Fixing An Issue

[Vickie]

Just had an interesting exchange with my daughter about training her dog & thought it was worth sharing.

Pep has been missing/going around the first jump sometimes on a leadout. Yesterday I explained to Chloe that until she fixed this issue, it would keep recurring.

I went through step by step on how to fix it, with demonstrations & detailed explanations.

Today she went & trained it, 5 minutes later, proudly announced it was fixed.

I watched her "fix it". What she did was practise over and over again, the exact scenario that she knew she could get success on.

She was most upset when I showed her that it wasn't fixed at all. So again, we went through all the steps. Hoping for a better session tomorrow.

I know Chloe is only 12, but it struck me just how many adults do exactly the same thing in all walks of dog training.

If we only practise what we are good at, how do we ever fix what we are not?

[Cosmolo]

So true. How long did the issue take to resolve properly? Sometimes i think people like short cuts or the quickest method which is not always the best one.

Just out of interest, can i ask what you suggested she do to fix the problem? : )

[Vickie]

So true. How long did the issue take to resolve properly?

lol, I'll let you know when it's resolved.

Just out of interest, can i ask what you suggested she do to fix the problem? : )

probably too much to explain here in enough detail, but basically

1. Rewards need to be higher value, timed & placed better. More time needs to be spent building the value of jump without leadout.

2. Set a basic/black & white "this gets rewarded & this doesn't" criteria

3. Set up success, then set up failure. Success would be Pep close centre in front of jump, Chloe close centre on the other side. Failure would be one of the off to the side a bit.

4. Narrow the gap to reward success & build it gradually until pep has a clear path to Chloe & chooses to take the jump

5. Start building distance, ie 2 jump, the 3 jump leadout with lateral distance along the way.

6. Take it to another part of the yard & start again

7. Take it to another obstacle, set up success & failure

8. Take it to another location, set up success & failure

9. Take it to a competition

10.should be pretty close to fixed by now vbg!

In the above, steps 1-4 may take a little while, but if done correctly, steps 5-10 should be a breeze.

Btw, I am not saying that I don't practise stuff we're good at...I set up easy stuff all the time for my own dogs. I think it's important for all of us to just be able to get out & run like the wind sometimes. But this is a motivational thing, not an aim to fix an issue.

[Ptolomy]

Sometimes I look for a quick fix - usually when something goes pearshaped and I have a trial that weekend knowing full well that further down the track it will come back and bite me on the bum :eek:.

Hence my current sit stay issue I have gone back to square 1 and I am determined that this little red girl will have the bestest sit stays out of all my kids and if not I will take up agility

[ness]

Ptolomy and we can't have that happening can we.

[OSoSwift]

It's okay I sent her my sits stays to borrow for a few weeks, so when Soggy is done with it Sandi will send it back in time for our trial

[caffy]

Sometimes I look for a quick fix - usually when something goes pearshaped and I have a trial that weekend knowing full well that further down the track it will come back and bite me on the bum :eek:.

Hence my current sit stay issue I have gone back to square 1 and I am determined that this little red girl will have the bestest sit stays out of all my kids and if not I will take up agility

I will hold you to that

If not you can sign up for DWD

[Vickie]

Sometimes I look for a quick fix - usually when something goes pearshaped and I have a trial that weekend knowing full well that further down the track it will come back and bite me on the bum :eek:

I think that's different. In this case, you know you will have to deal with it later, as opposed to thinking you have dealt with it when you haven't.

Since everyone is going totally off topic anyway, send her to me!!!! We need a few more Tollers over here in agility.

Edited May 16, 2011 by Vickie

[Henrietta]

Completely OT again, but this really resonated with me in my approach to piano practice. I have pieces and techniques that I am quite ok at, therefore I love them, therefore I practice them... ALL the time.

I have pieces and techniques that I suck at and therefore do not practice them anywhere near as much as I should and I have a tendency to gloss over them.

It's not as simplistic as above, because I do try and shift my focus but I do have to force myself. There is a very deep satisfaction when you do make improvements with things that challenge you.

And yes, I do this with training a lot. Lately, I have been trying to plan my sessions around what I need to address and balance this with stuff we love and do well. My ultimate goal is that both categories merge together lol. I find that if I don't sit down and think and plan, I just do what I have always done.