Agility Training Talk Thread

[sheena]

I saw an agility DVD a few years ago (no idea which trainer it was, maybe you guys will recognise the DVD?) where the guy was teaching the dog left/right direction using a tug toy and spinning the dogs on the tug toy and naming the direction in which they were spinning. Then he only had to use the directional command on jumps and the dogs turned in the right direction.

This fellow is Greg Derret in his Foundation Training DVD. I have taught my dog to spin "back" (left) & "close" (right) & find it very handy for doing either a tight wrap round or for directing her to a tight turn to another obstacle. I am so bad with my lefts & rights though that it is a stategy I have to work out when walking the course as I can't think that quickly while running.

[kelpiechick]

I saw an agility DVD a few years ago (no idea which trainer it was, maybe you guys will recognise the DVD?) where the guy was teaching the dog left/right direction using a tug toy and spinning the dogs on the tug toy and naming the direction in which they were spinning. Then he only had to use the directional command on jumps and the dogs turned in the right direction.

This fellow is Greg Derret in his Foundation Training DVD. I have taught my dog to spin "back" (left) & "close" (right) & find it very handy for doing either a tight wrap round or for directing her to a tight turn to another obstacle. I am so bad with my lefts & rights though that it is a stategy I have to work out when walking the course as I can't think that quickly while running.

It also may have been Rob Michalski on one of the 'Agility in Motion' videozines.

He had a few segments across 3 or 4 DVD's where he taught a similar thing and then used it on tunnel discriminations I think.

There is a wheelchair bound competitor in the US (Cheryl Minchinello, Michello? something like that) who has developed her own system of handling she calls 'directional control' and basically parks herself on course and handles most of the course with verbals. Totally amazing !

[RubyStar]

I saw an agility DVD a few years ago (no idea which trainer it was, maybe you guys will recognise the DVD?) where the guy was teaching the dog left/right direction using a tug toy and spinning the dogs on the tug toy and naming the direction in which they were spinning. Then he only had to use the directional command on jumps and the dogs turned in the right direction.

This fellow is Greg Derret in his Foundation Training DVD. I have taught my dog to spin "back" (left) & "close" (right) & find it very handy for doing either a tight wrap round or for directing her to a tight turn to another obstacle. I am so bad with my lefts & rights though that it is a stategy I have to work out when walking the course as I can't think that quickly while running.

It also may have been Rob Michalski on one of the 'Agility in Motion' videozines.

He had a few segments across 3 or 4 DVD's where he taught a similar thing and then used it on tunnel discriminations I think.

There is a wheelchair bound competitor in the US (Cheryl Minchinello, Michello? something like that) who has developed her own system of handling she calls 'directional control' and basically parks herself on course and handles most of the course with verbals. Totally amazing !

Oh my! Someone in a wheelchair doing agility, wow good on her!!! I would LOVE to see videos of this, any idea if there are any on youtube?

If it helps discriminate between the 2 videos, this guy was working outside in a largish backyard and had a whole set of jumps set up with "wings" hanging off them that he used to demonstrate putting it in practice!

[ness]

Yep that would be the GD one RubyStar .

[pie]

That's your Greg Derrett Agility Foundation DVD that I watched RS

[RubyStar]

That's your Greg Derrett Agility Foundation DVD that I watched RS

Are you kidding, I own it? I borrowed this from someone when Ruby was a puppy but it had to be returned to her. And now it has somehow wound up in my collection, score

You can't half tell I haven't watched the agility DVD's I have...

[kelpiechick]

Oh my! Someone in a wheelchair doing agility, wow good on her!!! I would LOVE to see videos of this, any idea if there are any on youtube?

I don't look at youtube much as I am still out in the sticks on dial up, but would imagine there's very likely something there. It seems to be a lot more common in the US than here, but then that could also relate to the sheer number of competitors over there compared to us too.

I know Elicia Calhoun has given seminars specifically for mobility challenged handlers and fills them each time she offers them. Last time she was here she was talking about how she got into a wheelchair to see what it was like moving around a course and how hard it was.

We have a lady in a motorised wheelchair competing in Victoria and she does a really good job with her dog.

We also have another lady at Masters level who has MS and is very restricted in her movement and her kelpie has the most incredible distance skills. Pretty sure she actually won a Masters agility ring a few weeks back. Her dog is so responsive it brings tears to your eyes and is beautiful to watch.

[sheena]

I saw an agility DVD a few years ago (no idea which trainer it was, maybe you guys will recognise the DVD?) where the guy was teaching the dog left/right direction using a tug toy and spinning the dogs on the tug toy and naming the direction in which they were spinning. Then he only had to use the directional command on jumps and the dogs turned in the right direction.

This fellow is Greg Derret in his Foundation Training DVD. I have taught my dog to spin "back" (left) & "close" (right) & find it very handy for doing either a tight wrap round or for directing her to a tight turn to another obstacle. I am so bad with my lefts & rights though that it is a stategy I have to work out when walking the course as I can't think that quickly while running.

It also may have been Rob Michalski on one of the 'Agility in Motion' videozines.

He had a few segments across 3 or 4 DVD's where he taught a similar thing and then used it on tunnel discriminations I think.

There is a wheelchair bound competitor in the US (Cheryl Minchinello, Michello? something like that) who has developed her own system of handling she calls 'directional control' and basically parks herself on course and handles most of the course with verbals. Totally amazing !

Oh my! Someone in a wheelchair doing agility, wow good on her!!! I would LOVE to see videos of this, any idea if there are any on youtube?

