Training Talk Thread

[wuffles]

A verbal toilet cue is worth its weight in gold - for all those thinking of trialling - this is something to add to your training plan

I'm probably going to have a problem with this when we start trialling. We do have a verbal toilet cue, but it doesn't stop her squatting randomly in the middle of exercises

You just gotta try and empty the tank

We will certainly try!

[Seita]

What is your routine when you arrive at a trial - how long before the trial starts do you get there?

How much warming up do people do before their turn in the ring and how long before hand do you get your dog out?

I usually aim to get there by the time vetting starts, vetting is usually an hour before the trial starts, that way if I'm running late (most of the time) I still have enough time for vetting etc. Once vetted I usually give Ella a big run so she can (hopefully) poo, she pees on command and gets another toilet stop just before we go in. Once she's toiletted she's crated until 2 dogs before her when she gets another toilet break and then back in the crate. I don't bring her out until the dog before us is on it's last exercise and then do very little with her before going straight into the ring. I sometimes do some finishes or change of positions before I go in but try to do as little as possible to keep her ultra keen to go in.

[Ptolomy]

Have people found that as the dog has become more experienced that you need to do less warming up???

[Ptolomy]

I'm probably going to have a problem with this when we start trialling. We do have a verbal toilet cue, but it doesn't stop her squatting randomly in the middle of exercises :p

Do you thik this is stress related????

[The Spotted Devil]

Have people found that as the dog has become more experienced that you need to do less warming up???

Tough question! My first instinct is to say "yes!" and then my logical brain says that perhaps I'm just becoming better at reading him And training for less preparation.

Sorry for going OT but I had forgotten how funny puppies are. Miss E. went for her last toilet break and raced to the crate next to my bed in eager anticipation of her treat. Once she'd eaten the treat she decided her eyes WEREN'T hanging out of her head after all and proceeded to find her voice and protest. Loudly Five minutes later and she's lying on her back snoring

[wuffles]

I'm probably going to have a problem with this when we start trialling. We do have a verbal toilet cue, but it doesn't stop her squatting randomly in the middle of exercises

Do you thik this is stress related????

I don't think so, she is not a stressy dog and has been the same since she was a puppy. On walks, she prefers to do 4 little wees rather than one big one. She doesn't have a UTI.

To be honest she doesn't do it often while training and when she does, it's when she's been released. Any tips gladly accepted though

[Ptolomy]

I'm probably going to have a problem with this when we start trialling. We do have a verbal toilet cue, but it doesn't stop her squatting randomly in the middle of exercises

Do you thik this is stress related????

I don't think so, she is not a stressy dog and has been the same since she was a puppy. On walks, she prefers to do 4 little wees rather than one big one. She doesn't have a UTI.

To be honest she doesn't do it often while training and when she does, it's when she's been released. Any tips gladly accepted though

Hmm interesting - we have a dog competing in WA - who regularly gets to the scent article exercise in UD - goes out to the pack - does a once around and when the scented article doesn't jump out and bite her she goes off and has a wee. This now seems to have become an ingrained behaviour and I was just wondering if your case was similar?

[TerraNik]

Have people found that as the dog has become more experienced that you need to do less warming up???

I wouldn't call my dogs 'experienced', but Jedi's routine hasn't changed or needed to change over time since we started trialling. But then again, I don't actually do much with him anyway. His warmup takes about 10 seconds. Maybe in our first couple of trials I did a little more than usual but I think it was for my benefit, not his!

[TerraNik]

I'm probably going to have a problem with this when we start trialling. We do have a verbal toilet cue, but it doesn't stop her squatting randomly in the middle of exercises

Do you thik this is stress related????

I don't think so, she is not a stressy dog and has been the same since she was a puppy. On walks, she prefers to do 4 little wees rather than one big one. She doesn't have a UTI.

To be honest she doesn't do it often while training and when she does, it's when she's been released. Any tips gladly accepted though

Soaks is a triple pee-er

If she does it when released, have you tried not releasing her between exercises? So when the judge says 'end of exercise', heeling her back to the start peg and continuing straight to the next exercise without releasing?

[JulesP]

What is your routine when you arrive at a trial - how long before the trial starts do you get there?

How much warming up do people do before their turn in the ring and how long before hand do you get your dog out?

MMmmm this may actually account for the 2 widely different run throughs I've just had. Sunday I had Poppy out of the car for over an hour before I went in the ring. Just standing around chatting mainly. I didn't do much training before I went in as she normally doesn't need much. I felt she was a bit flat but the judge said she would have passed (real obedience judge).

Wednesday I had just arrived, Poppy was still squeaking in excitement and no one else wanted to go in so I went in. Poppy was fractionally too far in front the whole run through but was very prancy. Not sure how that would have been scored. Failed I think with an older judge.

Things to ponder....

As for peeing - Poppy doesn't pee in public After maybe 3 hours of an off lead walk she will. All day herding - no way!

[wuffles]

I'm probably going to have a problem with this when we start trialling. We do have a verbal toilet cue, but it doesn't stop her squatting randomly in the middle of exercises

Do you thik this is stress related????

I don't think so, she is not a stressy dog and has been the same since she was a puppy. On walks, she prefers to do 4 little wees rather than one big one. She doesn't have a UTI.

To be honest she doesn't do it often while training and when she does, it's when she's been released. Any tips gladly accepted though

Soaks is a triple pee-er

If she does it when released, have you tried not releasing her between exercises? So when the judge says 'end of exercise', heeling her back to the start peg and continuing straight to the next exercise without releasing?

