Ptolomy

When I first started in obedience I spent lots of time sitting outside the open and UD rings watching the experienced handlers and their dogs. I learnt a lot from this and of course I asked a zillion questions. Recently we had a training day where I called rounds in the CCD ring and basically the handling was woeful So - if you could give a tip to a trialling newcomer, or even somebody who had been trialling for a while........ What would it be?

Kavik - I would guess some of the judges, certainly in WA, would take a point off in UD and UDX for the turn of the shoulders - as it could be considered a double signal. Will the dog still finish as nicely without you doing it.

With the flip finish our judges will penalize extended signals - so when handlers drag their left hand behind their backs trying to get their dogs to go deep enough to be able to turn around and sit squarely and also dogs that jump up and turn around which is what a lot of dogs that find the flip finish self rewarding do. Interesting that I have gone back to around the back finishes.......

....I am waiting for Rubystar to jump in here and tell us what she learnt at the Guru seminar about training and what is the first thing you do........

OK so now the truth comes out - you are too lazy to put the containers back in the fridge after a training session and too diorganised to plan to get them out before you start....... Now i've got it

Next question I guess is ........ Do you notice a difference in your kids effort depending on what food you use?

Hmm Leopuppy - the best training treats are ones the dogs don't have to.... CHEW and CHEW and CHEW while you .... wait and wait and wait to move on. Have you given this any thought? I understand why you want to use dry - its just that depending on what you are training BIG bickies may not be the best. Hmm nothing is ever easy - is it

My kids are all on a weight reduction program so I have been using some dry food for treats as well. I have been using Bean's dry food (Calafornia Natural Herring and Sweet Potato - only because I can feed it to all of them) and I have been adding pumpkin cut up into small bits. I am sure it all gets swallowed whole anyway :rolleyes:

You can buy the jumpcups at the reticulation shop on the Cnr of Bannister Road and South Street in Canning Vale - they are a bit pricy though. Alternatively you can buy the PVC fittings from Bunnings and cut them in half with a hacksaw.

Too true! Well done Rubystar! And while we are here - Miss Caffy when are you going to do some obedience with Mr Snaz - he was a star today Oh and bring back Master Alex for his last UD leg? And Maybe you should suggest that one of the rules changes for UDX should be to hold a dumbbell while balancing food on the dogs nose.......now theres a thought.

The kids have only been back in training for 2 weeks. I did duration heelwork on Tuesday night - they did not see me load my pocket with a jackpot container. Beans, Blaize and Lexi all did 45 seconds on their first outing. - so thats giving me full attentin and not looking away. I have to say that I do accept sneezing - this is something I tried to stop a long time ago with Blaize and it is something all my crew due - not sure if it is due to the head position or excitement, in the end I taught Blaize to stay in heel position when she sneezed Scoota did 1 minute 20. I did stop and reward while the kids were all still pushing and wanting to do more. The second time out.....Beans did 1min 20 (this was a top effort from her). Blaize, Scoota and Lexi all did 60 seconds.

You are spot on Rubystar When we do duration heelwork there are no positions and no sharp turns and no change of pace, so lots of circle work and doodling. Thats all they do for the night - no other training - so basically you can be all packed up and ready to head home in less than 10 minutes. I split each of the kids evening meal into 3 jackpot containers and thats their reward for paying attention. I have been putting the kids back into the car after each turn and getting one of the others out. They are almost falling over themselves for it to be their turn.

While on the subject of UD - or trialling - has anybody tried duration heelwork and want to report on the experience.......

Uh huh.... Hey Rubystar - after Sunday we expect a write-up at what you learnt at the guru seminar, and how Ruby just loves to heel.

Hey Leopuppy - my prediction of the next thing that will break........ COP!

Well done Seita - think she has finally GOT IT I have to smile - think us humans are all the same. ;) We have a minor training break through and we get all excited and have a rush of blood and need to do more and more and more. Well done on stopping before it went pearshaped. :p

Pixie - If my dog missed a position in the ring - the first time I would give it the benefit of the doubt - possibly my fault didn't give the right cues etc - if they missed the same position again then bugger the points - I would definitely be giving a verbal - sit, good girl.......

Hey I have completed all the UD exercises and scored 0 in each one - Blaize bless her What do they say Rooster one day, feather duster the next Interesting that Leo had issues with a new set of articles. I take it that you have trained scent in many different locations? A couple of things you can try - add a few perfume lids/soap/dirty socks you know smelly things - to your bag of articles - then place them out and send him to find the scented article. The dog actually has to work really hard at ignoring the strongly scented things. It seems to improve their confidence when you remove the smelly things. You can also try doing some heelwork and then sending him for an article, then doing a directed retrieve to a food bowl and then doing an article, then sending him to the box and then another article, then a COP and then another article. You don't always have to send him from the same spot either. The dogs seem to enjoy the variety and once again it helps with confidence. While we are here .......have you started combining exercises yet? so seekback and a box, scent and a COP?

Sitting here shaking my head Leopuppy - explain exactly what you did in your last training session. Right up until it went pearshaped and beyond. Rubystar welcome to the world of trialling where it is an unwritten rule - the moment you post off a trial entry form - everything will turn pearshaped.

Where is your vet - thats a lot cheaper than what I paid last time......

It would depend what level of training the dog was at. If the dog was learning a new behaviour then i would want to be rewarding everytime. After the dog knows what is being asked i would put it on an intermittant schedule of reforcement (reinforcing every now and again) I have to agree that if it is a new behaviour I would be rewarding often but quickly moving to a variable schedule. However, Last week my dogs started training after having 6 weeks off. For the first 2 weeks I have been working on short sessions with a very high reward rate - rewarding for things they know really well like sits, drops and downs, right and left about turns, dog in the box, leaving the start post etc. These are all things they know very well and could do in their sleep, but it doesn't hurt to increase the reward rate every now and again, they are all working like they have new batteries in. Next week we will go back to 1-2 nights of duration - where their dinner will be split into 3 containers and they will do 3 lots of heeling for it. If they lose concertration, they will be put away without a reward, and it will be one of the others turn. You should see the look on their faces, you can guarantee that it only ever happens once in a session ;) Have to say that I never ever cease rewarding altogether........ and if helping somebody else I will often ask what there plan is, where they are going to reward, and what they will do if it goes pearshaped.

How much are the working and auditing spots Vickie?

Lexi says you are a bad person posting this topic - the answer to your question is ...... there is never enough ball throwing for a fit active girl The more you throw the ball the more I will get it and bring it back. Lexi's mum on the other hand, having just forked out a truck load of money to get Lexi's shoulder and hip areas treated, now says ball throwing is a dirty word, and future ball throwing will be limited to rewarding only for heelwork where the ball will be placed on the ground and Lexi released to get it.

I saw a vet about this yesterday - her recommendation was to clip the area back to healthy skin, apply hydrogen peroxide to the hot spot and then scrub with a face cloth to remove the crusty top then apply undiluted Betadine to the spot. Do this for 3 days. She also suggested antibiotics.

Hey well done Ruby and Katie of course OK next time ......put out three woods and three metal articles and send her for a scented metal. Take the article and reward if it is correct. Then go and do 10-15 seconds of heeling, so if you were at my place Katie you would walk up to the kennel and back and then send her for a scented wood. If she brings back to correct wood, tell her she is brilliant, then add 1 more unscented wood and metal to the pile. Take off and do 10-15 seconds of heeling before coming back and sending her for a scented metal. Another 10-15 seconds of heeling before sending her for her scented wood. Then pack the game away........