And obedience training with my own two

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tessa_s212

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Marq's heeling:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4kRit6riWU

Its gotten FANTASTIC. Look at how well he stays in heel position and that attention! :D He still needs some work on the right circles, but his left circles were great! We are also soon going to go back and teach him to scoot back and straighten up on commands. And hopefully I can soon find a way(or maybe just go ahead and take him offleash) to get the treats in my left hand so that he doesn't try leaning over (therefor sitting crooked) to get the treats.

If I get time to work with him tonight I'm also going to do even more advanced distraction training on teh stay, and even go out of sight. (He's been doing 5 min+out of sight stays in class for several times now, but that's inside a building with no birds or other potential distractions other than the ones the trainers make, such as throwing toys, treats, clapping, and just randomly saying "come" in a happy voice.

Cocoa:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hpDvANbD-o

I couldn't be happier with Cocoa's heeling. SHE'S SO GREAT!!! :D:D Two years ago her head woudl be down, tail tucked, entire body seeming to cower, and just completely afraid to get a correction. I had ruined her. And now look at her!!! No more corrections for this girl! We had fun. :D
 
nice videos. just posted one of rah, he and marq have a lot of similarities (the boing!)
 
Nice work for you too.

Are you interested in constructive criticism?

:D
 
i dont know if she is, but id welcome some if you have any for the rah-man noodle :) unless, of course, youre going to tell me to get taller. :)
 
Hints I would offer you are similar to what I might offer Tessa. Footwork on About turns is important, and so is offering the dog a straight line to heel with.

Watch your clips and see how often you move into the dog, causing him to have to alter his course and move away from you, and how often you drift away from him causing him to have to move towards you.

His attention is lovely, and he has a nice concept of heel position. If I were you, I would practice your about turn footwork without the dog some until you can turn smoothly at a constant speed.

It can really help your understanding of about turns if you have someone let you be their "dog", and hold your hand like the leash. Then you heel with them and try to do an about turn and keep up with them as they are doing it. It's hard to do!!

Another big thing esp. with small dogs is stepping into the dog on halts. This can cause reluctance in sitting, repositioning, slow sits, crooked sits, and sits that are too far away.

Consistence in your line of travel, footwork, and cue steps to the dog can really help dogs be more consistent.

:D

My about turn involves three distinctive steps. With my right foot remaining still, I make a "T" with my left foot, with the toe of my right foot nearly touching the instep of my left. Then I reverse the right foot, putting my right heel against the instep of my left. As this is happening, your shoulders pivot, and the dog comes around with your shoulders. Then I take a slightly SHORTER step out of the AT with my left foot to allow the dog to not have a lag.

Seriously, get someone and play dog and handler. Change positions, and see how hard this is for the dog, esp. if you are doing a pivot AT.

;)
 
I want to find Rahs' video! Get to put a face to a name. I gave tessa the advise I think you're going to Redyrerott, in another thread. Lol (Stuff about teaching the dog to forge, wrap, he's heeling with tail tucked, hind end slightly tucked in anticipation of correction. Dog's having a tough time following irratic footwork.) On the otherhand, all of this is easily corrected in class, which tessa is in and is even kind enough to help other kids out in her 4-h group. You need a good competition trainer Tessa, to work out some of the kinks and then you and Marq are one "hot team"!
 
Posting at same time you were Redyrerott... it'd be great if you gave tessa thread to the video you did last week (?) It will give her a great visual of what competition heelwork should look like.
 
Here they are. And if you want to see what just a LITTLE big of the wrong body language does for you, watch me lean forward SO VERY SLIGHTLY, causing her to reposition herself on her sits. COMPLETELY my fault....

;)

Please ignore or fast forward through this long commentary my instructor was making to the person who went before me. She was not talking to us. Also note what my dog is doing while she is talking.....

Heel On Lead

Figure 8

Stand for Exam

Heel Free
 
Just out of curiosity Red, how does you instructor take to you using all positive methods? Does she let you use a clicker at training class if you need to?
 
