Just some thoughts about things that happened this weekend. First off, I now see what I did wrong on the Exc. Fast course when Miley went one way and I went the other. My arm came up and looked like a rear cross cue and thats what Miley read. Good dog Miley.
Next the table. I really, really thought she was going to get on the table at the trial. Well,this just shows we have more work to do. So while at the trial, I took Miley's mat ( which is now 8 X 8 inches) and put it down around the outside of the ring. I worked on sending her to the mat. There is one time when she didnt get on. I had put the mat down next to some equipment sitting outside the ring. Thats when she couldnt do it. Hmmm. Also last night she was very excited. I took her in the back yard to play with a toy. She kept jumping on and off the table and then circling around waiting for me to throw the ball. So I decided to try and send her to the table. She couldnt do it. I went inside and got some treats and a clicker. So she knew I had treats and I sent her to the table. She jumped on and off. So I sent her one more time and when she hit the table I clicked. But then she jumped off. But after hearing the click, she turned right around and jumped onto the table and went into a down. So I think excitement and stress is both interfering with her table performance. More work to do.
Next the A-frame. Ive been trying to figure out how to train a running a-frame. I've been working on the box but Im worried . She likes to jump off the a-frame early or high. I think the box encourages jumping. Probably not for most dogs. But Miley has had a history of jumping off. And since its all kinda bounce work, I think that it what will happen. So last night I lowered the aframe alot. ( I almost broke my a-frame because I didnt ask for help and tried to do it myself. So I lost control of the a-frame and it slammed flat to the ground. The hingh at the top is now bent but still seems to be working ok. I almost started crying). Ive decided to have her just run down the a-frame and only reward when she runs thur the bottom. No reward for leaping or bouncing even if in the contact. So we'll see how that goes. Since it is similar to what you do on a 2o/2o you just dont stop, Im hoping that it works. I dont want to use a hoop becuase fading something like that doesnt always work well.
7 comments:
Just a little thought - is there any way you can eliminate a verbal cue when asking for the table? I know some dogs get really excited when their handlers talk to them and that's when things start to go badly. I wonder if you just did a small course with her and made the table to be the really obvious next obstacle, what she would do.
Sending you an email about the AF.
Dawn
Hey! Both my girls have running contacts, and because I worried about them also leaoping off the a-frame and hurting themselves, I trained a 2o/2o at first, but then moved the target further away from the bottom of the frame. That way they know to go through the whole process of hitting the bottom of the frame and THEN stopping. I was pretty srtingent at first to make sure they laydown at the target, but faded that into a stand-wait, and now we just run the whole way. I dont know if it will work for everyone, but it helped my girls alot =0)
Take care!
Jenn, Heidi and Shelby
Marking for a running stride vs. a jump is how Sylvia T. trains her running dogwalk (and it seems to translate to the A-frame). It takes a good eye though to really watch the stride.
Now that I think of it, I don't have a verbal obstacle cue for the table. I simply run towards it and cue with an inside arm (like I would a jump) and immediately say "lie down" or "sit". Then walk away (to take the pressure off which is actually a reward for getting on the table).
The comments about not having a verbal cue for the table are very interesting and worth considering, for sure!
Glad you didn't hurt yourself moving the aframe alone!
We think you do a great job training Miley and are so impressed with your tenacity! We admire you a lot and know that your issues with Miley will soon be resolved (and new ones will come up - LOL!)That's the way it is! :)
The issues you are having with your matwork/table make so much sense to me, because I have the same ones with Oreo. He is much more solid when I have treats/clicker in hand. Less solid when distractions are around and he's not sure there is a reward at hand. I think it just means more time training.
I like your A-frame idea. Makes sense for a dog like Miley.
I was going to suggest trying the Silvia T. way of teaching to not leap and stride all the way to the end
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