Archive for Foundation

As a Special “Thank You!”…

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011

 It’s that time of year…time for giving thanks!

As a special thank you to all our Spot on Agility clients, followers, subscribers, and fellow agility competitors worldwide, we are offering 25% off our popular re-released Spot on Agility 2on2off Dog Agility Contact Training DVD from November 24-29, 2011!

Regularly $29.99, for a limited time you can purchase our 2on2off  Dog Agility Contract Training DVD that’s praised by dog agility trainers all over the world for only $22.50!

Spot On Agility’s 2on2off  Dog Agility Contract Training DVD provides easy to follow contact training behavior that’s fun and entertaining for dogs. It provides unprecedented ease in training 2on2off contact behavior for novice dogs or experienced dogs that need refreshed or retrained contact behavior. The lessons and exercises included in the DVD are easy to follow and make it efficient and fun for both dog and dog trainer.

Stacy Peardot-Goudy, world renowned dog agility trainer, owner of C Spot Win Agility in LaPorte, Colorado and recent 2011 USDAA Steeplechase Champion with her dog Wally recently reviewed Spot On Agility’s 2on2off dog agility contact training DVD. “It’s so easy training dogs with Spot On Agility’s Contact Training DVD that anyone can have successful results, whether they be novice or masters level dog agility trainers,” shared Goudy. “I love how the dogs instantly understand the criteria and drive to the 2on2off position you are asking of them, making contact training very enjoyable.”

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity. Spot On Agility’s 2on2off  Dog Agility Contract Training DVD can help you and your dog have the successful and fun contact behavior you’ve been looking for; and it makes a great gift for agility friends and students! Click here to purchase and enter code ‘HOL2011’ at checkout to receive 25% off.

Happy Holidays!

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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Obstacles in Agility
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Criteria – How To Train It

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Monday, May 24th, 2010
This is the 4th Blog in the Criteria Series. Below are links to the previous Blogs.


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Thanks to the worksheet in Blog 3, you should have your criteria established and are excited to start training. There’s just one question left to answer…how to train it!
The question of ‘How to train it?’ is sort of like asking ‘How to loose weight?’ There are a ton of options, theories, myths, opinions, science and experience out there and deciding a course of action can be a head-spinning challenge.
I like to keep things simple, so personal experience has taught me:
  • Agility should be fun for me.
  • Agility should be a game for my dog (fun).
  • Ultimately, I want my dog to be responsible for performing the trained action/goal automatically or with one cue from me (consistency so the dog knows how to earn rewards, which equals fun).
  • I want to focus on rewarding the correct behavior (fun) instead of managing or threatening them if they don’t do it (not fun).
  • Life is hectic and I want to be efficient and have quality training time with my dogs (fun) vs. inefficient quantity time (not fun).

The Art of Rewards
As a dog trainer and especially a dog trainer in Agility, I’ve taken the luxury to train all sorts of ways and have tried almost every method out there.


When it comes to training a new skill, hands down, I can say with confidence that a reward for correct/wanted behaviors works the absolute best in a criteria-based training program. The best part? It fits with a simple, precise and successful training/showing lifestyle!


In Blog 3 I mentioned that our job as Trainer to The Dog is to:

  • Teach our dog the skill or job
  • Impart information
  • Instruct to improve performance
  • Attain a required level of  knowledge or skill

How we do that is purely optional.


However, when I think back on the mentors, teachers and trainers I’ve had in life, those that supported, encouraged and had my best interests at heart are the ones I remember the most and the ones who taught me the most (or was it that I was more willing to listen more?)…after years of success, trial & error, I’ve learned that it IS simple to be all of those things to our dogs.


