leopuppy04

Well done RS!!!! sounds like your training went well!!! Well back at training yesterday for the first time in 2009! Decided to give Leo a go working through some UD stuff with some assistance... Made it a lot easier than how it would have usually been in a trial as we are nowhere near that level yet Little guy did me proud as punch. Did the seekback well, got a little confused the first time going out to the box (started to do a seekback again), but after that did it well and he is starting to understand directed jumping (which is great considering we only started last week!!!)... Ness I love your idea of littering the area with toys and getting the dog to run to the box... will have to try that this week! Next was scent articles, which he did fine on wood and leather, but metal is still proving to be an issue.... lets hope he cottons onto it again soon Heelwork was brilliant - he worked an absolute treat was up, peppy and responded immediately to all of the signals.... only need to get him more confident on the silent come (he tends to look at me as if to say 'what mum, did you say something?!" ).... Gloves still need work as we have not yet graduated from the food bowls. I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but he locks in just fine with the food bowls, but I can't get him to lock in on the gloves.... Ptolomy HELP!!!! All in all I'm very pleased as this was a LOT of work for him to do in bursts yesterday :D So.... maybe I won't quit just yet ETA - might I add he also did a brilliant sendaway to the box even with a dog running in the ring

Gee - I really should read all posts before replying I would try the 2 food game here - as he goes to the jackpot, turns around and comes back to you - I would throw the food past me so he comes rocketing back for that. This works a treat for recalls, presents/fronts and speed coming back to you too While this has a place, I still feel that throwing food has a place in training too as it either a) allows the dog to come back in for a nother chance of reinforcement or b) encourages the dog to work away from you should that be what you want. Placement of reward is quite important and sometimes that placement of reward needs to be off us. While Laura doesn't throw food, all through the seminar she did throw a toy to the dog when they completed the right exercise... and to me that is no different

ahhh - a common problem. The issue here is that the dog things that the reward ends the behaviour which we don't want them to think. Now I'm not sure at how I'll go explaining this but it is much easier to *show* someone rather than explain If Diesel is offering you some nice heelwork, rather than stop and reward, reward with a bit of kibble and before his focus wanes again he should have another treat immediately, then another after that.... then stop and play. The key is not to have the reward *end* the behaviour so you need to 'surprise' him with more than he expects for continuing to work. Like I said, hard to explain, but it really does work! If he switches off, say oops - too bad and don't keep working with the 'mediocre' effort.

Hey Kavik - if you get the best work before his dinner then I would do that. You don't have to feed him kibble by kibble - just do a bit of work and give him 1/4 of his dinner.... then session 2, antoher 1/4 of his dinner etc,etc...... This would really help particularly if you get such nice work when he knows dinner is on the way

totally forgot about the manners minder snt! hehe - maybe I need to get me one for my little 'issue' ;)

My thoughts Vickie would be to initially make it easier for the boys and for Shine to understand what you expect. I would initially sit out there with her on lead and when get the dogs to come up the stairs, rewarding Shine of dropping, going to a mat or NOT bullying the boys. It may take a while, but I think getting her to do something other than bossing the boys around, *especially* if you can also prevent the behaviour (barriers etc) is the only thing I can think of. As you have said - getting the timing right with the startle effect is really hard. You can always graduate from this by every time you walk by the steps and the dogs are behaving - you can throw some food out there for them etc to reward appropriate behaviour. I did this with some other annoying behaviours (and just as self rewarding) with considerable success at home. May not work, but it's an idea I had floating around up there ;)

Vickie - will she still do it if one of you are outside with the dogs?

Vickie can you give us a little insight into what her style / training system is like? Who it is similar to or if she is one of her own etc

So what's your average duration Ptolomy?! RS - I know what you mean re: backyard Interesting article too - that was a nice read although I don't know how I would go heeling backwards

hmm...I think the write up should be posted here Either that or I need to move to WA?!?!?!

Ptolomy!!!! You are EVIL!!! Nothing willl break, nothing will break, nothing will break! All these obedience people are suckers for punishment I'm leaving :smurf: Did some 'yummy metal article' training last night which went well - he's a silly duffa

Nah Ness - we aren't sharing Mine is with a friend as she is combining all of our notes together My days were awesome Jules! Hmm.... maybe I'll quit obedience and try to fail at agility instead.....

