We were walking the doggies tonight around town. They both pooped by the sidewalk, as dogs are wont to do. Maxwell has this odd habit of going twice on his evening constitutional, so it was no surprise when he went #2 number two after about half an hour. What was a surprise was the following:
Me: (picks up poop with a grocery bag)
Stranger: God bless you for keeping this city clean!
Me: Thank you.
Stranger: And one more thing: You're awesome!
Me: Thank you. Have a great night.
Now that is immediate, positive reinforcement. It reminds me of this video I saw once about recycling.
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It has also come to my attention that a certain little dog has a big problem.
It was quite warm last night, compared to the weather we've been used to, so we ran the A/C in the bedroom. Maxwell began to whine very shortly after we turned it on, so I took the dogs out for another pee. (Hi neighbor. Why yes, I am outside in the drizzle after midnight in my PJs...) Came back in, back to bed, lights out. Great!
Then he began to cry again.
Got up, took dogs out, this time across the street. Sadie just sniffed around. Maxwell pooped. Ah ha! Problem solved. Came back in, back to bed, lights out.
Maxwell began crying and scratching at the door.
It's now nearly 1 AM, The alarm is going off in about 6 hours, and mommy is CRANKY. I dog-proofed the rest of the apartment and went back to bed, leaving the bedroom door ajar. Maxwell appears to have slept in the living room, as he wasn't with us when I woke up several times in the night worried about him.
When the alarm went off he became brave enough to lick my foot, which was conveniently hanging off the bed. I dozed a few minutes, and awoke to him watching me, laying with just his nose in the bedroom. He came over for reassurance when I dropped my hand next to the bed.
So his dinner tonight was in the bedroom, with the A/C unit on low, trying to just stay calm enough to eat. String cheese bits to start, then working our way into the kibble. He'll lie on his bed and eat, but not go near the A/C unit on the other side of the room.
This will have to be worked on a lot before summer kicks in.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Chase Community Giving on Facebook
I just found out about a contest going on now via Facebook. Chase is giving away $5,000,000 to over 100 charities. I'm not generally one to post anything that remotely smacks of advertising, but this seems like a great event.
If you are on Facebook, you can vote for your favorite charities and help them win funding. All the rules are available on the contest's page. To start, go to http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/.
So far I've voted for the SPCA of Westchester and Lollypop Farm (a humane society in upstate NY, where I grew up). I have 8 votes left for this round of the contest. If you have suggestions on who I should give my remaining votes to, leave them in a comment along with a brief reason why you like the organization. I'll post whoever ends up getting the rest of my votes!
If you are on Facebook, you can vote for your favorite charities and help them win funding. All the rules are available on the contest's page. To start, go to http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/.
So far I've voted for the SPCA of Westchester and Lollypop Farm (a humane society in upstate NY, where I grew up). I have 8 votes left for this round of the contest. If you have suggestions on who I should give my remaining votes to, leave them in a comment along with a brief reason why you like the organization. I'll post whoever ends up getting the rest of my votes!
Baa!
Maxwell went to heaven today. And heaven is a trio of fluffy white sheep in a New Jersey pasture.
That's right, I took him to a herding lesson. One of the dogs in Sadie's class is a Bearded Collie, so he and Maxwell split an hour lesson. Each dog got about 15 minutes on the sheep and then switched, x2. It worked out perfectly, since my little man completely wears himself out when he gets to work stock.
Maxwell went first, since he was desperate to be working, and did very nicely for the instructor. Unlike when he took the herding instinct test, he never felt the need to quit. He would start to move off a bit towards the water trough, but would come back to the little flock when called. I think he's gained confidence, too. He was much less put off when worked by the instructor. I'm especially happy about that since at his lest lesson, over the winter in Wisconsin, he was smacked across the nose by the instructor for being over-eager. I was afraid he might be reluctant to work again, but I shouldn't have worried!
The Beardie was fun to watch. He was initially a little afraid of the sheep, and just seemed to want to play with his handler. Occasionally he'd break off to check on her mother, then sprint back when called. Once he realized that the sheep would move away from him, however, he grew bolder. By the end of the lesson he was doing some circling, and would chase individual sheep a short ways. Y'know, just for fun.
The Beardie was also much better than Maxwell in one aspect: balance. Where my pup just wants to run and split sheep away from the flock, just so he can bring them back again, the Beardie would stand still when he was opposite the sheep from his handler. No excess motion, no frantic lunging to make the sheep scatter. Balance.
