Obedience Proofing Games And Fun Exercises

[leopuppy04]

Ok so I've been doing UD for a while now and this is as much for me as it is for the dog. I'm trying to look at fun and different ways to practice the UD exercises to make sure the dogs are really proficient at each exercise.

I have 2 dogs, one experienced and one new. One has been trialling in UD for coming up to 3-4 years now and one is about to start trialling.

They each know the exercises well, however with my older dog, you can tell he gets 'stressed' in the ring, which probably causes his brain farts, taking away our passes. He regularaly scores 190+ in open and has received pretty much full scores for his exercises in UD when he does them correctly. It's never the same exercise that he mucks up twice (with the exception of the 1st box...).

So what I'm looking for are what games do you play with your dogs to really test and proof their understanding? I'm trying to think of fun but challenging games which makes 'training' harder and 'trialling' almost seem 'easy'.

given I also have a young girl about to start CCD and also regularly train with friends who's dogs are in all different levels, I'd be keen on ideas for any exercises, but I'm particularly interested in UD exercises :).

Also - what about warm up exercises - what sort of games do you play to 'gear' your dog in so that they are ready and raring to go...

Could be a fun topic for everyone :)

[Tassie]

Bedazzled and Ptolomy have a great video clip of proofing heeling through toys etc with one of them squeaking the infamous isqueak :laugh: . I do heeling through/recall past toys etc, and containers of food - when things are going really well, the containers are open (good for Rally too).

I'd suggest PMing Bedazzled and Ptolomy - just in case they don't see this thread.

Oh - and I'm having fun playing with platforms and disc at the moment. Just neatening up fronts, finishes turns etc - again for Rally as well.

Little bits of work - interspersed with crazy games, release to toys or "licky-pots" of food. The theory is thy never know when you're going to do something crazy - even in a ring set up.

Disclaimer - my UD stuff is still a play/work in progress - although with play training, we're getting there - if ever we can sort of the blinking sit stay - it's not the OOS bit that's worrying him - just the sit. He can do it/has done it - but tends to do the typical BC down on sit stay . So working on strengthening tat - again, with lots of distractions - like working Kirra in front of him (being careful not to drop her :laugh: ), and releasing to a toy/ball throw behind him at random times - thanks Ptolomy.

[Ptolomy]

Hi Leopuppy - thanks for the link and I feel your pain as I am in the same boat

Can you jot down a quick list of the different things Leo has failed in a trial - it might make it a bit easier for us to come up with some exercises and it will help Kinta as well. Caffy has given me a great one for the box - but I wait until I see your list first. I might also have to set it up and take a photo - but time is very limited during the week, so it will have to wait until the weekend.

[RubyStar]

I thought of your box one Ptolomy but thought I'd let you come along and explain it :D

I'm interested in the replies to this thread, too. Training 2 for UD currently, and let's just say, it's a challenge! 1 has come oh so close a few times (and looks like she doesn't belong there all the other times, yes you, Ruby!) and another who is very new to UD and only gets entered on rare occasions but she has a blast when she is out there messing most of it up :D

Looking forward to the replies!

[Ptolomy]

and if anybody can come up with a solution to my little problem of the dog looking for the seekback in EVERY exercise I will buy you a drink

[ness]

Ah see the solution was you should have bought her to Adelaide and left her and I could have returned her when it was solved .

[RubyStar]

and if anybody can come up with a solution to my little problem of the dog looking for the seekback in EVERY exercise I will buy you a drink

Does it count as a solution if it makes her avoid the seekback in the seekback exercise, too?

[ness]

Jokes aside - what have you tried so far :D.

[xena98]

Ah see the solution was you should have bought her to Adelaide and left her and I could have returned her when it was solved .

that means the dog will never be returned

[Tassie]

LOL ...you guessed ness's cunning plan, xena 98 ;-)..

[leopuppy04]

Yay! Finally I have 1/2 a minute to reply! I will answer Ptolomy's question first - about what exercises:

Basically I am looking for any 'fun' games outside the square. We do heeling and training around their 'reward' pots so they never know if the reward is from me, the pot or a surprise location. They like this game :)

Now for specific exercises:

SEEKBACK - I don't know WHAT I do wrong with this exercise as everyone doesn't seem to have a problem with this, but undoubtedly mine will fall apart at some point. I can't see where/ what I'm missing in the 'teaching' of the exercise or what step I am jumping, but I do seem to cause problems with this exercise! Leo is quite proficient at it now, however this morning, Kinta was acting like she had never been taught it in her life! :laugh:. So I guess for me this is the big one - what are some fun exercises to 'test' your seekback. Both of my dogs LOVE it, but I need to have lots of fun and different ways to teach/ proof this. Many of you who have been on here for a while remember my woe's of this with Leo. so ANY suggestions (or even literally spelling out how you taught it would be great). I used the 'start peg' method ;)

BOX & DIRECTIONALS - Both of my dogs are pretty good at this, though Ptolomy, the 1st box is what Leo will mostly blow in a trial - he goes back into seekback mode - or he gets confused and doesn't leave my side. Second box he usually nails. NEVER does this at training. Ideas on how to proof this would be great.

ARTICLES - fairly solid - but I'm always up for proofing games... and also really 'testing' their 'hold' of an article.

