Agility Foundation Behaviours

[milzi09]

In a few weeks time I'm starting my second dog in agility classes. With my first dog its all about having a bit of fun because quite seriously the poor boy with his short stumpy slow legs really isn't going to get very far But he loves it so we continue for fun.

My second girl however has more potential. She's quick, agile and loves to learn and please. She's a clicker savvy dog that has done alot of free shaping and is fairly solid on most intermediate to advanced obedience commands.

My question is though, what foundation behaviours do you teach your dogs and through experience what behaviours have your found to be useful in your agility training?

[Kavik]

Kaos is the fist dog I have competed with in agility. I did some foundation work with him, but with the next dog I plan to do a lot more. Some things I plan to teach are:

* Shadow handling

* Send to food and/or toy reward

* Teach dog to look forward for release

* Send in a straight line forward and throwing toy

* Target for contact behaviour and send to the target

* Wobble board to get them used to movement for the seesaw

* Foundation ground work for front and rear crosses

* Rear end awareness

If your dog is a bit older and can start jumping I would also do the One Jump exercises from Susan Garrett's DVD

I'm sure there are lots more

[ness]

Yep would go with what Kavik has already mentioned and probably add some Susan Salo jump grid work in there as well .

I think not enough time is spent on foundation skills and a lot of people rush to get the dog doing more the more sexy (as Susan Garrett would say) obstacle type work before they have mastered the flatwork exercises. I am guilty of not doing enough flatwork so that is what I am focusing on at the moment.

Edited September 17, 2009 by ness

[milzi09]

Cool, I think we've got a fairly good foundation down already then. Obviously everything could do with some more work but the basics are there.

Definately got to work on the Susan Salo jump grids though. For a small dog Kiesha has an almighty leap (the kitchen bench is a walk in the park for her ) so often thinks it's easier, faster and more fun to jump over two jumps at once

What targeting exercises do you teach? Kiesha can target different objects with her nose from differing distances so far and just last night started teach her to target her two front paws on a book.

Also might be a dumb question but what is shadow handling?

[Kavik]

Shadow handling is getting them to follow your body so they read your handling better - sort of like heeling for agility

For targetting - I initially taught a nose touch (clear plastic lid) but then decided on a paw touch for my contacts - I use a rectangular piece of material cut out from those material shopping bags but you can use what you like.

[ness]

There is a good description of shadow handling in Greg Derrets first dvd but Kavik gave a reasonable explanation - basically its inside and outside circles with the dog on both the right and left.

Teaching the dog to walk backwards/have good rear end awareness is also a useful skill to have.

[milzi09]

Great thanks for the tips everyone.

My ex partner actually taught Kiesha to walk backwards when he did doggy dancing with her But its something we should definately progress. Its just one of those exercises I have been putting off because I don't like doing it Time to bite the bullet and make it next weeks project

[Bex_sta79]

Butting in - sorry

I've been trying to get Kobe to nose touch, and I'm finding it difficult. I've been intstructed to get him to target (nose) my hand, then move to targeting a clear plastic lid (while its in my hand) then moving to targeting the lid when its placed elsewhere.

The problem is, I can't really get him interested in nose touching my hand. He'll do it if I have a treat in my hand, but even then, after a couple of times, he loses interest.

He's great with paw touches though - will hi-five with either paw or both (depending on if I put up one or two hands).

Can I used the paw contact instead of the nose? And if I really need to train him to nose-touch, does anyone have any other advice on how I can get him more into it?

[Kavik]

Are you using a clicker? Clicker training is great for targetting work - dogs get really enthusiastic about it!

I use nose touches for motivatioin mostly and to keep attention at the start line. You can use a nose or a paw touch for contacts. Most people teach nose touch but I have decided to do paw touch.

[milzi09]

Bex_sta79 I taught nose targetting the same way you have done. However, I never would put food in my hand to get them to touch it because I thought that would create a situation where they would only touch it if there was food in my hand, which sounds like your situation.

I used a clicker and basically put my my hand out quite purposefully in front of the dog (just far enough they had to lean forward to touch it). They were curious as to what my hand was doing so they leant out to smell it. Bingo I clicked, removed my hand and treated. I did this 5 times where they probably didn't even touch my hand.

Then I raised the criteria to when I present my hand they had to touch it. As soon as they did, click, remove hand and treat.

For me my dogs loved the game and caught on really quickly which made progressing to the target pretty easy. But for you maybe you need to break it down into even smaller steps by clicking for even looking at your hand, then moving slightly towards it, then closer to it etc...

[megan_]

Butting in - sorry

I've been trying to get Kobe to nose touch, and I'm finding it difficult. I've been intstructed to get him to target (nose) my hand, then move to targeting a clear plastic lid (while its in my hand) then moving to targeting the lid when its placed elsewhere.

The problem is, I can't really get him interested in nose touching my hand. He'll do it if I have a treat in my hand, but even then, after a couple of times, he loses interest.

He's great with paw touches though - will hi-five with either paw or both (depending on if I put up one or two hands).

Can I used the paw contact instead of the nose? And if I really need to train him to nose-touch, does anyone have any other advice on how I can get him more into it?

I put my hand really close to his nose and then made a little "ch-ch" clicking sound - it worked! Then I moved the hand further away and removed the sound.

[Mym]

I did a beginners course at our club that was great, but I would suggest that you watch some foundation agility videos. I know everyone loves Greg Derret's one but I also got so much out of Moe Strenfl's "Foundation Training For Agility". I found that by going back to the foundation exercises again and again that we have begun to improve after being very stuck. Also, video yourself if you can, I learn so much from watching the dopey things I do when training my dog.

And I love Susan Garrett's "Crate Games" - mainly because it creates a wonderful foundation to build on. Also, the "it's your choice" games etc that are fun to do and teach self control are also great. We play them just sitting in the lounge room at night.

Both my dogs are really soft when touching, but I was shown recently that by increasing the criteria steadily and clearly, I have a big improvement.

[milzi09]

Ah yes crate games... another one I have started teaching but never continued. Looks like its time to dust of the dvd and get cracking on it this week as well.