Moving From Novice To Open

[Zug Zug]

OK, after long consideration I have decided not to try and compete next weekend. We are just not ready. Her stays in particular are still a bit hit and miss. We rarely get the sit stay and the down stay both happening first time, so I think we'll just keep training a bit longer and re-enter her in a month or two.

Her other stuff (the exercises) are really good but just the last few weeks she's been getting muddled again with the DOR - sometimes dropping when I don't ask for it, sometimes the reverse. So we've got a bit more training to do on that one as well.

Anyway, to add some interest so we're not just training the same stuff all the time I've been working on a punchy left side start peg set-up, and started training her to do the seek back - she loves it! She likes proving to me how hard it is to hide anything from her, and that leather plaited thingy is her new favourite thing.

Might even get some scent articles and start muddling around with those.

(I know Utility is something we're going to run out of time on, but I'm curious how we'll go learning scent discrimination.)

[ness]

Yeah get yourself a set of articles - scent discrimination is fun and makes for a cute party trick. I had Ness do it at a pet expo demo only instead of articles I had cardboard cut out notes and then sent her to find the $50 note in a pile of $5 notes. Obviously the one I scented was the $50 one. The kids thought it was really pretty cool. Didn't need to train it either as she already understood the concept of finding the one that smelt most like me.

We also had a modified directed retrieve using various stuffed farmyard animals .

Edited May 17, 2010 by ness

[ZAUBISTAR]

Yeah get yourself a set of articles - scent discrimination is fun and makes for a cute party trick. I had Ness do it at a pet expo demo only instead of articles I had cardboard cut out notes and then sent her to find the $50 note in a pile of $5 notes. Obviously the one I scented was the $50 one. The kids thought it was really pretty cool. Didn't need to train it either as she already understood the concept of finding the one that smelt most like me.

We also had a modified directed retrieve using various stuffed farmyard animals .

Oh I love that! I should do something similar for Tamasin's school fair, can you imagine how excited everyone would be

There'll be other trials Zug Zug, no point putting her in if you're worried she might not get it right. Sounds like the seek back is working well, sounds like great fun.

[RubyStar]

I started out of sight stays with both dogs last night, am pleased it went better than expected!! Room for improvement most definitely before being ready to trial in Open, but am still pleased!

[Zug Zug]

Resolve is weakening....

I'm melting.....

[ness]

No your not melting your just going to take it all out for a little test run . No pressure . All the videos have looked great and she was rock solid on the stay we did the other weekend . Don't stress. If anybody should be stressing its me - Ness is still dropping her bundle with articles - no sooner then its fixed then it all goes pearshaped again. Ah well will just see how far she gets .

Just go out and enjoy yourself .

Edited May 18, 2010 by ness

[xena98]

Hi ZugZug

There is a mock trial held at Gepps X for non titled dogs for CCD, CD, CDX and UD. I think it was in the journal

cheers

Danni

OK, after long consideration I have decided not to try and compete next weekend. We are just not ready. Her stays in particular are still a bit hit and miss. We rarely get the sit stay and the down stay both happening first time, so I think we'll just keep training a bit longer and re-enter her in a month or two.

Her other stuff (the exercises) are really good but just the last few weeks she's been getting muddled again with the DOR - sometimes dropping when I don't ask for it, sometimes the reverse. So we've got a bit more training to do on that one as well.

Anyway, to add some interest so we're not just training the same stuff all the time I've been working on a punchy left side start peg set-up, and started training her to do the seek back - she loves it! She likes proving to me how hard it is to hide anything from her, and that leather plaited thingy is her new favourite thing.

Might even get some scent articles and start muddling around with those.

(I know Utility is something we're going to run out of time on, but I'm curious how we'll go learning scent discrimination.)

[Zug Zug]

I did a quick count last night. 16 trials between now and the end of the year.

Even if, say, 4 of them are restricted and we can't enter, that still means I can afford to fail 9 times, pass 3 times and still finish our title this year.

Which is a good thing, right?

[ness]

You can do it Zug Zug .

[Bully]

Pele and I are entered on Saturday. We're going to be there on the day and seemed like a good idea at the time We aren't ready and haven't put in the training due to the dramas in my life so will be interesting Hmmmm, just think to self "Go out and have fun!" How much can a Bull Terrier embarrass you? We'll see

Good luck Zug Zug If Zamba can nail the stays you'll have a leg I'm sure Wish Pele could have some of Zamba's heeling

[ness]

Bully you can borrow Kenz's for the time being - she won't need it for a little while yet .

