ness

Hmmm must have missed that bit in the translation . Although why would you just not start on articles then or have I completely missed something .

We have done that before bedazzled - since the Sue seminar back in April - whenever we have gone out on our walks up the bush track over winter I always had something different on me that I would have her scent out. If I have had a stick and hidden it in the grass she always only retrieved the one that had my scent on it. I have had her find bits of paper in long grass etc. So we have done the sticks/balls/any object/pencils/pens/seekback article in the long grass etc she has always been very good at that game. Retrieving anything isn't her issue now, thanks to that wonderful magic fairy dust . I just went back and looked at the instructions I got when I taught Ness and its possible that I have rushed it and need to go back to doing more repetitions with less articles out. I just got it into my mind that we got to 4 quite quickly.

That is the problem Seita - when I walk out and place it she has no idea most of the time. I am just not sure how to progress it when she isn't actually scenting - or at least it doesn't appear to me she is. I don't understand how she can see it land when I am blocking her view and yet she still races straight out and grabs the correct article without a second thought. We also have longish grass. I know I went to the cans with Ness later on in the game not when she was learning.

Ok going to bump this thread with a new training question - I am day 3 of teaching my youngster articles. Now we have our fetching metal article issue sorted we have got to work on teaching scent. She has played baby scent work when she was younger of finding different objects in long grass. She is also a mad obsessive retriever. I have been following the dog scout method and quickly got to having 4 unscented with 1 scented (playing the game with both woods and metals). She is about 90% but all she is doing is fetching whatever I throw. When she occassionally brings back a wrong article I have either taken it off her and then got the correct one and thrown it or sent her back and she has sometimes returned with the correctly scented article. I have got her involved in playing tug and placed the scented article out without her looking and she can do it but she seems to go straight to the correct one. I still don't think she is actually scenting anything and is just fetching what she feels like. Anybody got any ideas for getting her to scent them rather than fetch them. I am not sure what to do next as we have had 2 sessions in a row with a similar outcome - she gets the correct article most of the time but I am not convinced its not just due to fluke.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ness_bc/ Mine .

Bugger about Riv and his DOR - hmm I can loan you Kenzie's or Ness's take your pick - I am getting a bit of a laugh as I was doing sendaways with Kenzie yesterday and I had chucked a whole lot of jumps tipped on their side, broad jump boards, bars, toys scattered and thought nah that might be too much of a distraction - well blow me Kenz had no issue with it. Then I thought hmmm lets just try Ness - Ness would usually just sit behind whatever bar is on the ground but nope she managed it as well .

Will be thinking of you guys - glad I haven't entered think my two will enjoy a nice run at the beach, lots of eating and an otherwise very lazy day .

I am just going through it again with the metal article. I like fact that once you have done it once then whatever else you might want them to retrieve is worked through pretty quickly :D .

Seita can I ask if you have been using a toy to reward the box part of the exercise. Kenzie does the same when I have been rewarding with a toy lots. I would try and break the need for the sit command and go back to a shorter distance and getting a default sit with no drop before increasing the distance again. Love the enthusiasm though :D . I wouldn't keep using multiple commands for the box either I would be calling her back and starting again from scratch.

Go Seita and Ella :D . The dogs really like directed jumping and dog in the box - least my two do :p .

Seita has a CDX on Ella and is training for UD I know she advocates this training method.

Hmm dogdude probably not knowledgeable but I was just suggesting something which might cause a decrease in the dogs drive.

Thanks for that back again but couldn't find my catalogue anywhere - think I tossed it out. ETA. There are some photos of the event posted here: http://webgallery.timeexposure.com/preview...&valid=true Can probably see what people wore in the way of costumes.

;) I can find name of the person who competed later - off to walk the girls and I'll have to see if I still have the trial catalogue.

Oh and on the multiple dog front I had 2 dogs entered in 4 routines in the morning and again in the afternoon (and they were all starters and entries weren't huge 3 in starters HTM and maybe 8 or so in starters freestyle and I certainly didn't have a heap of dogs in between - especially when most starters routines are at the bottom end of the permitted time so even 5 dogs is maybe 10-15 minutes max ) and also not being local or having seen any other competitions or attended any training previously I might have got off more lightly on the protocal side of things, so my experience might not be truely accurate but I can only explain what the set up was.

