Training Talk Thread

[bedazzledx2]

Well done ;) Daisy's coming along nicely!

Here's an update of Daisy's scent discrimination exercise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joVEZVF14-s

We started working with wood yesterday and she picked it up pretty much straight away. The above video is a full set of metal and a full set of wood, alternating between the scented metal article and scented wood article.

I am especially pleased with her progress knowing she was 100% with the exercise out on the grass in various levels of distraction I am still using the carpet at home to stop them banging on the wooden floor. She does struggle to pick the metal article up the second time in the video but she still got it right

ETA: Also had a bit of an oops towards the end with her pre empting me and trying to go and get the article before the command was given.

[huski]

Thanks guys, I am really pleased with her progress. She picked it up so quickly! I've never trained a dog to do SD before but I think being a VERY scent driven beagle she just really enjoys it!

I took a leather article out today to see how enthusiastically she'd pick it up. I was a bit worried she would struggle as it's so flat and not like anything she's been taught to pick up before. No worries though, she was very keen ;) My goodness does the leather easily get teeth marks on it though! I can see it will probably take us the longest of the articles to get right though because the leather has a very strong smell.

Edited April 2, 2010 by huski

[Ptolomy]

Huski - Daisy is doing really well and yep she does know the game - and it certainly didn't take long to teach her

Now I am going to pick on you!

At no stage did you reward Daisy for siting and waiting while you put the article out and what did you get - her getting up before you sent her - slap on the wrist - don't forget the basics.

Have another look at the video - when Daisy picks the article up - you do something with your hands - its a BAD habit!

and finally (I promise) - be careful not asking for a sit when she presents with the article. You are rewarding a present and a stand and this will be a hard habit to break further down the track.

Now onto leathers you go....... remembering that leathers have a strong smell of their own - so don't go rubbing them as this really brings out the leather smell even more.

[huski]

Huski - Daisy is doing really well and yep she does know the game - and it certainly didn't take long to teach her

I think she was really chuffed I was encouraging her to use her nose for something

Now I am going to pick on you!

Pick away, I have NFI what I am doing

At no stage did you reward Daisy for siting and waiting while you put the article out and what did you get - her getting up before you sent her - slap on the wrist - don't forget the basics.

Thanks for the reminder, I am really bad at remembering to reward for the basics especially when we are at home

Have another look at the video - when Daisy picks the article up - you do something with your hands - its a BAD habit!

Yeah I am a terrible fidgeter too

and finally (I promise) - be careful not asking for a sit when she presents with the article. You are rewarding a present and a stand and this will be a hard habit to break further down the track.

Gotcha ;) I haven't been fussed with presents or anything to start with, I just wanted her to get the exercise. Will work on it now she has basics of the exercise down pat :D

Now onto leathers you go....... remembering that leathers have a strong smell of their own - so don't go rubbing them as this really brings out the leather smell even more.

Yeah I mentioned above that the ones I have, have quite a strong smell! What do you do to scent them when you are first training the exercise? Do you just hold your hands around it?

Thanks for your feedback! ;)

[Seita]

wow Huski she's going great guns!! C ;) She's picked it up soo fast!

Can I pick too? You step into her when you ask her to heel before you leave her to put the article out... I'll bet that you probably do this in other places in training too! You'll get pinged big time if you do it in a trial so try to avoid making it a habit!

I know all about bad habits... particularly with my hands, I have to really concentrate on what I do with them before I give a command and after I give a command and in between!!!

[huski]

wow Huski she's going great guns!! C ;) She's picked it up soo fast!

Can I pick too? You step into her when you ask her to heel before you leave her to put the article out... I'll bet that you probably do this in other places in training too! You'll get pinged big time if you do it in a trial so try to avoid making it a habit!

I know all about bad habits... particularly with my hands, I have to really concentrate on what I do with them before I give a command and after I give a command and in between!!!

I am TERRIBLE with my hands... I am the worst fidgeter ever especially when I am nervous (which I wasn't in the clip above so you can imagine how much worse it is when I am nervous).

I did realise I stepped into her, someone pointed it out to me a little while ago and I am trying to be really conscious of it. I think I've improved with it in heel work, but I still have lapses Although today I realised I was doing it as I was doing it and in my head I was like 'you just stepped into her you nong!'

[Mas1981]

Great work Huski Daisy is just gorgeous! How old is she??

[huski]

Great work Huski Daisy is just gorgeous! How old is she??

Thanks She's three years old. Wish I had started off the right way with training from day one because I am sure she would be further along in her training than she is now, but oh well, you live and learn, we are on the right track now and I will get it right with the next dog ;)

Edited April 2, 2010 by huski

[Mas1981]

Great work Huski Daisy is just gorgeous! How old is she??

Thanks She's three years old. Wish I had started off the right way with training from day one because I am sure she would be further along in her training than she is now, but oh well, you live and learn, we are on the right track now and I will get it right with the next dog ;)

You do learn, Mason is the first dog I am really teaching obedience to so I also have heaps to learn, we met up with one of the instructors from our club this morning and had a training session with him and it is amazing just how much i dont know!!!

