Root Beer

It's good to be back!! I kind of got eaten by life and Facebook for a while!!! I have also updated my blog, and I mean to start keeping up with it again. With lots of pictures, of course!! In case you don't have the link anymore and you want to stop by .... https://tessamatic.blogspot.com/ I did write up an update of all of my dogs as my "I'm back" post!! Best to you with your puppy!! I agree that often just letting the dog feel out the situation (while keeping everyone safe) can be the best way to go.

I've been playing fetch with my oldest Border Collie, Dean Dog, since we adopted him at 10 months old. He is going to be 13 in February and we still go outside every day and we play fetch. These days I have to watch that he doesn't try to jump up into the air, so I roll a plastic ring across the yard, and he chases it, grabs it, and brings it back. At this point in his life, I don't do a whole lot of "throws", but we still play every day unless it is pouring rain or icy. It hasn't caused him any harm yet. - Kristine and Dean Dog Oh, the picture below is not my old boy, but my younger boy, Bandit. He loves to run after the rolling rings, too, and bring them back.

Hi Riika!! I don't have an article for you, but I do have experience with this. When we first adopted our girl, Tessa, she was a former stray and she was terrified of all people, even me at first. She was willing to take food from anyone, though, so we did take the approach of having everyone at the training building feed her. Any time someone walked by her, they gave her a treat (these were instructors and classmates that I knew and trusted, not random people, BTW!!) In Tessa's case, it did not create a negative CER. She learned that her training building friends are treat machines and she did grow to be very comfortable in their presence. The up-sides of this: - Tessa learned that people can be trusted in dog-training/competition contexts. People will feed her, but never try to "dive in" and touch her. - I never found that Tessa started paying attention to other people instead of me. When she and I are working together, I have her attention. Of course, I did do other training in this regard, and that training is quite effective, so that may be why she doesn't look to others for treats or anything when she and I are doing something together. The down-sides of this: - Tessa can be rather rude when we are at trials together because she will stare at people who are eating with a hopeful look on her face. That said, she only stares - she does not try to go up to people who are eating or anything. When this happens and people notice, I briefly explain her background and I have never come across anyone who did not agree that having Tessa staring at people who are eating is a much better alternative than her cowering in fear of them. Well, that's it. There are no other down-sides!!! Now, I realize that results of this will vary from dog to dog. I think the key with Tessa was that she showed a strong willingness right from the start to take treats from people, even though she was afraid of them. At first they needed to toss them toward her, but she always made it clear that getting the treat was important enough to her to tolerate the proximity of the person. In a case where a dog is too frightened to take treats from someone, I would never recommend "having everyone feed" before there were a clear comfort level, similar to what Tessa showed from the start, in place. Anyway, I thought I would share my experience. Have a Day! - Kristine

I haven't read any of the responses, just your original post, so my reply is directly to you. Experience or no, I would not trust a trainer who used this verbiage. I agree with your gut on this one. Granted, I just popped up out of nowhere and you don't know me from a can of paint, but that's neither here nor there. I still agree with your gut. Cheers!! Oh, BTW, your Border Collie is gorgeous!!

I am very sorry to hear this. My prayers are with her friends and family during this time.

Hey All!! I came across this in passing on Facebook recently, and it reminded me of the passionate debates we used to have here about Early Takeoff Syndrome!! (Good times!! ) I thought some of you might find this interesting! I certainly did!! This video is somewhat long, but it captured my interest enough to watch all the way though. It is very well put-together. The difference in the dog's jumping style before and after correction of his vision is striking!!

I gave up on trying to explain this a long time ago. When people say that Bandit is "herding" me when he forges on his heeling or runs like mad to stay ahead of me on an Agility course, or some such, I smile, skip over it, and just keep training my boy.

Big congrats on your Q's!!

Enjoy!! I LOVE CPE!!!

Some Freestyle doodling. He is starting to develop his movement style!!

And we're GONE!! WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!! :D

I don't call it foster failure. Nothing about the foster girl I adopted is remotely akin to failure. I say Foster to Forever!! Congrats on your new addition!!

Such a good thing you got there early and were able to see what was going on. I wish you the best with finding much better options.

I am so very sorry for your loss. It is never enough time.

In CPE, I can use OMD style handling in the opening for Snooker. Many of the CPE Snooker courses have become quite tight, and that is a great place for backsides and wraps and staying very close to the equipment. But that is one division out of seven. I am not shooting for a C-ATCH with Bandit, but I would like for Bandit and I to have the skills to fully enjoy all of the different games together. So . . . . we are going to make that happen!!