Poor little Maxwell bit his tongue during his second round. He slipped while chasing a sheep, and fell. Man, do doggy tongues bleed. He was foaming red at the mouth and dripping all over the place. He didn't even miss a beat, though! He was on his feet at a full sprint before I even noticed he was injured. By the time the lesson was over, he looked like he'd just come from a knife fight. Needless to say, he bled all over the car on the way home. At least the giant soft crate was laying in the back, and took the brunt of the mess. By the time we got home the bleeding had stopped, and I gave him a rinse in the shower.
Hopefully I'll be able to take several more lessons over the summer. I'd love to keep letting my pup follow his instincts. And I really enjoy being outside working with him. I wish there were a farm closer. Driving an hour each way, plus paying $30 to split an hour lesson, gets pricey. Anyone know a positive trainer near Westchester?
That's right, I took him to a herding lesson. One of the dogs in Sadie's class is a Bearded Collie, so he and Maxwell split an hour lesson. Each dog got about 15 minutes on the sheep and then switched, x2. It worked out perfectly, since my little man completely wears himself out when he gets to work stock.
Maxwell went first, since he was desperate to be working, and did very nicely for the instructor. Unlike when he took the herding instinct test, he never felt the need to quit. He would start to move off a bit towards the water trough, but would come back to the little flock when called. I think he's gained confidence, too. He was much less put off when worked by the instructor. I'm especially happy about that since at his lest lesson, over the winter in Wisconsin, he was smacked across the nose by the instructor for being over-eager. I was afraid he might be reluctant to work again, but I shouldn't have worried!
The Beardie was fun to watch. He was initially a little afraid of the sheep, and just seemed to want to play with his handler. Occasionally he'd break off to check on her mother, then sprint back when called. Once he realized that the sheep would move away from him, however, he grew bolder. By the end of the lesson he was doing some circling, and would chase individual sheep a short ways. Y'know, just for fun.
The Beardie was also much better than Maxwell in one aspect: balance. Where my pup just wants to run and split sheep away from the flock, just so he can bring them back again, the Beardie would stand still when he was opposite the sheep from his handler. No excess motion, no frantic lunging to make the sheep scatter. Balance.
Poor little Maxwell bit his tongue during his second round. He slipped while chasing a sheep, and fell. Man, do doggy tongues bleed. He was foaming red at the mouth and dripping all over the place. He didn't even miss a beat, though! He was on his feet at a full sprint before I even noticed he was injured. By the time the lesson was over, he looked like he'd just come from a knife fight. Needless to say, he bled all over the car on the way home. At least the giant soft crate was laying in the back, and took the brunt of the mess. By the time we got home the bleeding had stopped, and I gave him a rinse in the shower.
Hopefully I'll be able to take several more lessons over the summer. I'd love to keep letting my pup follow his instincts. And I really enjoy being outside working with him. I wish there were a farm closer. Driving an hour each way, plus paying $30 to split an hour lesson, gets pricey. Anyone know a positive trainer near Westchester?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Everyone's a Winner
I wanted to make sure these thoughts got their due, so here's a second post about last weekend's trial.
Sunday was the first ever trial for a classmate of mine with her Flat-Coated Retriever. She was really nervous. REALLY nervous. In class her pup is less driven that many of the other dogs, and is easily distracted by scent. If you can get him riled up he runs nicely, but she has a quiet personality. That makes it a little tougher for them to run, but they're improving all the time.
I'm sad to say I didn't get to really watch them run in the trial, since Sadie and I were very shortly after her. But from what I did see, they did a fantastic job. Yes, he wanted to go investigate the wonderful barn smells. Yes, he ran off course to wander when he got stressed. But he also had moments where he really did try to work. He took jumps, he took the contact obstacles that I saw, and they finished. Maybe not the whole course. Maybe not exactly the course that was mapped out. But they ran, and they finished.
It nearly broke my heart when I went to congratulate her after JWW. She was feeding him treats and saying "You don't deserve these." Yes, he does. And she deserved something, too. I wish I could have given her a gold star, like back in grade school, for putting in the hard work and having it pay off. They both came into a brand new environment, both were nervous, and they did a great job considering. I reminded her that Sadie had completely bailed on a course once. I hope that she was able to enjoy herself despite the disappointment. In no time they'll be picking up Q's of their own.
It wasn't the best trial for Mr. Trainer, either. I know he was disappointed to miss a few Q's, especially with his MACH dog. I still thought it was amazing to watch them run. So much more information being conveyed to the dogs, and yet run so much quieter, both physically and verbally. At least Mrs. Trainer was happy. Though she didn't get her Q in Open JWW, she was thrilled at the weave-pole performance of her little terrier.