Dear Dog – Criteria is GOOD!
Remember when I mentioned in my last few Criteria Blog posts that dog training is about the dog? Well, a reward system of training embraces that mantra. When I’m training one of the criteria steps defined in my worksheet, I start out using:

  • Treats for…
  • Rapid reinforcement as a way to tell my dog “Now THIS is exactly what I want and when you do that step, GREAT things come your way.” My time at Chicken Camp (Day 3) really helped to reinforce this.
  • I spend a ton of time reinforcing (i.e. making a positive impression)
  • I’m NOT stingy with treats. Actually, as fast as I can hand ‘em out, I do.
  • I don’t move to the next step until my dog is doing the current behavior, independently, 80-100% of the time!
Once my dog is solid in the behavior I’ve reinforced, if appropriate I work to quickly:
  • Take myself out of the equation by adding movement (of my position) while feeding/rewarding my dog.
  • Look for an opportunity to toss food between my dog’s paws so I don’t have to walk to/from my dog.
  • Add a release word.
  • Make reinforcement variable.
  • Often I won’t jump in to help my dog because I want them to think things through and take responsibility and pride in their actions. Why deny my dog the feeling of accomplishment and pride when they figure out and get rewarded for a task? However, I may help them follow through when they make a move in the right direction and I will always reward in position and default to rapid reinforcement to help celebrate with them.
  • I don’t move to the next step until my dog is doing the current behavior, independently, 80-100% of the time! (Sound familiar?)

For each step in my Criteria Planning Worksheet I start all over with Treats For….(see above) and progress through the steps listed above as appropriate. It’s really that simple and my dogs love the game that I’ve created.


It’s good old Operant Conditioning at its best. It’s proven, easy and works GREAT with a criteria-based training program.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Lisa




 

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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Goals & Planning, Handler Training
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Criteria – Planning Worksheet

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Monday, May 24th, 2010





Welcome to Criteria Blog #3.


This is a continuation on a discussion about the use of criteria in dog training. Here are links to the two previous blogs which will bring you up to date for this entry.


Blog Discussion 1
Blog Discussion 2
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Here is some great advice:


Make a goal you can be confident in and invest in the steps that lead to criteria.


To help myself and my clients, I created the Agility Criteria Planning worksheet* to the left. But before I talk about how to use the worksheet, there are a few important points to remember in order to make a criteria based training plan successful.

CIDT (Criteria in Dog Training) should be:
* a specific and consistent standard for a particular action/goal
* a clear yes/no judgment as to whether the criteria was fully met. Criteria is very clear cut. The dog either does the expected criteria or it does not. There are no excuses, no points for ‘but he tried’ or ‘it was my fault’ and no worries if they don’t do it. With that said…

Remember, our job as Trainer to The Dog is to:

* teach our dog the skill or job
* impart information
* instruct to improve performance
* attain a required level of  knowledge or skill


Criteria – Plan It!
I’m a huge subscriber to the theory that a little bit of planning goes a long way in time management and training efficiency. So when it comes to planning my criteria, I use the worksheet* attached as a way to guide me through the thought and training process. While I’d love to share all of the details and tidbits of the worksheet in this blog, I’ve chosen to focus on just a few highlights. (For information on how to view the full 2-page sheet in detail, please e-mail me.)


Planning – Where to Begin (at the end…)
In my last Blog post, I mentioned that the place to start criteria planning was by deciding exactly what the end behavior was going to look like – from the dog’s point of view. This is the information that goes in the top box of the worksheet.


Once the end behavior is known, I go to the next section where there are several lines available for planning each SMALL physical step a dog will do that will ultimately lead to the final goal/action listed in the top box.


A couple of tips:

  • Focus on the physical actions of the dog during planning & training
  • Think small steps the dog will do and be rewarded for (and don’t be stingy with treats!)
  • Start with a sterile environment. Once the behavior is solid, then you can move to proofing (another form I’ve created)
  • Don’t move on to the next step in training until your dog is offering the current step 80-100% of the time independently
  • Are you Shaping or Back Chaining? As the worksheet indicates, if you start training at #1 you’re shaping. If you start training at #8 you’re Back Chaining
  • Did I mention don’t be stingy with treats and to reward, reward, reward?