What I have found is that since all of the instructors stated teaching using OMD, the courses that we work on in class have morphed into very tight courses with a lot of wraps, tight turns, backsides, and back forth back forth back forth, and very little flat out running through long, straighter, or more flowing, sequences. And that is all we work on now. Bandit did his first CPE trial this past weekend and he was literally glowing after we left the ring. I realized that it was the first time in his life he had ever actually RUN Agility on a full course!!! So, yeah, it can work for every dog on a super tight course with a lot of wraps and backsides and so forth that prevent the dog from ever getting much ahead. (I guess that's what AKC courses have become?) But I am at a loss to see how it can work on the kinds of courses that my dog and I are actually going to be running in competition . . .

BTW, if anyone can explain to me how to handle using OMD with the dog 5 - 10 feet ahead on course that is not constantly back and forth like a pinball machine, I will be happy to listen . . .

The handling that I learned with Tessa was Mecklenburg style, and I absolutely loved it, and I still use that style of handling with her. I have actually just decided to create a custom handling system for Bandit. I can't do One Mind - it does not make intuitive sense to me and it saps the fun out of Agility for me (a lot like trying to train Freestyle on all verbal cues!!). I did learn some of Amanda Nelson's handling through the online classes that I took through Fenzi, and what I learned with that was excellent for him. So I am going to meld together some Mecklenburg handling skills with Amanda's and then throw in whatever actually makes sense to both Bandit and me. I am excited!! Bandit has led me into this new adventure and it feels fantastic!!! We are literally working together to suss out what makes sense to him, and what I can do to help him understand how to get through sequences. As far as blind crosses go - LOVE THEM!!! I do them with Tessa all the time. I doubt I will use so many with Bandit, who will be ahead of me on course in places where Tessa is usually behind me! But I am not forsaking my blind crosses with Tessa as long as she and I run!!!!

I have gotten away from using this approach because I inadvertently created a dog who was overly dependent on the direct presence of primary reinforcers. I was able to work with him and undo some of that, but I would never go back to the NILIF model. I do use a little bit of it here and there as a technique to teach certain concepts, but I would never go wholesale with it again. If you are committed to NILIF, I recommend a supplemental book called "Plenty in Life is Free". I believe that NILIF principles can be useful in specific circumstances, but always within a more "normal" overall framework.

You know, it occurs to me - after adding seven different dogs to our household (over the years) - that every dog is different in how we best bond. With some of my dogs, we have bonded more through training, and others, not so much. With some of them, we have bonded more through everyday stuff like play and going through daily life together. With some we forge a bond more through structured participation in sports, but then others have done better with less of that. I'd say do different things with your dog and find what works for you, as a team.

That is the opposite of my experience. After Bandit was neutered, he finally realized he wasn't a Beagle and he got his nose off the floor. His confidence level clearly increased. His comfort level around other dogs increased. He gets along better with the other dogs in our household. And his performance in dog sports improved notably.

To the OP: I have a really well bred working bred Border Collie and he is the happiest house and pet dog imaginable. He is just a content boy who adores day to day living. I have no idea what his potential would be as a stockdog because that is not his lot in life. His breeder (who is on these boards) knew that I would be a pet/sport home, and she was cool with that. But I never feel like I have been unfair to him in any way just because his mission in life is to love and be loved and to be a household companion. Granted, I am a sport person, but not a super driven one. He does take weekly Agility and Rally classes, and he participates in Freestyle and Parkour. But we aren't training all day long, nor are we trialing a whole lot. He is a phenomenal demo dog for the online classes that I teach - he is always a willing partner to make videos or whatever I need. That said, he and I spend more time together playing ball. So, it's not like he is a couch potato with nothing to do. At the same time, he is, primarily, a house dog and companion. And he is perfectly happy. I would definitely choose a well bred working bred Border Collie again in the future. I actually consider him to be the perfect pet. At least for our household.

Thanks!! I think we are going to have quite the fun summer.

Thanks!! I'll admit that is one of the things I like best about Parkour. There is a ton of potential for creativity!

With Dawn's progression, the hoop comes much later in the training. By then the dog should have a very solid idea of the actual criteria for the contact. If I recall correctly, it is a tool used in the transition to more independence, not to train the actual running contact. Whether doing stopped or running through Dawn's process, you start with the cardboard box and the mat.