IT WAS WONDERFUL!
It was so much fun! There are 6 dogs in the class: Tibby (of course :P), Bella a 6 month Labradoodle, Dog an 8 y/o pit mix, Scarlet a 2 y/o pit mix, Jack a tiny terrier ( not sure on age or breed they came 1/2 hour late) and a 4 month old Belgian Malinois (forgot name).
This is our homework for the week
1-Load marker word or clicker.
2-Use marker to shape touching nose to target.
3-Reinforce attention in front and all sides.
4-Decide on trick. (we get to pick one to work on for the 6 weeks of class)
5-Two cookie game.
6-Bring bag with mat.
We worked with a clear plastic target in class. At first Tibby was scared of the target, but she figured it out pretty fast. I wish I could use my clicker in class. I think it would go a lot faster, but we have to use the marker word 'yes'.
Then we did a game where one person has to be the dog and try to figure out what the other person wants. My Mom went with me to the class and the instructor asked her to be the dog. The instructor wanted to shape 'pick up my bag'. It was so hard! My Mom had no idea what to do, so she was a good person to do the first demonstration. I've read some of Agility Right From the Start, so I knew what the instructor was doing. Poor Mom! She was a good sport though!
Tibby did NOT like waiting while we were doing our exercise. She hates to be crated. Really, really hates it.
We did some restrained recalls and Tibby did great! She ran after me right away. One time she went to my right side and one time to my left side. I was so proud of her! We have come a long way from when she was 4 months old and she wanted to run to everyone in the room except me. Scarlet was the only dog that ran away. Bella was super jumpy, so the instructor had to wait for her to calm down.
It takes about 1 1/2 hours to get to the training barn. Tibby is awesome in the car. She just goes to sleep.
The only thing I didn't like was all the dust in the barn. It has a dirt floor and every time we ran big puffs of dust went everywhere.
~
So, what trick should I pick to work on? I don't want anything that involves rolling on the ground, because of the dirt floor. Trust me Tibby was dirty enough without doing that! Any trick ideas?
6 comments:
Oh yeah, the trick can't be anything we have worked on already, so wave, crawl, shake hands, high 5, weave through legs, stand tall on hind legs, back up and spin are out.
Sounds fun!! It sounds like you need to do some crate games though :)
Beg is a good trick for strengthening muscles. Pivoting on a book is a foundational trick for all the rear end awareness tricks.
Yay for starting a new class. I am glad it went so well.
I recently taught Shiva to move between my legs as I walk and peek out between them. It's cute and fun. I agree that beg is also a great trick for agility. Have fun!
Awesome! Sounds like a lot of fun was had by all. Looking forward to next week's report!
It's awesome that you guys have started your foundation class! Sounds like you have a lot of good stuff to work on this week too!
Beg is a good trick - you could also try backwards circle around your legs or you could teach Tibby to jump into your arms....
yes I have to work on crate games :( I've been avoiding it,because we had such an terrible experience with the crate when I first brought Tibby home. I didn't know anything about training and it was bad. She flipped out in the crate. I put food and toys in there with her and took the advice 'don't open the door if they are crying they'll stop eventually'. Bad advice. It just made her hate the crate. After almost 3 hours of constant puppy screaming (I didn't know what to do!) I let her out and we've never used a crate since then.
So I've been watching the Susan Garrett videos on crate games. Tibby's smart I think she can figure it out. But I'll have to go really slow at the beginning to get her over her fear of the crate. I feel so bad! I made her hate the crate!
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