Have Criteria…Now What?
Now you train it. But how do you train it? Stay tuned for the next Blog post.

* While I have made considerable additions/changes on its relevance to dog training, the base of this worksheet (sometimes seen as a stepping ladder via Terry Ryan of Legacy Canine) has been around for decades and used by scientists, students and researchers. (I wish I could specifically remember the exact resources, but I at least wanted to give a nod to those unknown authors).

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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Goals & Planning
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Criteria – What Is It? and CIDT (Criteria in Dog Training)

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

 

Welcome to a discussion on Criteria – Blog 2
(Here is a link to Criteria Blog 1)
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Last week I did a blog post introducing the concept of criteria in dog training. Today I’ll talk about some of the specifics of Criteria.
CRITERIA/CRITERION – WHAT IS IT?
The general definition of Criterion according to Wictionary on-line is – A standard or test by which individual things or people may be compared and judged.

 

Ah, compare & judge…for me, those are scary words that conjure up bad memories from high school (icky). However, lucky for me and you, we will be our very own criteria makers (yeah!) and the best part is that the criteria we decide upon will be from our own ultimate agility dreams!

 

 

BEGIN – AT THE END

 

If during a discussion about agility I asked you “What ONE thing could your dog do that would make you feel more confident, secure and positive?” What would you answer? Would it be a stay at the start line? A perfect 2-on-2-off contact performance? An instant down on the table?

 

 

Until you can identify what it is you want your dog TO DO, you’re going to be stuck dealing with whatever haphazard action they give at that moment. So, before you go out and train, make a firm decision as to what you want the end result, or criteria to be. Now is the time to ask yourself, “What do I want that end action to look like?” I encourage you to dream, dream, dream and to think beyond what you may believe are ‘limits” (within yourself, a dog, the environment, etc.).

 


 

Once you’ve got the vision, write it down!

 

I’VE GOT A DREAM…

 

Now that you’ve got a dream, you need a plan…to move you toward the criteria.

 

 

A plan without criteria is the equivalent to winging it. It’s hoping for the best and waiting to see what really happens. It’s like rock climbing for the first time without safety gear. You’ll expend a lot of physical energy and mental worry about the ‘what-if’s when all that was needed was a lesson on how to use the safety gear (or criteria) for peace of mind.

 

 

Why have Criteria? Mainly because they are confidence builders that let handlers and dogs say “I recognize this and I know EXACTLY what to do!”
CRITERIA – IN DOG TRAINING
There are criteria, and then there are Criteria in Dog Training (CIDT).  In dog training the definition of criteria is altered slightly to encompass the end result, the end behavior or the final product – from the dog’s point of view.

Specifically, criteria will generally be based on the dog’s body position relative to…well, something! Sometimes it’s the handler, sometimes an obstacle, sometimes it’s a verbal or physical command, etc. The possibilities are endless.

Successful Criteria in dog training is focused so:
  1. The criteria are relevant and relates to the DOG
  2. The criteria are kept simple. After all, a laundry list of wants for one behavior usually isn’t necessary or realistic for handlers to train and maintain.
  3. Ultimately, the dog (and not the handler) will be responsible for independently performing the criteria presented in each agility scenario (and yes, depending on the scenario the handler may give cues to initiate predefined criteria).
To summarize, while I like to joke and say “It’s all about me”, the truth is in the land of criteria, it’s all about the dog and I am the mere translator.

I’ve created some Criteria Planning Worksheets for my clients to help in the mechanics of deciding on and working toward their predefined criteria. I’ll be sharing some of that form in my next blog.

 


Criteria Blog to be continued….
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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Goals & Planning, Handler Training
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The Best Kept Secret in Dog Training – Criteria!

