ObedienceTag Archives

Jet and Obedience Training

Jet is doing so well with obedience, I am thrilled! We did some training at a park a week or so ago and I think he’s looking great. This is his Novice run through. I am trying to use less treats, too, since he’s entered in Novice B the first weekend of May. Just for one day, since it’s a 4 day trial and 3 of the days we are doing agility. And although he can probably switch from obedience to agility and back again, I get flustered with conflicts and so I’ve only entered one sport each day.

As long as his Stand for Exam holds up, he comes on the recall when I call first, and he holds his stays, I think we’ll do well. Of course it’s just a test. First time in a real obedience ring is only a test of our training anyway. But I’ll still be nervous. It’s AKC obedience.

I just love Jet’s heeling. I love his front feet trotting up he’s so cute. And he looks so happy. And happy is the best part. I wouldn’t even do obedience if I had one of those dogs that trudged around the ring like they are moving through mud and look miserable. I want happy dog!

So hopefully we’ll do well in obedience and agility. It’s still a couple of weeks away. And it’s the trial I pulled Tatum from. If she’s okay I’ll bring her a couple of the days just to make sure she’s fine for the middle of May agility trial I have her entered in. Why is it so hard to pull from trials? I don’t know, but even with if I had a usb barcode scanner to scan my entries with I still would have a hard time pulling from trials. It broke my heart when I had to pull Levi years ago when he was having such weave poll problems. And now Tatum. I just hope and pray and cross my fingers that Jet will be healthy and sound his whole life. Even though he can’t hear in his left hear, that shouldn’t stop us from doing what we love!

The only thing I don’t like about this video is how much weight I’ve gained! Ugh. I’m doing good writing down my calories every day, so hopefully it’ll come off soon!

Cynthia

April 21, 2011

Jet, Obedience, Training

3 comments

Jet, Obedience, Training

From Flyball to Obedience to Agility

Well flyball is done for a bit… though not for too long, since we have a tournament in May that we are going to go to as well. But the next things are obedience and agility the first weekend of May. Jet is entered into his first Obedience trial. It’s AKC and it’s going to be on Thursday May 5.. errr, I think it’s the 5th. Is that a Thursday? Whatever. I think it is. He’ll be in Novice B… Continue reading »

Cynthia

April 9, 2011

Agility, Flyball, Jet, Obedience, Tatum

4 comments

Agility, Jet, Obedience, Tatum

Wintery Training

Well it’s that time of year for sure. Snow is on the ground, and it’s wet and icky outside. So I have had to move my training indoors. Fortunately we got a lot of training in last summer. I think Jet and Tatum both have a really good handle on agility, and next year they are both going to be competing on a regular basis. I suspect that Jet will move up in the ranks faster than Tatum. But I’ll… Continue reading »

Cynthia

December 21, 2010

Chase, Clicker, Jet, Obedience, Training

5 comments

Chase, Clicker, Jet, Obedience, Training

Jet’s New Dumbbell!

I got Jet’s new dumbbell this weekend! I really like it! It’s so tiny. Which is funny, because my other dogs are all so big, their dumbbells are big too. But Jet is a little boy and so he gets a little dumbbell. He really likes it, too. He wants to carry it around the house and chew on it. Of course I don’t want him to chew on it because I’d like it to have as few chew marks… Continue reading »

My New Aquabowls Are Here!!!

A while ago I posted about my favorite dog water bowls… and I was so upset when my aquabowl was left on the stove when the oven was turned on, and a hole was melted in it! I was devastated! Okay maybe not devastated but I was pretty darn sad. I mean, it’s only a thing… but still, it was a very important thing! So off I went to the internet to find out how to get a replacement. And… Continue reading »

Cynthia

October 20, 2010

Agility, Daily Posts, Flyball

4 comments

Agility, Chatter, Equipment, Flyball, Obedience, Sports

Treats are about the Training, the Training is not about the Treats

Jet in Idaho Falls

I was at an ASCA Obedience trial this morning… and yesterday morning. And I got to thinking. Everyone else in the world probably already knows this, but I’m a softy when it comes to giving my dogs treats, and I may just treat too much. I was thinking that the dogs really need to love the training. They need to love the exercises and have a good time doing them. And the treats are just there to reinforce what they do right… what we want them to do. If the dog doesn’t like the exercises… doesn’t like obedience, then they are not going to have fun in the ring, where there are no treats. So making the exercises themselves reinforcing is a huge key to obedience.

