Tricks and Training

CharlieDog

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How big is Ozzy? For some reason I always pictured him around 40lbs. Webby is around 17" and 22lbs.

Building a 4' contact board is cake, especially if you have a circular saw. I built mine last fall when I realized I was losing access to all my contact equipment (moving) and would be teaching Mira agility in a 15 x 30 loft...lol. Texturing it is the only time-consuming part, depending on how fussy you want to be about it.

Later built the down plank of a DW too but the 4' is really versatile.
Ozzy is about thirty pounds and I think 19" tall. So he's slightly bigger than The Webster. His ears are not nearly as awesome though lol.

and I have a circular saw! And a nail gun! Woooo!!!
 

Sekah

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So much happy for Zuma and Savvy!!!! That's really really really great! Savvy is so freaking adorable and you're right, he does seem to be getting the idea.

I've been stalled out trying to figure out how to make the handstand translate to away from the wall. He uses the wall a lot as a crutch to get up it and I think I would have him offering both legs off the wall soon but I really need to work on his core strength to get into the handstand away from the wall.

So my idea when I was thinking about it last night was that I have a coffee table in the livingroom that is about knee hight. If get him to get his back feet on top of that he won't be able to climb up it like the wall, he will have to flip his back feet onto it. Then I can work towards higher things with no solid vertical surface to use.

That way I can help him work on the motion and get him used to not using his back legs to climb up it, rather use his core strength to lift his back legs up.
I'm not sure if it helped, but I taught Cohen to first push herself up on a large, flat box - it was pretty bouncy and I think she sort of naturally tossed her feet up it, giving her some clearance from the wall.

http://youtu.be/UnC6r-Vkv9M

And here was a video I took today (which I know you've already seen). I've been hella lazy refining the behaviour, but I'm definitely seeing increased strength. I don't think I caught it here, but sometimes Cohen just windmills herself up into position and it's really lovely.

http://youtu.be/kpkEIH4QZ7k

I'll start improving form then try again for balance/duration.
 

Aleron

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So much happy for Zuma and Savvy!!!! That's really really really great! Savvy is so freaking adorable and you're right, he does seem to be getting the idea.
I could not stop laughing at him at class. And the more I laughed, the more he offered his handstand!

Very cool that Zuma is getting it now too!

I've been stalled out trying to figure out how to make the handstand translate to away from the wall. He uses the wall a lot as a crutch to get up it and I think I would have him offering both legs off the wall soon but I really need to work on his core strength to get into the handstand away from the wall.

So my idea when I was thinking about it last night was that I have a coffee table in the livingroom that is about knee hight. If get him to get his back feet on top of that he won't be able to climb up it like the wall, he will have to flip his back feet onto it. Then I can work towards higher things with no solid vertical surface to use.

That way I can help him work on the motion and get him used to not using his back legs to climb up it, rather use his core strength to lift his back legs up.
One thing I did early on with Savvy that you may want to try is starting him a bit away from the board and marking for leg lifts that don't quite touch it, even if it's just one to start with. Do that a few reps then back to up on the board. I think that might help them get the idea that there might not always be something back there.
 
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Seka, I really love Cohen. A lot. I think she has more bounce her to her back legs in general, Traveler doesn't tend to use his back legs like that. But that springy box was a stroke of genius.

Out of curiosity, how big is she?

One thing I did early on with Savvy that you may want to try is starting him a bit away from the board and marking for leg lifts that don't quite touch it, even if it's just one to start with. Do that a few reps then back to up on the board. I think that might help them get the idea that there might not always be something back there.
Back Leg Lift

He's actually offered that right from the start but it doesn't seem to be translating
 

Fran101

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Loved all the videos! How did you work on your heel with him? He is so good! I love his side-step :D
 

Aleron

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Back Leg Lift

He's actually offered that right from the start but it doesn't seem to be translating
I would do it with the target behind him, he may start trying to kick back to it. That's what I was doing with Savvy and it seemed to help give the idea of "you might be able to do this without the board". Much to my surprise really!
 
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I would do it with the target behind him, he may start trying to kick back to it. That's what I was doing with Savvy and it seemed to help give the idea of "you might be able to do this without the board". Much to my surprise really!
I'll try it again! I haven't tried it for a few days but when I did it before with the board behind him at all he would just back up with a leg up and back until he ran into and then procede to climb the board again :rofl1:

Loved all the videos! How did you work on your heel with him? He is so good! I love his side-step :D
Hey Fran, who's heel are you talking about? I think I missed someone posting one. Or I'm just blind! Very possible!
 

Aleron

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Just watched Cohen's video - very cool! I'm pretty sure that Silvia Trkman suggests fading the target by having them do it against something that is less and less sturdy or is increasingly thin. I can definitely see with this video how that can work.

And the way she uses her rear reminds me of a lot of Savvy. Actually Aussie and PyrShep bounciness has a similarity to it.