At the moment we're still working on duration with heeling so she needs the release, but as we get ready for trialling I'll see if I need to do something about it...

I don't think it's an ingrained behaviour, it just seems like she's not even thinking about it. Even if we're at the dog park or oval she just seems to stop whatever she's doing, wee wherever she happens to be standing, then get right back into it! She has a very carefree attitude, loves everyone and everything, and we have joked that she reminds us of a small child skipping down the street singing "LA LA LA LA" and getting distracted by pretty flowers...

Very different to my boy dog who strategically chooses his spots and is very easy to divert.

[Seita]

Have people found that as the dog has become more experienced that you need to do less warming up???

I've never done much warm up with Ella or my previous girl, usually straight from car/crate to ring with maybe a sit or something thrown in. I used to be chronic with warm ups with my first dog but by the time the second came around I realised that I was better off saving the energy that my dog had for the actual trial rather than wear them out before I went in. Ella has never really needed warming up, I give her working cue and she knows it's time to switch on and work, even when I first started trialling with her.

[Ptolomy]

Have people found that as the dog has become more experienced that you need to do less warming up???

I've never done much warm up with Ella or my previous girl, usually straight from car/crate to ring with maybe a sit or something thrown in. I used to be chronic with warm ups with my first dog but by the time the second came around I realised that I was better off saving the energy that my dog had for the actual trial rather than wear them out before I went in. Ella has never really needed warming up, I give her working cue and she knows it's time to switch on and work, even when I first started trialling with her.

I don't do much with my older kids but Cider is different - yep she can get straight out of the car and go into the ring - not a problem - but I get messy so I warm her up rewarding in postion which improves things considerably.

So Seita is there any advantage in doing something inbetween a lot and a little bit to get a neater performance, but still with drive??

PS - no right or wrong answers to any of these questions - just things for people to ponder and maybe learn or try somethng different

[ness]

I tried something a little different with Kenz at training last week. I normally just get her straight out of the car and go into the ring. Instead I took her out the moment I had finished with Ness in the ring and we played a little - maybe 2 or 3 minutes that was it. Then I popped her back in the car and got her out and took her straight into the ring. I think she could have used a little 30 seconds or so more settling time because I felt rushed but that seemed to work ok.

[JulesP]

Mmmm a neat performance but still with drive. That is my current issue. I get neat but flat or drivey and messy...... Depends on who is doing the run through as to how much they like it

But it is making me feel like I can't enter a trial as I haven't yet had a run through I am happy with.

[huski]

I never used to crate Daisy at trials but I will from now on.

I am guilty of stressing up and warming her up too much so that by the time she gets in the ring I've used up a heap of drive already.

I'd rather a drivey but messy run out over a flat run out any day - if Daisy is flat, her nose hits the ground and I lose her.

[TerraNik]

I never used to crate Daisy at trials but I will from now on.

I am guilty of stressing up and warming her up too much so that by the time she gets in the ring I've used up a heap of drive already.

I'd rather a drivey but messy run out over a flat run out any day - if Daisy is flat, her nose hits the ground and I lose her.

Me too... I pull them out if they are flat - to me, it's unacceptable.

If they are messy, I see it as a training problem so I blame myself and work on it.

[huski]

Me too... I pull them out if they are flat - to me, it's unacceptable.

If they are messy, I see it as a training problem so I blame myself and work on it.

Yes me too. I am not ever interested in having a flat dog in the ring.

Daisy does not have the best positioning but that is my problem and laziness with training, it's not related to drive.

[Seita]

I don't do much with my older kids but Cider is different - yep she can get straight out of the car and go into the ring - not a problem - but I get messy so I warm her up rewarding in postion which improves things considerably.

So Seita is there any advantage in doing something inbetween a lot and a little bit to get a neater performance, but still with drive??

PS - no right or wrong answers to any of these questions - just things for people to ponder and maybe learn or try somethng different

not really, if I do too much warm up (particularly when the weather is warmer) I loose drive and end up with a dog that still looks like she's doing it but I can't "feel" her with me if you know what I mean. I've been doing some COP stuff before going into the UD ring lately just to remind her what my signals look like cos she's a cow and tend to look away at that point and misses signals but I don't find there's a bit difference between no warm up and doing a tiny bit of focus work before going in.

I want her litterally jumping out of her skin when I pull her out of her crate (you should check her out on the way to the ring tonight), then outside of the ring I get her into work mode and she switches all that over the top enthusiasm into really nice drivey work. Yes sometimes she's a bit forge-y but that's a training issue that I'm working on and I'd rather that than a more lacklustre performance. Plus I need that drivey work to get through UD or I lose her by the time signals come around.

I remember doing a few trials late last year, the first 2 she scored her top scores yet (196s) in Open and the third trial I for some stupid reason did quite a bit of warming up with her and ended up with a dog that was not quite focussed and sloppy and gave one of her worst heeling performances to date. I still don't know why I did so much warm up that night but it certainly taught me a lesson about pushing it too far!

Most of my problems are with stamina due to an unfit dog, the more I take out of her before going in the less I have to play with while I'm in the ring and UD takes such a long time that I want to have as much fuel in the tank when I go in as possible. This is mostly due to fitness rather than her ability to stay switched on, she'll keep trying but the tired-er she gets the sloppier her work becomes. I'm trying to build fitness at the moment but the tick she had last year is still causing some trouble with getting her fitness levels up and then my lack of motivation to get her out with bike etc is the rest of the issue with it!

[Ptolomy]

In the UK competitors often get other people to warm there dogs up - would anybody consider giving this a try before a trial and do you think it would help or hinder?