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (1)
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
I was in the process of writing a blog post questioning WHY dog handlers don’t give the concept of predefined Criteria the attention it deserves…when it dawned on me. Have they ever been told of the need for planned Criteria? 

So for the heck of it, I did a little surface research to see if Criteria is mentioned in common training definitions.

GENERAL DEFINITION OF TRAINING*
First, I looked up the general term ‘Training’ and found two relevant, accurate and interchangeable definitions for human & dog training. The definitions are 1) “acquiring of skill: the process of teaching or learning a skill or job.” 2) training is an organized activity aimed at imparting information and/or instructions to improve the recipient’s performance or to help him or her attain a required level of knowledge or skill.


While there were some great key words used, the word Criteria was no where to be found.

DEFINITION OF DOG TRAINING*
Next I looked up the term Dog Training. Dog training is defined as – a standardized program of training for dogs calculated to give owners mastery of their dogs at all times.


OK, I can’t help the sarcasm and getting a little off topic here, but REALLY?!?! That was the best definition Websters & Wikipedia and other referral sources could come up with? I’ll have to devote yet another blog post to this topic called ‘What IS Dog Training’ . But back to the current topic…again, no mention of the word Criteria.


READING BETWEEN THE LINES
While the word Criteria was not specifically used in any of these definitions, words like… 

  • Process – a series of actions directed toward a specific aim
  • Instruction – a spoken or written statement of what must be done
  • Skill – A skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both
  • Knowledge – all the information, facts, truths, and principles learned throughout time
  • Calculate - to consider a situation carefully and decide what is likely to happen
….were used. So the question all dog trainers should be asking themselves is “How do I come up with a process? How do I give instruction? How do I teach a skill? How do I share the knowledge of what I want my dog to do? And how can I calculate what my dog is likely to do?”


THE HOLY GRAIL OF DOG TRAINING – CRITERIA
All of the above (Process, Instruction, Skill, etc.) uses Criteria as a means to obtain the wanted outcome. Think about it, Criteria is the necessary base to train specific behaviors. Need further proof, how about all of the pros use it (agility, baseball, football, etc.) so why shouldn’t you?


Give Criteria some thought as it deserves attention when it comes to dog training. As a little tidbit, something to remember is that in dog training, Criteria is a bunch of small little steps that ultimately make up a specific end-behavior.


I’ll be writing more about criteria, but in the meantime, ask yourself “Can you define what the expectations are for your dog in a factual and logical manner? Do you have a clear and concise blue print to work or train by?.”


If you answered ‘No’ then you need to add Criteria to your tool box. Not sure how? Well stay tuned for more on Criteria!


*On-line references used: Websters, Wikipedia & Encarta
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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Goals & Planning, Handler Training
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It’s COLD!!! Working on Skills

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Just like the majority of the country, the Seattle area is gripped by an extreme cold snap.

Today was 11 degrees when I got up. While that might be warm compared to the Chicagoland area which was at 2 degrees. However, the below freezing temps are well below anything that this area is used to having.
But there is good news – we have SUN! It’s too cold to snow and way too cold for fog or clouds. I took the attached picture on Monday when the wind chill was well below 20 degrees and as you can see, it’s nice and clear.
Another benefit is that the ground is now frozen so that means that darn mole can’t make any more holes! Yeah, I’m really reaching now for highlights, but something is better than nothing.
As for the dogs, they’re driving me bonkers…or more truthfully, I’m going nuts being cooped up! Poor dogs, they haven’t been able to run outside for long periods for almost a week now and that’s tough for this young bunch. Dan and I have been trying to play with each of them individually using tug & release games, fetch and anything else we can come up with. That reminds me, we haven’t played hide & seek (which also works on Stays) in a long time.
Tonight I’ll be bringing out a mini plank and the Manners Minder I recently purchased as well as playing a few target games. Last, but not least, Dan’s going to bring an agility table in so we can practice our instant downs and sending at a distance (or at least the length of the hallway ).
Stay warm everyone!
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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Handling in Agility

A Training Plan/Log – Intro

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

My husband and I joined a gym a while back and I’ve been working toward getting back in the groove of working out.  I like free-weights & weight machines, but I don’t have the desire to remember all of the weight numbers or reps I’m working at for each of the machines or exercises I do.