Plus, as my classmate said, at least it wasn't our dogs who pooped in the weaves...
Sunday was the first ever trial for a classmate of mine with her Flat-Coated Retriever. She was really nervous. REALLY nervous. In class her pup is less driven that many of the other dogs, and is easily distracted by scent. If you can get him riled up he runs nicely, but she has a quiet personality. That makes it a little tougher for them to run, but they're improving all the time.
I'm sad to say I didn't get to really watch them run in the trial, since Sadie and I were very shortly after her. But from what I did see, they did a fantastic job. Yes, he wanted to go investigate the wonderful barn smells. Yes, he ran off course to wander when he got stressed. But he also had moments where he really did try to work. He took jumps, he took the contact obstacles that I saw, and they finished. Maybe not the whole course. Maybe not exactly the course that was mapped out. But they ran, and they finished.
It nearly broke my heart when I went to congratulate her after JWW. She was feeding him treats and saying "You don't deserve these." Yes, he does. And she deserved something, too. I wish I could have given her a gold star, like back in grade school, for putting in the hard work and having it pay off. They both came into a brand new environment, both were nervous, and they did a great job considering. I reminded her that Sadie had completely bailed on a course once. I hope that she was able to enjoy herself despite the disappointment. In no time they'll be picking up Q's of their own.
It wasn't the best trial for Mr. Trainer, either. I know he was disappointed to miss a few Q's, especially with his MACH dog. I still thought it was amazing to watch them run. So much more information being conveyed to the dogs, and yet run so much quieter, both physically and verbally. At least Mrs. Trainer was happy. Though she didn't get her Q in Open JWW, she was thrilled at the weave-pole performance of her little terrier.
Plus, as my classmate said, at least it wasn't our dogs who pooped in the weaves...
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Second is the Best!
Today was the Hudson Valley Golden Retriever Club trial a ways upstate. The weatherman lied to me this morning when I checked the forecast (65 and sunny). It was drizzling when I got there, chilly, and windy. Occasionally the sun would come out and give us hope, but it never got warm or truly sunny. At least I was smart enough to bring dry shoes and socks to run in! The dog-walking field was a half inch of standing water where it wasn't thick mud.
It was interesting having both pups. They didn't like being left in the car, but didn't seem to panic at all either. I think it was good for them to be together, for company. And I didn't worry so much about walking away and watching the trial, knowing it wasn't just a soft crate that Sadie could claw through.
The STD course was nice and flowing. There were only two lead changes, and no tricky bits. On my trainers' advice I didn't lead out this time. Sadie started really nicely. She hit all of her contacts, stuck the table, and made the weaves on her third try. There was some sniffing mid-course, but it was easier to get her back and re-focused. We didn't Q, but I'm still quite happy with the run.
Between courses I let Maxwell have some one-on-one time with me. I left Sadie in the car and took him into the riding barn to watch some of the trial. He was very good, though less interested in food than usual. To be expected, in such an arousing environment. A few people asked if he was entered, and I laughed. He's not only too young by AKC rules, but definitely not mature enough to be successful. Some day!
I walked the pups a bit together as well. Sadie whined for no apparent reason, having been given water, treats, and the chance to pee. Maxwell sniffed around a bit until OMGARETHOSETHINGSICANHERD??? He finally noticed the ponies, corralled nearby. Since they were barely moving, he didn't go out of his mind excited, but he was certainly interested. It was cute.
Sadie's JWW run was awesome. Yeah, I wanted to kill her within 3 jumps, but that's okay. She darted around jump 1, so I had to circle her around again. Refusal 1. Then there was a curve into a pinwheel, with three cross options. I had definitely nixed a rear cross on jump 3, and was going to let Sadie's speed determine whether to front cross from 2 to 3, or rear cross 4. Too bad she had other ideas! I did the front cross, and she darted around me to rear cross 3! It ended up working beautifully anyway. Her second refusal was at the tunnel. She had just done perfect weaves (on her first try no less), the put her nose in the tunnel. A bird or something made a noise in the rafters, and she popped out. Bah. Once through, it was a smooth sequence of jumps to the finish. I sent her to the first and ran for my life. It was amazing! She took them all, and ended way ahead of me. She even came back to me for pats and the leash.
It turned out that, of the 6+ dogs entered in 20" preferred, only two Q'ed. So she took second! Now we have one more leg to get her NJP title.
An excellent day overall. I'm pleased with both dogs, the results of Sadie's runs, and had a great time with my fellow PCOTC handlers. Now I'm tired and smell like horse. So good night!
