The Spotted Devil

I don't think so RS - but if a dog is getting a lot of faults they often end up doing something that gets them DQ'd. So sometimes you miss the DQ element if that makes sense. ETA: Amypie has something - I think 3 refusals on one piece of equipment could be a DQ?

Yes, if it's out of order it would be DQ but if the dog starts but doesn't complete the obstacle (in the right order) it would be a fault I think. A dog that hesitates at the tunnel (without touching it or going past) can be classed as a refusal - especially a dog that spins - I've seen that quite a bit.

What's a holiday??? (4 years undergrad and 2nd year of postgrad )

That's a good point. I find my girl will often revert back to the behaviours that have been reinforced frequently recently if she's feeling at all confused or frustrated about position changes. Can you please explain the steady feet game, TSD? A great saying I picked up: a dog that doesn't perform as expected either doesn't understand the task or is not getting paid enough I picked up the "steady feet" game at Sue Hogben's seminar. It's not the easiest thing to describe - much easier to demonstrate...however... Initially trained in the sit position. Ask dog to sit but otherwise keep mouth SHUT (hardest bit ). Have one hand full of small pieces of yummy food. Slowly bring once piece of food with other hand towards dog's nose/mouth. Keep your eye on the dog's FEET. If the dog's feet remain perfectly still, move the food very rapidly into the dog's mouth (yum!) Make it harder. If the dog gets up or moves a paw, do NOT say a word (!!!!) - just fly the food rapidly away from the dog. Don't make it too hard or too easy. 80% success rate is about right. Gradually ask for more from the dog and bring the food in from every angle - above, below, on the side, behind. Zig knows the game now and my expectation that he doesn't lean towards anything but looks me directly in the eye - he's very funny The dog learns quickly that it's about cause and effect - then progress to the stand and start easy again, progressing to standing over your dog eventually and not having them flinch. Eventually have others approaching the dog and they get the food for staying still and looking at you. When Zig does a stand for exam, his whole body bends and leans and wags whilst he greets the judge but he never moves a foot Also great for building confidence for sit stays and food refusal (should you choose to do that one). I like it because it teaches the dog to control what happens - it's his choice!

I use the steady feet game to reinforce sit (until I say otherwise) and life rewards - 5.5 month old pup will not only sit when the side gate is opened but will sit with Spotted Dog in a park until released. She has also generalised it to retrieve training and won't fetch the dummy until I release her. She clearly can discriminate as last night I asked her to heel into position and she broke straight away to retrieve when Mr TSD started to throw the dummy. Went back to sit and she didn't move a muscle. I think a lot of dogs don't understand the exercise ie that stay means stay in one place in the same position. I probably train and reinforce sit stays with my Dally 75:25 compared to drop stays.

;) That's exactly what Em's breeder called her: The Little Terror-(ist)!!!

I think so too! Gorgeous dogs. In case you were wondering, the music is from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet". Ziggy is actually named for "Siegfried" from Wagner's Ring Cycle. You should see the names he comes up with for my foster kittens ;) Thanks, I'll look that up. It must be very fun (or scary) when Mr TSD is coming up with names. Did you choose Emily? Such a lovely name. Thank you Long story for the name......little Em's mother's name is "Rosie" and her registered name is "Cider with Rosie" (after the book). Thus Rosie's litters are named after characters from novels. Em's litter were all named after characters in novels written by the Brontë sisters. Funnily enough, one of my Burmese girls is called Brontë! Anyway, Em's registered name is "Cathy Earnshaw" from "Wuthering Heights", which was written by Emily Brontë. Mr TSD wasn't mad on "Cathy" as a call name so Emily it was!

Cute when they're not wrestling under your feet Bub!!! Will send Miss E. for a visit when she is at her height of mischief ;)

It is very easy to do too much too soon - Em is flying along in her obedience but retrieving in a novel environment is a lot more difficult so tonight I am going to drag Mr TSD to the park and we will do THREE walking singles. And no more! ETA: Knowing LL, I reckon she is spot on When she is watching I would send her (would it distract her too much to mark the "watch" with a quiet "good"?) and not send her if she isn't - we are fortunate in this sport that the act of retrieving is so reinforcing.....however that comes with it's own set of issues

kathq - you trial in UD? What do you do to send him out to gloves - he would look forward then? When the thrower makes a noise, the dog looks and the dummy is thrown....does the dog see the dummy land and then pick it up? Taught her to count Though she also takes direction from the direction I am facing after the about turn. No help for this type of thing :D See, I plan on taking my retrieving training to help me out in UD (hopefully!) Much easier So can you clarify the bolded part of my question? Does he do any part of the exercise? I know LL trains with both 2" and 3" depending on what she is training.....walking singles, blinds, water retrieves etc. I've borrowed most of her 2" to train with Em.....although they are nearly as big as she is

kathq - you trial in UD? What do you do to send him out to gloves - he would look forward then? When the thrower makes a noise, the dog looks and the dummy is thrown....does the dog see the dummy land and then pick it up? Springer pup is adorable Em swam a little yesterday - borrowed some dummies from LL so I will practice at home. Trying to meet up with LL at least twice a week from now on.

