On Sunday, I rented some open ring time at a local training facility. We mostly worked on heeling, did a little jumping, and a couple signals and drops on recall. Nothing fancy. See for yourself:
Overall, I was pleased with the session. I didn't do any warming up before starting the video because I wanted to get a sense of how much I should work with her prior to going into the ring (our trial is less than a week away now, yikes!). I'm still not sure. I know from previous experience that I shouldn't overdo it, but she clearly starts out a bit distracted. She did much better after a potty break, although I'm not sure if it's just that she needed that much time to warm up, or if she was uncomfortable.
What I really like in this video is the special guest star (starting at about 5:10). Yes, that is my husband playing with Maisy. He has never done any heelwork with her before, and yet look how awesome they are together. She gives him tons of attention and even does a drop on recall for him! So cool!
12 comments:
I think she does a decent job of hanging in there for no warm up and being in a new place! She's going to be awesome at the trial!
I'm now going to barge in with my unsolicited opinion and say that I wouldn't have done that though :) I understand wanting to see where she's at, but I would really want to condition going into the ring to be a working environment. It's what I hit myself in the head for not doing with Vito. With Vito's extra anxiety issues I really need him to associate the ring with fun and working with ME, not stretching and working as soon as he feels up to it. So warm up out (or at minimum hang out in building and get used to environment), then enter ring and ready to work that very moment. And of course getting enough reinforcement history and finding a way to make sure that he is comfortable enough to do so.
Oh and if you ever want company, I REALLY need to work Vito in new places.
Laura, I would LOVE your unsolicited opinion. Part of the reason I don't do any kind of warmup with Maisy is because I don't know WHAT to do. In the past, I've done about three minutes of attention (look at me, get a treat, basically), and then maybe two minutes of heeling with turns, halts, maybe fronts. Depended on what was on the rally course, and what I was worried about.
What do you do?
(And I'd love your company, of course!)
Wait, is that marshmallow sauce in your dog's beard??
Also, here's an idea for the fast. Instead of taking big steps when you run, have you ever tried taking shorter, faster steps? I bet that would fix any lagging issues. Maisy's going to be focusing on your knees more than your upper body, so if she sees your legs moving faster she'll speed up more.
I, on the other hand, get to take monster steps because my dogs are going to be forgey in a show. Ha.
There's probably also some peanut butter in her beard...
I will have to play with step size during the fast. Not now, not before the trial. Nothing changes from here on out, because that will only psych me out. But it's definitely a great idea.
For someone who doesn't regularly work with Maisy, your husband did an excellent job! (And so did Maisy, of course!)
Best of luck at the trial!
Aren't they cute together?? I love them both so much. :)
So great to see your husband working with Maisy. They did great!
Have fun at the trial! Looking forward to hearing how it goes. Enjoy yourselves!
Well when I first bring Lance out I work attention. This used to be letting him sniff, treat eye contact, release to sniff. But with more exposure and experience I usually have his full attention within 10 seconds. So I then do a few of his favorite tricks. Then heel for a minute or two, with lots of attention to forging and weird patterns to make him think. Then a few more tricks. Entire time is maybe 5min, a little bit longer if I get to practice a go out or two on some warm up ring gate. If this was a trial he then goes back in the crate since I used to stress him out more by keeping him with me as I get nervous. At a trial I then try and bring him out with only a few minutes to spare and do mainly tricks with a few seconds of heeling.
Vito I don't know. I know the food flick game Denise showed us is good for him in trials. I know he likes to look around and get his butt rubbed. If I can go off to the side and tug it's a really good sign of where he is at anxiety wise based on if he tugs and his intensity, but a lot of trials you don't have room to do that without disturbing other dogs.
Thanks, Laura. I'll have to think about it and start playing with some ideas. We have something of a baby routine in place, it's just not really official or whatever yet...
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