Vickie Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) For those of you who have trained more than one dog for competition, what things are on your "TO DO" list with your puppies to prepare them for training? Some of the things I want (in no particular order): fast & reliable recall ( to the hand presented, not in front) tug on command, release on command to accept food as well as toys as a reward to be able to call my puppy off playing with another dog to play with me for my puppy to find playing with me more fun than plating with another dog to become operant early on to be happy in a crate to associate a word (ready) with focus & fun to be able to handle my puppy all over, including collar to put maximum effort into everything to learn positions, ie sit down etc from my side as well as in front to make activities rewarding enough that they can be handled by anyone to perform activities in different environments body awareness to not lick! to not steal food from the bench! :D I'm sure there's heaps more, but that'll do for now Edited February 17, 2011 by Vickie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koemi Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 *aggressively stalks this thread* I'll be getting my first performance puppy in April! Can't give you any advice but will be watching this thread like a hawk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) To not steal dishcloths and tea towels from the bench - FAIL!!! I'm training Em for multiple sports so she learns an informal recall, a recall to front and a recall to hand. Ziggy has learnt the same. For heeling she has to look to me for obedience and look forward for retrieving. Obviously agility handling will be different again. One thing I've worked on a lot with Em is the sit stay - she needs to be steady for retrieving and it's also very handy for obedience and agility start lines. I do like the idea of toys and food as rewards but for my Dally, toys are only good when he's very fresh and then they become an aversive. Same with contact/play whilst training but Em just loves it. After training a Dally, the very top of my list is "Find out what makes THIS individual dog tick". Em is a classic - wasn't interested in swimming at all until she saw a real live duck on lake. Now she is unstoppable and we are working on recalls in the water :D This one I'm not really bothered about: to make activities rewarding enough that they can be handled by anyone Zig will not work for anyone else, not even in the show ring (not 100% sure why) and, although probably handy and good to have, it's not something I'd make a priority. Great list, Vickie Edited February 17, 2011 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ons Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 thanks so much for this list I have a coolie pup who I am hoping to do obedience then agilty with, at the moment we are going to show training classes instead of puppy school so she is getting a good socialisation. But next month we are going to obedience. can I ask what this means though to become operant early on thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 It is important to teach them how to fail and recover from that failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 thanks so much for this listI have a coolie pup who I am hoping to do obedience then agilty with, at the moment we are going to show training classes instead of puppy school so she is getting a good socialisation. But next month we are going to obedience. can I ask what this means though to become operant early on thank you Basically, they need to learn how to learn if that makes sense. I like using a variety of methods when they are puppies - luring, clicker training, shaping (i.e. for a purpose, such as sit), free shaping (e.g. any interaction with an object such as a box), food, toys, praise, pat, voice. You don't want them shutting down when they can't work out what you want them to do - you want them to relax, keep trying and not get too frustrated. They should be offering behaviours with no fear that they will get corrected for trying. When the dogs see me prepare treats, or put my training bag on or pack my trial bag they go ballistic - training/competing = enthusiasm and FUN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I think having a list for starters is a great idea, as usually you go into the next pup/dog with the best of intentions, but forget some of the stuff you wanted to do from the beginning! I'll be making a list when the time comes for my new pup, and try to refer to it often! Hopefully with each subsequent pup throughout the years, I'll get better at remembering what's on the list and have a more structured approach, and better at adding other stuff that should go on it as I learn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 1. Choose a physically sound, confident and resilient pup. 2. Let them be babies and learn normal baby skills. Socialisation should be the early focus - to dogs, people, events and new physical experience. Most agility pups I know have ridden in the wheel barrow early on. They should learn that life is fun, new things are fun and being with you is fun. 3. Train for focus and biddibility early on. They don't need to be hothoused on to equipment as bubs. However the concept of performance for reward is an important one. 4. Don't compare them to previous dogs - they have their own rate of learning. 5. Crate train. 