I trial, mostly in obedience and agility. This morning I was setting up agility equipment at 6am for my club's trial (not entered) and will do the same next Sunday (entered). I turned up last Sunday to clean the equipment. I don't have the time to be part of a committee at the moment (I run our community fire guard group as it is) so try to help out on an ad hoc basis - I do obedience and agility demos for the Dally Club and agility demos for my training club. I will help out the Dally club when we hold the Dally Nationals in 2012. At a retrieving trial (where I had 6 runs a day for 3 days) and was a complete novice, I placed "double blinds" for other competitors once I had run my dog - it was amazing to watch the retrieve from the other side. Why? It's the least I can do with all the knowledge and help I receive for minimal $$$. There are a few people who do a lot of work and you don't want THEM burning out.

Very interesting - thank you! They sound both fun to train and very challenging. Do let us know how you go...video perhaps?

I was lucky enough to handle a DOLer's dog in some retrieving trials after a few training sessions. That same DOLer is now a great friend and, not only introduced me to my pup's breeder, but is helping me train her in retrieving! Apart from that it's been great to draw on the knowledge and support of the trialling people with my Spotted Devil.

The Little Monster is great fun that's for sure! Best of luck on the weekend! How do you go with your whippies, in terms of motivation? I've seen a few go around agility here very, very slowly - I can see how they would be very difficult to motivate and then I see them run and run and run like the wind (looked after one for a few days) and think how awesome they would be to train if you found out what makes them tick. Mr TSD loves them but I remind him as to who does all the training. Perhaps one day I will indulge him

I think so too! Gorgeous dogs. In case you were wondering, the music is from Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet". Ziggy is actually named for "Siegfried" from Wagner's Ring Cycle. You should see the names he comes up with for my foster kittens :D

Mollie10 - I actually think it's karma.....Ziggy used to do the exact same thing with a 96kg Mastiff at show training when he was a youngster. He was a complete pain in the @r$e and it's finally come back to bite him :D

Glad you enjoyed it! Ziggy is extremely patient with the Little Monster and she is very persistent Monah, Mr TSD thanks you :D

Ok it may seem a daft question but how do you cue the halt?? Not daft at all :rolleyes: I'm not sure what others do but I slow ever so slightly and bring my left foot up to meet my right foot.

:D I enjoy grooming the dogs and cats but it's nice not to have to do it. Em gets most of her dry food from me for training and Ptolomy pointed out on our training video that she was SPRINGing up to get her treats so I've had to refine my technique somewhat. She will stay still to eat a frozen chicken frame or lamb neck.....but then she's in her crate anyway :rolleyes: She has been a very busy girl today and has finally crashed on my feet......think I will hide the batteries

Hi NC - she's a working ESS so barely any coat to worry about. The most she gets is a rumble tumble towel dry when she's been galloping up and down the mountain in the rain I do know what you mean about tiny steps but I still think some methods suit some dogs better than others - what I did worked for Zig beautifully but not for Em!

Is her 'default' position drop JulesP? I notice that a lot of BCs much prefer that to anything else - especially in agility. Herding instinct? Em defaults to a drop (I do ask her to maintain a sit and she is getting it now) when I open the yard gate to go downstairs where we go in the car or for a playtime. Is it just excitement and anticipation? Or body shape? Zig much prefers to sit

Thanks JulesP - I agree that it's definitely a failure on my part with the luring but I also felt that I couldn't communicate with her clearly enough using that method, especially since I have been doing a lot of steady feet work. I did want to play around with a kick back stand but wasn't 100% sure how to train it. Thanks for all the suggestions - brilliant!

amypie - you've got it exactly! I just can't capture the behaviour. Once I show her what I'm after she'll nail it........little smart @r$e heeled better than Zig tonight - threw left hand circle work into it and she didn't even blink. Also added a drop into her heel work and she got that the 2nd time - I have to give her a break so I can work out what the heck I'm going to do next as my training plan just goes out the window Fortunately there are lots of little aspects of retrieving I can play with like distance sits and one of her bigger challenges will be stand for exam so we are doing lots of steady feet and distractions in a sit. I'm trying to keep her training light and simple but she is always hanging out for more and it's not like I'm pushing her (which I would worry about with Zig) - I guess I just have to accept that she is different Ptolomy - thank you. I really think you're onto something.....I will try the first idea as, with luring, she thinks I'm either asking her to drop OR she looks at me like I'm a complete idiot because she thinks it's the "steady feet" game. In some ways she provides as many challenges as Ziggy does. RV - I'm glad you're enjoying Rally-O training! I take it Toby likes Nutri-grain ETA: Thanks for the link amypie....stopping her move at the front end is a great idea too.

Can I please have some different ideas on how to teach "stand"? Em is really quick to pick things up and it's for that reason (as Ptolomy pointed out) I don't want to teach her the wrong way as it will stick. With Zig I think he learnt a show stand first so was placed into position but Oh My Goodness this pup doesn't stand still long enough - she's wriggling and SPRINGing and offering behaviours, trying to work out what I want her to do I've very briefly tried luring and targeting - the former is not toooo bad but I think I'm confusing her. With targeting, she is so damn quick to touch my hand and then sit that I can't get in fast enough to mark the behaviour. I thought about shaping it but I am yet to see her stand still Thanks!