit with me. Don't know why. They are related though. Haven't had dogs like this before! Even with sheep they prefer to not go to far from me. There are some positives, I get really right turns and they don't tend to take the wrong obstacle.