I have never used a clicker. I use YES to mark behaviors. :D She is very pro positive. I use a lot of positive, and a lot of food, but I also use positive punishment at times in my training. I use a prong collar at times as well, but only after a dog is well trained, and as you can see my dog has plenty of drive and enthusiasm, she really enjoys her work.

PS sorry to Tessa, did not mean to hijack your thread, I can start another one if I need to. :D
 
RedyreRottweilers said:
Hints I would offer you are similar to what I might offer Tessa. Footwork on About turns is important, and so is offering the dog a straight line to heel with.

Watch your clips and see how often you move into the dog, causing him to have to alter his course and move away from you, and how often you drift away from him causing him to have to move towards you.

His attention is lovely, and he has a nice concept of heel position. If I were you, I would practice your about turn footwork without the dog some until you can turn smoothly at a constant speed.

It can really help your understanding of about turns if you have someone let you be their "dog", and hold your hand like the leash. Then you heel with them and try to do an about turn and keep up with them as they are doing it. It's hard to do!!

Another big thing esp. with small dogs is stepping into the dog on halts. This can cause reluctance in sitting, repositioning, slow sits, crooked sits, and sits that are too far away.

Consistence in your line of travel, footwork, and cue steps to the dog can really help dogs be more consistent.

:D

My about turn involves three distinctive steps. With my right foot remaining still, I make a "T" with my left foot, with the toe of my right foot nearly touching the instep of my left. Then I reverse the right foot, putting my right heel against the instep of my left. As this is happening, your shoulders pivot, and the dog comes around with your shoulders. Then I take a slightly SHORTER step out of the AT with my left foot to allow the dog to not have a lag.

Seriously, get someone and play dog and handler. Change positions, and see how hard this is for the dog, esp. if you are doing a pivot AT.

;)
Click to expand...

I don't slow down on my about turn, nor do I speed up. Its all a constant pace, making Marq able to get around and stay in heel position the entire time. There were a few times when he didnt' quite make it around the about turn, but both those times were because he was slightly distracted and not paying attention like he should! Tisk tisk. :p

I watched specifically the straight on shot for me walking into Marq, and I never did so. We were doing a lot of direction changes, but that was to keep it fun and interesting. Tests his attention if you move away or do a direction change.

I do, however, walk into and away from COCOA a lot. For Cocoa, this actually signals her to sit straight. :S Not a good thing probably, but because that's the way I've always halted, and she knows to sit straight, if I don't step into her she sits extremely crooked. So, the "wrong" behavior actually helps Cocoa! Haha.
 
otch1 said:
I want to find Rahs' video! Get to put a face to a name. I gave tessa the advise I think you're going to Redyrerott, in another thread. Lol (Stuff about teaching the dog to forge, wrap, he's heeling with tail tucked, hind end slightly tucked in anticipation of correction. Dog's having a tough time following irratic footwork.) On the otherhand, all of this is easily corrected in class, which tessa is in and is even kind enough to help other kids out in her 4-h group. You need a good competition trainer Tessa, to work out some of the kinks and then you and Marq are one "hot team"!
Click to expand...

His tail isn't tucked. And he's not afraid. I did not teach his heel with corrections. I actually try to avoid corrections at all costs. And it offends me that you assume my dog is corrected or afraid. He is far from that.

My dog has fun, is happy, tail wagging, head held high. He enjoys working with me. And that is what training is all and ever will be about. Having fun.
 
Quite frankly, Tessa, I've trained and titled a few dogs, and some things you are doing frequently, and some things that you are not doing will cause you problems when you get to advanced levels.

Your above post tho, answers my question about whether you are interested in constructive criticism, so I won't give any more.

:D
 
I posted a video to show people how great my dogs are doing, and all that is done is my training, handling,and dogs are picked apart into pieces.

My Cocoa has come A LONG way. I don't CARE if she's not perfect. I'm happy just that SHE'S happy. Happiness is the ONLY thing that matters. If I wanted a perfect dog that never made a mistake, again, I'd get a robot. :D
 
RedyreRottweilers said:
Quite frankly, Tessa, I've trained and titled a few dogs, and some things you are doing frequently, and some things that you are not doing will cause you problems when you get to advanced levels.

