Obedience Trialling Ideas Wanted

[Kavik]

OK a more positive session this evening

Got a bit of work with the squeaky toy that he likes. Also got him enthusiastically running to a target for click/treat. Not much luck with heeling - good stationary position but not much attention while moving.

Then I tried razzing him up at the end, pushing him, running with him, playing with a sock with a ball in it (another toy he likes) and got him enthusiastic that way. So maybe I need to find a way to use phyical praise and patting more. The challenge will be overcoming my nervousness and inhibitions about getting silly in public. Probably the reason I can get Kaos to tug really well at home and not in other places too. I have more experience using food and external rewards than pats. Any ideas?

I should have realised this would be the case considering how Diesel's breeder's train - pats and verbal praise, so using pack drive.

[Natsu chan]

That's great Kavik!

There's a heeling game I use to play with my boy, still do with the current girl all be it a modified version as she's a bit of a goose. Lots of turns and changes of pace and praise, make it a game to get him to keep up and when he's in the right spot make a massive fuss of him. My boy loved it, when you said heel his whole face would light up. My girl gets an excited 'excellent clever girl' when she's going well and a calmer 'good girl' when she's doing things basically right but not perfectly. If you excite him then say heel and trot off bouncing a bit and perhaps clapping your hands you'll get his attention. When he's in the right place up the ante and tell him how clever he is. Be warned though it's exhausting.

Don't worry about what other people think just get out there and have some fun with your boy.

[Kavik]

Problem is I can't do that in the ring. I used to do heaps of talking and bouncing with him when heeling, and it worked, but then thought if I can't do that in the ring, I should start getting him used to me walking like I would in a trial (to at least give me half a chance of success!). So now I am walking at a good pace but no talking, then reward after a few good paces of heeling. This is where I do really like the clicker or spitting food because it encourages good focus without me having to dance around like a lunatic :D

At the moment I do somthing like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTeX1VLFd-A

Though I normally spit food from my mouth

[The Spotted Devil]

Yes, but you can't spit food in the ring By that I mean, if dancing around works, then I would use it and then very, very slowly fade it out. I never thought I'd be able to get Zig working without food but he has really surprised me :D

[Kavik]

Maybe I can try to use the dancing around as a reward after I release him or something I want to try and keep the heeling the same as you would do in the ring, probably more for me than him, as I find it really hard to change from being bouncy and encouraging to ring heeling, don't know how he's supposed to realise I want the same performance! :rolleyes:

[The Spotted Devil]

Definitely But just ask for a few steps then release and go mad :rolleyes:

Also, if you get nervous practice redirecting that nervous energy into excited body language....like if you've got a full-on dog and you channel that energy into something constructive

[Kavik]

My problem is when I get nervous, I also get a bit inhibited and I know my body language reflects that I wish I knew how to fix that! As I know that contributes to the problems I have with Diesel in particular.

[Natsu chan]

LOL oh dear wasn't very clear was I. Of course you can't do it in the ring but you can take one light bouncing step into heel often that's enough. The Judge may giggle but most don't mind. You just start out like that to get the dog thinking "oh right this is the fun bit" then you slowly tapper it off until it's the reward at the end of the heel pattern. It does require a bit of time and patience but it works. I trial my girl, and she likes trials even with me!

I'm the same too with nerves and inhibitions, I find I'm much better if I just focus on it being for fun. As soon as I get serious and think right I want a qualifying score that's it, everything goes to pot. Qualifying scores, titles, ribbons none of it matters if you're having fun and the dog is then they'll come in due course provided you put the work in at home. So there's no point thinking about it. Things will go wrong, that's normal if you going in thinking of it as a chance to see what you need to improve on rather than a competitive event that might help your nerves. Remember the judges don't bite, they want you to do well too and they know all too well about the ups and downs of trialling.