Kavik Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Kaos has done that too :laugh: But I think what has fixed the issue is two things - our working on tugging around the treat bag and in general training with the treat bag on the ground and rewarding only from my person/pockets. I am not using a treat bag at training at the moment, putting my rewards (food and toys) in pockets or sticking toy in back of pants, and rewarding on my person. That seems to have taken the focus off the treat bag so he doesn't tend to run off to check it out any more. Always a good idea to make sure it is closed so she can't self reward if you are worried about her checking it out :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 I always take soft treats to a trial, so I can do some focus work, a bit of LAT & of course reward after an OK run. If it's not an OK run she still gets the treat but I make her literally crawl for it, :laugh: she thinks that's fun & it takes her mind of the fact that she is sometimes allowed to be a fruitcake. Besides, if she stuffs up, it is always handler error...except for when she pees in the ring I have always thought, because she is getting treats throughout the morning trial, that that would be enough for her, so she doesn't get breakfast. But I am beginning to wonder, after reading an article in Clean Run, that she should be getting a high energy meal about 2 hours before the trial to help her keep up her stamina & concentration levels. Just being there, at a trial, takes a lot of energy, both physical & mental. Maybe if I am worried about her getting fat, :laugh: I would cut down on her evening meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 I never used to feed Darcy before an agility trial, just something that I did because she didn't get fed before training normally and it was the "done thing" Every now and then we'd have a run towards the end of a trial day which was totally and utterly disastrous, that there was no real logical explanation for. Then a good friend showed me this: http://susangarrettdogagility.com/2009/08/looking-for-clues-in-a-jumpers-debacle/ Ever since then my dogs always get breakfast before a trial, 98% of the time I leave for a trial between 4 and 5 am so plenty of time to digest their brekky of two chicken wings each. I haven't had an issue since. If they've got a big day I also feed them a few grain free dog biscuits at lunchtime, or Darcy loves a banana. Drinking wise - Darcy won't drink much at all while away, even in hot weather. I got the big jug of GoDog from Clean Run on free postage last year, Zee and Darcy get a half bottle each morning and arvo at a trial if it's warm, or a bottle between them if it's not. Darcy will happily drink it and has to have it taken off her otherwise she'd scoff the lot. Regardless of what else is in it, just the fact that it gets her drinking every time is brilliant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 My hound has been known to bee line to where the treats are...skipping all the stuff she's supposed to do inbetween. we had one very funny run at training where I (or the instructor, didn't matter) put the treat out before we started the run, and as soon as I released - that's where she went, ate treat, came straight back, ready to go around the course now... was a bit disappointed when the grass square was treatless when we got to that bit. You ate it already - it's not the majic pudding grass square. I might have to test for this with training. She doesn't usually find the treat bag without me exciting - so it might work. She did stop to check out someone else's treat bag on the way in but didn't run directly to it when we started - which was a relief. She didn't notice the woolie tug that some other dog was besotted with that was on the way in either. I guess that's a good thing. Barkly doesn't normally eat breakfast so he doesn't get fed before a trial. I tend not to feed him before training at night either. At my last trial, at the completion of his run, he just kept running, bolted out of the ring and headed straight for the treat bag 15m outside the ring I've made that mistake twice now - it won't happen again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezy Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 mine get fed in the morn all the time, so I feed them a very small breaky on trial day , then they get treats alll day long and a nice juicy bone at the end of the day when I am packing up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I'm now reconsidering my pre-trial and pre-training feeding routine. How long after a normal meal should I wait before running my dog hard? 30 minutes? 1 hour? Longer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Besides, if she stuffs up, it is always handler error...except for when she pees in the ring Ever had to clean poo out of a tunnel during a trial? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pie Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Besides, if she stuffs up, it is always handler error...except for when she pees in the ring Ever had to clean poo out of a tunnel during a trial? I have Had to climb in and get it The one and only time my dog has pooed in the ring (hopefully the last lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I'm now reconsidering my pre-trial and pre-training feeding routine. How long after a normal meal should I wait before running my dog hard? 30 minutes? 