Duke LOOOVES his agility lessons:)

Kayla

New Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
1,421
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Northern Alberta
#1
I am so excited to share that Duke LOOVES his agility private lessons which were taking with my good friend who is just a ridiculously good coach. It's so satisfying working with someone who knows just the right cocktail of exercises, who is patient and able to point out little successes during shaping.

Duke and I just finished our third lesson this afternoon, and already he puts so much intensity into everything we do, and yet it's counterbalanced by his incrediable ability to display self control, focus on where the shaping is bringing him (ideally to work independently of me, and to focus on driving forward and engaging the obstacles), he's even begun to really be able to problem solve during shaping, something which he's never really been good at in the past.

In the past I had to be sooo careful with my rate of reinforcement and how I raised my criteria and how I set up sessions, as any little moment of failure where no click occured, Duke would basically give up and go into a behaviour void, which makes sense from him coming from a correction based training background way back.

In our second session I was shaping Duke on the 2 x 2's and at one point he happened to blow past the poles rather then going in. Prior to this he had only recieved a handful of clicks for going through the opening. He stopped when no click and reward appeared and stared at me. I wasn't sure of whether or not to just start over or just wait and see if he would problem solve and offer another behaviour. He immediatly began offering behaviour, first he walked to one side of the weaves, and stood there, then he walked to the other side and stood there, finally he came back around to where I was and went through the opening of the 2x 2's! A huge problem solving first for him!!! Needless to say JACKPOT!


I don't have any pictures or video's at this moment but I promise to get some soon. Just wanted to share, as it's just too much fun:)
 

JacksonsMom

Active Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2009
Messages
8,694
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Maryland
#5
Sounds like you BOTH are having fun and that's what it's all about. :) I, too, have become hooked on agility recently. Go Duke!
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top