Nah they are just going with what is permitted in the rules - not bending at all. Using common sense I think. Its not any different to somebody going into an obedience trial ring where they are standing outside the ring and allowed to feed or use a motivator if they wish up until the moment they set foot in the ring. Leads were just removed in the "inside assembly area", through the glass door which was right next to the where the ring was. It wasn't a formal deal. They introduced you, gave a little biography and then you were allowed into the ring. You can probably see it in there. If you see at the start where we run from there are grey boards - that is where the assembly area was. It was much more like a performance then a trial - put on for spectator appeal as well with introduction of the dog/background information etc.

As for the cake being in the formal assembly area - it was only because the kitchen was right off where you went into the building and I do believe that has actually caused issues in the past as I said with dogs leaving the area to head off into the kitchen. Not sure that really makes it a training advantage and if anything it was obviously something that caused issues in earlier competitions with dogs deciding that there was something better on offer.

Yep AD you need a glitzy outfit. Actually there was a male that performed in Sydney with a couple of shelties - name I don't know.

Actually Mrs D I have dragged up the DWD rules and they say this: No food, toy or motivator may be taken into the assembly area, unless the assembly area is at least twelve (12) metres away from the competition ring. So as long as the assembly area is at least 12 meters away from the ring then motivators are permited. The assembly area for the competition in NSW would have been at least 12 meters away from the ring and it is also located outside a solid door hence no issue with the use of food or toy in the assembly area. It didn't worry me with my youngster as she will work anywhere anytime and in fact wasn't even really rewarded that much when we left the ring as she finds what she is doing enough of a reward. The set up was lots of people set up outside (I gather there was a small area somewhere out the back indoors where dogs were permitted) but not being a local I just set up outside with some of the others. They then had some board screens set up outside the door which was closed "the assembly area", then you walked in through the doors, into where they had more board screens set up and then into the ring. I guess they weren't quite as pedantic about having dogs sit around when the dog prior to them was in the ring. However it was 36 degrees outside so nobody wanted dogs standing around unnecessarily in the heat. You were permitted to wait inside the door if you chose but then you weren't allowed treats or toys on you so I opted to wait outside which was in the shade with dog wearing her cool coat. Also there was only limited number of dogs in starters (especially HTM) so there was no way I could have left the ring, changed costume and been waiting with my other dog when the dog prior to me in the ring was in (with only 3 dogs in the class and I had dog 1 and 3), so I guess there was a bit of flexibility and the two people doing the commentating/introducing didn't mind fitting in the space while I changed dogs got myself ready. So I don't think there is any reason to get cross they aren't doing anything that is against the rules - its just Qld seem to have adopted a different strategy for their competitions. I also noticed that they have a steward take you into the ring in Qld whereas in NSW you would remove your lead in the assembly area and leave the lead there before going out onto the performance area.

Not corvus but I wonder if its because you come across too forceful. I have watched people try and engage dogs with toys in particular and often push them to the point where the dog has switched off.

Oh but can you have your props in the assembly area - somebody just has to hear the world chimney and she goes off . I think I like the sound of the Sydney comps better then the Queensland ones at least you come in via an outside door and you can have treats or toys right up until you are due to go in ;) . Although apparently some of the starters dogs have disappeared off into the kitchen which is right in the entrance. When we competed I didn't see any but for the entire morning there was a tray of Christmas cake on the cupboard in the assembly area ;) . ETA. It would be the only "sport" where the dog is expected to stand around waiting with no access to motivators of any description - well at least in terms of agility and obedience. I did read that in the rules and not sure on the logic behind it. There is no reason why its any different to an obedience trial and as long as you are waiting near to where you have to perform then why your not permitted to have motivators I am not sure.

Oh but the subject is oh so pretty :D .

Oh poor Jedi - hope he got paid plenty of goat to perform .

Bedazzled - everybody else has corrupted this thread so you might as well join the club :D . I had a very special distraction training item arrive via Australia post today all the way from WA so now I am tempted to find a time to use it . Watch this space for video involving a pink alien toy .

Kenzie photo time - posing with her goodies from the Dancing with Dogs Comp last weekend