It was interesting having both pups. They didn't like being left in the car, but didn't seem to panic at all either. I think it was good for them to be together, for company. And I didn't worry so much about walking away and watching the trial, knowing it wasn't just a soft crate that Sadie could claw through.
The STD course was nice and flowing. There were only two lead changes, and no tricky bits. On my trainers' advice I didn't lead out this time. Sadie started really nicely. She hit all of her contacts, stuck the table, and made the weaves on her third try. There was some sniffing mid-course, but it was easier to get her back and re-focused. We didn't Q, but I'm still quite happy with the run.
Between courses I let Maxwell have some one-on-one time with me. I left Sadie in the car and took him into the riding barn to watch some of the trial. He was very good, though less interested in food than usual. To be expected, in such an arousing environment. A few people asked if he was entered, and I laughed. He's not only too young by AKC rules, but definitely not mature enough to be successful. Some day!
I walked the pups a bit together as well. Sadie whined for no apparent reason, having been given water, treats, and the chance to pee. Maxwell sniffed around a bit until OMGARETHOSETHINGSICANHERD??? He finally noticed the ponies, corralled nearby. Since they were barely moving, he didn't go out of his mind excited, but he was certainly interested. It was cute.
Sadie's JWW run was awesome. Yeah, I wanted to kill her within 3 jumps, but that's okay. She darted around jump 1, so I had to circle her around again. Refusal 1. Then there was a curve into a pinwheel, with three cross options. I had definitely nixed a rear cross on jump 3, and was going to let Sadie's speed determine whether to front cross from 2 to 3, or rear cross 4. Too bad she had other ideas! I did the front cross, and she darted around me to rear cross 3! It ended up working beautifully anyway. Her second refusal was at the tunnel. She had just done perfect weaves (on her first try no less), the put her nose in the tunnel. A bird or something made a noise in the rafters, and she popped out. Bah. Once through, it was a smooth sequence of jumps to the finish. I sent her to the first and ran for my life. It was amazing! She took them all, and ended way ahead of me. She even came back to me for pats and the leash.
It turned out that, of the 6+ dogs entered in 20" preferred, only two Q'ed. So she took second! Now we have one more leg to get her NJP title.
An excellent day overall. I'm pleased with both dogs, the results of Sadie's runs, and had a great time with my fellow PCOTC handlers. Now I'm tired and smell like horse. So good night!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Pretty in Pink
If you haven't already seen this video, it's absolutely worth watching. A guy ran his dog in an agility trial while wearing a tutu. As explained in the link, it was to raise money for a charity.
On a totally unrelated note: Maxwell has finally decided that snuggling on the couch is a good thing. Yay for giant lapdogs!
On a totally unrelated note: Maxwell has finally decided that snuggling on the couch is a good thing. Yay for giant lapdogs!
Caution: Dogs at Work
Working with the dogs today was AWESOME.
We did our pre-class run in the cold, which definitely demotivates me. Both pups were in high spirits, however, and I had to hold them tightly to keep them at heel. (If they didn't run at heel, they'd just trip me.) So my run doubled as an arm workout.
Maxwell's class started normally. We worked on various obstacles and skills while we rotated through a table-jump-weave sequence. Several things happened, though, that made today special.
I think the dog walk was just a confidence thing. He's gained much more self esteem over the past few months, and not just in class. So when he darted up the ramp and actually RAN across the top, I was thrilled. He even hit his contact!
I decided to try the chute more out of boredom than anything. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love classes. But we were rotating into running a course around the perimeter of the room, and the only things in the middle were the dog walk (which I didn't want to fry him on) and the chute. So I put him in a sit/stay at the entrance, held up the end of the chute, and called his name. No hesitation, came into the chute at a decent speed to collect his treats. By the end of a dozen or so reps, I could lift the cloth only enough to see him (about 5 inches) and drop it just before he got to the end. I have never had a dog work so hard for me, as he did today.
Sadie had some of her Labrador goofiness back. She found things to sniff on course, but only messed up her first run. She is still doing fantastic with the distractions, and she hit her contacts. I need to work on communicating speed better, since at her tunnel exit she charged right past the dog walk entrance that she needed to take. She corrected when I called her, but it was an ugly up-ramp. I gave her better information on the second run and it went much smoother.
I need to work on Sadie's table criteria. I want my dogs to auto-down when they get on the table. Sadie used to do this, but has gotten less willing lately. It started in the first trial, when she simply refused to down on the table at all. Not really a problem, since AKC doesn't specify a table behavior, but frustrating nonetheless. Now she will barely do it in class when asked. Next time I rent, we'll definitely have to work it it. Send to table, no treat until she downs, preferably without me asking.
