Ptolomy

Hmm - the drops took a bit of a decline again last night BUT - we did fix the box issue As I am always saying....... Its another work in progress

Melody - this is not easy as you have given very little information about your dog, how he has been trained and what it is exactly that you don't like. Some questions.... Do you train at a club How or what do you use for rewards have you ever played start post focus games Does the dog lag and is this what you don;t like Is the dog inattentive around distractions Do you use a clicker How old is your goldie Does he know any tricks like spins, hand touches, play bows How often do you train Just some questions that might help others with suggestions

Leopuppy - what were you thinking??????? Brown pants, pink top and blue hat - OH Dear you have a BIG problem that I just can't help you with :p Well done - you should be pleased with Kinta - but you need to start extending your training stays out longer than is required and working on attention at the start post OOps - back in my box now !

With your RAT - take a clicker and some food and break it down by clicking and treating in different spots. Also, are you cueing her into the turn by turning your head - or are you too busy looking at her to see what she is doing????? Even Cider at 4 1/2 months of age does lovely RAT's!!!!

I would love to help but first - any chance of seeing some video of where he is at now??? What level of obedience are we looking at :p

Same outcome as with the signal. She just always stops with one front foot placed back which obviously isn't comfortable for a stay! and her body position???

Seita - have been thinking about your stand problem/s Something for you to try - heel along in normal pace and give a verbal stand signal only (so no hand signal) and let me know what happens in relation to her body position and also what her feet are doing.

The dog doesn't need to be measured for CCD or novice - only for open and UD - so you have plenty of time on your side to organise that at a later date. The obedience rules should be either on the Dogswest website or the ANKC website.

Tough day at the office but very quickly - Seita - what is your stand signal? Mine is with my left hand palm downwards immediately above my dogs head. If I give my signal a little further out from my body it usually straightens the dog up. This wont help if yours is with your right hand

Rivsky - what is it exactly that you don't like about Rivs fronts and finishes - the fact that they are squiffy, or too far away from you or both? What type of finish do you do??? Keep up the suggestions guys - I am sure we have all had issues with fronts and finishes - they are a continual work in progress as far as I am concerned.

Great to get some feedback on some of the ideas being offered. Last night i took Beans training and was throwing food around left right and centre and dropping her - interesting that because I was asking for quick drops and the fact that on the move she doesn't step sideways I managed to get quite a few good ones in Sometimes I would pretend to throw the food and then when she looked back I would give her the down signal and she would drop on the spot without stepping sideways Is the problem fixed - no way - but we did have some progress. and she loved playing this game. Meanwhile dog in the box has gone pearshaped - so back to the drawing board

Tassie - you would think that with all Rory's showing the stand stay should be his strongest Does he have steady feet when you bring food towards him from all directions no matter where you are standing? You need this before commencing walking around him. Must also ask if you have a release word? From there you progress to food on the ground, food being thrown past the dog, toys being dropped and thrown, then not moving to oppositional reflex, then introduce people walking in. If he can not move after all this - then walking around him should be a breeze ;)

Mine all get fed before training - religiously at 4pm - they have me that well trained - poor form isn't it - the ones coming training will just get a small meal - the rest of the meal they receive as treats. Blaize is the only one that I wouldn't feed on the day of a trial (but usually end up doing so anyway because I feel sorry for her) - all the others will get a small breakfast or dinner. Why...... Because otherwise they are so frantic that it is ugly - very ugly ;) Its like working a dog with energizer batteries in and no self control

No - she is as fit as a fiddle

Well written TSD

How many of you feed your dogs prior to trialling or training??? and your reason behind doing this is......

Getting back to pip and your dumbbell issue - have you looked at the Shirley Chong method of teaching the dumbbell??

So I guess what you are saying is that you are asking Ness to do something at a trial which she can't really do in training without food???? So what are you going to do to change this???

pip - keep these idea coming - for a newby - you have got some good ones

We have had a few Show N Go's and they are invaluable for dealing this this sort of issue. However, the question is - do we let the dog continue and do a short heel routine if she is not paying attention at the start post. Ness - have you tried hand touches, spins, play bows roughing her up before linning her up in a trial? I would be interested to see at training with no food on you, if you set up a start post and walked Ness up to the post, removed the lead and gave your cue word - how long Ness would pay attention for.

Ness - this is where you are wrong - dropping food and having open food containers - this is a case of showing her that there is food on offer if she pays attention. The same with her paying attention outside the ring - its because you have food in your hand and you quicky feed it to her before you walk into the ring - so what you have taught her is the fact that outside the ring I have food and will give it to you - line up at the start post and you will get nothing. She is one smart girl of yours ;) Natsu Chan - thanks for your input So what can ness do to undo the behaviour chain that has been set up????

I'm with you pip - I would be marking it and putting the dog away - but it gets very expensive if you do this at each trial. I would also only be doing this with a dog who knows what is required but is choosing not to play the game. There seems to be a pattern here if the dog manages OK at training but is inattentive at a trial. Are you using or luring with food in training in order to get the dog to pay attention and then not doing this at a trial. Are there more distractions at a trial, which the dog can't cope with? So any training suggestions for helping attention at the start post?

Can you explain what drive noise is please. And if your dog got to the start post and switched off - any suggestions?

Any takers on what to try for this one?

pip - any chance of getting what happens on video and posting it so we can have a look?