[huski]

You do learn, Mason is the first dog I am really teaching obedience to so I also have heaps to learn, we met up with one of the instructors from our club this morning and had a training session with him and it is amazing just how much i dont know!!!

Yep exactly, Daisy is the first dog I'm training in obedience and it is a huge learning curve! I am very lucky I have such a forgiving dog

[Mas1981]

You do learn, Mason is the first dog I am really teaching obedience to so I also have heaps to learn, we met up with one of the instructors from our club this morning and had a training session with him and it is amazing just how much i dont know!!!

Yep exactly, Daisy is the first dog I'm training in obedience and it is a huge learning curve! I am very lucky I have such a forgiving dog

I know, sometimes I think my dog knows more than i do ;)

[TerraNik]

Gooooooooo Daisy!!!!! She's really coming along nicely!!

Nothing to do with obedience.... but Soaks had a really successful training session at Sydney Royal for flyball (in the lunch break)! She did at least 8 full runs with no mistakes!! I'm so proud of her - the atmosphere and environment are very different to what she's used to training in! She's in the demo on Monday, so fingers crossed that goes just as well! Here's some piccies -

[ness]

Go Soaks!!!!!!!!!

Huski - Daisy sounds like she is coming along famously. Will have to watch the video when I get back to town on Tuesday as the net connection up here is a bit slow.

[Sue & Waldo]

A basic query from a newbie! People keep mentioning games for training such as "steady feet" and "2 toy game." My question is is there a web site or book that lists these games and their uses. I am keen to intoduce Cindy to the dumbell. Any hints? She is not actually renowned for her retrieval skills.

BTW I think Cindy has the "steady feet" game down well. Kept still for pieces of sausage today-at long last we may be able to get a good SFE.

Thanks for all the tips.

[RubyStar]

I am keen to intoduce Cindy to the dumbell. Any hints? She is not actually renowned for her retrieval skills.

Highly recommend this method

http://www.shirleychong.com/keepers/retrieve.html

I taught Millie the retrieve with this method. It can take a while depending on what stage your dog is at naturally (ie. my Ruby would retrieve it as second nature so all I had to teach was the hold... while Millie would look at the dumbell with a look on her face like yeah so? so I had to teach her from the very beginning, so she took longer).

[Ptolomy]

A basic query from a newbie! People keep mentioning games for training such as "steady feet" and "2 toy game." My question is is there a web site or book that lists these games and their uses. I am keen to intoduce Cindy to the dumbell. Any hints? She is not actually renowned for her retrieval skills.

BTW I think Cindy has the "steady feet" game down well. Kept still for pieces of sausage today-at long last we may be able to get a good SFE.

Thanks for all the tips.

As far as I know there is no website that lists games you can play with your dog to help with training. Best bet is to ask questions and if nobody responds ....then ask again!

Rubystar has recommended the Shirley Chong method for retrieving - many people use it and it works well

[huski]

I used the Shirley Chong method. Or at least started out using it. Daisy had no interest in the dumbell whatsoever so I shaped the entire thing. She did pick it up within a day or two and is now very enthusiastic about the dumbell and doing a formal retrieve. She has a nice hold too.

[Sue & Waldo]

Thanks for this advice-I will start tomorrow and keep you informed!

[bedazzledx2]

The Shirley Chong method works really well and it's my preferred method of teaching a retrieve but, as with all training, you have to get each step right before you move on. Many people rush it and then don't have a good foundation to fall back on. Its also important to see it through to the end....again I've seen lots of people say they've used this method but the result sometimes falls short of Shirley's vision!

A basic query from a newbie! People keep mentioning games for training such as "steady feet" and "2 toy game." My question is is there a web site or book that lists these games and their uses. I am keen to intoduce Cindy to the dumbell. Any hints? She is not actually renowned for her retrieval skills.

BTW I think Cindy has the "steady feet" game down well. Kept still for pieces of sausage today-at long last we may be able to get a good SFE.

Thanks for all the tips.

As far as I know there is no website that lists games you can play with your dog to help with training. Best bet is to ask questions and if nobody responds ....then ask again!

Rubystar has recommended the Shirley Chong method for retrieving - many people use it and it works well

[RubyStar]

The Shirley Chong method works really well and it's my preferred method of teaching a retrieve but, as with all training, you have to get each step right before you move on. Many people rush it and then don't have a good foundation to fall back on. Its also important to see it through to the end....again I've seen lots of people say they've used this method but the result sometimes falls short of Shirley's vision!

Like me I used her method to shape the pickup of the dumbell, but I have been slack with Millie so we don't have a nice solid hold yet, and I'm yet to piece the entire thing together properly. But the reason I praise this method so much is because she was a dog who would not even touch the dumbell. She still has issues taking things out of my hand to put into her mouth (unless it's food ) so to get her to take a dumbell in her mouth was huuuge for me!

Edited April 2, 2010 by RubyStar