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Basically it's a handful of food - not crumbly and easy to see. Toss one way 'get it' and one the dog runs and eats it throw one in the opposite (approx) direction and repeat. You can also use toys if preferred. I love using it to build motivation and excitement with my Dally and, with Em, I mainly use it to get her running away from me - as she turns from eating a treat I can call 'sit' - which is how I taught a stop for retrieving. Also great for breaking a position so she can find it again eg 'front'. You can also incorporate rapid sit and drop games (great for teaching discrimination). Does that help?

Yes it does thank you ;) - About to go try it!

Do you use your clicker at all, or throw and get it only? I am not sure how I would go with toys, because the toy would not get brought back in time to pick it up and throw it for the next time if you get what I mean.

For the fronts for example, would I get a from click, throw the treat away, then get the front, click, throw the treat away etc???

Sorry if they are very dumb questions :)

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Terrific news Wuffles - goodonya and congratulations :) Its tough doing 2 trials in the one day !

One of my kids was not the best around other dogs. I was prepared to bet my house on the fact that she wouldn't break a stay, but if another dog broke their stay and went up to her and stood over her, I couldn't guarantee she wouldn't eat them. For that reason I set a criteria that if she wasn't on at least 194 - then I didn't bother with the stays. Like Ness, there were also times when because of the dog she was next to, I gave stays a miss.

One States Ch in open we were out of sight doing stays and we went back to the dogs and I found the GSD who was next to us had got up and gone and sat right next to my dog. Both were so focused on us, where we had gone and when we were coming back, that all was well - whew!

My final word on stays........................... sit stays suck!!!!

Edited by Ptolomy
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Well done Wuffles :)

I pull my dogs once they have failed an exercise at all as they are obviously not working up to their normal level so why keep plugging along.

If they are not on a pass I do not do the stays.

If I has more trials to go to I would be more likely to pull them I think, but as getting to one trial is such an organisational feat and such a long distance, I am loathed to pull them if they are just a little off. If they were sore at all or really stressed then most definately.

While placing or winning is always icing on the cake I am more competitive with myself. I want my dog to work better than the last time they were in (or on the same level if they were exceptional) or I want them to do an exercise they failed on before. If I feel we have both done our best I am happy. I do get cranky at myself when I don't warm up correctly or push too hard and stress my dog or something similar.

To be honest I am happy to pass, anything else is icing. I know if I could get to more trials and the dogs had more experience it would be easier for them and I would probably get a higher level of work out of them in the trial, but I live where I do so that is life.

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Here is our video - sorry, technical mishap and missed most of the heelwork!!

You can see the problem I am having with right about turns - near the start. She seems to get distracted as we are turning. Unfortunately the judge is in the way in the video so I can't see my footwork but I'm pretty sure it was alright. We have been working on it in training this week and she has actually been very good but obviously not great in the trial. Her first one was actually alright from what I remember.

I was very happy with her figure of 8 as it has been a problem for us in the past and lost us a point at our last trial for going wide.

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What a nice round Wuffles you should be tickled pink.

Yep your dog does lose focus on about turns - so put those on your homework list, but all the rest looked great :)

Have to also comment on the SFE - its sure was't easy with the judge going over the top of the dog from almost front on - not sure if he had done more patting whether your dog would have stayed there or not - but at CCD level I thought that was a bit tough by the judge :D

Something for you to try for your next training session ...and then you can write back and say yep I tried it and hated it :) Carry your lead in your left hand. You can still give stand signals with the lead in this hand and it looks sooooooo much neater. back in my box again......but you should be stoked ;) and you will do well in novice ;)

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I've pulled Jedi from the ring for crap heelwork because I don't want to reinforce it. For him though, it's usually because of his allergies. He's a lot like Ptolomy's allergy girl - it's either great or it's disasterous! And when it's disasterous, why would I want to put him through all that if he's feeling crap?

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What a nice round Wuffles you should be tickled pink.

