I've known for awhile that Zane has a lot of potential in the obedience ring. But with his fear issues and noise sensitivity, I wasn't sure how he would handle trialing. I continued to train him, knowing he might never enter an obedience ring.
This morning at our Rally practice in the park, he proved that he may do it one day. About 50 feet from where we were practicing for Beginner Novice (not Rally, but it was too windy for the signs), they were setting up a huge bouncy castle. There was a generator going, the castle going up, and they were pounding large stakes into the ground. He heeled like a champ. He only lost focus once - on the figure 8, but got right back. He would glance away, and immediately look back at me. He was a little concerned about what was going on over there, but didn't let it stop him from doing his job. He did the rest of the exercises, including the stay-walk around and novice stays with no problem. That was a huge distraction with some sharp and loud noises, and he did it!
I've never taken my male dogs into the ring until they reach 3 years old, so Zane has plenty of time to continue training, continue working through distractions, and continue getting better. I think he'll do it.
I'm very impressed with his heeling right now. I think he's better than Bella. His about turns are gorgeous and his left turns are tight and like pivots. I cannot fault him at all. Good job Zaney Butt Head!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Bella's APDT Brags
This weekend Bella and I headed to New Mexico for an APDT Rally trial. She had the chance to finish two titles and did it in style!
She needed three double Q's in Level 1 and Level 2 to finish her ARCH. Then she needed one leg in Level 3 to finish her RL3. She did all seven runs with perfect scores of 210. What a dog!
While at the trial, she was worked on by a woman who is a massage therapist, T-Touch practitioner, and Reiki master. Bella was in heaven and trotted off like a pup after that. In fact, for a couple of days after, she was downright naughty! She felt so much better.
She needed three double Q's in Level 1 and Level 2 to finish her ARCH. Then she needed one leg in Level 3 to finish her RL3. She did all seven runs with perfect scores of 210. What a dog!
While at the trial, she was worked on by a woman who is a massage therapist, T-Touch practitioner, and Reiki master. Bella was in heaven and trotted off like a pup after that. In fact, for a couple of days after, she was downright naughty! She felt so much better.
Send Away
Another exercise in the Advanced Teamwork class is the Send Away. Here are my notes on this class:
Send to the cone - this is a simple "place" to my dogs. Remember, place is go to the cone and place your paw on it. They have gotten very good at this exercise. But then notice that you have to put them in the position of the judge's choice. How many of us practice a "stand" at a distance? I actually have, and it paid off here. At first, Bella and Zane didn't understand that once they touched the cone, they might have to do something else. Basically, I'm building a chain - place, then position. Zane would try to hit the cone with his paw again, but he soon understood the chain and could sit, down, or stand once he got to place.
Now, the send to the marked square. I actually have not worked this with just a marked square. I am using a rubber mat to send them to. This is something we've done with Treiball. They've learned to go to a mat, then to move side to side to other mats in a line. That was a great foundation for this exercise. I do use herding cues and signals, so I continued that with this. From the cone to the mat is either "go bye" or "away" with the arm "pushing" them in that direction. Once they could do that easily, we added the position cue. It's working well.
I have not added the call to heel to this yet, but we already do a lot of call to heels, so I don't expect a big problem. They may have to work on staying in position while I start moving, but they'll get it fast.
Send Away
- Principal parts: Dog goes away from handler to the designated cone. Dog remains in sit/down/stand at cone until directed to second location. Remains in sit/down/stand in square area until directed to heel position and continue heeling.
- Orders: Send your dog. Resend your dog. Forward. Call your dog to heel.
- Judge determines the position at the end of each send. They can be different. Choices are sit, down, and stand.
- Single cone at end of ring, about 3 feet from ring barriers. In the opposite corner is a 4x4 square marked with chalk or tape.
- Set up facing cone – on same side of ring, but opposite end. Command and/or signal to send to cone and command and/or signal dog to stand/sit/down (determined by judge). Dog must be within 3 feet of cone.
