Moving From Novice To Open

[Ptolomy]

Zug Zug you sound like I did recently when trying to upload to Youtube. It's my guess, from what I learnt when my vidoes were taking ages to upload, that the file is too big and that you need to compress the file before uploading. You will then find that it should take about 20 minutes or less. DOLers suggested I use Movie Maker to make the files smaller - but I ended up using a program called Any DVD Converter (she says shrugging her shoulders).

Well done on uploading the video and you should be tickled pink - you are both doing a great job Is this the dog that is 12??

A little tip - when you do a right about turn - look in the direction you are going, not at the dog as this turns your shoulders and you should find that your dog wont lag.

You need to get the food out of your hands because you kept playing with it and swapping it from hand to hand :D .

In the COP, make sure you leave some time after the down before asking for the sit - otherwise you will end up with a dog that anticipates.

Watching your 2 food game made me smile - My kids will race out and get the food about turn and automatically drop before I give them the signal, I was that predictable - so from experience don't always drop the dog after throwing food and sometimes wait for them to come closer before giving them the signal. You will notice on your recall the dog is actually moving faster than what she does in the 2 food game - this is one reason she is taking longer to drop. When rewarding her throw the food back over her head (so in the direction of where she came from) rather than to the side.

Keep up the videos and the good work....

[Zug Zug]

Yep it was too big. Have now compressed it to a fraction of the size - and added a quick shot of Mozart at the end. I've edited the link above to send people to the smaller version.

Here it is again also:

Yes they are both around 12 years old. Mozart still looks like a puppy, but is starting to act his age (slower moving sage dog).

Zamba (the one I'm training) came from the pound about 10 years ago so we can only give an approximate age. She was estimated as 18 months to 2 years old by the vet back then so she is at least 11, probably 12. She is active now. She was utterly bonkers back then.

Thanks for the suggestions. Will keep going and let you know how we're going.

[Zug Zug]

One more quick vid - this one showing where the retrieve on flat is up to. She happily does the finish, but I haven't included that on this attempt. But we don't have a problem with that bit.

When I've tried to get her to come in closer to me she has come in nice and close at times, but then almost choked and hopped backwards to the spot you see her in here. When she doesn't have the dumbbell in her mouth (i.e. the normal recall) she comes in a fair bit closer, but not as close as other dogs I see.

Ptolomy I tried your suggestion of food thrown backwards between my legs this morning, but she went around me rather than through. There is room for her to go through though, so we'll try again out on the oval tomorrow and see if we can build it up.

[ness]

Have you backchained the retrieve from the sit in front Zug Zug. I spent a session today while I was watching the winter Olympics open ceremony of sitting perched on the front chair with my legs in sort of a v-shape and placing the DB or article on the floor and asking Kenzie to pick up whatever I had on the ground and present it. She needs very little encouragement to come in close now but it can help them come in closer. I have done it previously without the article to get her in nice and close so I just extended it to having her pick up and present the article.

Just back in from doing a set of articles with Ness and I better do some work with her as well because her presents are all out marginally further then I would like.

[Zug Zug]

Quick update - tried again with the front then throwing the food between my legs to reward, then turning around and repeating it. She did it, and she loved it! Thanks Ptolomy and Ness - great to have a new game to play and this has the added bonus of bring her in closer and also bringing her in STRAIGHT!

Next step - we try it with the dumbbell, and work on our stays.

Edited February 14, 2010 by Zug Zug

[Dova]

Pebbles seems ready for next Saturday, I'm hopeing for a pass & title, good luck Zug Zug for us both & anyone else competeing. Can someone tell me what Open A & B classes are, what's the diference between the Open A, B & Open :D , geez I been doin this for a year & still don't know nuthin :D .

[xena98]

Hi Dove

wont be seeing you at Gawler have to work. Still dont have computer. The only difference in Open A and B is that B is non titled open that is dogs that dont have there CDX title and Open A is for dogs that have there CDX title which is for titled dogs.

Good luck for Saturday night going to be a hot one

[xena98]

oops forgot to add good luck to Zug Zug as well

[mmoo]

Hi Zug Zug, if you are having trouble with the sit stay out of sight don't do the down, she knows that. I have been told by an extremely experienced handler that until your dog does the 3min sit don't do the down. This handler has won Top Dog in Vic on 2 occasions, so I take her advice very seriously, also try and encourage your dog to work a little closer to you, I

[mmoo]

Sorry pushed the wrong key.I was going to say, for an older dog, she is working beautifully, those little poodles are pocket rockets. Good luck with your trialling.

[Zug Zug]

I am so proud of my little dog this morning. Not only did we pass at last night's trial (to finish off our Novice title), we scored 193/200 and won first place! :D ;)

This was me driving home afterwards ;)

It was a hot, horrible evening for the first few hours, and a lot of dogs were losing points in their heelwork. We lost 6 points (for lagging during the early bits). Then lost one more point in the recall (not sure what for) and everything else was clear.

Especially delighted with her stays. 2 reasons. First, we had someone come up right behind us with their dog 2 seconds before we entered the ring and their dog lunged at Zamba several times and she was very freaked out by that. I wasn't sure if she would concentrate at all, and it took me 3 tries to get her to calm down and sit at the peg - which never happens she was just coping with a big adrenalin surge. And also the dog next to her got up during the down stay and sat up, then stood up, then walked around a bit. But she stayed like a champion, no problems at all. We failed a lot of CCD trials for bad stays, so I was stoked with her performance last night.

Soooooo happy

[ness]

Congratulations Zug Zug onto Open now.

[Ptolomy]

Terrific news Zug Zug - so have you pencilled in your first open trial yet?

[RubyStar]

WOOHOOOOOOOO congrats!!!!!! Well done

[huski]

Wow congrats, all your hard work has paid off!!

[Zug Zug]

Someone said last night that Dover is having a mock trial in April, so we might aim for a mock open trial then and see how we're coming along.

[RubyStar]

Do you have video of last night? We all LOVE video!!!

[RubyStar]

Pebbles seems ready for next Saturday, I'm hopeing for a pass & title, good luck Zug Zug for us both & anyone else competeing. Can someone tell me what Open A & B classes are, what's the diference between the Open A, B & Open , geez I been doin this for a year & still don't know nuthin .

How did Pebbles go???

[huski]

Do you have video of last night? We all LOVE video!!!

+1

[Zug Zug]

Pebbles came so close last night. I think her heeling was the best in the ring. Certainly the best that I saw.

I'm sooooo sorry no I didn't get a video. Kicking myself now. I actually went to sleep (literally) in the afternoon and came very close to missing the start of the trial altogether. Zamba and I ended up running (sprinting) out of the house to arrive 1 hours drive later in Gawler just in time for the close of vetting. No video, no photos. Bummer.

Next time I will need to be more organised!