Agility Training Talk Thread

[skip]

Seems like there is a fair bit of change ATM with contact behaviour. It didn't occur to me to do different things - a stopped on the DW and running on the A frame. Now that's doing my head in.

My first two dogs were small and what help I had training advised just run contacts cause they are small and won't jump off.

I moved and had the opportunity for a very experienced trainer. I learnt the GD system and both dogs sped up heaps.. Then I taught the stopped contact with a drop and a nose touch. This did slow one dog down on the walk and made him stop on the A frame. I took this as confusion about the behaviour and tried hard to solve this. Eventually I decided to let him run his contacts as he was faster and keener this way. It just meant at times you couldn't change direction too much until he finished the contact.

My chi cross was a bit different as she either wouldn't start or just runs flat out the whole course. I'd just let her burn round and contacts were never a problem.

Off to a trial tomorrow so might watch what others are doing.

Thanks for the discussion Will look up some of the methods mentioned.

Well done Agility Dogs---Those courses showed the "back- jumping" I've read about. The dog having to jump from the far side of the jump. love the sheltie having something to say as she runs round.

[Vickie]

i) How do I get him to run that fast without a restrained recall (I razz him up with a tug, he goes fast, but not like the restrained recall)

ii) How to I balance the control of 2o2o with the speed? It seems to me that if I go back and put him on, and only reward him if he does the end behaviour that I'm inadvertently rewarding him to go slow(er). He is still running, but it isn't a bat-out-of-hell sprint like he did last night. Should I reward the speed and not worry about the contact for a while?

When you ask him just for the end position, how fast/enthusiastic is he?

Not saying you've done this, but I see lots of people getting their dogs running super fast over a DW, but the dog is slowish to assume 2o2o on the plank. Once they are put together, the dog starts fast but slows on the descent to get into position as that is what has been practised.

Also how much have you proofed 2o2o on the plank? I find that if the dog has a super understanding of position, they are more confident driving into it. If there is any uncertainty about position, the dog will always slow going into it.

[RoxyNHemi]

We (Hemi - Westie and I) had our first Agility training class last night. Adult Foundation 1 at ACWA.

I really enjoyed it and our trainer Blaine or Blake (not sure - sorry!) was excellent. He took the time to explain what we needed to do and WHY.. love when trainers do this as it then makes sense to me.

Hemi loved the jumps - and was doing them off lead by the end of the class and Im sure will pick up 'touch' in no time.

[pie]

Oh yay RnH, go the terriers :D

[The Spotted Devil]

Vickie you raise some excellent points! My aim is to fix up contacts this year - they're not super awful but the A frame, in particular, is not as reliable in trials as it is in training - too much excitement methinks!

I ran Em in the Hungarian Vizsla Club's Group 3 agility trial last Saturday. Springer Devil was absolutely super - she flew around the courses with heaps of enthusiasm and no getting distracted - quite wild actually. For the first time ever she did her weaves "just like in training" - fortunately it was a nice entry from the tunnel so I was able to get out of her way and send her ahead of me. I'm not sure that leaping over the A-frame colour is the best idea though Em ended up with a 3rd place NQ in Novice Agility and a very, very enjoyable 2nd place Q in JDX - I really thought some tight tunnel entries might throw her but she took every shoulder turn, front cross and rear cross with confidence and forward focus. Every photo from the day she is having a ball - lost a bit of her 'seriousness' which is awesome.

Sunday at Ballarat Em was a bit flakey, jumping early and the pressure of doing contacts was all a bit much - I put it down to stress/lack of training etc and then, of course, she came into season on Wednesday so something else to factor in. Nevertheless, what with all the retrieving training I'm doing with her, I think I might give her a break from competing in agility for a bit and stick with jumping. Continue training and proofing contacts/weaves but just work on confidence and speed in the ring. Poor Zig was stuck with a dud handler on Sunday - I sent him off course multiple times, hesitated when I should have been confident, accelerated when I should have decelerated and every time he did EXACTLY what I asked :laugh: Bless him, he doesn't seem to be holding it against me!

Edited May 10, 2013 by The Spotted Devil

[Tassie]

Zig needs to join the "dog needs better handler" club that Kirra is a founder member of :laugh: . Sounds like you're seeing some nice stuff with Em (well until the hormones got involved.)