Sounds lazy, I know, but several things come into play 1) I don’t want to reinvent the wheel each time I return to a machine, 2) I often change up my workout plan/exercises based on my goals (who can remember what poundage I did last week), 3) I have both daily, weekly and long-term goals (i.e. lots of numbers & information to already track in my head)  and more importantly, 3) I just want to plug my ipod in, veg out and then get on with my busy day.
To help me track it all and to free up my mind to focus on the tasks at hand, I bought a cute & small pink sparkly covered note pad.  The sparkles were a bit of an indulgence, but hey, gotta have some fun while sweating!  With this book, I can track the type of exercise, the weights & repetitions used on it and more.
You might be wondering what this has to do with Dog Training.  Well, all of the points above are true for the time I spend with my dogs.  1) Not reinvent the wheel, 2) often change plan/exercises based on goals, 3) daily, weekly & long-term goals, and 4) I just want to be in the moment with my dog.
Over the next several weeks, I’m going to discuss the Training Plan/Logs that I use and I’ll share a few of my goal sheets as well.  I’ve spent the last 5 years on this plan and you’ll have an opportunity to help me finalize a few things that I’m sure will be helpful in your life as well.
Stay tuned…
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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Goals & Planning, Handler Training
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Why & What Foundation Work?

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Today I turn 40, so I might be a bit nostalgic – but I realized that I’ve been training/competing/teaching in agility for 13 years now!