Wish me luck tomorrow... We have an AKC trial in NJ. Sadie will be running STD and JWW. Maxwell is coming to cheer her on. And it will be the first trial for one of my classmates! I'm excited to see her run, and just hope she can relax and enjoy it.
Happy training!
We did our pre-class run in the cold, which definitely demotivates me. Both pups were in high spirits, however, and I had to hold them tightly to keep them at heel. (If they didn't run at heel, they'd just trip me.) So my run doubled as an arm workout.
Maxwell's class started normally. We worked on various obstacles and skills while we rotated through a table-jump-weave sequence. Several things happened, though, that made today special.
- He went through a curved tunnel for the first time.
- He charged across the full length of the dog walk for the first time.
- He went through the chute for the first time (not fully collapsed).
I think the dog walk was just a confidence thing. He's gained much more self esteem over the past few months, and not just in class. So when he darted up the ramp and actually RAN across the top, I was thrilled. He even hit his contact!
I decided to try the chute more out of boredom than anything. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love classes. But we were rotating into running a course around the perimeter of the room, and the only things in the middle were the dog walk (which I didn't want to fry him on) and the chute. So I put him in a sit/stay at the entrance, held up the end of the chute, and called his name. No hesitation, came into the chute at a decent speed to collect his treats. By the end of a dozen or so reps, I could lift the cloth only enough to see him (about 5 inches) and drop it just before he got to the end. I have never had a dog work so hard for me, as he did today.
Sadie had some of her Labrador goofiness back. She found things to sniff on course, but only messed up her first run. She is still doing fantastic with the distractions, and she hit her contacts. I need to work on communicating speed better, since at her tunnel exit she charged right past the dog walk entrance that she needed to take. She corrected when I called her, but it was an ugly up-ramp. I gave her better information on the second run and it went much smoother.
I need to work on Sadie's table criteria. I want my dogs to auto-down when they get on the table. Sadie used to do this, but has gotten less willing lately. It started in the first trial, when she simply refused to down on the table at all. Not really a problem, since AKC doesn't specify a table behavior, but frustrating nonetheless. Now she will barely do it in class when asked. Next time I rent, we'll definitely have to work it it. Send to table, no treat until she downs, preferably without me asking.
Wish me luck tomorrow... We have an AKC trial in NJ. Sadie will be running STD and JWW. Maxwell is coming to cheer her on. And it will be the first trial for one of my classmates! I'm excited to see her run, and just hope she can relax and enjoy it.
Happy training!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Positive People Training
Last night was Thursday. Which means shelter night!
I volunteer for an hour every Thursday evening, training both dogs and people at the New Rochelle Humane Society. I started at the shelter on the recommendation of my trainers, who both also go on Thursdays. Most of the time I work with the green-dot (easy) and yellow-dot (extra attention and/or equipment needed) dogs, but recently I’ve started teaching the green-dot volunteer walker class every few weeks.
Last night I was late due to an accident on the road home from work. Got to the shelter to find Mrs. Trainer (my two trainers are husband and wife, so let's just give them names I can use, yes?) had started the class of four new walkers. It was quite the mix of people; one extremely pregnant woman, one college-age girl, one “normal” young woman, and a woman of nearly indeterminate gender and few social skills. After the speech portion of the class, we split into two groups. I got Mrs. Preggo and Ms. Socially-Awkward.
Mrs. Preggo – I think my puppy is less distractible. I’d be showing them how to enter a kennel, and suddenly she says “Do you know where that cute doggy that looked like a ragdoll is? Is he outside? I love that little doggy over there, she’s so cute, I would totally take her home!” No, I don’t know where Fozzy is… probably adopted or in foster. FOCUS! Then she wanted to walk a specific dog for the outside part of class. Sorry, lady. We’re taking the sweet old-lady Pitt (Champagne) who won’t haul you off your feet. Even with such a calm dog she wrapped the leash tightly around her palm. I tried to encourage her to just bunch up the excess, so a strong dog wouldn’t rip her fingers off, but it went in one ear and out the other.
Champagne - picture from her PetFinder posting
Ms. S-A clearly wanted to help with the dogs, and clearly wanted to hear my advice, but was also quite nervous about the whole process. Even with ultra-calm Champagne, she had to have the leash tight. If that meant holding her leash-hand practically over her head, then so be it. She got better once I pointed out that keeping a tight leash encourages pulling, and she realized the dog was content to plod along with us. Bonus points: despite her nerves, she was very calm in her handling of the dog and didn’t panic when Champagne became very interested in a little Daschund in a parked truck.
