The Spotted Devil

Em just drools pools of slobber on the floor in all her impulse control efforts. Digby was spectating so I had slobber coming at from all directions! She did good though. By the end I was able to drop treats from waist height :) so I'm happy with that. Fantastic! I'm going to work on dropping carrot pieces "accidentally" whilst in the kitchen and rewarding with AMAZING treats. Then I'm going to add Dizzy into the mix as he is what makes Em go "stuff this impulse control cr@p!" Haha it beings out her competitive nature does it? If I dropped carrots on the floor my two would be like 'ewww carrots ' :laugh: Are you mainly doing this with Em, or are you doing it with both? Both - but they have very different strengths and weaknesses so each session is balanced to what they need as individuals. Zig gives up too easily and Em never bloody gives up lol. The dogs LOVE carrots, capsicum, vegetable peelings or anything else that falls on the floor. The first time I did IYC with both dogs it blew Em's mind - Zig thought about it carefully and backed off whilst Em flew at my fist full of dry food like she hadn't been fed for a month. She shows amazing impulse control on her own (around food, agility, retrieving) so it just goes to show how you need to think outside the box on this one.

Em just drools pools of slobber on the floor in all her impulse control efforts. Digby was spectating so I had slobber coming at from all directions! She did good though. By the end I was able to drop treats from waist height :) so I'm happy with that. Fantastic! I'm going to work on dropping carrot pieces "accidentally" whilst in the kitchen and rewarding with AMAZING treats. Then I'm going to add Dizzy into the mix as he is what makes Em go "stuff this impulse control cr@p!"

Like the #dol idea Mrs RB - will try to remember. I don't use Space Book or Tweet-dom so still getting used to the whole # tag/follow business.

Em just drools pools of slobber on the floor in all her impulse control efforts.

Hi Sue - just click on the person's photo or name and you will see their profile. There is a button that will say Follow (with green plus sign) or Undollow (with red minus).

Welcome Max! Leah you could also try another version which is great for confidence - move the game along FAST rather than stopping to pat and praise...throw a boring treat along the ground so Sarah is moving away from you, then you can call her and get the head turn which is what you are looking for. With the pause table you won't quite get the same effect. The movement really seems to help both the anxious and distractable dogs :)

Yup. Been there and completely understand. There will be a right time :)

Yes! Get out the A +++ treats! Great one for doing in front of the TV during the ad breaks :D Good on you for giving it a go!

If it's any consolation a vet I knew once told me that she'd NEVER own a Dalmatian. When I asked her why she replied: "I don't want to live with a dog that is smarter than I am" :laugh: On that note people think I'm exaggerating when I try to explain that Zig was the biggest pain in the Spotted @r$e as a youngster. They just watch him compete and say "it's surprising there aren't more Dallies doing agility and obedience!" Actually it's not :laugh:

And if you want him to sleep outside sometimes…ONLY bring him inside when he's not asking to come in!

It's like my/dads old dog rusty. She was as dumb as custard. It took me 6 months to teach her to sit and even then it could only be done after a 30 second delay for processing Pancake can sit. When she sits I scream 'Sit', and then say she is so amazing because she can obviously speak English. She needs the nobel prize and will probably blow up the world. Such a smart dog. I think she needs to be cast as a sidekick to the evil villain in the next Bond movie. I thought about auditioning Zig as a pup…

Thanks :D

I use CGG on miserably fearful dogs that have come out of puppy farms - starts with resting a finger on their collar and building from there. The pulling on the neck does not happen until the dog just loves the collar touch - and I don't pull on mine at all as they are too busy rushing in to me. It is worth working on as you can hold the collar as a restraint and fun gateway to more games including crate games. Just take it slowly and you will both be fine. Em doesn't come across as a soft dog but she is - only making handling and collar grabs etc a mountain of fun has turned her into such a confident little dog. Timing in the CGG is essential to make the connection and the vast majority of people get it wrong. Touch collar, treat, release collar. Keep your hand on the collar until the dog has had the treat. Again I always start this on leash and the handler sitting on a chair or the ground. Very controlled. No surprises until they relax about it.