Last year I got my 5th dog, a Dalmatian I named Rouge (or Ru for short). Since she is now 13 months old it’s time to start thinking of agility training beyond puppy concepts. With that in mind, I attended a Foundation Seminar given by my favorite instructor, Stacy Peardot-Goudy. I’ve been working with Stacy for 12 years now and it’s great that she is still my “go to” person.
Why go to a Foundation Seminar:
As I mentioned, I’ve been in Agility for 13 years, am on my 5th dog and I paid to go to a Foundation Seminar.  Some might ask why?  Well first, no matter how many times I may have heard something, it’s always good to be reminded of it again – especially in Foundation work when most of us want to skip on off to the end result. Next, I might learn a great exercise, learn a new tip, be reminded of something I’d forgotten, learn by watching the other young dogs or have a chance to ask a knowledgeable person a question or two and to see their view point on various topics.
But the biggest reason is that no matter how much I’ve learned or how much I know, it’s fun to be the student again!  There is so little pressure. I mean I don’t have to prove myself, all I have to do is LISTEN and WATCH (the 2 best ways to learn) and it gives me an opportunity to work & focus on only my young dog.
History of Foundation Training for Me:
When I think back on the 5 dogs I’ve owned and the journey we’ve had together, I can see how things -including me – have changed.  My first dog was my FIRST dog ever.  With her, Agility was just coming into the main stream and training was a wing on a prayer (Foundation was never a thought).
With my second & third dogs, training was better, but both dogs were rescues and there was a ton of “other” baggage that had to be worked through before I could even think about Agility (Foundation Training was called “Obedience”).  This is when I also became more interested in behavioral shaping and decided to greatly expanded my training skills beyond the basics and even beyond Agility.
My 4th dog was brilliant and I could experiment on his agility training and behavioral shaping as much as I’d like because he loved to work and was very high drive. Unfortunately he knew how to push my buttons so the unexpected lessons learned (via the school of Fort Knox!) was to stay calm (even when he was a whirling dervish) and break the training steps down into TINY pieces and TINY time frames so that both of us could be successful.
This is when I first heard the term “Foundation Training” as it relates to Agility.  A “well known” seminar person said “you need to work on Basic Skills,” but when I asked for specifics, they couldn’t define them!  I love their theory, but I work much better in reality and so I’ve since been on a mission to better define all of the skills I’ve acquired and taught dogs so that I could come up with a definable and relevant Foundation Skill Set & Plan for myself.
Foundation Training Today:
I’m happy to say that before the seminar, I had about 80% of my Foundation Plan formulated in my head and had been actively doing it with Ru over the last year.  After the seminar, I feel I’m 99% there.
After 13 years and 5 dogs, this is the first time I really know EXACTLY what outcome I want when it comes to her agility related performance and I have the hands-on experience to know exactly how to train it.  Maybe I’m a slow learner, but more than likely it’s because I’ve been growing and learning during the last 13 years and now have a solid definition, skill set and a plan for Foundation Training.
What is Foundation Training To Me:
My definition of foundation training is the general & “every day” skills that I teach my dog that can easily be translated into basic agility skills. While these are the ones that are important to ME and since each dog is different, plans may need to be adjusted to take that into account.
I should note that thanks to Stacy’s Seminar, her influence and smart training over the years, there is no doubt she is the master behind this list.  Especially since she is the creator of the Contact Training Method 2-on-2-off, which I have spent a lot of my time playing with and having fun shaping.
My Basic Foundation Skills Plan:
  • Attention – okay, this is Stacy’s word.  Mine would have been the sentence “ensuring the dog doesn’t zoom around the ring, race off to another county or leave you frantically yelling “come” as you chase the dog down”  However, the point is still the same.  Without you and the dog working together, there is no team work – only frustration and conflicting agendas.
  • Name Recognition – ah, it’s so basic and yet there are still dogs out there who don’t know their name or more importantly, don’t care about their name when there are other exciting things happening!  When naming my current Pup, I knew it had to be a short, fun name. While Rouge is her formal name, it was automatically shortened to Ru and when I call her, it’s a fun “Ru-Ru!”.  That name gives a positive feeling for both of us since I keep it light and up beat.
  • Play Drive – this is definitely Stacy’s word!  Each dog is different and my Dals love their toys, but not in the ring.  I’m sure it’s something that I’ve done (or not done) and this is an unfinished item for me in the plan. Food has been a great motivator for the Dals, but toys were easily used with my Border Collies. Note to self: I need to experiment in make toys a higher paycheck for my Dals in the ring if at all possible.  Second note: Play doesn’t have to be about toys – it can be a game of chase, etc. Now that I’m good at!
  • Eye Contact – I just love this one and work hard to share with my students the impact and information eye contact can have on a course.  I encourage my dogs to make eye contact at a start line when appropriate, when I need to be very specific about something (collection, come into my hand to go between obstacles, etc.). It’s a powerful tool that most people don’t think about.
  • Hand Touch/Lead Hand – Stacy uses Hand Touch, which is the first step to teaching my favorite term, Lead Hand.  The end result is to teach the dog the importance of following your hand cue – a must if you want to make it around an agility course or snake your dog through a crowd.
  • Parallel Path Work (Stacy’s name) – Heel & Side (the terms I use).  It’s interesting that I learned this skill set wwwaaaayyyy back when after having done quite a bit of obedience work with Pinky (this would have been 12+ years ago). I don’t remember what led up to it, but I got the idea that Pinky should learn to work not just on the “heel” but also on the other “side” as well.  I’m not terribly creative with names and “side” stuck.  I worked it various ways and played lots of games with it.  The one detail part that Stacy’s seminar definition added (& that I will be incorporating) is that the dog must be parallel to you and not kind of parallel or sitting crooked.  I know I had that with Pinky because of Obedience, but not so sure I would have been that much of a stickler in detail with my new pup – it was a great point to relearn.
  • Verbal Release – Ah, the age old proofing of not moving and using a single word to release the dog from a position.  It’s been around for a long time and yet it seems to be one of the hardest to maintain, especially as we begin to compete and potentially forgo the release word in our excitement to be on course.  Yes, I found myself doing this with dog #4 in our very first run.  That was a HUGE mistake and I’m going to have to work HARD at not doing that again .
  • Directional Commands – Some folks can use Right & Left (refers to the dog’s right and left), but I am NOT that talented so I tend to focus on relative directional commands such as “Get Out” (means move away from me), “Here” (means move into me), and “Back” (means 180 degree turn).  Other commands you may have heard are Switch, etc.
  • Rear & Front Cross Hand Signals – Defining what your Front & Rear cross signals are is the first step in this process.  After all, if you don’t know what you’re trying to teach, it won’t get taught very clearly to your dog. Details are important on this one and should be done on the flat first.
  • Reinforcement/Shaping – It’s important that trainers/handlers know and understand what actions or steps they want and are actually shaping or reinforcing. We may have an idea in our head, but the reality of the situation may not match what’s happening. This piece of Foundation Work is for the handler/trainer as it will help in communicating your expectations to your dog.
So even after the hands-on experiences, training, seminars and other education I’ve received, a Foundation Seminar is still relevant.  I would suggest everyone go with their new dog, even if you know the content it’s GREAT to be a student and have fun with your dog.
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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Handler Training
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Beyond Weaves – the other things