[Zug Zug]

Heeling not too bad.

But celebrating a successful 'exercise completed' turned into huge zoomies at training on Wednesday night. She was so happy she ran right out of the ring and did several laps before she came back and popped into heel position again, looking ultra-eager. She just had beans in her bum this week.

Still a bit bonkers - someone needs to tell her to act her age. But secretly I love this misbehaviour because it proves she's still healthy and happy!

Yeah we'll just go out and have fun. Good to know we'll have some company. I'm looking forward to it now.

[Zug Zug]

Oh and by the way, I bought a set of scent articles the other day.

No idea what to do with them, but I think we'll start by retrieving metal articles for a while before we worry about the rest.

[ness]

Good work Zug Zug happy to provide some suggestions on articles . Gotta love these old dogs that don't really act there age. Ness was barking her way through a UD round on Tuesday night. Very over the top and having an absolute blast.

[Rivsky]

So you're going ahead with the trials on the weekend now Zug Zug?

If so I'm sure you'll both do well and good luck to everyone else who has entered too

[ness]

Hopefully Bully and Zug Zug will both come in here and post something - for a couple of people who weren't sure about entering they both came really really close to walking away with passes. Well done to both of you. Just goes to show you sometimes do need to have a bit of confidence in your dogs and a gentle push isn't all bad is it Zug Zug .

And we won't mention a certain BCs performance in UD - hmmm least she managed her articles correctly.

Edited May 22, 2010 by ness

[Zug Zug]

Hello all. Ok, first attempt at Open this morning and the story goes like this...

Heel Free - lagging and a bit flat, apparently missed a sit (I didn't notice that at the time) but not too bad - 25/30

Stand for Exam - moved one foot - 19/20

Drop on recall - fast, sharp except she travelled a smidge before the drop - 29/30

Retrieve dumbbell on flat - looked good to me but we lost a point for something - 19/20

Dumbbell over jump - d'oh! she ran out AROUND the jump, got the dumbell, then jumped properly on the way back - 0/30

Distance Control - perfect - 20/20

So on the whole I was pretty happy but decided not to attempt the stays given we weren't passing.

Then got all excited about Pele and went to watch her - I'll let Bully tell that story!

But then (fatal mistake) I thought 'well here is a chance to train out of sight stays in a new environment' so I asked my husband to watch her while I put her in a sit and went out of sight. She did ok, I watched from behind a few people, but she stood up when I returned. So I thought 'can't reward that try again' and I went out of sight again and this time went behind the hide which was still up.

Second time she apparently dropped and I couldn't see her from where I was, and then she ran off - first I knew of it was seeing her running around and I called her over and she came straight to me.

Disaster. Then of course there were a whole lot of angry people telling me off for not having my dog in sight and under control.

I thought it was a safe situation to train - the rings on that side were finished and empty and there was quite a bit of distance between her and any other dog, or any ring that was still happening. And I had people watching her. But obviously not a good idea - I'm really sorry everyone who was there I didn't see that coming.

We just gave up, came home, and my daughter came with me to the local oval to train out of sight stays again - she watched while I went out of sight. And yep you guessed it - perfect first time both sitting and in the drop.

Edited to add - we won't go tomorrow. It might take me a while to get back on the horse, so to speak.

Edited May 22, 2010 by Zug Zug

[ness]

Bugger Zug Zug - I almost offered to let Ness do one when I came to find you and you were in the middle of doing one. Lovely work with the rest of it though . Always happy to catch up and do some stay practice.

[Zug Zug]

Thanks - we'll need to find somewhere a very long way away to do it though. :p

I shouldn't let it upset me too much. Up until then she had done really well and I was feeling quite hopeful about our future chances.

We really need to get these stay problems under control.

[Bully]

Then got all excited about Pele and went to watch her - I'll let Bully tell that story!

We were on a pass, not a good score, but still a pass going into the stays. On the sit-stay apparently Pele lay down with 15 seconds to go

I was still very proud of Pele as I haven't put the work in lately and she's been woeful in her heeling. I only entered because I was going to be at the trial anyway. What a thrill today was even tho' we didn't pass