SIGNALS - fairly solid, but because you focus so much on the other stuff, I find the heeling can drop back. With Tahli fast coming up to competing level too, I'd like some 'new' games for heeling practice. Leo is also a little unreliable with the COP at the end of the signals... so some ideas on this would be great too.... again doesn't seem to really blow it in training... just trials :)

GLOVES - Kinta is my first dog to teach this, so ANY ideas would be great. She's pretty good, but last night for example, she wouldn't go out to 1, would just turn and collect 2. We've used the 3 pots of food method and that's worked really well. I'm thinking of going back to that this week for a bit :)

STAYS - Just proofing ideas please. I find 'training' stays boring.. but I really do need to practice them, as Leo is becoming a fidget bum in the down stay (licking his bits, scratching, but never actually 'breaking' position)

[leopuppy04]

Oh and one more thing - what do you do to 'warm up' your dogs for UD? I've always been the type that does one of 2 methods - out of the car, quick tricks/ some heelwork/ gee up games and then into the ring. I HATE it when people heel around and around and around u ntil the dogs are dead bored and switch off in the ring. Option 2 is brought out, quick training session away from the trial, jackpot, back in the car and then out again about 2mins before they go intot he ring doing the above.

It's been suggested to me that I don't 'switch' the dogs in enough, and this could be part of my 'seekback' issues... but I don't know how else to switch them in!

[Ptolomy]

OK - something to try - even though you don't appear to have a box issue and thanks to Caffy for showing me this one.

The question is - does you dog know the box exercise and can it go to the box regardless of the distraction?

I have taken photos of the setup. I have used 2 bar jumps but only because I was setting it up to take a photo and was too lazy to get the solid out of the car. But ideally you would use a bar jump and a solid.

Its good to use a clicker for this exercise.

Set both jumps level with the front of the box and butting up to the box.

The idea is to start off close (3 steps away from the front of the box and directly in front) and send the dog to the box.

Click if the dog goes directly to the box and ignores the jumps, and reward

You can give a no reward marker (oh dear me) if the dog opts to take the jump.

As the dog understands the exercise - start moving backwards away from the box 2 steps at a time until you are back from the normal distance away from the box

Let me know when you have tried this one......

Edited May 28, 2013 by Ptolomy

[kallistar]

Just want to chip in here and ask is your hand signal different for both seek back and box?

And do you do a leg weave in between exercises and then tell him that you are going to the Box, the box, the box...

[Tassie]

I used to have problems (with a previous dog) with him going to the box on the first part, if he hadn't done his SB properly - even when I went with him to get the article, and showed him i had it, he'd still be inclined to go looking for it again. I've seen that in other dogs too.

I'm sure our nerves have a lot to do with it - so the revving up and geeing up for the box could help - think that was what I did.

Thanks for that suggestion, Ptolomy. Do you set that up just for proofing, once the dog has 'mastered' the whole exercise? The lil big man has the go out to the box pretty much down pat, but I haven't added the jumps yet. Any suggestions as to how to teach the directed jumping part?

[leopuppy04]

OK - something to try - even though you don't appear to have a box issue and thanks to Caffy for showing me this one.

The question is - does you dog know the box exercise and can it go to the box regardless of the distraction?

I have taken photos of the setup. I have used 2 bar jumps but only because I was setting it up to take a photo and was too lazy to get the solid out of the car. But ideally you would use a bar jump and a solid.

I like this one and I will definitely have a go at setting this up

Just want to chip in here and ask is your hand signal different for both seek back and box?

And do you do a leg weave in between exercises and then tell him that you are going to the Box, the box, the box...

Different hand signal. and yes, we get him all geared up for the box. It's actually really hard to explain and I know that I probably sound like a broken record, but I honestly don't think he struggles with the principles of this exercise! For some reason it falls apart in trials, but I'm not sure why....

I'm sure our nerves have a lot to do with it - so the revving up and geeing up for the box could help - think that was what I did.

I agree! But the revving and geeing won't make a difference in a trial

I suppose I should clarify after speaking to TSD on the phone.

I'm not looking to 'fix' a particular problem. I'm now training two dogs for UD and both are at different levels. I've also been 'training' UD for about 4 years now, so training the 'same' stuff can get mundane and dull - for both me AND the dogs! So I'm really looking for different ways to spice up and *test* the dogs understanding of each exercise. Particularly the seekback. Not a way to go back to basics (as they already 'know' parts of the exercise) but perhaps different ways to really engage their noses and make their seekback a very strong exercise. So it doesn't HAVE to be obedience based, but for example, different training games to help improve the dogs understanding of their obedience/ UD exercises.

Hope that makes more sense!

[JulesP]

Have you done any tracking with them Amanda? That might be a new fun thing to do which might help with the seekback? I assume there isn't a conflict between the 2?

[Ptolomy]

#2 mix it up so do 1 x box without rewarding, 1 x scent, without rewarding and then the end part of signals and reward. This builds duration before getting the reward and also helps with transition. You can then do it backwards - so 1 x signals, 1 x scent and 1 x box and reward

[leopuppy04]

#2 mix it up so do 1 x box without rewarding, 1 x scent, without rewarding and then the end part of signals and reward. This builds duration before getting the reward and also helps with transition. You can then do it backwards - so 1 x signals, 1 x scent and 1 x box and reward

Yeah I found this really helped Leo with his focus and duration also. Combining exercises and jackpotting at the end. You can literally see his brain go from "hang on...." to "WOO HOO.... Treaties!!" :laugh:

Question - do you ALWAYS do your seekback as your first exercise (if you are going to practice it) seeing as it is a scent based exercise? And secondly, would you always do seekback and box together?

I do wonder if Leo's ability to fail the 1st box on a semi- regular basis is linked to the understanding of both exercises and do I need to break it down, or is it the linking of the two behaviours that he doesn't understand?! Hmmm

[ness]

Just my thoughts leopuppy but given you are asking the dog to track I would rarely do a seekback as anything other than the first exercise because if you have been using the area already your just making it more complicated for the dog.

Having said that I have done a few repetitions of seekback, one box then repeated a seekback and done another box. What happens if you go back a step do a seekback and then do a really short box. I haven't been following the thread but is it just a trial issue or do they miss the first box when training as well?