Tiny bit of training with the Rory man today - courtesy of our temporary resident from Canberra. He was OTT at the start, but then settled down nicely, and responded well to some decel, for a turn in - was supposed to be a take off side front cross, but snowball's chance in hell of getting there. Decel, rear crosses and veral directionals and going to be high on out list me thinks. Thank goodness he has a good SLS, and my friend comented on his ability to explode off the start. He was a good boy not doing tunnel sucks today - was sucking to weaves intead :laugh: . Followed itup with a reasonable training track.

Kirra did a nice little bit of training, and then ran a really nice TSD track - over 3 hours old, and included crossing a fair stretch of bitumen. Love my feral. :D

[The Spotted Devil]

Ain't that the truth Tassie :laugh:

Some good training going on there with Miss Feral and Master Rory Trying to keep Zig's mind off Em's hormones so worked on some high distraction weave training tonight. Jogging in the opposite direction is going really well so I placed my foot on top of the third last weaving pole. Uncomfortable for me and confusing for him but we both worked through it :D

[Sayreovi]

I watched her runs TSD (in between running back and forth between rally and agility LOL) and she looked like she was having fun! :D Bugger about her being in season, bloody entire bitches who'd own them :p

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Awesome work with Rory and Kirra, Tassie! They always sound like they are having heaps of fun :)

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I was pretty happy with my guys, Darcy was awesome, he needs training so badly (haven't done anything for months) but the last few trials have all been about him being happy in the ring and we are at that now. He is such a different dog then he was a year ago, it was interesting running him because he is so much bigger and faster than Jovi he had already driven ahead and gone over the wrong jump instead of turning with me before I was ready. Jovi is so in tune with me a slight turn of shoulder is all I need to turn her......Darcy is going too need alot more direction and warning :laugh:

He, some how ended up with a 3rd place NQ in novice jumping, not bad for nearly 9 year old boy :p

Jovi was happy as larry as well and getting quicker. We have a 'proper' trial next weekend where I've entered her in only 3 runs, all excellent agility in the afternoon. I've then gone and entered Darcy in a fair few all day, my plan is too make her jealous :p

She will see me get Darcy out of his crate and run him several times, and hopefully by the time it's her go she will be feral :D

I was thinking that I've made it worse by focusing so much on her all day at a trial trying to get her right that I made it worse, by having another dog too run and concentrate on as well that I won't be worried about her so much.

If there is no one thing she is not, is patient and will let everyone know by screaming that it's HER turn now!

I am looking forward too it, here's hoping I will get my feral Jovi back :)

Edited May 10, 2013 by tollersowned

[megan_]

Thanks for the questions vi lie, they have given me a lot to think about. I'll try to fit in some foundations this week too. He was better on the aframe this week, but didn't drive ahead when released.

I think one of the problems I have is that my timing is crap. He used to work well at a distance but now I find him checking in all the time. In the past he would drive on and then id give a late cue and hed have to do an awkward turn. So now he looks back, even with a jump straight ahead. Lynda Orton hill spoke about this with her dogs and that is why she added some verbal queues.

[The Spotted Devil]

Enjoy Bulla TO! I have in-laws coming so just doing Croydon. You had a full on day at the Vizsla club!!! It's fun working out what makes different dogs tick.....not easy though.

Em's not too bad - very regular seasons and has great energy/focus so I hit the training pretty hard, especially retrieving. She just smashes herself physically if left to her own devices in the back yard. Keeps us all out of mischief anyway :D

[Sayreovi]

Dunno what happened to the old Jovi, but loving this new one in agility!

Hello speed and drive! Little nutcase was flying today at the trial, we were one fault wonders mainly a dropped bar in each run which has only happened twice I think but the reason behind it (extra speed whoo hoo!) means I can forgive it this time ;)

My handling was in shambles in the first run as I wasn't expecting the speed so we were all over the shop LOL

Was trialling out a new 'concept', she was only entered in 3 runs in the afternoon and all morning and most of the afternoon saw me run Darcy and ignore her. Jovi has little too no patience, hates being ignored and always wants to do what I am doing with another dog so I was hoping it would work in my favour and I am thrilled to say it has!!

