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I just worry that if I don't reinforce in position enough his performance there may deteriorate - worried he may self release

Yes, I know what you mean....but if you use a combination of rewarding in position when you can and releasing him forward to the reward at other times, it ends up to be a random rate of reinforcement and that behaviour is less likely to be extinguished. Sorry for the muddled explanation - been transcribing mountains of data (with dogs barking on the recordings :laugh:) and my brain is fried.

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Have you done circle work/shadow handling on both sides? That might help.

Sorry I'm a newby, I'm not completely sure what that is? I've done sort of luring with food in circles on both sides but I'm not sure she actually understands what I'm trying to teach her as she's soo focussed on the food!

Hey,

Circle work is (basically to begin with) a fancy name for heel work that is done in a 10m (or so) circle. As the dog gets more and more proficient you can add complexity and do the work with her on tboth the inside and outside of the circle. Really though as others have said it is about building as much value for RHS as for LHS.

Both CK and Xena have reasonable heelwork (for dogs that don't trial) and work similarly on both sides, but don't get confused. The number 1 rule is that they are not allowed to cross behind me.

I think with the 2 x 2's what you are describiing suggests that the performance is not independent of you - if it was it wouldn't matter whether she was on your left and right.

Give me a shout next time you are at training and we can have a look at it off to the side.

Cheers

T

Thanks for that! I'll play around with that a bit more and see if that helps. I'm attempting to get at least 4 poles in a straight line before the end of the month as I've got nothing to train at the moment and I'm on holidays all of sept and part of oct so thought this might be fun to teach in the mean time. It also means that I won't be back at training until late oct/nov so if I'm still having probs then I'll come and find you! LOL

sorry forgot to multiquote but thanks Ness for the suggestion, someone has just loaned me that dvd so I'll try find time to have a look at it soon!

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I bought a beautiful limited slip lead from Clean Run as Em's retrieving lead but it doubles as an every day walking lead and will be used in agility. Feels soft like leather but will not rot and only needs a wipe down. Perfect for a dog with MUD for a middle name :laugh: Will post a link later - feel free to remind me if I forget!

ETA: http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=2689

(I bought a pink one - it's elegant and pretty without being fussy.....now I want a red one for Zig)

post-16781-0-19617100-1313473232_thumb.jpg

Edited by The Spotted Devil
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The rushtotug leads are gorgeous :love: Elbie and Hoover seem to have 15-16 inch necks but that would seem to indicate that they should get a 13inch lead - which is in the 'small' category, which doesn't sound right ... Anyone have any idea what size a Kelpie should have? These seem ideal for us because during agility training I keep accidentally clipping Elbie's leash to the wrong loop on his collar - sending his tags and registration tag flying. Once OH had to come back a few days later and pore over the field looking for Elbie's two small tags :o

Edited by koalathebear
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The rushtotug leads are gorgeous :love: Elbie and Hoover seem to have 15-16 inch necks but that would seem to indicate that they should get a 13inch lead - which is in the 'small' category, which doesn't sound right ... Anyone have any idea what size a Kelpie should have?

Do we need to order together, KTB? ;) :laugh:

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This is actually my preferred site but I held of posting it because one of my friends ordered one and she didn't seem to get it but since it arrived yesterday I will post it.

http://www.kollarsbykathryn.com/

I have 4 from here and LOVE them.

As far as sizing goes - my two BC girls have a 13-14" ones. The ones I have were custom sized.

Edited by ness
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Do we need to order together, KTB? ;) :laugh:

Probably :rofl:

OH sighed and said: "What are you buying for the dogs now?" But seriously, I have genuine need of this leash! It's such a pain clipping and unclipping Elbie's leash all the time during agility and that tiny little knob/tassel thing does NOT work :p

For Hoover I am getting "What a hoot" because it's red and tan like him. Elbie's colours are always red, black and white so he will be Bandanna Picnic - just have to figure out the right size given their necks ... And yes I know Hoover isn't doing agility but I can't buy Elbie a leash and not one for Hoover ...

Edited by koalathebear
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OH and I have been press-ganged into stewarding at the BDOC agility trials this Saturday. OH is very unimpressed because he already does his part by coming every Wednesday night to set up and put away the agility equipment at practice...He hasn't asked for a divorce yet ...

I am down as 'ring and leads steward' in the agility ring. Does anyone know what this entails? Also, OH is going to be 'Time Keeper - backup'. Does this mean he also keeps time at the same time as the primary but the time he records is just in case there's uncertainty about the primary time? Thanks very much in advance! :thumbsup:

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OH and I have been press-ganged into stewarding at the BDOC agility trials this Saturday. OH is very unimpressed because he already does his part by coming every Wednesday night to set up and put away the agility equipment at practice...He hasn't asked for a divorce yet ...

I am down as 'ring and leads steward' in the agility ring. Does anyone know what this entails? Also, OH is going to be 'Time Keeper - backup'. Does this mean he also keeps time at the same time as the primary but the time he records is just in case there's uncertainty about the primary time? Thanks very much in advance! :thumbsup:

I assume this is ANKC?

Backup timer has a stopwatch and starts it as the dog jumps through the timing gates (or passes them if they decide to go around!) and stops it when they go through the end timing gates. Sometimes the timing gates fail so the backup time is used.

Ring/gate steward has a list of all competitors and calls them to the ring. Lead steward takes their leads from them when they line up at the start line and places them at the end gate for them to collect on their way out.

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Wow the rushtotug leads are very nice :thumbsup: Not much point in me getting one yet though as Kaos won't tug out of the yard - bummer :laugh:

At the moment I have a Blackdog training collar and leash. I run him nude.

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ness: thanks for those links. I think I might have to get a custom-made one, too because the necks of my two are 15-16 inches depending on how 'tightly' I do the measurement with the string.

rubystar: thanks for that - I feel reassured that I don't haveeto do anything complicated - unless there is of course some complicated, arcane way to loop up the lashes when placing them at the end gate ... :p Poor OH will have to concentrate if he's the backup time-keeper.

It will be a good chance for me to watch an agility trial close-up and see correct handling strategies, as opposed to my current one which is to point and rely on my dog to be able to read my mind ....

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I will say the smaller they are the harder they are to get on and off and when your in a hurry at the end of the run slightly bigger is better. That is unless you have a dog who slips its collar.

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I will say the smaller they are the harder they are to get on and off and when your in a hurry at the end of the run slightly bigger is better. That is unless you have a dog who slips its collar.

If you have 13-14 inch ones for your two I will assume that Ava will be the same :thumbsup:

Don't talk to me about dogs who slip their collars... shudder.

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Wuffles - Kenz's first one was 12.5" and Ness's was 13.5" Kenz's is a little tricky to get on and Ness's fits Kenz's fine but yeah Ava should be similar. My 14" is a little loose on Kenz but not the end of the world.

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