In the end I passed both women. They handled the dog safely, didn’t fling kennel doors open (which would mean chasing down an escapee), and they listened to suggestions. Mrs. Preggo will probably realize she doesn’t have time/energy/inclination to volunteer once the baby comes, but I hope that Ms. S-A comes back. I bet working with the dogs would help her confidence.
I’ll leave you with a story that I’ve heard Mr. Trainer tell a half-dozen times now:
One year there was a fairly new volunteer working on Christmas Eve at closing time. After the dogs had all been kenneled, the lights shut off, and the front door locked, someone knocked on the front window to be let in. Since the shelter was closed until after the holiday, the volunteer wasn’t about to let someone from the general public in after hours. She waved her arms and shouted through the door “YOU’RE TOO LATE! WE PUT THEM ALL TO SLEEP!”
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Distance, Duration, Distraction
The three D's of training.
Working with Maxwell in class yesterday, I can see how far we've come on the first two. I can lead out to the second obstacle and ask for short sends (distance). I can get fairly long (5 to 10 second) sit and down-stays, and we can run several obstacles between treats (duration). But those darn distractions...
In the middle of one run, Maxwell suddenly noticed the other dogs at the end of the room. Playtime! He started zooming, but was much easier to call back than in the past. Especially when my trainer pulled out a toy that is a tennis ball with a squeaky tail. THAT got his attention, so much that he began mugging me to get it. Still progress, though!
Sadie is stellar in class. I get great lead-outs, no longer babysit the majority of the obstacles, and even got some real enthusiasm in the weaves. We've been running courses without treats for probably three months now, which is great. (high-value treats after each run, of course) But as seen in competition, she needs help blocking out distractions.
I've started asking my class-mates to help out. I get a few people to be on the course as we run. Yesterday, they stepped it up: one person walked around swinging Sadie's leash, another walked the edge of the course, and my instructor squeaked a toy the entire run! The dog, however, was not to be trifled with. She ran like it was a silent, empty room. The next run my instructor put away the toy, but ran around just behind us as if he were a really obtrusive judge. And on the table, his count was "one and two and three and cookies and toys and dog and four and food and GO." Still, Sadie was unperturbed. Why can't she be this solid in competition?
There are definitely some things I need to work on. With Maxwell, I need to break things down more. While I can run short courses with him, that's not necessarily the best training. As my instructor reminded me, reinforce each stage, so it doesn't fall apart when it's put together later. With Sadie, we need to step up the distractions until it affects her, and then train her to work through it. I'll probably need to get my boyfriend to come to a rental a few times, since he will always be the biggest distraction possible for her.
I'm extremely pleased with both pups. Sadie has a trial next weekend. We're entered in standard and jumpers. Fingers are crossed for another Q! I'll probably leave Maxwell home again since I have to travel to the trial alone. I know there are a few other people from the club going as well, so it should be fun. I figure Maxwell needs to mature before he can start trialing, even if his skills were up to the task. Next spring, perhaps... In the meantime, training is going great!
Working with Maxwell in class yesterday, I can see how far we've come on the first two. I can lead out to the second obstacle and ask for short sends (distance). I can get fairly long (5 to 10 second) sit and down-stays, and we can run several obstacles between treats (duration). But those darn distractions...
In the middle of one run, Maxwell suddenly noticed the other dogs at the end of the room. Playtime! He started zooming, but was much easier to call back than in the past. Especially when my trainer pulled out a toy that is a tennis ball with a squeaky tail. THAT got his attention, so much that he began mugging me to get it. Still progress, though!
Sadie is stellar in class. I get great lead-outs, no longer babysit the majority of the obstacles, and even got some real enthusiasm in the weaves. We've been running courses without treats for probably three months now, which is great. (high-value treats after each run, of course) But as seen in competition, she needs help blocking out distractions.
I've started asking my class-mates to help out. I get a few people to be on the course as we run. Yesterday, they stepped it up: one person walked around swinging Sadie's leash, another walked the edge of the course, and my instructor squeaked a toy the entire run! The dog, however, was not to be trifled with. She ran like it was a silent, empty room. The next run my instructor put away the toy, but ran around just behind us as if he were a really obtrusive judge. And on the table, his count was "one and two and three and cookies and toys and dog and four and food and GO." Still, Sadie was unperturbed. Why can't she be this solid in competition?
There are definitely some things I need to work on. With Maxwell, I need to break things down more. While I can run short courses with him, that's not necessarily the best training. As my instructor reminded me, reinforce each stage, so it doesn't fall apart when it's put together later. With Sadie, we need to step up the distractions until it affects her, and then train her to work through it. I'll probably need to get my boyfriend to come to a rental a few times, since he will always be the biggest distraction possible for her.