Even walking toward the ring she was getting hyper and carrying on telling everyone she was about to run, and actually tugging before running.

Darcy was again was all over the shop, so much potential but I realise if I want to keep competing I really need to get him too training as it definately shows that we haven't gone in months!! Though he had so much fun and you never would guess he turns 9 this year :D

Checked our times for 2 of the runs and she was doing 37/38 secs in a 58sct course (I can only remember one course time but the other would be similar), our last pass was 45s in a 50sct course.....so you can see how much quicker she was going and for a little 400 dog I am so impressed :D That was with my crappy handling too, stuffed up a few rear crosses where she ended up spinning but the rest was perfect

I can see why people enjoy running faster dogs, it was so enjoyable being able to handle more fluidly!

Today's trial even though we didn't get any passes has been one of if not my favourite time running her since we started :) I will be trying to do a similar thing next trial, this one worked so well as I was in only two rings which happened to be side by side and the three runs in each course were one right after the other so advantaged me alot!

Edited May 18, 2013 by tollersowned

[aussielover]

Yay Jovi! Well done TO

I am to am focussing on speed with Mindy now, and she has improved quite a bit (with help form Vickie :)). I no longer care for slow and accurate clear rounds, I would much rather a fast (for us) NQ or DQ at this stage.

Last weekend at cessnock she had a lovely fast excellent agility run- DQ but she actually managed to get ahead of me so I was pleased. She had quite a good clear in excellent jumping as well, not as fast as her agility run but it was the last run of the day and pretty much in the middle of the day and was quite hot and being a black dog she is quite affected by the heat. But she was well under the SCT and actually came 7th overall which is not a bad effort against the faster herding breeds and considering the were lots of clear rounds.

[Tassie]

Nice to see the speed coming. And good to see that your cunning plan worked with Jovi TO. :laugh:

[Sayreovi]

Nice to see the speed coming. And good to see that your cunning plan worked with Jovi TO. :laugh:

LOL Yes, I am so happy it did! I can't believe I didn't think of it before, seems so simple now.

Unfortunately next trial isn't for a few weeks, I stupidly forgot to enter the one next weekend but will give me a chance to take her to training (as I intentionally didn't go to that either for a couple weeks leading up too it) a bit and then take a break again so hopefully she is raring to go again....and this time hopefully getting someone to film her runs as I wished I had someone yesterday!

Edited May 19, 2013 by tollersowned

[RoxyNHemi]

Being Lazy and cant be bothered pulling out the rule book.. What is it called when you send the dog over the jump from your left, then cross in front of them and send them over the next jump on your right side??

[Tassie]

Front cross, you mean....?

[RoxyNHemi]

Front cross, you mean....?

Thats it... We were learning that last night :) I just couldnt remember the name of it.

[Tassie]

It's a really useful move...only problem is you have to be in front of the dog when you do it :-). Oh, you're wrapping the dog round the upright of the one jump...that might be what you were learning, now I think about it...fits the description better. Now I've probably confused you..sorry ;-)

[Podengo]

Had the BEST training night tonight :)

Elsie did 12 weave poles in a course, which is amazing considering last week she would only do 5 (had been doing 12, then reverted back, so went back to 6, then she would do entries, skip a pole, then do the rest)! And very lucky as we've entered a trial next weekend that has weaves - hopefully it might hold up in the ring...

We have been working on her going around hurdles thing, it's getting better, I know it's a baby dog thing, but she is terrible for it when she gets worked up, so had a big, long snaking course tonight with hurdles all over the place and I gave her lots of room and ran really fast, so she had to look for the hurdles and actually do them, instead of just bark and chase me! It seemed to work, though doubt she'll make it around a whole course next weekend without skipping something!

Worked on some flygility (NZ version of flyball that includes agility obstacles like weaves and tunnels and the courses aren't always straight) tonight too, think she is finally 'getting' it

Still nervous about next weekend though... We're entered in 3x starters agility (lowest level), 3x Jumpers C (lowest) and rally-novice, a CD test and a special beginners obedience test... Let's see if this will wear my monster out! :D

[Tassie]

Well - sounds as though it might wear one member of the team out :D . Great that your training was so much fun.