Has anyone seen Jay Sisler's dogs? They were some of the foundation dogs in the Aussie breed and were awesome trick dogs. Very bouncy dogs! They did handstands and walking on their front legs. Looked pretty weird. I'd guess he taught them through molding though? Or at least helped them get into position some how. And his Greyhound did somersaults...possibly the weirdest and most impressive dog trick ever. I can't say he used entirely positive training but he did say that he used leftover pancakes to train the dogs every day. Considering it was the 50s, I'd say he was way ahead of his time.

http://youtu.be/ejioz8N9h3U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzD1DvhLtRg&feature=related

I'll try it again! I haven't tried it for a few days but when I did it before with the board behind him at all he would just back up with a leg up and back until he ran into and then procede to climb the board again :rofl1:
LOL isn't it funny the answers dogs come up with?
 

Fran101

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Hey Fran, who's heel are you talking about? I think I missed someone posting one. Or I'm just blind! Very possible!
Yours! :rofl1: woops lol I started on the leg life video and then kind of..youtube stalked my way through the others :rofl1:
 

Babyblue5290

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Linds, you are my inspiration! :p

I haven't worked on Art's handstand in a very very long time, but I went outside to give it a try and see what he remembered today after seeing your video of Traveler. He remembered it perfectly and I was even able to get him to walk 3 steps forward!!!! I've never been able to get him to walk forward before! :D

Thank you!! ^_^ I didn't have my camera, I wish I would've gotten it on video, but I wanted to end on a good note so I gave him the rest of the treats and ended the training session. I'll give it another go tomorrow and get a video! ^_^
 
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Yours! :rofl1: woops lol I started on the leg life video and then kind of..youtube stalked my way through the others :rofl1:
:rofl1:

I was sitting here going "I posted a video on youtube but I didn't post it here.....don't assume she's talking about you!"

Thanks though! It's SOO sloppy right now, I mainly took that so I could critique myself. I'm going to be revamping my whole heel soon, I am so not happy with it. I moved too fast.

But anyways, he got the side step really fast. I think it helped a ton that he had a solid pivot oh him first so when I stepped away a little bit he would think we were starting to do a pivot but then run into me. So soon he was swinging his front end with me when I would step to the side and soon after that he was getting a true side step with paws crossed both front and back.

Honestly, he figured it would pretty fast and I really think that having the pivot helped a ton
 

Sekah

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Seka, I really love Cohen. A lot. I think she has more bounce her to her back legs in general, Traveler doesn't tend to use his back legs like that. But that springy box was a stroke of genius.

Out of curiosity, how big is she?
:) She's tiny - she hovers around 37 pounds, and is just shy of 21". She is a pretty bouncy dog!
 

Taqroy

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Has anyone seen Jay Sisler's dogs? They were some of the foundation dogs in the Aussie breed and were awesome trick dogs. Very bouncy dogs! They did handstands and walking on their front legs. Looked pretty weird. I'd guess he taught them through molding though? Or at least helped them get into position some how. And his Greyhound did somersaults...possibly the weirdest and most impressive dog trick ever. I can't say he used entirely positive training but he did say that he used leftover pancakes to train the dogs every day. Considering it was the 50s, I'd say he was way ahead of his time.

http://youtu.be/ejioz8N9h3U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzD1DvhLtRg&feature=related
AWESOME. Those movies are great!! I especially love the wind up greyhound...:rofl1:
 
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Taking a break from working on the handstand (ART LOOKS AMAZING) because we weren't getting anywhere so I think it's a good idea to wait a little bit. Instead I'm completely reworking his heel because where it is now is too sloppy for me.

Decided to try Silvia Trkmans method and am starting with a pivot on an object without me guiding. Was surprisingly hard to get here and he's only going one direction right now because if I kept clicking for movement in either/or direction he would have had a really funky dance in front of me going on but never actually get to the point of facing away from me.

Pivot
 

SaraB

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Taking a break from working on the handstand (ART LOOKS AMAZING) because we weren't getting anywhere so I think it's a good idea to wait a little bit. Instead I'm completely reworking his heel because where it is now is too sloppy for me.

Decided to try Silvia Trkmans method and am starting with a pivot on an object without me guiding. Was surprisingly hard to get here and he's only going one direction right now because if I kept clicking for movement in either/or direction he would have had a really funky dance in front of me going on but never actually get to the point of facing away from me.

Pivot

Ok so you've officially reached where I stopped with Zuma before. Do you think that dogs with Zuma and Traveler's body shape can physically do a handstand for more than a second? I really think their long front legs work against them.

BTW, love his pivot.
 
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Ok so you've officially reached where I stopped with Zuma before. Do you think that dogs with Zuma and Traveler's body shape can physically do a handstand for more than a second? I really think their long front legs work against them.

BTW, love his pivot.
I really really don't know, I would like to say yes because I really really want to get it. But it's such an awkward body position for them! He has no issue up against a wall or even pushing off of it a bit, much like Zuma (though I think Zuma is better away from the wall then him by far, he just offers one leg up and then a tiny hop with the other)

Right now, I'm going to go with the idea that it's going to take much more muscle memory and core muscle strength to get there. That's why I'm just going to work on back leg raising and going up a wall in different places for now.
 

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