Training Talk Thread

[Ptolomy]

Yer but but who is actually doing the turns like this and who is doing something else?

A tip for people that haven't done this footwork - practice without your dog!

I do something similar with my foot work except I have my feet doing the exact opposite to the diagram! For a right turn I point my right foot on a 90 degree angle to the right and then swing my left foot around and the same for the left turn, point left 90 degrees with the left foot and then swing the right around.

So I don't actually make a T but I still give a signal as to which way we are going for the dog. However I think the T is better for the right turn as it's probably a bit clearer than what I do. But there is no way I'm changing my footwork now, I've been doing it this way for 10 years I don't think I'm going to be able to change any time soon!!! I have enough trouble changing hand signals after all these years!

I was doing this too Seita for right turns - but the more "up" Scoota gets the more he goes via the Cape of Good Hope, and his bum end swings REALLY wide - so have now adapted and changed to the T

[Tiggy]

I practiced the turns on my own over and over until I got pretty good at it then had a go with the dogs. Left/right turns were great, the about turns what about turns, they need alot of work, just when I thought we were nearly ready to trial but we'll get there.

[RallyValley]

Are these turns for agility or just obidience?

[huski]

Thanks for the foot work diagram, Nik!

This is what I am most terrible with.

Looking back on the videos I uploaded from Wednesday, I think I am getting better at not stepping into Daisy when we stop but I still can't walk well in a straight line much easier when you have someone else calling out a heel pattern though!

Our left turns are HORRENDOUS!

Edited April 9, 2010 by huski

[Sue & Waldo]

Thanks for the diagram! Very helpful!

[Mas1981]

We went to class today to do some obedience training and Mason's work in class was shocking I am very disappointed in him, he was charging ahead while we were meant to be heeling , no automatic sits at the halt, acted is if he had never seen the stand signal before and generally unfocused. Days like today I could really just give up with him because he knows his work he just gets so excited he cannot ( or wont I should say) focus on me at all! ;) I should have rather gone down to watch the trial today.

[Prydenjoy]

Wish I'd seen that footwork diagram earlier! My footwork has been pretty much all over the place, I kind of do a u-ie around Berri for the left about turns, but I just did a bit of practice with the turns in the diagram and then asked Berri to join me, in the left abouts he just scooted around and popped himself right in position like he'd been doing it all his life - I'll know for next time now!

Really wish I'd taken an extra 2 steps before standing him at the stand for exam today, I stopped him right in front of a smell on the ground and instead of stopping he kept walking to sniff it. We would have passed with a score of 92 otherwise! Ah well there is always next time...

[RubyStar]

We went to class today to do some obedience training and Mason's work in class was shocking I am very disappointed in him, he was charging ahead while we were meant to be heeling , no automatic sits at the halt, acted is if he had never seen the stand signal before and generally unfocused. Days like today I could really just give up with him because he knows his work he just gets so excited he cannot ( or wont I should say) focus on me at all! I should have rather gone down to watch the trial today.

Don't worry Candice, must be something in the air today. On the whole, today's trial was atrocious!! :D Only a handful of quallies across the board in the classes. Really was a weird day today for everyone

Ruby was really flat even practicing outside the ring with treats, so I knew it wasn't going to be a good round. We got in the ring, she was away with the fairies, so I pulled her straight out. G and Mav got their CDX title today so yay for them ;) Was about the only success story today

[caffy]

Don't worry Candice, must be something in the air today. On the whole, today's trial was atrocious!! :D Only a handful of quallies across the board in the classes. Really was a weird day today for everyone

Ruby was really flat even practicing outside the ring with treats, so I knew it wasn't going to be a good round. We got in the ring, she was away with the fairies, so I pulled her straight out. G and Mav got their CDX title today so yay for them ;) Was about the only success story today

That's disappointing. I was wondering how Snazz and I'd go in a day trial.

I slept in this morning instead after 2 nights of ADAA

I know..very slack

[RubyStar]

Don't worry Candice, must be something in the air today. On the whole, today's trial was atrocious!! Only a handful of quallies across the board in the classes. Really was a weird day today for everyone

Ruby was really flat even practicing outside the ring with treats, so I knew it wasn't going to be a good round. We got in the ring, she was away with the fairies, so I pulled her straight out. G and Mav got their CDX title today so yay for them ;) Was about the only success story today :D

That's disappointing. I was wondering how Snazz and I'd go in a day trial.

I slept in this morning instead after 2 nights of ADAA

I know..very slack

I hate day trials... so does Ruby

I almost stayed in bed this morning myself... perhaps I should have

[ness]

;) caffy. Must have been the day for sleeping in. I slept in and missed the mock trial I was intending on going to. Ah well think both of mine much preferred the nice long walk up the bush track with a swim thrown in since the creek is now flowing again higher up much to their delight. Then we finished up the day with an afternoon agility session at the park (well Kenz had one, Ness supervised ). Jump grids and then some front cross practice.

Argh not sure what is happening there I had 4 jumps set up in a box and then an extra jump in the front.

My very crude diagram pictured below (ETA jump 1/2/3 are suppose to be in a straight line and then (a)/(b) the sides of a box but it refuses to cooperate and I am to lazy to import a gif picture ) :

_ (3)

(a)| |(b)

_ (2)

_ (1)

I was working at leading out down all three middle bars - that was fine except for occasionally pulling the first bar. Then I would lead out 2 bars and turn to send her over either bar (a) or bar (b). Bar (b) she had no drama with except for once deciding to plough straight through bar (b) rather than jump. However with bar (a) she was rountinely dropping the second bar. Think it was something I am doing though. If I lead out past 2 and stayed put and just released her with no movement bar 2 stayed up. If I tried to turn then bar 2 would drop but she would clear bar (a).