I'm extremely pleased with both pups. Sadie has a trial next weekend. We're entered in standard and jumpers. Fingers are crossed for another Q! I'll probably leave Maxwell home again since I have to travel to the trial alone. I know there are a few other people from the club going as well, so it should be fun. I figure Maxwell needs to mature before he can start trialing, even if his skills were up to the task. Next spring, perhaps... In the meantime, training is going great!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Has Anyone Else Heard of Treibball?
Looks like a great way to herd, without the mess of livestock! I bet Maxwell would LOVE it.
I read about it in this month's Whole Dog Journal, and had to see it in action.
I read about it in this month's Whole Dog Journal, and had to see it in action.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Casual or Hardcore Trainer?
WARNING: Rambling musing to follow
The other day someone said I was becoming "hardcore" about agility training. What does that even mean? How is it determined? Time spent training? Quantity doesn't equal quality. Books read? Probably a waste of time if you can't apply what you've learned to real life. Training success? That last one could mean nearly anything, depending on the dog. A shy dog might be successful for just taking a treat from a stranger. Enthusiasm? Also purely subjective.
Perhaps it's just a relative measure, and the observer supplies their own criteria and baseline.
In any case, I took it as a compliment!
The other day someone said I was becoming "hardcore" about agility training. What does that even mean? How is it determined? Time spent training? Quantity doesn't equal quality. Books read? Probably a waste of time if you can't apply what you've learned to real life. Training success? That last one could mean nearly anything, depending on the dog. A shy dog might be successful for just taking a treat from a stranger. Enthusiasm? Also purely subjective.
Perhaps it's just a relative measure, and the observer supplies their own criteria and baseline.
In any case, I took it as a compliment!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
The Breakfast Club
Yesterday, there were no classes. Our instructor is in Virginia with one of his dogs, competing in Nationals. Of course, we couldn't possibly survive a week without agility, so I decided to rent the facility.
I got the room for 2 hours yesterday morning and invited a bunch of my fellow students. Everyone brought something to contribute for breakfast, and we trained! We ended up with 7 people and 8 dogs; one dog was just a visitor, and one person just watched. We had tons of great food and a high-energy group of dogs.
We set up the JWW course from last Sunday. You know, the one Sadie bailed from. Now that she was on her home turf, she acted like it was no big deal. Even better, she was perfectly happy to run it with a different handler! And Maxwell was fantastic, having had his pre-agility run. He took the course beautifully, only missing the tunnel. Can't blame him for that, though, since he's never trained it before.
We ended up running the course with our own dogs, then switching dog/handler pairs, then running the course backwards. It made for a lot of fun, some good training, and a smooth sequence of runs. I got to run two other pups of rather different temperaments. One is the highest drive black Lab I've ever met, who moves faster than I can think. She challenged me to give sufficiently early cues, at which I was only partially successful. The other is a sweet gentleman of a flat-coated retriever. He's a very quiet runner, and tends to be overly handler focused. I'm not sure exactly what I did, but he ended up flying around the room like a happy maniac! It was the best possible 'mistake' he could make on a course.
It was also nice to see other people work Maxwell and Sadie. Both ran very nicely. Sadie actually did even better weaves for her substitute than she had done for me. And Maxwell didn't seem to care that the handler wasn't me... just that he got to RUN!
Thinking back to all the previous sessions I've attended with the other handlers, I'm amazed at how far each of us (and our dogs) have come. Most of us started around the same time, with people who were as clueless about agility as the pups. I can see that everyone has gained more respect from their animal(s), better handler focus, and certainly a love for the sport. Each dog/handler team works together on course, without anyone having to 'fight' for control. It makes me proud to be part of the group.
Overall, it was a highly successful practice session. Hopefully we'll be able to do it many more times!
I got the room for 2 hours yesterday morning and invited a bunch of my fellow students. Everyone brought something to contribute for breakfast, and we trained! We ended up with 7 people and 8 dogs; one dog was just a visitor, and one person just watched. We had tons of great food and a high-energy group of dogs.
Just some of the yummy food people brought
We set up the JWW course from last Sunday. You know, the one Sadie bailed from. Now that she was on her home turf, she acted like it was no big deal. Even better, she was perfectly happy to run it with a different handler! And Maxwell was fantastic, having had his pre-agility run. He took the course beautifully, only missing the tunnel. Can't blame him for that, though, since he's never trained it before.
