Obedience - arm up or down?

Kilter

New Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2012
Messages
536
Likes
0
Points
0
#1
I've been working Storee on my own a lot. What works best for her is the ball in my hand and my hand up above her head. I'm getting some NICE work out of her lately with this - she will bounce back on left turns and really work her rear, is focused and sharp and actually working :eek: Which for her has been a huge struggle.

I know when I go to train with my mentor, she's going to push the armband with the food, but it's such a struggle for me and her to work that - she just cheats and it becomes a power struggle and she's not as food motivated as she is for the ball.... When I have tried to get her to switch, she steals the food, or just does not care (she will play ball over food anyday) as much, so her attitude flattens out quite a bit.

My thought is to introduce a smaller ball that I can hide with my hand, keep working with the same and go with it, but thought I'd see what others have found.

If it helps, I'd rather have a happy, up dog and a lower score and a title, than work another five years, have a dead dog (well close to it, she's not young anymore!) and perfect scores. To get a HIC here it's 199 or up, sometimes a runoff even then, so not a biggy to me. ;)
 

AdrianneIsabel

Glutton for Crazy
Joined
Aug 29, 2010
Messages
8,893
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Portland, Oregon
#2
Have you tried the ball in your arm pit?

I prefer training the dog to focus on the face, not the toy, and keeping the toy in the back pocket, then the chair, then outside of the ring.

Is she forging, lagging, or just low and distracted?
 

Emily

Rollin' with my bitches
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
2,115
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Illinois
#3
Have you tried the ball in your arm pit?

I prefer training the dog to focus on the face, not the toy, and keeping the toy in the back pocket, then the chair, then outside of the ring.

Is she forging, lagging, or just low and distracted?
This, a few details would help. :)

That said, the bare bones of it is that if you can use the ball to solicit the picture you want (head up, animated, correct position), mark and reward, and then fade out the ball, yep, you can use it. The devil is going to be in the details, namely fading out the ball, I predict.
 

Kilter

New Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2012
Messages
536
Likes
0
Points
0
#4
WITH the ball in my hand, right now, she's on. Not forging, not lagging, good attitude and full attention.

If I try to go to just food, she's not as great about it and more 'oh ok, fine, but let me peek around for a ball in case someone else has one and I'll get back to you in a second'. Same if it's armband or face, it's not a ball, it's not as good...

Depending on what's going on will take her with me to work and put her in the ring there and see how she does, if I can get her working there then will work on getting a smaller/softer ball and eventually doing the armpit trick and going with it. This is all on a flat collar too...
 

Dekka

Just try me..
Joined
May 14, 2007
Messages
19,779
Likes
3
Points
38
Age
48
Location
Ontario
#6
Have you tried the ball in your arm pit?

I prefer training the dog to focus on the face, not the toy, and keeping the toy in the back pocket, then the chair, then outside of the ring.

Is she forging, lagging, or just low and distracted?
Depending on the size of one's dog, and possibly the size of one's bosom-focusing on the face isn't good. I speak from experience. Dekka forges because the only way she can see my face from way down there is to be slightly out ahead. If you have a big enough dog that can wrap around you, its not a problem.
 

Kilter

New Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2012
Messages
536
Likes
0
Points
0
#8
Quick update...

With working her on food right at dinnertime, and keeping it really short and up, she's now working for food. AND cares about what I say praise wise, and is getting the 'game'. Which has been a lot of work for her, she's a very independant dog!

Just did some heelwork in the park and she was very good, have to work on forging a bit, but she's catching herself forging and moving back in, skipping up a bit on tight left turns and not forging on about turns.

I just need to get the footwork down so she's got some cues, and grow 10 inch longer legs to match her better.:rofl1:

She is certainly very intense on the game when she's on and finally she's getting to the point where she's 'on' more than she's giving the paw....:p
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top