RubyStar

Oh this sounds really great, wish I wasn't a 5 hour plane ride away!

If ever there was a time I was jealous, it's right now Ptolomy! But I know I have myself to blame, I never taught Ruby much focus as a pup and didn't aim for head up and looking at me when I first started teaching heeling as I'm such a noob! Now I'm paying the price and hoping with some help it's not too late to be fixed

I tried it out on my girls last night for curiosity sake. Ruby was confused, kept going to the other side of me with a puzzled look on her face so quit that one as quick as we started. Millie was much the same, didn't quite understand the game. So I think I'll just watch this girl's videos in awe and keep reading for any other tips that might prove useful! I'd be interested in trying it out on a new puppy though. Think I'll need a large enough space that I won't fall over anything walking backwards A new puppy is many, many years off, though.

Yay I'm glad I was right about something I wish I had a large backyard, and with grass! Would make practicing duration heelwork more convenient than heading to the local park (and the local park means play time to Ruby ) So we end up doing lines up and down the small patch of grass in the front yard (lucky I live in a cul-de-sac so no traffic cos we do it offlead). I'd utilise the K9 grounds but I never know when a class is on and obviously don't want to interfere and get in anyone's way!

I could be wrong (I usually am ) but my interpretation is working towards increasing the length of time your dog can heel with focus - Sandi/Ness?? Am I on the right track? I just found this blog, found it very interesting: http://www.fannygott.com/clicker-training-heeling Has anybody tried this method before? I'll have a bit of a read of the other posts when I have time as it seems quite interesting!

I will be SCREAMING the house down and hanging from the rafters if Ruby comes away loving to heel So will definitely write up if that's the case! But - fat chance! Because she is one stubborn dog and doesn't have "want to", she has "do I have to and what's especially good in it for me?" I've tried duration heeling with Ruby and cannot maintain it with her head up for longer than maybe 5-10 secs, which means we're in big fat TROUBLE Hoping the guru seminar will help me find a way to better this because this focus while heeling malarky is our biggest downfall... I'm very much looking forward to Sunday (even though I'm not a morning person )

You can register crossbreeds and unpapered purebreds as Associate dogs which entitle them to trial. The CCCQ website has a downloadable form that you can fill out to apply.

Uh huh....

I started retrieving with Ruby last night - can't wait to attend more classes and fail at that too At least I found something she is enthusiastic about... obedience? that's boring stuff Mum!!

I'd be interested in the answer to this, too

Mine too. The nerve, huh!!!

By the way, for COP - are you allowed to use verbal AND hand signal for the down??

Ohh how heartbreaking, LP!! I wouldn't have had a clue you can't use "name *pause* command" for the COP! I must remember that. I've never been shown how to do it, just watched people, so my hand signal is probably laughable!! Ness, if you watched my vid, feel free to comment on all my wrong doings If I re-teach Ruby's drop to fold backwards it should hopefully help our heeling drop too, as she tends to get in front of me for that and I wonder how many potential points we could lose for that...

I'm enjoying this thread too, love chatting obedience screw ups, makes me feel more normal Eek! So what is the best kind of drop to teach? Should there be different types for different exercises? If a dog just folds back on itself in the COP, is that considered too far backwards? Oh boy, so much to learn!

We did our first COP in the ring on the weekend and the cheeky bugger moves forward - so now I'm having to train her drop from scratch to fold backwards! Can't fault her, it's the fault of the trainer and I had no idea!

Oh no, at what point did you use the name at the wrong time??

I am taking a whole box of tissues with me because I KNOW I will cry, I'm such a big sook!!! I've often gone home in tears after some horrible training nights

Oh no Pixie! That's what's gonna happen with us, but to a poopier degree Oh you would die to have them do the SFE perfectly and move right before the end! Doh!!

It was pearshaped before the entry was posted I know, I know, don't enter til you're ready. But she's been sitting at this level for about a year with me postponing getting my first "over with" this long so I thought what the heck, I could use some embarrassment I think we just need to taste a real one and then work from there. That's my story and I'm sticking to it

OK, I'll trade you one of our weekend's SFE's for some focus - can't be trading you both now or else we'll fail that too If you check out my youtube page you can see our embarrassing heelwork but our kick@ss SFE! Was the highlight of my day

Ooh directional food bowls, definitely sounds interesting! I've done a few UD exercises with Ruby and she hasn't even entered her first CCD trial yet It's the damn heelwork we have trouble with, maintaining enough focus for her to stay with me and see when I give her a signal! I gave the Novice ring a go on the weekend at a practice trial and while it could have been a lot better, we weren't laughed out of the ring either :D The judge said it was good It was very hot so considering the conditions I think she did well! AND she nailed her SFE, twice!!! Yippeeeee!!

I've got my first trial in under 3 weeks, can I bail out now before we embarrass ourselves? And embarrass we will, it's only CCD and little miss decides when she feels like doing something and when she doesn't Good luck with it LP, I've seen your vids and you're good!

Thinking of you and your old boy, hope you get some good news soon

Holy freakin' moly!! How great was that!?! That video got better and better with each second Loved the "skipping" ;) Thanks for sharing!!

You took the works right outta my mouth I fully support crate training, best thing ever! Dogs don't like to toilet where they sleep so make the crate just big enough for the pup to comfortably lie down, don't leave the other end empty so it can wander down there to toilet then go back to sleep at the other end. Block it off with a cardboard box if it's too big for a few weeks until pup learns toilet is outside. Get up in the middle of the night for the first couple of weeks to take it out and before not too long you will find pup is sleeping soundly in his crate all night, no mess I'm getting puppy clucky again.... and so want a beagle!!!