Out And Backs

[SoL]

Okies peeps, need some extra brain cells thrown my way.

One of my girls has gone a bit show sour. Now, I can get her moving well enough but everytime I now ask her to do an out and back, on the 'back' command (where I stop and she walks round my front to return back) she puts her head down and does a 4 wheel lock up and I have to drag her which is NOT a good look!

So I'm trying to break this (pref. before this weekend!). I'm thinking a new command word or a new way of turning might do it, just something new and novel.

What do you guys do?

Edited September 5, 2011 by SoL

[Tassie]

:D I think you'll get more replies if you post this in the Show Ring forum. Some of us on here do show, but our 'expertise' such as it is is in the performance disciplines.

The best advice I could give is make a big game of it - use a toy or your bait. In training, I might be inclined to do a full circle in the middle of the out, to surprise the pup, and then your normal turn a bit later. I guess ideally you want to keep the dog on the judge's side - but I notice some people here turn the other way - you could try that for a bit of variety.

Without seeing you, I can't tell if you're making it exciting for the pup - but in training at least, you might need to do a bit of yippy talking.

And/or it mnight be worth practising just left about turns, dog on the inside - then throw a toy ...

Any show training classes in your area?

[Lablover]

Would you scratch from the weekend show? Has this happened once, twice etc?

[SoL]

Nope, this weekend is the special and this is the first time she's done it (she's 17 mths), she usually shows like a champ so I'm going to concentrate on making it a bit more fun for her and take her back to basics. Hopefully she won't show us up too much

Good idea about turning inside with a toy though, will give that one a go, thanks