Agility comes more easily, the obstacles are a lot more self-reinforcing than in obedience. In obedience it’s all about the person and the dog. And although I will never believe that I can be more interesting than some things in the world (smells, other dogs, etc), I think I can work at it and come pretty close. Close enough for good work, anyway.

So anyway, about the title of this post, I think the treats should only be there to reinforce the training. The dog has got to love the training, and the exercises, and working with the handler, in order to do good happy exuberant work in obedience. Otherwise you’ll have a dog that’s a dud. He may even qualify as a dud, but I personally don’t want a dud dog. I want a happy enthusiastic dog!

With the treats there to reinforce the fun of the training… the treats being about the training, I think I’ll have more success in the obedience ring. I want Jet to have awesome heeling. I want him to love to heel. I want him to think it’s one of the coolest things ever. Haha, that’s funny, because I don’t think it’s really that cool. But I love to watch great heeling. Great heeling is so impressive, it’s a team of dog and person, it’s beautiful and it’s really exhilarating. And for me to get that with Jet, then it’s gotta be super fun. And the treats will merely be there to reinforce the heeling itself. And eventually, the treats will be there rarely.

So hopefully this idea of mine will stick, and it’ll work to get some great heeling. So far, so good. I should get more heeling video of him. I want him to love it! So we won’t need any best eye cream for wrinkles because we’ll have happy, smiling faces!

Oh… and no, Chase didn’t qualify today. He laid down on his sit 18 seconds before we were done. Bleh. I guess it’s something I’ll have to work really hard to maintain. I’m even wondering if I should try to get his ASCA CDX. I only want it so that I can do ASCA Utility with him in the future. He’s got his AKC CDX now… I just really love the ASCA shows. They are so fun, well run, and the people are great. We have maybe 6 a year so it’d be great to show Chase in ASCA Utility. But we have to get through the dumb sit stays again. Chase didn’t qualify yesterday, either. He did a drop on recall but… with the dumbbell in his mouth on the retrieve on the flat. LOL dork. He’s so creative.

Cynthia

August 29, 2010

Uncategorized

4 comments

Chase, Jet, Obedience

Tatum Tot Spice RN

I am so proud of my smooth collie girl! Tatum got her very first title ever this weekend. I’ll upload the videos in a bit. Here is a picture of her with all her ribbons. She Qualified every day in Rally. On Friday she got a 91, on Saturday she got an 89, and today she got a 95! She even tied for second place with our friend Dare! Tatum was slower so she got third place, but the fact that she even placed thrilled me.

She’s come a long way my little girl, from being terrified of leaving the house, to having her first Rally title. She even loosened up and was more relaxed each day we were there. She is like that… she gets nervous at new places, but the more she goes to a place the more she relaxed.

I even watched one of the new AKC classes called Beginning Novice. It was really neat, and I think Tatum should enter that sometime too. It’s a titling class. I’ll have to read about it too. I am going to work Tatum’s heeling so she gets the idea to have a target and watch me more. I think she really will be able to heel.

I adore Tatum, and I’m so proud of her.

Obedience, Rally, Tatum

Tatum Q’d In Rally Again

Good Girl Tatum

I’m so proud of my Tatum girl! She is doing so well. I’m not convinced she really knows we are doing a thing in the ring, but she sits when I tell her, she downs when I tell her, and she follows me around just fine! That is two Qs for her in a row, one yesterday and one today. If she Qualifies tomorrow, she’ll have her RN, her first title ever! I’m so proud of her!

We went for a walk along the river after the trial today. I didn’t run Chase… I saw no need to put him into the open ring again and push those stays when we don’t need to. I’d like to save them for an ASCA CDX if possible. Once we get that, then he’ll be out of open entirely and I’ll just train him up for Utility. And that will be fun!

Jet is with too for the trip and I got some pictures of him that I’ll post when I get home. I’m tired now, so time for bed.