Agility Training Talk Thread

[J...]

A small training brag (but Susan Garrett said to celebrate the small successes!) - I got Kaos to tug around his empty treat bag! One of my problems had been that if I went out wearing my treat bag, he wouldn't tug (he wanted his favourite toy or food rather than tug). So I decided to start small with the distractions with an empty treat bag on the ground a distance away from where we were tugging. He went to check out the treat bag but then did come back to tug! :D

Well done

[J...]

Yes, I'm not that dedicated to SG stuff but she does have some fabulous ideas.

Thanks TSD for your comments :D

I do like SG's stuff but I'm starting to find the marketing juggernaut and SG groupies a little too much. Reminds me of my natural horsemanship days, I thought I'd escaped that

Kavik I was the same about IYC and CG in the early days - I think because I did next to none of that stuff with Darcy as a young dog and she turned out pretty good. I've definitely done them with Zee and now Darcy as an older dog, more for my benefit in a training sense than anything else. Zee is pretty good at them in a training sense, but translate those skills to real life and Darcy kicks her butt.

[pie]

Yeah I agree Jess, the marketing machine puts me off SG a bit also - a lot of emails trying to push products and courses and webinars.

I've done CG but never really applied it to anything useful

[pie]

He sounds like a hoot amypie

Yeah he thinks I'm too stupid to notice I think What can you do but laugh really

[J...]

I do like CGs for what I can do with my dogs, I can put them in a drop/on a camp chair/in the back of my car/on a mat and in their open crates at a trial and know they won't leave them until I release them. I can train one and know the other won't move, no matter what the environment. I get the occasional yodelling from Zee in a highly stimulating environment but she will stay there.

Being able to have both dogs in the rear of my work car and know they will stay there until I give them a release word is just brilliant even for safety but also ease of management. I can release one and the other will stay there and vice versa. At the moment I do a heap of fitness work at the local lake in the bottom corner of the public area. Unfortunately the grass is currently quite long so I leave the dogs in the rear of the wagon, walk through to check for snakes/broken glass and any other stuff I don't want them exposed to. Once safe I can release them and know they will come straight to me - with Zee vocalising most of the way

That said, Darcy did a lot of that without CGs but it's been good for Zee. :D

[RubyStar]

Yeah I agree Jess, the marketing machine puts me off SG a bit also - a lot of emails trying to push products and courses and webinars.

I've done CG but never really applied it to anything useful

I did a bit of CG purely for the crate sense. Just wanted the dogs to want to get into their crates and to wait in it while I open the door and wait for a release cue. But like with everything, I didn't watch the entire DVD I haven't used it for anything agility or training related, but just for management of the dogs when I train. More of a manners thing.

I don't mind SG's concepts and training DVD's, but I'm not a groupie and I use a bit of this and a bit of that from a variety of trainers. Whatever works for me and my dogs! Haven't really seen any of her marketing stuff as I don't seek it out, but it sounds a bit full on. Oh well, it's her business and good on her!

[Kavik]

Yes, I'm not that dedicated to SG stuff but she does have some fabulous ideas.

Thanks TSD for your comments :D

I do like SG's stuff but I'm starting to find the marketing juggernaut and SG groupies a little too much. Reminds me of my natural horsemanship days, I thought I'd escaped that

Kavik I was the same about IYC and CG in the early days - I think because I did next to none of that stuff with Darcy as a young dog and she turned out pretty good. I've definitely done them with Zee and now Darcy as an older dog, more for my benefit in a training sense than anything else. Zee is pretty good at them in a training sense, but translate those skills to real life and Darcy kicks her butt.

There are local groups whose marketing is just as fierce I like SG's free webinars.

Rewatching the CG DVD atm - still to decide . . . I've heard you have to do it for Recallers.

[pie]

I do like CGs for what I can do with my dogs, I can put them in a drop/on a camp chair/in the back of my car/on a mat and in their open crates at a trial and know they won't leave them until I release them. I can train one and know the other won't move, no matter what the environment. I get the occasional yodelling from Zee in a highly stimulating environment but she will stay there.

Being able to have both dogs in the rear of my work car and know they will stay there until I give them a release word is just brilliant even for safety but also ease of management. I can release one and the other will stay there and vice versa. At the moment I do a heap of fitness work at the local lake in the bottom corner of the public area. Unfortunately the grass is currently quite long so I leave the dogs in the rear of the wagon, walk through to check for snakes/broken glass and any other stuff I don't want them exposed to. Once safe I can release them and know they will come straight to me - with Zee vocalising most of the way

That said, Darcy did a lot of that without CGs but it's been good for Zee. :D

Oh man you've just made me realise how much of CGs I DON'T do

I'm thinking of summer break projects, maybe CG will be one of them

I really want to work on Trixie's weavers and try and get her to work out her footwork and speed up, whe just trots through the poles currently, was thinking rear end awareness is probably lacking too which isn't helping.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Kavik

Crate games is part of Recallers.

