Although I rarely ever run a full course in training, I do like to set up very technical short sequences to work advanced skills. This week I decided to work on the basics of cueing turns with motion (decel and lateral).
I really enjoy working through these simple sequences as it:
1. Gives me feedback on how my dog is reading my motion
2. Works on my timing (when, where, and how much decel I need for each dog).
I also worked a second exercise (squares) with a LOPush and then wrap on an angled jump.
Every once in awhile I made a point to walk back and release Summit from his starline stay and throw his toy behind him. It's so easy to get so involved in working sequences and take that start line stay for granted. I am guilty of this and so have made a mental effort to randomly reward his stays while training.
Nothing much going on this weekend. I am hiking the dogs Saturday morning and then working (from home) that afternoon. Sunday morning we'll do another hike. When we are not competing I try and get the dogs out for hikes every day. It's a great mental break for them to run off leash and just be dogs as well as contributes to physical conditioning.
6 comments:
That looks like a good learning drill. Thanks for posting it. Diana
Hey great drills, just a couple of questions, hope i do not sound too stupid, but with the green drill when you say stop adn no motion and pull, is that no motion after the dog has committed to the jump? If I run up to a jump and decel to a stop Breeze stops and does not take the jump, which I always figured was a good girl listening to me stopping all motion...I usually do that on accident and hit myself in the head for doing that, LOL.
I am sure that is why you and your dogs are so great is that you remember to go back and visit foundation skills!
Hope you have a great weekend!!!!
Kathy, for all the drills I did not lead out very far at all so that the dog could see my deceleration. As I decelerate, my inside arm (and shoulders) are forward which supports the jump so my dog knows to continue and take the jump. However, since I have decelerated (and eventually as he commits, I have stopped), he knows that he needs to take the jump with relative collection and turn. You can train this skill with a single jump. It was part of Sage and Summit's foundation training (once they were jumping full height).
So that explains it, thanks for the explaination, I just have Breeze trained if I stop for any reason, she stops, COLD. LOL, and I was just wondering if she should not do that, like if I do a backy yuppy she knows that means she continues going, except even then I have to be traveling at least ever so slightly backwards, and it has bit me in the butt when I stop cold in front of a jump like when I plain run out of room because I try to plan it so I still have room to move she will stop and refuse the jump, she just is very focused on my movement and reacts to that on a dime, so thanks for the explaination ;-) maybe more things to tweak, LOL
I left another comment for you on my blog, ;-), but thanks so much, it is like a light bulb went off and I understand now....I can not wait to set up and do these exercises next week, I think that is really going to help some things I was confused about. Thanks for taking the time and helping me out!!!! I feel like I should hit myself on the head and say I should have had a v8, some things make so much more sense now, LOL
How are you doing? Is there any new additions at the house? We have been thinking about you! -Kathy/Cricket/Liz/Breeze
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