Wish I'd been able to video it. In the end I gave up trying to fix the problem and put it into the better sit down and analyse because whatever I was trying wasn't working. Crossing closer to A wasn't working, delaying my cross still bought bar 2 down.

Edited April 11, 2010 by ness

[Mas1981]

We went to class today to do some obedience training and Mason's work in class was shocking I am very disappointed in him, he was charging ahead while we were meant to be heeling , no automatic sits at the halt, acted is if he had never seen the stand signal before and generally unfocused. Days like today I could really just give up with him because he knows his work he just gets so excited he cannot ( or wont I should say) focus on me at all! I should have rather gone down to watch the trial today.

Don't worry Candice, must be something in the air today. On the whole, today's trial was atrocious!! Only a handful of quallies across the board in the classes. Really was a weird day today for everyone

Ruby was really flat even practicing outside the ring with treats, so I knew it wasn't going to be a good round. We got in the ring, she was away with the fairies, so I pulled her straight out. G and Mav got their CDX title today so yay for them ;) Was about the only success story today

I thought Mason was over his,' put my head down and charge through class so that I can go where i want phase" I wonder if anyone has ever abandoned their dog at training before ??? :D One of the instructors said that the wind today was unsettling a lot of the dogs?? I get so disappointed when Mason gets on his own mission I almost think that we will never be able to compete because of his crazy streak lol

Edited April 11, 2010 by Masons_mom

[huski]

We went to class today to do some obedience training and Mason's work in class was shocking I am very disappointed in him, he was charging ahead while we were meant to be heeling , no automatic sits at the halt, acted is if he had never seen the stand signal before and generally unfocused. Days like today I could really just give up with him because he knows his work he just gets so excited he cannot ( or wont I should say) focus on me at all! ;) I should have rather gone down to watch the trial today.

I used to have days like this all the time with Daisy!

If he is really unfocused like that I would take him out of class. Walk him away, ask for something simple, like a look or just a brief moment of focus and then reward for that. If you really can't get anything for him put him away on a tie out, in his crate/in the car or take him home. No point training when he's not switching on or willing to work and you are just getting frustrated.

[Mas1981]

We went to class today to do some obedience training and Mason's work in class was shocking I am very disappointed in him, he was charging ahead while we were meant to be heeling , no automatic sits at the halt, acted is if he had never seen the stand signal before and generally unfocused. Days like today I could really just give up with him because he knows his work he just gets so excited he cannot ( or wont I should say) focus on me at all! I should have rather gone down to watch the trial today.

I used to have days like this all the time with Daisy!

If he is really unfocused like that I would take him out of class. Walk him away, ask for something simple, like a look or just a brief moment of focus and then reward for that. If you really can't get anything for him put him away on a tie out, in his crate/in the car or take him home. No point training when he's not switching on or willing to work and you are just getting frustrated.

I should have maybe brought him home but it just seems rude to leave halfway through a class and I dont want to miss out on anything that they may learn.

[huski]

I should have maybe brought him home but it just seems rude to leave halfway through a class and I dont want to miss out on anything that they may learn.

That's true you might miss out on something, but there's no point trying to work your dog if he just can't focus. It just makes it frustrating for you, and no doubt the dog can pick up on that too. And there's not much you will learn if you are frustrated and distracted trying to get your dog to focus.

[The Spotted Devil]

Ness, just to be clear...are you following Greg D's system? So were you doing a lead out pivot? My first thought is that you might have been turning before she has committed to Jump 2. Have you tried just standing still and rewarding her for completing the 2 jumps? If she can nail that it might give her some confidence and let you work the pivot out seperately. How about a one jump lead out? What are your shoulders doing also - perhaps she is picking up a cue???

[Tassie]

Yep - agree with Huski. More often than not I take a little time-out break with Rory part way through a class if he's really losing focus - for instance if an unruly dog in the class starts arcing up. I'll take him off to the trees for a pee, or take him up for a drink, then settle him a bit on the way back - usually he'll be fine then. I don't think instructors would think you were being rude - I'll always apologize/explain to the instructor at a suitable time, or after the class. Sometimes I'll just move away from the class and do a bit of doodling, or hand targetting or something like that until the braini drops back into gear.

[ness]

As best I can TSD . I wouldn't call myself a strict anybody system but I have watched all his dvds . Put it this way with Ness I don't walk a course with the GD system in my head I just go with what works in a situation .

Yep when I stood still and rewarded her for clearing the second bar no issue but then next time when I tried to add the pivot back in the bar came down. I tried turning late but the ruddy bar still came off or she will then plow straight throw the third bar.

I jump lead out I wouldn't beat her to the correct position and we would make an even greater mess of things .

[Tassie]

Ness, just to be clear...are you following Greg D's system? So were you doing a lead out pivot? My first thought is that you might have been turning before she has committed to Jump 2. Have you tried just standing still and rewarding her for completing the 2 jumps? If she can nail that it might give her some confidence and let you work the pivot out seperately. How about a one jump lead out? What are your shoulders doing also - perhaps she is picking up a cue???

TSD - I was having the same thought. I find it hard to pick the commitment point sometimes - but given that Kirra is experienced, I can usually get away with it. Much harder with a green youngster.

[ness]

And probably the reason I need to practice with her more at 400 if I am intending on trialling her at 400. Her commitment point will vary depending on jump height. For what its worth my box work today was at 400 and I think I have less thinking time .