Hey Jules - that's excellent that you were more relaxed this time round I thought you were going to the GD seminar He seemed fine with picking it up at other times... but you could be right - who knows.... maybe he's just demented That's exactly the thing - once Holly had gotten away with it the first time with me saying nothing, she did it another three or four times in the ring thinking it wasn't a problem. Next time I will be bloody telling her to sit if she doesn't do it automatically! I agree, I will also give a second command (or verbal in the case of a sit) if my dog misses a position in the trial ring, as I am then much more likely to get the position on the first go next time. Local judges here will let you know that you will lose points etc. but don't seem to mind, however sometimes judges from other states will really come down on you for doing it and really don't like it. LP, isn't UD fun Although I didn't trial Flynn much in UD, he did manage to get a negative score for an exerise once! I'm just starting scent work with Rogan now, and just when I think he's got it he brings me back down to earth Pixie - it might be an idea before you start in the ring to ask the judge what their rules are as it will change per judge - some judges will take points off, others will not. No harm in asking. Some if you don't re-command will ask you to anyway . I think it's up to you and what suits you best for your training! LOL FHRP - UD is fun dont' get me wrong, but gee it's frustrating sometimes! Awesome suggestions Ptolomy - thank you! I have done scent in a vareity of locations, but haven't exhausted this yet. Usually new locations hasn't phased him to date - but hey, anything can happen . I love the idea of mixing it up too. Why didn't I think of that .... I have started combining exercises, but not at the level of a full routine yet, just 2-3 exercises at a time... which of course he loves! I just wish that once he got it he would stay there and not fall down again. Yup whitty - run away, far away and save yourself!!!

Wow thanks Pixie! What a compliment Unfortunately the dogs don't think so and we have failed often. Leo was going for 3 in 3 and his CDX title.... the dog next to us in UD was one we train with and he saw her charge out to the box.... just when the judge told me 'down' for the COP.... "No probs" I thought - so then promptly said "Leo" *insert considerable pause here* "Down"... Leo did so perfectly. Judge looked at me as though she was about to cry and said.... "exercise finished" I looked at her incrediously as I had NO IDEA what I had done wrong! Sooooo upset! From memory I think that was a 2nd place behind a top winning OC dog too RS - I had the same prob with Kinta - dropping backwards. However I found that as her understanding of heel position grew, she began to alter her drop to stay in heel... with a little help from me of course. She still does a lovely fold back for the novice COP though *sigh* One little mistake and it all goes pearshaped!

LOL Ness - is now not the time to mention when a certain handler said her dogs name and cost us a pass and CDX title?!?!?!

frustrating isn't it Pixie! Kinta blew a 192 at her last trial as she just lifted her front elbows up enough to have a good scratch.... I nearly *did* cry!!!! Ptolomy.... the steps before it went pearshaped?! *Bring out mat *Place articles on mat *scent article *Place scented article down *send dog to find it *dog finds it, spits it out, searches again, finds it, spits it out, searches again....looks at me for an answer... *sigh* Did it this morning with 3 metals and presto - I *know* how to do that! Repeat with some woods and leathers..... no problems mum... last night was the new set - which have now been airing almost since the last time I posted about article trobles.... this morning was with an old set..... Hey Ptolomy why are you shaking your head?!?!!? We dont' all have really really good red dogs unfortunately

well my aim was for April this year, but now it may be never On the up side - his directional food bowls are going well (thanks Ptolomy)... haven't graduated to gloves yet Good luck RS - let us know how you go! I've started Kinta on UD work and she can't even get out of Novice

OK well I've pulled my finger out again and started training - seriously this time But I've decided we're never getting back into the ring because we'll never get all the exercises happening!!! WHY is it with UD that just when one exercise is going well another falls down the gurgler.... apparently last night, we have NO idea how to scent despite the fact that the other night he did a full mat with not even a blink of the eye... last night, he would find the right one... kept picking it up and coming towards me, then spitting it out and searching again, or just nudging it coz he hates picking up metal.... argh! back to playing 'fun' games with metal articles..... *sigh*

Thanks for posting Anita - very interesting - I wish I could have gone

haha Laffi - how many times did he repeat that?! :D It's absolutely fantastic!

some more pics :p overload :D

LOL Ruger - all the more reason you should have a canon :p well I took the camera to the Greg Derrett seminar today so will upload some shots that I took :D I love my new toy

My first shots learning the ropes

well I've joined the photography crew got my 450D today with a 17-85IS USM lens and a basic 55-250IS lens.... Very excited, just been playing around with it now and I can see the difference already from point and shoot to SLR. Now... to learn how to use it properly

As others have said - I think moderation is the key - don't do it all the time, but if your dog loves it, I'd rather them live a happy life doing what they love than in a ball of cotton wool (JMO) so we do lots of ball throwing into the rivers and such as that avoids the twisting and turning. We do one dog at a time and also using balls with ropes and such as these don't bounce as high nor do they encourage the twisting/ turning as by the time the dogs get there, the ball has already stopped.... sometimes I hold the dogs back. But every once in a while I'll let them loose and they can chase for a while just with reckless abanton. Let them have fun I say