Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Glorious weather tonight do set up and ran Week 5, Drill 2 (I just had virtually the same as drill 1 set up a couple days ago so skipped that one). Drill 2 went very nicely. Again concentrated on connection out of tunnel (again, darn if that doesn’t make a noticeable difference!) and to take a couple extra “drivey steps” to keep things clear and Potter motivated, which also worked well.
On the courses you posted…are you sure that Masters Standard was Masters? That looked easier than the T2B! We are not doing AKC yet and will not for a long time. Potter would actually do well to continue in AKC as you can be slowEr and steadier dog and succeed there but the pricing is outrageous now…$29 for the first run! Ouch, no thank you. I am focused on CPE only for now.
Also I have seen a big diff as you say with the size of the treat given. Certainly was motivating to have a fairly decent wad come out for job well done. I am usually using real chicken, turkey, beef but always experimenting with trying new ones. Did like the response from some pork patties I got from CR recently. Have to be careful as Potter gets low phosphorus meats only. For some reason I have seen dogs go crazy for McDonald’s cheeseburgers,I used to bring them for students for the same reasons you’ve mentioned, to show the diff between so so and REALLY good treats.
I am also going to do what you wrote to someone else about multiple toy stations, but I will do food or Lotus stations.Thanks!
Hello Kim, sorry, am now a week behind due to work issues and too many days/nights of horrid hot & muggy weather. Ugh, we do not do hot & muggy!
After more than 26 years of “don’t take your eye off the dog” and especially a young, fearful dog where I can’t quite be sure he is going where I indicated, looking 2-4 obstacles ahead for either of my young boys is extremely hard, I won’t lie to you. I am used to looking much farther ahead of course with Carmen, as it s like handling a bullet. I guess I will have to gom in small stages withm Potter.
And yes, I am a classic “dweller” and tend to over analyze and over worry. That’s why we are here after all. Yes, need to notice and focus on what is right, as a constant reminder to offset my natural tendency to worry.
I have done a bunch of jump chutes and continue to do them intermittently with all 3 dogs.
I have done much better to connect out of tunnels with Potter and can readily see the diff that makes.
A nice day of weather today, will be able to set up something for Potter tonight after working from home.
Initially reading your notes on werk 5, I freaked out a bit as I did not want to muss your kind offet6about posting one video. We are still not trialing post/during COVID, won2happen till mid-September. So I set up a bit of a sequence for Potter for you to see. He has not seen or run this before I started taping. I don’t ever run barefoot for real but we just came back from a hike so I impatiently just pulled off my hiking boots. He looks happy, which is great, but you can see where he is still so thoughtful and could use more speed. I am just so used to fast and furious now it’s hard not to compare. Better takeoff at the start though. And, isn’t he so HANDSOME?u
Ruh roh, you know what? It’s not Clean Run, sorry. It’s in Whole Fog Journal, June 2020 issue, article written by Stephanie Colman, about trainer Amy Cook. See http://www.playwaydogs.com
Lots of parallels to what you are telling us, and she goes into more detail and technique still. And part of what the playway article says, about NOT calling back/making the dog re-engage, is what reminded me of the Julie Daniels item from yes ago.
Margaret just wanted you to know all 3 of my Shelties were barking when I played the pool video. 🙂
Kim, just catching up on what I FID want to do from Week #3. Finally did Week 3, sequence #3 tonight, first. This went VERY well. I made sure to do some playing and revving before I started with the tunnel. He was very happy to do whatever I asked. He did pick up speed doing it a second time. Then I reversed the course and he happily did that too.
THEN I caught up with beginning the forward focus game…more good surprised here! First. I really thought he would balk being between my legs but he didn’t! I also thought it would take a long time for him to get the game, was wrong there too! He liked it so much after about 3 quick ones,I put him in front of a jump for one, and in front of a tunnel. Did both, and (I was using a lotus ball to throw, with treat inside) he CHOSE to come BACK over a jump to hand me the empty ball! This normally NEVER would have happened. And oh, BTW, got the fetch back that he mysteriously stopped doing.
And BTW, almost concurrently with this class, I was reading in CR about this “the Play Way” and was intrigued. Didn’t think much would come of it, but tried it (with all 3 dogs but Potter first) and it made a HUGE difference with Potter (for motivation), and Scout (who generally can “take it it leave it” when it comes to agility and of course that just about breaks my heart.). I was shocked frankly at what a diff. I did it with Carmen too but mostly fir quality time as she lives for agility and is super fast. So will have to do some more on that.
Oh, and in the “good problem to have” department, Potter being previously the quiet sheltie, now barks a lot more all around but thankfully usually responds to a quiet command when I need it. 🙂
On to week 4 soon!
Have had some trouble getting everything in from week 2 mostly due to over 90 temps which we just cannot handle. Finally got through some more at nearly sunset tonight. So notes..
the opposite reflex game is confusing him and not sure it’s worth it. Slingshot worked better, did that a few times tonight. Have gotten Potter pumped up and excited just fine, that makes everything SO much more fun for BOTH of us! Both sequences went well, sequence #2 done tonight, no stutter stepping at all on either!You will be proud of me! I didn’t start yet with your sequences yet, likely start that tomorrow. But I went to a local school yard where I like to practice, set up my 4 traveling Clip’n’Go Ready jumps (COVID cabin fever purchase) in a big circle and STARTED with the Lazy Bastard game cuz that was so intriguing. Potter at first thought I was losing it because this very verbal handler wasn’t saying ANYTHING, ha! He STARED at the jumps for a long time, but once he realized what the game was he started going around on his own nicely! And here’s where you will be proud..I ENDED THE GAME EARLY when he still wanted to do more!!! Since I was actually alternating between my 3 dogs this turned out nicely. After Potter’s break I did a couple other speedy exercises and he did well there too. Was not stutter stepping at all tonight either.
QUESTION though: What is your honest opinion of the game where you put out some sort of target just in a line with no obstacles at first, and you race the dog to it, and if you get there first you snatch up the target and treat. If dog beats you, he gets it! I have played this a long time ago with MOTIVATED dogs but I worry if Potter is too soft and it could work against me?
Yes that makes sense. Will do more in a couple days, tomorrow is a wet dsy. And no I don’t have any impulse control RE agility, you can tell from my checkbook balance.
I acknowledge that the quitting while I am ahead is the absolute hardest thing for me to do. I do get excited! And there is SO MUCH always to train! But that 2nd sequence though (that was a whole different day from the 1st seq, Kin) he had not.berm out there more than a few minutes. Will have to work with him on just fetch tonight a bit, after work.