- Command and/or signal to square, then command and/or signal the dog to stand, sit, or down.
- Judge calls heeling pattern. Any time after two turns, judge will command “Call your dog to heel”. You continue moving – dog comes to heel. You continue heeling together until judge commands halt.
Send to the cone - this is a simple "place" to my dogs. Remember, place is go to the cone and place your paw on it. They have gotten very good at this exercise. But then notice that you have to put them in the position of the judge's choice. How many of us practice a "stand" at a distance? I actually have, and it paid off here. At first, Bella and Zane didn't understand that once they touched the cone, they might have to do something else. Basically, I'm building a chain - place, then position. Zane would try to hit the cone with his paw again, but he soon understood the chain and could sit, down, or stand once he got to place.
Now, the send to the marked square. I actually have not worked this with just a marked square. I am using a rubber mat to send them to. This is something we've done with Treiball. They've learned to go to a mat, then to move side to side to other mats in a line. That was a great foundation for this exercise. I do use herding cues and signals, so I continued that with this. From the cone to the mat is either "go bye" or "away" with the arm "pushing" them in that direction. Once they could do that easily, we added the position cue. It's working well.
I have not added the call to heel to this yet, but we already do a lot of call to heels, so I don't expect a big problem. They may have to work on staying in position while I start moving, but they'll get it fast.
4.
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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Advanced Teamwork - Object Pickup and Placement
One of the new non-regular classes in AKC is the Advanced Teamwork class. For those who like training challenges and something new, this class is for you.
Every AT class will include heeling - and the heeling is supposed to be challenging. Then the judge will pick 4 more exercises from among the following:
Object Pickup and Placement
Send Away
Scent Work
Seek Back
Moving Stand, Sit, or Down
Baseball Glove Retrieve
Distance Control
Heeling
I'd like to look at each exercise over the next few days and discuss possible training plans and what I'm finding with my own dogs as I train for it. Let's start with Object Pickup and Placement. Here are some of my notes on key parts I need to remember for this exercise.
1. Principal parts: Dog goes to object, picks it up, stops on command, places the object as directed and returns to front.
2. Orders: Throw it. Send your dog. Right or Left. Finish.
3. Object does not have to be dumbbell. Squeakers/noise makers have to be removed.
4. Two cones placed where utility jumps would be placed.
5. Judge tells you where to stand – does not have to be centered between cones.
6. Throw object at least 30 feet.
7. Immediately after dog picks up object, command them to sit.
8. Judge will tell you which cone to send your dog to.
9. Command and/or signal to the correct cone. May stop and redirect the dog with penalties.
10. When dog gets to cone, have them drop dumbbell within 2 feet of base.
11. Command or signal dog to come. Handler does NOT turn to face dog.
There are so many individual parts to train for this exercise. Only after the individual parts are solid can you put them together.
First you have to have a retrieve.
You have to make sure your dog can sit when told at a distance while still holding the dumbbell (my dogs seemed to think that "sit" meant drop the dumbbell before planting their butts on the ground).
They have to know how to get to a cone on command.
They have to be able to drop their retrieve object at a distance.
They have to know how to line up for front when coming at an angle.
Just for fun, I took Bella out just to see how she would handle this without further training. She went out to pick up the dumbbell. When told to sit, she dropped the dumbbell first. I had to do several "Take it, sit, take it, sit, take it, sit" before she would sit while holding it. I was able to direct her to either cone using a directed jumping signal and her "wrap" command (which means to wrap around the cone). Drop it that far away was hard - she usually dropped it more than 2 feet away from the cone. She's better at getting in front when coming from the right than coming from the left.
So now, I'm breaking this down.
For the retrieve portion we're only working on her taking it then sitting on command. Sometimes I have her sit, sometimes I have her come to front. I don't want her to think every retrieve is going to involve a sit. If I don't say anything, get it to me. If I tell you to sit, then sit while still holding it.