1 hour? Longer? Minimum 1hr to prevent bloat but I try and do it 2hrs before a run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Besides, if she stuffs up, it is always handler error...except for when she pees in the ring Ever had to clean poo out of a tunnel during a trial? I have Had to climb in and get it The one and only time my dog has pooed in the ring (hopefully the last lol) Mine always picks the tunnel to pee in......I start to panic if she takes too long to come out the other side I always toilet her before she runs, but it's just nerves. Luke W.....I think the time to wait between breakfast & running would be about two hours. Susan Garret has a good idea ...she feeds her dog mince meat mixed with water a couple of hours before a trial. Thanks Jess for the link to Susan Garret's experience with Encore. She sort of answered my question nicely. From now on, it's a light breakfast about 2 hours before trials, pure coconut water during the trial & lots of treats. I'll have to try her out before hand to see if she will drink the coconut water, but I think she will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pie Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Eeek tunnel pee I was going to try similar this weekend Sheena - breakfast barf patty mixed with water, and some watermelon, see if it makes any difference, will be interesting to see if it does, particularly in that third run which seems to be the sticking point for us lately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Eeek tunnel pee I was going to try similar this weekend Sheena - breakfast barf patty mixed with water, and some watermelon, see if it makes any difference, will be interesting to see if it does, particularly in that third run which seems to be the sticking point for us lately. Please report back...I am very interested in the outcome :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 (edited) dont use coconut water it can make dogs (and humans) get a massive case of diahrrea if your dog refuses to drink teach them a drink command, or get a 50ml syringe and drip it into the side of their mouths particularly on warm days. Edited April 17, 2012 by Nekhbet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 (edited) Besides, if she stuffs up, it is always handler error...except for when she pees in the ring Ever had to clean poo out of a tunnel during a trial? I have Had to climb in and get it The one and only time my dog has pooed in the ring (hopefully the last lol) Glad I'm not the only one! Barkly has pooed twice in the ring - once in the tunnel (same, had to drag it out of the ring and climb in). Both times, he'd already done one for the morning. Thanks for the feeding advice guys, I'm going to go the roo mince with water on Saturday morning. I don't have any problems getting Barkly to drink. He drinks on command, but I don't usually need to tell him to drink. As long as something is going into his stomach, he's happy. :) added: I'd never considered that Barkly's lack of stamina could be partly caused by a lack of breakfast! Edited April 17, 2012 by Luke W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podengo Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 OMG poop in the tunnel! Never seen that one (Elsie you better not get any ideas!!!!). Elsie isn't really competing just yet (had our first trial in the weekend), but I always offer her breakfast before we go out to shows, but she isn't big on eating that early in the morning, she gets up out of her crate and crawls under the blanket on the couch until I drag her lazy bum out into the cold! Once she starts in agility I will make sure she eats something, I just don't think doing a big day of sports on an empty tummy is a good idea, I know I am weak and starving by 11am at a show day if I don't eat breakfast. I will probably feed some pre-made raw as she will eat that quick, and maybe supplement with something? (need to do some research on this sort of stuff first though...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Rusty Bucket Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I've got my dog to S&P on command - so between runs, I take her for a walk - until she performs then loads of praise. First thing at a venue it can take 20 minutes or 2 laps of a football oval but it's worth it not to have it happen in the ring. I always think that a handler hasn't given their dog enough toileting opportunities in the ring if they go there, unless it's clearly marking over some other dog's previous effort. I also think it's a stress thing, like go sniff, shaking, scratching etc. Ie a dog should be able to manage to hold on for 60 seconds or so. Not sure about the boy dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 look at sprintergold.com there is a couple of great products on there that can be added to mince meat in the morning before a trial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Back to the watermelon thing, think I need this tip for me as well as the dogs! I was dehydrated at a trial on the weekend and it left me with a shocking headache. Too nervous to eat as well, so this way I can get food in me and stay a bit more hydrated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 (edited) Glad I'm not the only one! Barkly has pooed twice in the ring - once in the tunnel (same, had to drag it out of the ring and climb in). Both times, he'd already done one for the morning. Ruby keeps catching me out with the amount of times she needs to poo. I think I have finally figured out that even if she does one first thing in the morning, she needs another by mid-morning (hard to know this when I'm not around during the week to watch her do her mid-morning one :laugh:) At least she has the decency to run out of the ring to do it! Edited April 18, 2012 by RubyStar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pie Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Oh he had plenty of opportunity to go beforehand and is a reliable toileter, it was just one of those days, and running stimulates number twos - guess he just couldn't hold anymore! They are dogs not robots after all Rubystar perhaps we should go buy a massive watermelon and stock up :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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