JulesP

Brock did go to a target but now I have to use targeting for my 2 on 2 off stuff so he got a bit confused. Not sure I want to muddy the waters by sending him away to a target after I have just got him to stand still and nose touch it. He was very tentative with his going too and I don't think he would have enough go to actually jump the jump on the way.

Any advice on how to send a clingy dog forward? In this instance over a jump. He is happy for me to call him over, or run next to him but doesn't like to go in front of me. Had the same issue sending him forwards into a tunnel. He will not chase a toy over and is not very enthusiatic about chasing food, so can't chuck food over.

Agility is even fun in the rain and cold

LOL I seem to remember you sitting on the ground muttering 'he is going to fail his stays, he is going to fail'. And then something about expecting the worst and then being pleasantly surprised!!

My dogs do better on Proplan than Advance. I prefer the ingredients with Proplan too. Eagle Pack is available through Pet Stock shops. I mainly use Proplan and then change to a bag of either Advance or Eagle Pack for a bit of a change.

2 dogs in training. 1 is doing agility & obedience the pup is doing obedience and I am trying for showing as well. Would also like to do some herding. I think is also depends on work, other hobbies etc as to how much you can cope with. I have a full time, quite demanding job. A house on acreage that I look after by myself and I also show ponies. After the weekend I have realised that something needs to give as I am getting rather stressed out. Giving up the job would work, lol. I am much more enjoying the dogs now so it looks like the ponies will have to go. I like to do classes with the dogs. Trying to get to multiple classes is probably the most challenging thing. Training the 2 dogs at home (and playing with the 3rd older dog) is quite easy. I am struggling a bit with the end of daylight savings though.

When you go to an agility comp what is your aim?? Obviously winning and passing is the ultimate! But would you rather get the pass (& not place) or win the ring (and not get a pass)?? Obedience it is a bit of a downer when you place but don't get that pass, wondered if it was the same with agility or whether agility is a bit more like horse show jumping, were you are going hoping to place. Hope that makes sense.

Can anyone suggest a product that is really good at sitting a coat down flat?? A fluffy short sort of coat that you want to lay nice and sleek. Is not for a dog, is actually for a foal! There really aren't any horse products that will do the job though.

No I get what DD is saying. He is sneakily giving his dog a 'reward' with his yes. My dogs love the word yes, you get instant attention and happiness because they have been conditioned to the word. Mind you I tend to say yes in a bit of a purring voice so a male judge may think that is a bit weird :D Glad you are having fun with Rain Counting Sheep!

I try not to add in too many different exercises too. I like to cement each one before moving on to a new one. And make sure that the exercises aren't going to conflict. For instance if you were teaching drop with a hand signal to the ground and then asked for a paw by putting your hand out near the ground then I imagine the pup would get confused and offer drop instead. I use a verbal yes rather than a clicker as I like to train all the time and don't want to carry the clicker around. ie when walking around the garden I might ask for a drop.

What is the dog's reward for doing the retrieve??

The Croydon ground is really stinky! I think they fertilise it alot!!! Heaps of people have problems with sniffing dogs there.

People use vicks on a stallions nose if you have to float a stallion & mare together so maybe that would work?? Don't know if you allowed to do that in the ring though.

lol, I was talking to Leopuppy at the same time you were.

Just more practice with other doggies I think. She needs to regain her confidence that she isn't going to get jumped on. What a bummer that happened.

Congrats Leopuppy!!! Sorry I missed the rest of you, I ummm slept in and got there rather late!!! I wondered if that was you Arya, but feel like a twit going up to people and asking!!!

I don't do off lead parks either. Sorry Bullyluvr. On rare occasions after training I might let them off lead to play with the other dogs. I do have 3 dogs though so they get to play at home. I don't want them to go out and think that playing with other dogs is more fun than playing with me. I want them to think I am the most interesting thing going. I had 1 incident with my first border collie doing the off lead thing and it made him agro with other dogs after that. So unless I know the dogs that I am with 100%, my dogs stay on lead. I am not actually sure if you can teach a dog to play nicely. They are after all dogs and are just doing what comes naturally and that may include excited playing, fighting etc What you do need to have is a 110% reliable recall even under high distraction. So maybe work on that.

Yep feed it too at times. I tend to feed all different brands. Am using it at the moment. I like the size of the kibble as my gutsy borders sometimes choke on the smaller kibble. I haven't used it for any great length of time to see if there is any difference in condition etc.

Let's see DD - my other hobby is pony showing so umm I don't tend to notice the lack of men! :rolleyes: (well straight men!) All the blokes at work are more impressed with the agility than the obedience! (not gunna say what they say about the pony showing!!)

Lol sorry! I work in sport and am constantly having fights with my work mates about whether my 'sports' are actually sports!

lol it isn't very exciting!! He is very slow!

Ok this is a bit of a dorky post but I am still grinning about agility training on Monday and well no one in real life gets it!! I have had to stop riding horses due to an injury and have been feeling rather miserable about it, I like my obedience but agility is FUN! I like how the dogs seem to have a ball too. Brock is very quiet but he almost got hyped up on Monday night ;) Anyway really no point to this post except to say I had a good training night! :p Can't wait to go around a full course.

:p ;) You will be fine!!! I am a bit excited about having a day off but will come and watch if I can handle driving down to Croydon (3 times last week was a bit much!!).

Croydon PPS will separate the quiet puppies from bouncy ones until the quiet ones get their confidence. I am embarrassed to say that my BC, Brock, ended up being put in the quiet class! Puppies are also let off one at a time to check that everyone is ok.

Lots of choccie BCs go to Croydon. Think they all mainly do agility and flyball though. Oscar was very solid last week DD, you will be fine!