6. Hasten slowly - you want the dog to be sound and keen when its time to hit the ring. Too much pressure early on leads to physical and mental burn out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 It is important to teach them how to fail and recover from that failure. would you mind going into a little more detail Blitz? I thInk I know what you're referring to but not sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 It is important to teach them how to fail and recover from that failure. would you mind going into a little more detail Blitz? I thInk I know what you're referring to but not sure I will try. A dog needs to learn that even if it is not correct, it can try again to earn the reward. I see this as being very helpful in keeping a dog eager to learn and preventing them from shutting down. It makes it easier to teach new skills if the dog is not worried about being wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyjohn Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 How do you teach your dog the difference between heeling looking at you for obedience and heeling looking forward for retrieving/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vickie Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 I will try. A dog needs to learn that even if it is not correct, it can try again to earn the reward. I see this as being very helpful in keeping a dog eager to learn and preventing them from shutting down. It makes it easier to teach new skills if the dog is not worried about being wrong. thank you. I see what you are saying, I tend to think of it in different terms but it's basically the same thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 How do you teach your dog the difference between heeling looking at you for obedience and heeling looking forward for retrieving/ I'm sure the more experienced will answer, but for me, I give the dogs different cues. Obedience heeling, my left arm rests on my hip, and my posture is different. I also use the command "heel". For retrieving, I don't have the same straight posture and my left arm doesn't take position on my hip, I let it swing freely, and my command is "close". I don't think the word means much, but I don't want to use the word "heel" when heeling in retrieving and possibly confuse her to think that it's ok to look forward when using the same word in obedience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Is it not an environmental context too for the dog too. Obviously a retrieving trial environment would look a whole lot different to the inside of an obedience ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Is it not an environmental context too for the dog too. Obviously a retrieving trial environment would look a whole lot different to the inside of an obedience ring. Yes, true, but I train retrieving in the same place I train obedience as well, so need other cues for the dog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ness Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 LOL fair enough RubyStar I don't obviously do retrieving but its a little the argument that people give re agility and obedience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 How do you teach your dog the difference between heeling looking at you for obedience and heeling looking forward for retrieving/ Agree with ness that dogs learn context. Even though I train at the park for both, Mr TSD is only around for retrieving and he has dummies in his hand etc. At the moment I'm only in the early stages of training so I cue "heel" for position, "sit" for sit and stay (she is already sitting so it emphasises being steady), then "watch" and point my hand in the direction of the retrieve above her head. The thrower calls "hey, hey, hey!" to get pup's attention, throws the dummy and pup is released to retrieve. In a few sessions I've dropped the "sit" and just use "watch" as she's put it all together. In terms of commands, "OK" for my Dally is the release word. At the park, it means run and sniff and do as you please; in obedience, it means relax after an exercise and in agility it's his start line release. I was going to find a new word so as not to confuse him but he's smarter than I am Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ons Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I was just going to concentrate on obedience, try and get at least CDX and CD and then switch over to agility. Is there going to be any problem with this? Should I be training her for agility as well now? she is a bright spark but now I'm getting confused and worried Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) I was just going to concentrate on obedience, try and get at least CDX and CD and then switch over to agility.Is there going to be any problem with this? Should I be training her for agility as well now? she is a bright spark but now I'm getting confused and worried Don't be confused and worried - that just wastes valuable time you could be spending with your pup I did exactly that with Ziggy - it had been a long time since I had competed and he was a very slow to mature as a youngster (physically AND mentally ) so I stuck with obedience and showing until I had a bit more confidence in him and myself. Now, no matter what the breed I will always train multiple disciplines from the start simply because I feel that the sports often complement each other. Many of the skills overlap and I find it takes the pressure off. If you hit a brick wall with one sport you can take a break and come back to it later while you nut out what you're going to do. Just an example, I have trained a nice formal front for Em (suits obedience and retrieving) but when she is zooming around the park I turn my back and recall her to either hand (which contains food), which is an agility skill. I try to incorporate some of the exercises into everyday life. ETA: Relax and enjoy the journey, ons Edited February 17, 2011 by The Spotted Devil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 LOL fair enough RubyStar I don't obviously do retrieving but its a little the argument that people give re agility and obedience. Yup agreed the dogs know the difference and environment is a big part. I wouldn't hesitate to teach puppy the basics of several disciplines at once if one wanted to, they're smarter than we sometimes give them credit for Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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