The whole thing is self paced. Crate games is one of the foundation exercises tho.

The only thing you must do for recallers is pay some money. But there's not a lot of point doing that if you don't get into the games.

Quite a few of the games are in SG's books but I like the way they're presented online with Recallers.

[J...]

So how much has everyone blown at Clean Run free shipping so far?

[pie]

Too much

I'm up to $200 but should really put some stuff back!!!

Man they are going to be busy clearing out all the orders!

[RubyStar]

Ditto Amy, I'm just about at the $200 mark when I was only anticipating spending about $50 and combining an order with someone!

Very scary when you can do your very own order and still get free shipping

[pie]

I was realistic and knew $50 would never cut it But I was expecting around the $100 mark whoops!

[J...]

I'm at $220 so far but am tempted to grab two of the Hurtta Fleece jackets while free shipping is on. My dogs already have a far better wardrobe than me

Knew I'd have no issue hitting the $100 - there is only a few dog toys in there for a change, more handy stuff like stocking up on my favourite clickers and the padded cargo liner for the new work car

[pie]

For the work car

I have clickers, a ventlock (been eyeing them off for a while), a book, some treat ball things, vetwrap, a bazillion toys...

[J...]

For the work car

Everyone turns a blind eye to me having my dogs in the work car providing I keep it clean. I always swear to keep the new car clean, and end up getting them fully detailed before handing them back to avoid the potential buttkicking

[RubyStar]

I started off with general purpose stuff, all the small and lower priced items that are handy to have but not worth getting due to insane shipping prices. So stocking up on them now, I have added more clickers, pvc end caps, jump cups, vet wrap, cable ties, and I want to try those lock laces so have added the knot bone lace lock as well as the lock laces themselves. I am also getting the tailgate ventlock And then some slip leads, toys, kongs, etc No big priced items except the ventlock at $20 which is the most expensive in my cart, but boy it adds up! I'm almost at $300 and seriously need to cull some stuff!!!!! Want to get the shade cloth panel too but still trying to decide!

Edited November 18, 2011 by RubyStar

[Elise+Hudson]

I am trying to stay away from clean run at the moment, as I don't have the cash!

I was wondering if anyone might be able to help me find links to, or give some ideas on foundation/basic agility training with puppies?

I have started a weekly agility training night with Hudson + he just LOVES it! We are not doing any jumping, just the jump frames with a ground bar + only using low training tables etc. at training.

I have built a pvc agility jump for training in the backyard which is great, but I would like to know some more basic training I can try with him.

I have been practicing what my instructor calls "shadow handling" hudson gets so excited doing this, jumping around like a loony! and also doing sit, wait and directing over the jump.

We also did some wobble board + table work at class, which was great seeing him think about the table and he even went ahead to the table on our last few runs at training last week (his first ever class).

So what are some other basic things I can be doing at home? Hudson is 6 months old, so it will be while before we can do anything serious, but I also don't want to teach him the wrong things at the start. I am very keen to eventually try him in competitions though. :D

[megan_]

I wouldn't worry much about equipment - that is the easy bit :-).

If I had my time again, and when I eventually get a new pup, here's what I'd focus on (the first two being the things that I'd focus on, the others just bits and bobs here and there)*:

- motivation - build up his rewards and motivation, especially tug

- free shaping & games - nothing to do with agility per say, but I'd build my pups problem solving skills and resiliance by doing a lot of free shapping. Games like teaching your dog to seek out a target, putting them in a crate, hiding the target and letting them find it. This is not only fun but helps teach them to work independantly of you and drive towards something. The "It's your choice" game (should be some stuff on youtube) also helps build control.

- Working independantly of me (teach "go" around a chair). It is very easy to run a course with your dog right next to you and you'd get a few passes in novice doing this, but you couldn't really progress beyond that unless you're Cathy Freeman. Also, you get a real kick when your dog drives towards an object but is still within your control.

- flat work - circle work (in teeny-tiny batches to make it fun, fun, fun)

- hind-leg awareness - stepping through a ladder, "pick up sticks" etc

- handling skills - Do this on your own in front of the mirror, practice what signals you'll be giving the dog.

* disclaimer: I'm not even trialling yet, so I shouldn't really give advice!

[Kavik]

I agree with megan

* motivation especially tug if your dog likes toys (that would be my main focus until I have the dog tugging everywhere regardless of what is going on. Said because it is what my current dog won't do yet lol)

* recalls - restrained recalls are fun!

* shaping

* rear end awareness - perchwork, walking througth a ladder, walking backwards

* shadow handling

* send to toy

* nose touch hand, nose touch target, possibly paw touch target too

In terms of equipment, I would only do a few

* wobble board

* tunnel

* maybe jumps with bar on ground

Have a think about what ontact performance you want to train and how you want to train your weaves. Some of the early contact behaviours such as touching a target can be done early.