outwest

Bonnie and I are having a lot of fun learning training techniques and the equipment in our Intro to Agility class. The class is meant to be low pressure for the dogs and to keep it FUN and exciting. She gets a boat load of treats in there. She starts wagging her tail as soon as we get out of the car.

Today she finally laid down on the little table and relaxed until I asked her to get up. She didn't particularly like lying down on the table at first.

I was talking to the instructor and we were getting ready to shorten the tube for Bonnie because she was tentative last week (it was stretched out with a curve in it today). I had dropped the leash while I talked and before I could finish my conversation Bonnie was tearing through the tube! I was SO surprised! Then she immediately turned around and tore back through it the other way all on her own. It was so funny! The audience we had all started busting up. I guess she was annoyed there was no treat when she went through it on her own, so turned around to come back to me to get one, I guess? After that, she had not one issue with the tube and I had trouble getting to the end of it to give her a treat, curve and all.

She went through the weave poles (no weaving yet) and didn't go out of them once. We started to introduce the wobbly disc (what's it called?). Again, it was new. She had to check it out and look under it (that is funny to me). I didn't push her. She stepped up on it with two feet without being nervous. I was happy about that and stopped.

The dog walk she did today, too. She is still unsure and jumped off once, but that's okay. No treat, but no reprimand at all. She doesn't run over it, but is walking while checking her feet.

I like the way the class is only positive training. They are rewarded for doing the tasks, but never reprimanded for not doing them. They have open gym time if you want to come practice on your own. I have been thinking about doing that.

Here's some pictures. She stayed more focussed on me today. She is learning her handsignals, too. She took a long nap when we got home, so I know it is tiring for her. I, on the other hand, was all sweaty. LOL.

Whether this is the way others train them or not, she is having fun and so am I. She is learning about the equipment and handsignals. She is also getting a ton of treats.

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Countryboy

Ooooooh! Nice facilities, OW. I like those adjustable Weave Poles. Ours aren't. :( lol

And yeah . . . no reprimands, just gently turn them around to try it again.

We took two dogs *my Spud and another* to the tunnel last week for their first time. And had it shortened up to abt 6'. After a few tries, a lengthened tunnel, and distracted handlers, the two dogs were charging in from different ends to meet in the centre.

On the other hand, Spud had the Teeter Totter down pat . . . 'til my GS decided to pull down on the other end while Spud was coming up!! *'Nuther 'distracted handler' situation, I guess.* Now he digs in with all four feet rather than mount that piece of equipment.

I think we'll lay off that 'til the Spring and try again.

Hoping for no similar glitches in Bonnie's training!

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ArreauStandardPoodle

So cool! Thanks for sharing. She looks upbeat and happy, and that for sure has too be the most important things. Good for both of you!

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outwest

Yes, the weave poles are adjustable. The first time they were short, the second time one side was short and this time they were long.

We haven't done anything with the teeter totter except for one thing. The teacher has had the dogs stay on the tables. She has banged the end of the teeter totter on the ground and each time it banged we shoved a treat in their mouths. She said it was classical conditioning. The teeter totter frightens a lot of dogs, especially when it bangs on the end. So, every time it bangs they get a treat so they associate the noise with something good. The wobbly circle board must be an intro to stepping on something that moves?

Bonnie is terrific at the jumps, not so good with the dog walk and seems to love the tunnel now.

You can see how low the windows are in the picture. Those are the ones she likes to pop up and peer out of down at the ground.

JE-UK

Way to go! Agility is tremendous fun .... Vasco starts whining when we are 1/2 a mile away from practice.

I like your trainer's use of conditioning for the sound of the see-saw. It's one of those things that seem perfectly logical once you think about it. And she's right ... it seems to be the sound rather than the sensation that puts many dogs off.

You can practice contacts at home and get ahead of the class. One of our trainers had us positioning the dog with the hind feet on a step (like the bottom of a set of stairs) and the front feet on the floor, pairing that with a word (we use "hold") and treating. They build muscle memory for that position, and it makes it easier to teach contacts for the A-frame and the dog walk.

Good luck!

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"Yes is so much important than No." Dominique Barbier

Countryboy

'Contacts'??? Could that be what we call 'spot training'?

One of our trainers uses a clicker at a spot where the dog is initially trained to stop. To make sure that four feet are positioned correctly at the bottom of the Walk, A-frame and Teeter Tooter.

Is that what the orange disc is for?

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outwest

Yes. The orange disk is the contact. They are supposed to touch the orange part of the A frame and not jump it and stop at the contact. I haven't quite got it all figured out. In the second picture you can see the contact at the bottom of the Aframe with a morsel of treat on it. See how she is focused on the morsel? She is very food driven.

Poodles can do well in agility, but they are a distractable breed. Bonnie will be paying very close attention to me and then something attracts her attention, like those windows, and she has to stop and peer out of them. She can stay focussed, but not like the working breeds like border collies and australian shephards. Still, I love how smart my poodle seems, even with her intense curiosity about everything other than myself.

JE-UK

I find, too, that if I do too many repetitions, Vasco starts to put variations on things ... too boring to keep repeating the same thing!

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"Yes is so much important than No." Dominique Barbier

CT Girl

Looks like a great facility. Glad to hear Bonnie and you are enjoying your class. That is why I want to get into agility - both the dog and the handler have such fun doing it. It is interesting hearing all the different ways the same thing can be taught.

petitpie

That's a wonderful agility facility and no weather problems!

Tootsie is watching a lovely black poodle show her how to do the Teeter Totter!

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