Separately I'm working on her going to the cone and setting her paw on the base. She got this very quickly, so I'm handing her the dumbbell at my side and sending her to place.
In other sessions I'm working on distance drops. I have her stand, take the dumbbell from my hand, then I walk varying distances, turn, and ask her to drop.
And in yet other sessions, we work on getting into front - I'm working it at 90 degree angles right now. Again, she has trouble coming from the left - she sits in between heel position and front position, so I'm working the left side more.
I will be interested to see if they modify the regs to make touching the cone a penalty. But until then, I like this training plan. The puppies are learning the various parts, but moving much slower when it comes to new concepts and distances. Zane could sit while holding the dumbbell, and he could drop at greater distances. Otter is not retrieving yet, so he is just learning to touch the cone.
Every AT class will include heeling - and the heeling is supposed to be challenging. Then the judge will pick 4 more exercises from among the following:
Object Pickup and Placement
Send Away
Scent Work
Seek Back
Moving Stand, Sit, or Down
Baseball Glove Retrieve
Distance Control
Heeling
I'd like to look at each exercise over the next few days and discuss possible training plans and what I'm finding with my own dogs as I train for it. Let's start with Object Pickup and Placement. Here are some of my notes on key parts I need to remember for this exercise.
1. Principal parts: Dog goes to object, picks it up, stops on command, places the object as directed and returns to front.
2. Orders: Throw it. Send your dog. Right or Left. Finish.
3. Object does not have to be dumbbell. Squeakers/noise makers have to be removed.
4. Two cones placed where utility jumps would be placed.
5. Judge tells you where to stand – does not have to be centered between cones.
6. Throw object at least 30 feet.
7. Immediately after dog picks up object, command them to sit.
8. Judge will tell you which cone to send your dog to.
9. Command and/or signal to the correct cone. May stop and redirect the dog with penalties.
10. When dog gets to cone, have them drop dumbbell within 2 feet of base.
11. Command or signal dog to come. Handler does NOT turn to face dog.
There are so many individual parts to train for this exercise. Only after the individual parts are solid can you put them together.
First you have to have a retrieve.
You have to make sure your dog can sit when told at a distance while still holding the dumbbell (my dogs seemed to think that "sit" meant drop the dumbbell before planting their butts on the ground).
They have to know how to get to a cone on command.
They have to be able to drop their retrieve object at a distance.
They have to know how to line up for front when coming at an angle.
Just for fun, I took Bella out just to see how she would handle this without further training. She went out to pick up the dumbbell. When told to sit, she dropped the dumbbell first. I had to do several "Take it, sit, take it, sit, take it, sit" before she would sit while holding it. I was able to direct her to either cone using a directed jumping signal and her "wrap" command (which means to wrap around the cone). Drop it that far away was hard - she usually dropped it more than 2 feet away from the cone. She's better at getting in front when coming from the right than coming from the left.
So now, I'm breaking this down.
For the retrieve portion we're only working on her taking it then sitting on command. Sometimes I have her sit, sometimes I have her come to front. I don't want her to think every retrieve is going to involve a sit. If I don't say anything, get it to me. If I tell you to sit, then sit while still holding it.
Separately I'm working on her going to the cone and setting her paw on the base. She got this very quickly, so I'm handing her the dumbbell at my side and sending her to place.
In other sessions I'm working on distance drops. I have her stand, take the dumbbell from my hand, then I walk varying distances, turn, and ask her to drop.
And in yet other sessions, we work on getting into front - I'm working it at 90 degree angles right now. Again, she has trouble coming from the left - she sits in between heel position and front position, so I'm working the left side more.
I will be interested to see if they modify the regs to make touching the cone a penalty. But until then, I like this training plan. The puppies are learning the various parts, but moving much slower when it comes to new concepts and distances. Zane could sit while holding the dumbbell, and he could drop at greater distances. Otter is not retrieving yet, so he is just learning to touch the cone.
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