Yep your dog does lose focus on about turns - so put those on your homework list, but all the rest looked great :)

Have to also comment on the SFE - its sure was't easy with the judge going over the top of the dog from almost front on - not sure if he had done more patting whether your dog would have stayed there or not - but at CCD level I thought that was a bit tough by the judge ;)

Something for you to try for your next training session ...and then you can write back and say yep I tried it and hated it ;) Carry your lead in your left hand. You can still give stand signals with the lead in this hand and it looks sooooooo much neater. back in my box again......but you should be stoked ;) and you will do well in novice ;)

Thanks Ptolomy. She never breaks SFEs so I was surprised! I was certainly glad he only did a quick pat, that's for sure ;)

Thanks for the hand advice... believe me I have been told MANY times to hold my leash in my left hand :) I tried it for about a month and was still struggling (Ava was fine, it was me getting frustrated) so I went back to the right hand :o One more pass and I can scrap the stupid leash :D

Edit: She got full marks for SFE in the afternoon trial and the judge gave her a long pat and even on her pants :eek:

Edited by wuffles
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Congratulations wuffles - that's fantastic :)

OSoSwift - good questions actually and it's nice to think through what I do. If you want to use toys have a bag of them on you - as soon as they grab one and turn, toss another one. I don't use toys with Zig as he gets more excited about food and I don't use them with Em simply because everything she retrieves I prefer her to present formally at the moment. She really doesn't need motivating much more than she is already either ;)

With the clicker, it depends on where I am in the training and what I'm teaching. I tend to use the clicker for initial shaping and then switch to a verbal marker once they have the hang of it. So "front", click (or "good"), treat in position (!!!!!!) and then throw food and "get it!" If I'm working on fast sits on the run (for retrieving purposes mainly), then I'll click the second her backside hits the ground so she'll make more effort to sit really quickly.

Basically it's a handful of food - not crumbly and easy to see. Toss one way 'get it' and one the dog runs and eats it throw one in the opposite (approx) direction and repeat. You can also use toys if preferred. I love using it to build motivation and excitement with my Dally and, with Em, I mainly use it to get her running away from me - as she turns from eating a treat I can call 'sit' - which is how I taught a stop for retrieving. Also great for breaking a position so she can find it again eg 'front'. You can also incorporate rapid sit and drop games (great for teaching discrimination). Does that help?

Yes it does thank you :D - About to go try it!

Do you use your clicker at all, or throw and get it only? I am not sure how I would go with toys, because the toy would not get brought back in time to pick it up and throw it for the next time if you get what I mean.

For the fronts for example, would I get a from click, throw the treat away, then get the front, click, throw the treat away etc???

Sorry if they are very dumb questions :)

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Just had a filmed session with Toby :) I must say it's so helpful to know how you are doing. There are a few sections of heelwork that I am quite proud of! However I need to work on keeping it interesting for him and my tone, what I think sounds fine listening back sounded a tad harsh. However I am seeing real potential in this dog it's just if I can bring it out. :)

But I think I am beginning to get an inkling of what it might feel like to be one of the UDX ladies... his fronts are a lot straighter but his right finishes are suddenly so slow! Still only going in straight lines too ;)

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Just home from the trial at Redcliffe.. Quietly happy with Coco - very difficult conditions.. Very, very wet and squelchy underfoot, long, long grass that had been mowed at some point and not picked up so lots of clumps of dead grass all over the place.. She did the Seekback at a 100 miles an hour and didnt find it but then only one dog all night managed it so no excuse but still .. Did everything else really really well only losing a handful of points across the rest of the work.

When you consider that 10 days ago we were doing snatch and grab articles and had a total aversion to taking direction for gloves and she did all of them tonight with really good scores so major plus I think. And over and above everything else she never stopped wagging her tail and leaping almost over my head at praise at end of each exercise so one very happy working dog. So while I know no quallie again (bloody UD) am happy tonight with my pocket rocket.

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Ptolomy i think Beans and Mason must be related - either brilliant or awful, that really does describe how he works too!! And when i feel that i have become a better handler i would love anither dog to train but i feel at this stage that i just dont know enough an am often faced by situations where i dont know how to train something.

