I Have A New Dog

[Agility Dogs]

After mentioning it in the health thread I thought others might be interested in CK's new life from a training perspective. Background is that CK is a soft BC, not particularly high drive, unless he is seriously turned on, then it can be a handful.

He will 'shut down' if he doesn't understand something - fair enough, but what we do need to fix is the shutting down when he doesn't want to do something.

Mr CK has had several changes to his lifestyle recently. Basically:

1. We are doing a lot more shaping to build his confidence (now that I know how to do it properly).

2. If I tell him to do something that he knows how to do he does it before moving onto the next activity - if that means tugging before the next flyball run and he decides not to we leave the field before and he tugs before we go back. This one is the one that seems the harshest because they 'shut down'. This shut down is not really a shut down - it is either a lack of understanding (my bad to be avoided) or it is a manipulation because the other activity is more rewarding (too bad for him from now on). Basically by that I mean that he 'shuts down' and won't tug because he would rather do another 4 second flyball run than tug - not my problem, I want him to tug. They soon realise that shutting down is not an option for them.

3. Linked to the above he is ONLY rewarded for fast, crazy behaviour. I have taken a lot of the 'controls' off his life and replaced them with demands for speed - just different, less stifling controls really. eg: I don't put his food down, go inside and make a cup of coffee before he is allowed to eat it. I make sure we have a good game with the food as a reward for speed. Remember, this is a dog who spent the 4 to 12 month period of his life either confined or being kept quiet as he recovered from an injury - I need to change his mindset.

4. When we are training he is only coming out of his crate for VERY short periods of time and when he does he works very intensely. (Ruff Love calls for them to be crated all the time - this is the one area we have relaxed since we are at work 10 hours a day!) He is crated for the day and a half before a trial though - OH is home on Fridays.

In just 3 weeks it has been an amazing transformation from a dog that was at times semi-interested at best and would not work to a dog that is bouncing around the place pushing me to play.

Saturday night's trial was a revelation. I had the dog that I wanted - he was quick(ish), he was happy and he was eager. Occasionaly we are still having a discussion about who's right and who's wrong, but in general our relationship has improved out of sight (and it wasn't bad to begin with).

Now that we are on the right track I can only hope there are much better things ahead!!

[luvsablue]

Hi Agility Dogs,

Your post was very interesting to me. I've got an 11 yr old, and what you said about a new dog in an old body

is a bit like my dog. I wanted to keep on training her after she got her UDX title, because I don't want her to

"lose it" mentally. So I began clicker a few months ago and shaped a few things in her UDX work.

First I used the clicker to teach her a few little tricks, really just quick movements like roll over and spin round, to

use in the ring between exercises. She loved this, and it was different. ( I used to be too formal in the ring, which is

oppressive and boring for her). Now I kind of balance it out, and we do a lot better in terms of her enjoyment in training and

in competition.

Now I'm targeting. She tries out all kinds of behaviour when I intoduce something new. Tail wagging, eyes shining, absolute

mental and physical involvement in working on the problem she's trying to solve.

It really is like having a new dog. We will try a few (favourite) trials when the weather is cooler.

Enjoy!!!!!

luvsablue

beckie the bluey

[Agility Dogs]

AWESOME

Hi Agility Dogs,

Your post was very interesting to me. I've got an 11 yr old, and what you said about a new dog in an old body

is a bit like my dog. I wanted to keep on training her after she got her UDX title, because I don't want her to

"lose it" mentally. So I began clicker a few months ago and shaped a few things in her UDX work.

First I used the clicker to teach her a few little tricks, really just quick movements like roll over and spin round, to

use in the ring between exercises. She loved this, and it was different. ( I used to be too formal in the ring, which is

oppressive and boring for her). Now I kind of balance it out, and we do a lot better in terms of her enjoyment in training and

in competition.

Now I'm targeting. She tries out all kinds of behaviour when I intoduce something new. Tail wagging, eyes shining, absolute

mental and physical involvement in working on the problem she's trying to solve.

It really is like having a new dog. We will try a few (favourite) trials when the weather is cooler.

Enjoy!!!!!

luvsablue

beckie the bluey

[luvsablue]

Hi Agility Dogs,

I forgot to mention that Beckie is also, like yours, a soft dog and pretty laid back, or in your words not particularly high drive. I've seen her shut down a bit too.

I have to balance every correction, eg a sloppy right about turn, with a bit of play, a repeat, then a reward, otherwise I've lost her.

luvsablue

beckie the bluey