caffy

I did the 4 bumper wagon wheel ex from Dobbs using gloves fairly close up. Great exercise for DR. Then did 3 out in a line and threw toy close to left side when asking for glove 3..I think the boy has got it. Thanks for the suggestion

Yes, Alex is great at locking on...Snazz is not and so I have to work harder...hence all my questions. I think Alex only ever failed DR once...he has spoilt me :D Emm is a little ripper...keep up the good work

..and to not always do the same turn to the same glove..that is do a complete about turn and keep turning and pick a glove to stop at. Is the Wagon Wheel drill as it sounds?

That's an easy one Retrieving IS hard and so much of it is at a distance so your training has to progress carefully. Plus the dogs really, really, really want the bird so their self control has to be excellent. What you're doing makes sense because I went to a SH seminar a few weeks back :D I'm struggling to describe how I taught Em - videos are so much better!!! How I taught a 'blind' (which in the beginning is a 'sighted blind' which is similar to a directed retrieve) is to walk out with the dog, drop the article, say 'blind'. walk back to the start point, line the dog up, say 'blind', send the dog. Make it really easy to build lots of confidence. I did plenty of these, extending distance and then one day left Em in the car whilst i placed the dummy out at a short distance. Lined her up, said 'blind', sent and she did it. There is a basic video of her at 7 months here, which I'm not sure is helpful??? Probably more the start if anything...you can see I have the 2 dummies a LONG way apart to make it very, very easy for her to distinguish which one to get. Also our dogs learn to look forward when they mark the fall of a dummy/bird - we teach this by having someone else get the dog's attention by calling "hey, hey, hey!" and tossing the "mark" when the dog looks straight ahead. Very nice!! What a clever girl.

I started with bait plates and stayed on those for awhile with no turns. I then used 1 glove at close distance...he is not gifted with locking on like my toller ;) Sue had me very close to the 3 gloves which were very close together with feet pointed at No2 and using my hand only as directional on each glove(does that make sense??)...he struggled with that so I would pick up one glove, say no3 with feet pointed at No2, throw 3 into it's position..that helped him lock on and then send. We are now full distance...one glove out straight in front, throw a toy close to the side and then ask him to lock on the glove with a hand signal....this is hard but he's trying hard now. Sue was describing birds being thrown and sending your dogs out while another bird is thrown as they are retrieving the 1st bird...amazing stuff

How many of you Retrieving folk that do Obedience use your retrieving exercises to teach and proof Directed Retrieve in UD?? I've been doing a little bit with my BC and he's finding it tough. I certainly take my hat off to those of you competing in Field trials and being successful.

Why not go back to one scented article..throw it out and send her..if she picks it up cleanly then party bigtime. Then put out objects she can't pick up and throw out your scented article again and send her...reward clean pick ups only. If she drops it all or mouths it, just take it quietly from her and do it again until you have a nice, definite pick up.

I see Zuma, Scoota, Alex and the mighty Guinea all rolled into one...amazing dog

What is the next step with the mat now? Fading it?

Do you have a plank at home? Maybe forget "training" on it and just feed his meals on it for awhile. You could sit on it with him as you feed him.

I don't quite see the advantage..to be picky, a few of the sits were crooked anyways

Woo hoo..the WA guys are on a roll with 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Open in different rings.

I hear the WA Team did well today winning the Teams Comp

http://www.dogagility.org.nz/Articles/WDA_200811.pdf Scroll down to the last page....

I couple of very deep breaths :D

I can relate Vickie...moving low and fast to the end will cause a problem with jarring...I think ;) The solution is a slower seesaw..I can't quite get my head around slowing down a fast dog when it can execute a seesaw safely at the current height. It just seems such a backward move considering the rest of the World has not done this. Maybe the rule changers should provide more proof of safety issues before doing these changes.

A suggestion from an OS visitor was paint cleats on the dogwalk. I felt a lower SS would cause more shoulder jarring but I don't have proof...it's just my feeling..and, of course, would take training to adjust to the new height. My dog did have flyoff issues with the current SS, but I trained him to not flyoff...guess it all comes down to that...training. So, yes, I'll go back and now train a lowered SS where he won't hurt his shoulders.

What are the thoughts on the Wee Saw?? The rest of the world seems to cope ok, has Oz got it right or wrong?

Interesting question. I have found I need to do more obstacles than I used to do in simple sequencing. My boy requires fast handling which means giving him info before the next obstacle without any hesitation...something I struggle with. The longer the sequence/course, the more behind I get in my location and mental preparedness for the next obstacle. Maybe it is more of improving the memory skills more than anything ;)

What a stunning sendaway in Udx Brookie did after your tugging lesson bedazzled ;) ;)

YES!! Send her back please. I couldn't have got Snazz's CDX without her guidance and I'm sure others over here can give her credit for solving some of their tricky obedience problems ;) Enjoy her seminar..you'll learn heaps.

I will hold you to that If not you can sign up for DWD

All looking good RV Just a tip...if you have to correct a position then give praise ...if you then ask for it again and get correct position then reward bigtime!!

A simple way to start is with obstacle independence. That is being able to get your dog to weave without you running the same line but moving off laterally and he/she completing the poles without you babysitting them. From memory, Stacy covers that in Go the Distance.

me thinks he's right :D although I do have a newfound appreciation for the potential excitement in obed after attending some trials recently & watching Pax train Prix. So we might see Sister strutting her stuff???