For my next CCD trial i would just love a pass to give us the confidence to enter the next trial, i try not be too competitive to me its about myself & the dog enjoying ourselves :)

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I've pulled Jedi from the ring for crap heelwork because I don't want to reinforce it. For him though, it's usually because of his allergies. He's a lot like Ptolomy's allergy girl - it's either great or it's disasterous! And when it's disasterous, why would I want to put him through all that if he's feeling crap?

Must be an allergy dog trait :)

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Just home from the trial at Redcliffe.. Quietly happy with Coco - very difficult conditions.. Very, very wet and squelchy underfoot, long, long grass that had been mowed at some point and not picked up so lots of clumps of dead grass all over the place.. She did the Seekback at a 100 miles an hour and didnt find it but then only one dog all night managed it so no excuse but still .. Did everything else really really well only losing a handful of points across the rest of the work.

When you consider that 10 days ago we were doing snatch and grab articles and had a total aversion to taking direction for gloves and she did all of them tonight with really good scores so major plus I think. And over and above everything else she never stopped wagging her tail and leaping almost over my head at praise at end of each exercise so one very happy working dog. So while I know no quallie again (bloody UD) am happy tonight with my pocket rocket.

Glad I didn't go if it was wet and yukky! We had a beautiful night over my side of town :thanks:

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Just home from the trial at Redcliffe.. Quietly happy with Coco - very difficult conditions.. Very, very wet and squelchy underfoot, long, long grass that had been mowed at some point and not picked up so lots of clumps of dead grass all over the place.. She did the Seekback at a 100 miles an hour and didnt find it but then only one dog all night managed it so no excuse but still .. Did everything else really really well only losing a handful of points across the rest of the work.

When you consider that 10 days ago we were doing snatch and grab articles and had a total aversion to taking direction for gloves and she did all of them tonight with really good scores so major plus I think. And over and above everything else she never stopped wagging her tail and leaping almost over my head at praise at end of each exercise so one very happy working dog. So while I know no quallie again (bloody UD) am happy tonight with my pocket rocket.

So close and yet so far Kathq. It really does sound like a case of being super happy with her work even though she didn't pass - hang in there - the first pass will be poetry in motion!!!!

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Well done kathq - hopefully a pass isn't to far around the corner. I played a little UD articles with Kenz today and she seemed to have her brain screwed back on again. Last time we played it wasn't to pretty but today she did it as though she had been doing it her entire life. Just better hurry up and get there.

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Lovely run wuffles - and a big congrats!! :laugh: :D

Aw Kathq, I didn't see you today - I was too busy trying to concentrate!! Congrats on a lovely run!!

So I have a little brag.... me and Lot had our first ccd trial, and we passed and came 2nd with a 92 (which I know isn't the highest mark, but i'm still super happy and proud of her!!) :thanks::laugh: I am just so proud of my girl - she worked her little toosh off (shame about her dodgy handler :rofl::o who needs to learn how to turn properly which is where we lost most our marks heeling!!), her heelwork was great with lots of enthusiam most of the time (except our firgure of 8s - oops, she definitely got distracted, a bit off track here!!), and as she came in from the recall, came in crooked so lost 3 points there... BUT her stays were soooo super solid with the dogs on both sides breaking!!

Sooooo we have LOTS of homework this week :rofl:

The judge also came and had a chat to me after it had all finished and had some lovely things to say, so I can't wipe the smile off my face!!! :laugh:

Heres the video - I know I have lots to work on ;) .

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Well done wuffles and kath!!

Do we get to see the video, RV? :rofl:

Edit: how did I miss your post, LuvLottie?!?! Well done to you, too!!

Edit2: just watched wuffles and LL's videos, great work girls! What a couple of attentive Aussies in their heelwork :thanks: LL, that was an awful lot of slow pace and and fast pace and all those turns and positions in those paces for CCD! :rofl: That's more of an Open round here :laugh: Well done! Did I hear the judge say right turn and you did a left about turn? Hard to hear but it's what it sounded like :laugh:

Edited by RubyStar
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