If it helps discriminate between the 2 videos, this guy was working outside in a largish backyard and had a whole set of jumps set up with "wings" hanging off them that he used to demonstrate putting it in practice! :D

Just Google "agility wheelchair youtube" & up will come lots

[RubyStar]

Found some! Found a woman and her Lab in her wheelchair :D

Found something more interesting though, a dog in a "wheelchair" doing agility!!

[Vickie]

We also have another lady at Masters level who has MS and is very restricted in her movement and her kelpie has the most incredible distance skills. Pretty sure she actually won a Masters agility ring a few weeks back. Her dog is so responsive it brings tears to your eyes and is beautiful to watch.

I attended a seminar with her once. She put the rest of us to shame (her timing is really wonderful) & yes I am pretty sure I had tears in my eyes watching how amazing he is at following commands too!

[RallyValley]

RS I know of a lady in the states that has a Chessie she does Rally with in a motorised wheelchair, I think she also does retrieving with her dogs ( she had an off road chair :D ) and maybe agility. But I know she wasn't allowed to to original obidience because judges "couldn't tell if the dog was heeling".

[pie]

Well I did our first session of 2x2 weaves last night, had one base out. Trixie has never done anything to do with weaving or pole wrapping at all, Kyzer knows how to weave but I thought it wouldn't hurt to do it with him too because his entries are pretty rubbish.

The results were surprising to me, Trixie worked it out pretty fast indeed and would go through the poles on the right side, I was working around the arc and when I was on the left side of the weavers she was wrapping the first pole to enter on the right. I always call her the slow learner but maybe I should give her more credit

Kyzer however completely overthought it, he was madly doing figure eights around the two poles (he's pretty small ) and I had to keep breaking it right down for him, I was surprised with that. I think he thought I couldn't possibly just want him to go between the poles, it was too simple, there must be more to it! Also once I accidentally clicked just as he turned his body and that was all I was getting for a while, one pole then a u-turn, amazing how they remember the click!

[Sheilaheel02]

Gosh, I must be the only person on here who isn't convinced a really enthusiastic tugger is wonderful!

My chiropractic bills are through the roof

I reckon I've got pretty strong shoulders and arms but Mick can nearly reef me off my feet if he's really pumped. Maybe, that's the problem, I've got a launcher and a reefer rather than a tugger

S

Edited August 19, 2010 by Sheilaheel02

[Tiggy]

Gosh, I must be the only person on here who isn't convinced a really enthusiastic tugger is wonderful!

My chiropractic bills are through the roof :D

I reckon I've got pretty strong shoulders and arms but Mick can nearly reef me off my feet if he's really pumped. Maybe, that's the problem, I've got a launcher and a reefer rather than a tugger

S

My SBT likes to do the death shake when he tugs, that's a hard one to keep a hold of .

[Chezy]

I'll let yas have a tug session with Chopper one day , most get draggedaway rofl

[RubyStar]

Well I did our first session of 2x2 weaves last night, had one base out. Trixie has never done anything to do with weaving or pole wrapping at all, Kyzer knows how to weave but I thought it wouldn't hurt to do it with him too because his entries are pretty rubbish.

The results were surprising to me, Trixie worked it out pretty fast indeed and would go through the poles on the right side, I was working around the arc and when I was on the left side of the weavers she was wrapping the first pole to enter on the right. I always call her the slow learner but maybe I should give her more credit

Kyzer however completely overthought it, he was madly doing figure eights around the two poles (he's pretty small ) and I had to keep breaking it right down for him, I was surprised with that. I think he thought I couldn't possibly just want him to go between the poles, it was too simple, there must be more to it! Also once I accidentally clicked just as he turned his body and that was all I was getting for a while, one pole then a u-turn, amazing how they remember the click!

It is so funny watching the dogs trying to figure out what will earn a click, though I set the jumps up in the backyard without the bar on them with Ruby near me and she starts running around them and pawing them in an effort to get a click. Umm Ruby, we haven't started yet Then after I did some jumping with her, I got the clicker out and did some shaping with her and she kept running up to the jumps, around them, jumped over some in her own order, all in an effort to get a click. My criteria had nothing to do with the jumps at this stage but it was funny as hell to watch her do anything and everything

[Vickie]

Gosh, I must be the only person on here who isn't convinced a really enthusiastic tugger is wonderful!

My elbow agrees with you Shaz. Something happened at Goulbourn & it's never been totally functional since. I even trained with food this morning to try to save it a bit.

[Vickie]

Here is Miss Trim's JDO run from last weekend. She is such a good girl, it felt so awesome & one of those rare runs where everything just goes perfectly.

I have this weird superstition thing that when we are filmed, we stuff up & when we are not filmed, we run clear . It's so stupid, I know. I didn't know this was being filmed & it was sent to me last night. LOL, so now I have to change my superstition to "when I know I am being filmed".

Edited August 21, 2010 by Vickie

[Tiggy]

Great run Vickie . Looks like Trim has the same start line stay as Caffy's Snazzy .

Edited August 22, 2010 by Tiggy

[Vickie]

Lol, pretty similar right now! Although At least they seem to know that they are not to take the first obstacle. Trim has always done one little hop, but she is really pushing it right now. My daughter has released her on movement a few times & now she seems to think the rules have changed. I'm not letting Chloe run her for a while till I fix it (much to chloes disappointment).

The worst thing is that b/c I lead out with my back to her, unless I see video, I don't even realize how bad it is.

Edited August 22, 2010 by Vickie