PAX

WMR, probably like me. I can't shut up for long and I'm sure the dogs find the words 'get it' rewarding. I also say it when I play tug.

A nieghbour walked over to admire her and she fell to pieces, that is her style. She is very timid, very very very timid. I think she needs a personality transplant. Lucky I seem to love challenges.

After learning how she trains it and it looked so easy (cough cough) I would do DR too. That is if I ever get my dog at trialling level. I just had a disaster of a training session.......sigh

I always say 'get it' when I throw food.

Ness, I know and she also told us that she never does food as she finds the directed retrieve so easy to train and rewarding for the dog. I am trying to make the point (maybe badly) that FR can be positvely trained. I said multiple instead of directed......oops.

I just re watched your video, maybe keeping your hands lower might work. Can you see how you have them low and as she presents to front you lift your hands. You are making two movements that you will have to untrain.

Your video isn't all that clear....... Maybe she is poking you becuase she is rocking back then poking to get the treat. I would work on getting her coming in close in one movement instead of those awful rock back sits (one of mine does that too). I had to get his collar and guide him in (cheating I know) as he just couldn't get the hang of it. Also when she gets the treat, try to keep your hands in your trialling position for fronts, and let her snuffle the food out of your hand. When you go back to standing you could try holding the food slightly higher but if you can fix the rocking back I would think your problem will go.

I teach it while sitting in a chair. Get the dog to come in close, really close to get the treat. You can leave your legs out as guide so she comes in straight. Have her come right into your lap to get the food. After rewarding the close sit, throw the food off to the left or right and then have her come in again.

Erny, It is hard for me to explain (with my crappy writing skills) but I will have a go. I am rewarding the dog for attention on me with a very high reward rate (practically shovelling in treats), you come along and offer my dog food. If it moves towards the food, you would move the food away (the dog has already learnt from other training that if s/he moves towards the food, the food goes away). I keep rewarding the dog with yummy food for attention to me. When the dogs understands not to take the food offered by you, we add to the exercise until it is complete and I can have my back turned.. You would really need to see it to understand as it is probably very different to the way you would train it. I have also seen a very hungry Lab taught to retrieve a frankfurt in under five minutes using this type of method. The frankfurt was untouched by teeth. The same dog also heeled *to die for* over a concrete training area that was covered in cubes of devon and cheese. The dog has learnt that the best chance of reward is from the handler. Hope that helps and the people that showed me that have lots of 200 scores so I would say it is reliable.

I have also seen positive trained dogs do FR, It is taught like a rule out or Zen. I think Gina O showed me and Susan Garrett. They trained it by rewarding attention just like we do in SFE, when the dog has really good focus, get some one to offer food that is lower value than the food you have and keep rewarding (with the better food) the attention, and build from there. Apparently the more food focused the dog is the easier it is to train, so I have been told. It is a stay after all, so it should not do anything else other than stay and watch the handler while waiting for the next cue.

Chickens are often used to teach clicker training. I have seen chickens do a mini agility course.

Poor Hope, I'm glad she is on the mend. :D

Forgot to say, When I did it I also was riding 20kms (without the dogs) five nights a week for my own fitness and I found it quite easy to do the ET, a lot of people did not and changed handlers. When I rode with the dogs I wasn't getting much fitness as it was quite slow riding and I was only doing 8kms sessions.

It depends on the judge Shoey. My dogs pulled the whole 20kms, the judge just didn't want them lagging or looking tired.

I had a Bull mastiff years ago that had a bone stuck in her throat, she sounds like Hope, if she could swallow it without chewing she would. I raced her to the vets (she was blue by the time I got there) he believed me after some convincing and knocked her out and got the bone with a pair of long pliers. It is a bit of a runing joke at vet practices when people say that their dog has a bone stuck as usually it's kennel cough. I'm glad Hope will be OK.

Kavik, mine do that too and people say 'they are so well trained', no they are just hungry.

You could stay with us in some cheapy crap motel somewhere.....lol, tempted??? I think my dog will be one of the demonstration dogs, she has lots of problems for them to practise on. :D

She was very focused on you and what a happy girl she is. Are you coming to see Sue H in Sydney in August????????

Naughty Ness. Ness has the cutest face. :D

You don't have to crate, you could just tie them up. I don't believe dogs think about whats fair or not, only what is. I'm sure someone will come along and offer some advise for your problem. :D You could just tether Anzac while they are eating until he learns better manners.

Personally I would never feed dogs together as you do. My dogs are crated and fed so I know exactly what each one gets to eat. If you do this they will soon learn they need to eat while seperated or they will be very hungry. :D

It's supposed to be done at a maximum of 12kms per hour.

I love this quote, I found it on a sheep dog site but it works just as well for agility. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sheepdogtria...yguid=208474091 "If entering your first trial and you have a disastrous run that embarrasses you, stay and watch a few more runs. You may as well see the same thing happen to a Champion. "That", as they say, 'is dog trialing' ".

I don't get nervous in agilty either, it's over before you know it and no time for nerves. I am always too busy trying to remember the course.

OMG..... I love Whippets. Poor Mr Rabbitt