Agree Leah - it can seem overwhelming. However as SG says, if you do less it's ok it will just take longer. If your bucket of gold coins is empty vs your dog's distraction bucket you need to make a LOT of gold coin deposits. My dogs' recalls are great except for Em in the face of free running near a forest. So I control the latter for the moment. She also needs more impulse control. Zig's issues are more about not coping with failure so I put an emphasis on the games that highlight our weaknesses.

SC - what games don't you want to do if you don't mind me asking? Just remember that you might not see the point of them now but the games are structured so they will add layers of understanding for your dog.

No stupid questions :) At the moment we are doing the Critical Core Games - they roll out one game a day but the idea is to incorporate part of one of the 4 Critical Core Games into your training every day. So yesterday, I did mostly Crate Games but threw in a bit of Call Once with Mr TSD. The Critical Core Assignments were about sitting down and writing out lists of reinforces, distractions etc etc. If you already knew the Core Games you could start working on those whilst we waited for the course to start. I printed off extra training records and did "Pre-Games." Personally I am going to do all the games, in order and as instructed. No point buying a dog and barking yourself, pardon the pun :D Same when I pay for physio - I come home and do all the exercises and stretches as instructed. Put aside some time tonight to work your way through the Start Here tab. It is well worth it. Very, very detailed.

:laugh: Love it! Sounds like a story out of James Herriot. I must say that I have often mentioned one of my cat's obsession with food and his intense affection - that he's more feral and over the top than any dog - the wonderful lady I board my kitties with nodded politely when I told her and said she had seen it all. I had an email within 24 hours of his first visit: "I was wrong." :laugh: My vet was also blown away when this cat's incredible aversiveness to needles was overcome with a liver treat immediately afterwards. The worst dog exaggerations I hear are when the owners tell me "the dog knew it was the wrong thing to do...." W're talking about Dizzy here right? :) Yup :laugh:

Possibly in the break in the middle Leah? I'm going to the Retrieving Nationals (plus SA State Champs and a double agility trial) for 2.5 weeks but I haven't worked out how that coincides with the course.

Leah - just replied to your question BTW in the chat area, in case you haven't set up your notifications.

And do things in order - don't assume you know the game! Trust me, SG has thought these through very carefully - I have recently switched to SG agility handling system - in the beginning I was all but as it rolled out I realised how much work she had done in making it as easy as possible for the dogs. I have done these Core Games with literally 100s of puppies and dogs and I am following the instructions step by step and learning so much!!!

The record keeping book is in the Start Here tab and there is also a link of important stuff in the yellow box on your Dashboard :)

Start at the beginning! Go into the Start Here tab :) Read and watch everything. Most questions asked in the chat areas are answered by reading the FAQ and watching the videos :D Don't get caught up trying to keep up with the chat. Just don't even try!

I'm using the printed booklet. I'm doing everything "by the book" as much as I can.

Yes, I'll be using the car for sure as Miss E will wait without being restrained when I'm training Zig but BARK. But you can do a lot before you get to that stage in terms of distractions - lucky because I've been stuck at home without a car for 3 weeks. An ex-pen or even the Bunnings compost panels would work too. I have the latter. fbaudry - have the dog on leash (with your foot on) - the dog doesn't get to wander off and find reinforcement somewhere else. These games will highlight your weaknesses as a trainer but that's perfectly ok. It's learning for all of us. Remember to put the FUN in to your sessions folks! Laugh at your own mistakes and those of your dogs. Be joyous at the little achievements. Your dog will tell you how you're going and it's not a race. The journey is MUCH more important than the destination - don't worry about that ring performance. It will come as a byproduct. I'm still laughing at how Em nearly bit her tongue off during retrieving training yesterday in an attempt to suppress a squeak of frustration :laugh:

Patience! Did you watch the video with the dogs bursting out of the crate?