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Monday, February 9th, 2009

Well, Ru is just starting to come into season and so I haven’t been diligent on my weave pole work.  She tends to be very needy the first few weeks and requiring a bit of distance & independent work from her during this time period is just too much for her hormonal brain to embrace.  No problem, there’s so many other things to do!

Last week I had planned to start her on the chute (she’s confident on tunnels and has been for a long time) and after setting up the chute up I was talking with another student – there went Ru, through the chute, checking it out as casually as possible.  OK, so much for “teaching” it to her – she’s a natural.  Good dog!
I did some sequencing with her for the first time and she really caught on to that concept quickly.  I started out working 1 obstacle at a time until I could chain 3-4 together.  I’ve learned that she is very quick to head off to the contacts – clearly I’ve made those a worth while obstacle in her mind!  It’s funny to watch her because she recognizes them and runs over as if to say “here it is Mom!”.  I just stop where I’m at and wait for her to come back to my lead hand of course treat and praise – then go on.  It was neat to see Ru piece together the concept of multiple obstacles.
I’ve done quite a bit of ground work for front and rear crosses so adding those in was very easy.  of course I would work it through with her and take the time to reward those steps that were on the path to success.  I’m careful to break down each action into tiny steps to help her be successful throughout the experience.  That keeps it fun for both of us!
I just bought a large (3′ high) construction cone to work on some additional send & turn work with all of our dogs.  I like this cone because it’s tall enough that even the big dogs can’t go over it.
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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Lessons Learned
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Young Dog Skills for Life, Obedience & Agility

By Lisa Selthofer · Comments (0)
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009

My puppy, Ru (short for Rouge), turned 1 year old on Jan 5th. Although small and petite, she’s still a growing girl and up until now, there wasn’t too much I could directly do in Agility (and I’m fine with that). However, there have been training skills we’ve been working on.

She’s been active in:

  • Conformation
  • Socializing with the world
  • Playing and getting to know all kinds of people and different dog breeds
  • Working on her basic obedience & home skills (sit, down, stand, stay, walking on a loose leash, ignoring distractions, going on car rides, hanging out at dog shows, etc.
  • working a 2 on 2 off position on a flat board in our living room
  • working on Agility Flat Work such as a rear cross on the ground, a front cross, following the lead hand, etc.
  • Trick training such as crawling in a suitcase, playing with cardboard boxes, balance boards, etc.

I think any positive interactions you can create with and for your puppy will add to their experiences and make them a more well-adjusted dog as well as a positive family member.

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Categories : Dog Training, Foundation, Lessons Learned
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