Your above post tho, answers my question about whether you are interested in constructive criticism, so I won't give any more.

:D
Click to expand...

I've earned my share of titles as well.

You can say any criticisms you'd like.. but I can't gaurentee I'll take it. Being open minded about training and competing is important, and ONE way fits all just doesn't work. I always train with PR, but there's little variances that everyone does differently, yet are still successful. Marq works very well with how I've trained him and he does great with the way I handle him. To be quite blunt and truthful, I'm the best trainer in my club/training building. I'm the best handler, the most consistent, the most positive, and the best at shaping and teaching dogs obedience and agility behaviors, heck, even the jr showmanship and conformation behaviors. That's got to say something.
 
tessa_s212 said:
If I wanted a perfect dog that never made a mistake, again, I'd get a robot. :D
Click to expand...

People seemed to have taken this the wrong way.

It was never meant as an insult, but I was merely defending myself and explaining what is important to ME in training. :)
 
No need to get so defensive, Tessa. People are just trying to be constructive and offer advice.
:)
 
RedyreRottweilers said:
Hints I would offer you are similar to what I might offer Tessa. Footwork on About turns is important, and so is offering the dog a straight line to heel with.
Click to expand...

footwork is always my downfall - ive taken classes, ive spent an entire hour walking through sequences with no dog there, but whenever i have soemthing attached to the end of the leash with 4 legs, my footwork goes out of the window :) its something i have to work on - i finally have a dog good enough to go beyond novice, so it will actually become important :) footwork is less important in schutzhund as far as i can tell, but i will definitely need it in the Ob ring.


Watch your clips and see how often you move into the dog, causing him to have to alter his course and move away from you, and how often you drift away from him causing him to have to move towards you.

His attention is lovely, and he has a nice concept of heel position. If I were you, I would practice your about turn footwork without the dog some until you can turn smoothly at a constant speed.
Click to expand...

I've got to get out and work some footwork! RIght now we're technically in the beginners class again because I didn't want to bump him up to novice (for a variety of reasons, the number one being that it's a new trainer and I don't want to have his competition work potentially done by someone I didn't like - but I love her!) so we technically only work LLW. and most of the time we are moving I have to maneuver the landmines of other dogs that are walking too slow, owners that aren't paying attention, etc - so no straight lines there. I am probably going to start doing some privates again as well.

As for turns, I vary the speed most of the time, and I have introduced but dont regularly do the schutzhund about turns because Rah doesn't know the cues for each yet. Once I solidify his right finish, it will help clarify since I typically use the same command for those since the end result is going around my back from the right and finding heel position again.

Rah's passed out on the couch (thank god!) after a long game of fetch at the dog park in the snow, but I'm gonna do some footwork myself and get him out tomorrow!
 
Listen, I hear you on the straight line. LOL I end up in parking lots working my dogs, but then I get head down body language, that I'm now having to clean up.

And I can remember learning footwork years ago with another (treasured and sadly long gone) dog. I was convinced I could NEVER do all of that at the same time: footwork, watch my dog without really looking, hold my leash right, reward with food at the same time, plus watch where I am going!!!

It is very hard in the beginning to put it all together. Luckily I had/have a SUPER instructor who demands excellence. :D Once it all comes together for you, the footwork becomes like breathing. Ya just gotta keep at it. Your dog is a big long bodied guy, like a Rottie, so that footwork on the AT is important to give him time enough to get around you, straighten out, and not bump or lag.

When training the About Turn, and also when you are still learning footwork, it can help to slow the AT way down, do it one step at a time. This does a couple things. It helps the dog learn to cue off your shoulders, it helps the dog learn to keep heel position around the outside of the turn when you are moving, and it helps us poor dumb handlers learn the footwork well enough to do it in real time.

I find I learn so much from watching myself on film and ruthlessly critiqueing my performance.

We will see how right I am when we get our scores from this coming weekend, eh?

The both of you look like you are having a great time with your dogs, and isn't that the most important part?

:D
 
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