A low-res shot of the facility, via my cell phone
We ended up running the course with our own dogs, then switching dog/handler pairs, then running the course backwards. It made for a lot of fun, some good training, and a smooth sequence of runs. I got to run two other pups of rather different temperaments. One is the highest drive black Lab I've ever met, who moves faster than I can think. She challenged me to give sufficiently early cues, at which I was only partially successful. The other is a sweet gentleman of a flat-coated retriever. He's a very quiet runner, and tends to be overly handler focused. I'm not sure exactly what I did, but he ended up flying around the room like a happy maniac! It was the best possible 'mistake' he could make on a course.
It was also nice to see other people work Maxwell and Sadie. Both ran very nicely. Sadie actually did even better weaves for her substitute than she had done for me. And Maxwell didn't seem to care that the handler wasn't me... just that he got to RUN!
Thinking back to all the previous sessions I've attended with the other handlers, I'm amazed at how far each of us (and our dogs) have come. Most of us started around the same time, with people who were as clueless about agility as the pups. I can see that everyone has gained more respect from their animal(s), better handler focus, and certainly a love for the sport. Each dog/handler team works together on course, without anyone having to 'fight' for control. It makes me proud to be part of the group.
Overall, it was a highly successful practice session. Hopefully we'll be able to do it many more times!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
A Dog of a Different Color
I finally got smart.
A major problem I've had while trying to train Maxwell at the club is his energy. Despite the fact that we walk to class, he regularly ends up zooming around the room at top speed. While it's funny to watch him careen around the room, buzzing other dogs and generally causing a ruckus, it makes the actual training a challenge. He's unfocused, and therefore must be kept leashed at all times. The rare occasion we try a few jumps off-leash, my trainer has everyone clear the floor.
But then I started jogging again.
I hadn't gone running in a while (months) due to laziness, bad weather, and Maxwell being too young for sustained running. Now that the sun is out longer and it's warming up, I've decided that Maxwell is old enough for short jogs. Since he has so much energy, I even put his backpack on him with a can of pumpkin in each side. The weight definitely didn't slow him down on the run... but it did take the edge off his energy.
So, before class last weekend, I took the dogs for a 1 mile jog, grabbed a quick breakfast at home, then we walked (ok, they dragged me) to class. That's when the most amazing thing happened. He worked great on leash for about 40 minutes. He was calm, focused, and enthusiastic. When my trainer set up a mini course, we went last. As usual, everyone else was asked to clear the floor, in case he went zooming again. To keep down the excitement, I went at a brisk walk through the course: teeter, A-frame, table, jump, jump, rear-cross jump, table. I treated nearly every obstacle, and he stayed right with me!
I decided to test him for the second pass.
I still treated the contact obstacles, but I sped up to a controlled jog. Perfect form! He flew through the course like a veteran, nailed the rear-cross and skidded to a halt on the last table. I could have hugged him, I was so happy! (but he's not a fan of hugs, so I didn't) He got lots of cheese for that, and I now know to go jogging before class.
A major problem I've had while trying to train Maxwell at the club is his energy. Despite the fact that we walk to class, he regularly ends up zooming around the room at top speed. While it's funny to watch him careen around the room, buzzing other dogs and generally causing a ruckus, it makes the actual training a challenge. He's unfocused, and therefore must be kept leashed at all times. The rare occasion we try a few jumps off-leash, my trainer has everyone clear the floor.
But then I started jogging again.
I hadn't gone running in a while (months) due to laziness, bad weather, and Maxwell being too young for sustained running. Now that the sun is out longer and it's warming up, I've decided that Maxwell is old enough for short jogs. Since he has so much energy, I even put his backpack on him with a can of pumpkin in each side. The weight definitely didn't slow him down on the run... but it did take the edge off his energy.
So, before class last weekend, I took the dogs for a 1 mile jog, grabbed a quick breakfast at home, then we walked (ok, they dragged me) to class. That's when the most amazing thing happened. He worked great on leash for about 40 minutes. He was calm, focused, and enthusiastic. When my trainer set up a mini course, we went last. As usual, everyone else was asked to clear the floor, in case he went zooming again. To keep down the excitement, I went at a brisk walk through the course: teeter, A-frame, table, jump, jump, rear-cross jump, table. I treated nearly every obstacle, and he stayed right with me!
I decided to test him for the second pass.
I still treated the contact obstacles, but I sped up to a controlled jog. Perfect form! He flew through the course like a veteran, nailed the rear-cross and skidded to a halt on the last table. I could have hugged him, I was so happy! (but he's not a fan of hugs, so I didn't) He got lots of cheese for that, and I now know to go jogging before class.
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