Contacts

Well, Im pretty sure Im changing Java to a 20/20.  Im over spending so much time on running contacts. First they are good, then they fall apart, then they are good again.  I want to spend more time on handling.  I went to the field on Wednesday.  She didn't hit one running contact and that was the AKC contact zone. Ugh!.  So we started our 20/20.  I have more back chaining to do.  She gets it solid if she is just on the down ramp.  When she runs the whole thing, and I say "touch", you see a big change in her running. Sometimes she even stops.  When she does run all the way across, she looks very hoppy. 


 Im taking another Daisy Peel on-line handling class.  When I sent my first video in, I asked her not to tell me every thing that is wrong with each run. I asked if she would just tell me one or two of my biggest problems and how to fix them. I told her it was over whelming to me when she tells me everything that is wrong and I cant seem to fix anything. 

I got some good feed back this time.  Also, my dog didn't seem to understand a call the heel to be able to by pass the first tunnel entrance. We've been working on that a lot over the pass week. I think she gets it now.   On the video I sent Daisy, Java kept going off course into the tunnel at the end of the sequence.  So she told me I needed to do something before she takes that #10 jump. That I was trying to handle it after she takes the jump and its to late by then.  So I need to decelerate and call her name or shape the turn so she isn't looking at the tunnel .  (Meagan, I think this was also the problem when I ran the course with you last week. Where it was weave poles, jump, to the back side of the jump. She couldn't make the turn and barked at me.  If I had shaped it more, it probably would have given her more info that she needed).  So anyway, worked like a charm.





Sorry I haven't blogged much.  Its winter, everything is so dead looking.  I hate winter. 

cold and raining

It feels like weeks since we have had good weather. Its either raining or freezing cold. Its hard to make yourself go out and train in this kinda weather. I don't know how the people up North take it.
I usually walk the 2 shelties first and the chihuahuas second. But today the shelties wouldn't come to the door for their collars and leashes. But the chihuahuas did. So I took the chihuahuas first. Boy were the shelties shocked. They were ready and waiting when I got back.
I ran Miley over the dogwalk this afternoon. Its only 16 inches off the ground. I'm doing a running contact. First because I think is demotivated Guiness to stop all the time when running courses. Also I couldn't maintain them when I went to trails. So I decided to teach Miley a running contact. She has been doing well until today. Both runs she jumped the contact. I had the targets out there but without food. So I waited a while and ran them again, this time with food on the target and she was perfect. So I decided to add a clicker when she hits the bottom of the contact. I haven't used a clicker yet, so today we started learning what a clicker is. She was a little hesitant at first with the noise the clicker made, but quickly go over it.