puppysiuk

Lovely pics Debbie - would have liked to have shown my bd what we was to strive for. Carolynn

Seems a bit of a strange place if they have you practice on one piece of equipment the whole time. I've been going to agility for about 5 weeks now. First week we did low jumps, tire and tunnel - but the "baby" stuff with a tiny tunnel. Next week contacts etc. We do something different about every 20 minutes, and change completely about half way through the session so that the dogs don't become bored (2 hour session).

Just want to thank everyone for their advice and just to let you know that this week was THE WEEK for Oddy. Over the see-saws (although I held the other end to stop it from banging down), up and over the dog walk and the A frame. I was sooo proud of him I just couldn't stop hugging him. Yes, the boards on the ground seemed to work, because last week there was a definite improvement on the see saw, although he still was very wary of it and wouldn't willingly go up it at first. Eventually he went up it from one side only. However, in between last week and this week I started getting him to jump on - and walk across - metal benches in a local park because I thought it was the metal texture under his paws which he didn't like. That, with the boards, must have done the trick because this week there was no stopping him once he'd been over everything a couple of times. [This message has been edited by puppysiuk (edited 08-31-2000).]

I've just started agility with Oddy - 3rd time, 16 months old. He is frightened silly of all the contact equipment, see saw, A frame and dog walk and won't do more than put 2 paws on any of them. I don't know if it is the metal texture he's scared of or the fact that the things go up in the air. (When we were out walking last week there was a bridge with metal plates on it and he didn't like walking over them either). Is there anything we could do at home to get him used to this type of thing. I thought planks of wood on the floor and get him walking those, then on bricks to get him "off the ground". Do you think that would help?? Any tips welcome. Apart from the contact stuff he loves everything else - particularly the tunnels.

I've got this problem to some degree as well because since a tiny puppy our BC has been walked on leash with our huskie - who are notorious pullers - and our BC thinks he is one as well. I go to obedience - where he's actually reasonably good because it's a small hall. In our lounge he is perfect at heel work - especially without a leash - but outside off he pulls, because all he is really interested in is being let off so that he can run and he knows he can't be let off near the road. I've found the only way to halfway drill it into him is to stop everytime he pulls - and I mean everytime - get him round to heel and then off you go again. A short walk will take forever at first. However, if I stop now ours "comes round" automatically to my feet and we start again. Sometimes I've got 2 or 3 steps, stopping every third to wheel him in. However, he is at last beginning to get the idea and over the past few days I've noticed a big improvement in his heelwork. He's still not exactly by my heel, but he is more or less with me and he's not pulling - which is an achievement. Unfortunately this is where "practice" really does make perfect, although its a long hard slog. Don't know if this will work for you, but it does seem to have worked with mine - although I still have quite a way to go before he does it all the time.

This is really an agility question, but I?ve posted it on both boards for a general response. I took Oddy to agility for the first time this week - armed with cubes of cheese and a tennis ball to motivate him. He was very interested in the ball at first, but after a while lost his interest in that as well, so I was trying to get him to do things - which he was doing - but unable to reward him in any way. If he's not food motivated should I be taking two different toys to keep his interest up?? He's not generally food motivated at all. I didn't give him anything to eat at teatime so he must have been hungry, but the cheese didn't do anything for him as he was too excited. Cheese works well during our morning training session at home, but he won't take food as a reward when we are outside. Do any of you know of a food which really gets a non-foody BC interested? I've tried small sweets (dolly mixtures) - he hates them. He's not into liver either. He's really a more "savory" dog - hence the cheese, but it would be nice if just once he would be interested in something edible - or at least I could have an edible alternative to the tennis ball, because when he does get the ball for doing something he still runs off with it, so I then have the task of getting him to bring the ball back to me - a double whammy as it were! I then have to reward him for bringing the ball back - which in itself was a reward to doing the agility right!

Thanks - will try that one. He loves a tennis ball as well. When we take ours out we take a tennis racket as well and belt the ball as hard as possible so that he has to run for it. He thinks it's wonderful, but my husband will never be able to play tennis on a proper court again because he just wacks the ball as far as he can now.

Out BC is coming up to a year old now. We have been going regularly to dog training but my current challenge is getting him to walk to heel better, and also to "drop" on command. In the house, or at training, he is fine and responds well to food treats - particularly cheese. However, when outside nothing seems to interest him - except being outside - I've tried cheese, smelly sausage and dog treats but he doesn't even want to look at food. On the advice of my trainer I've tried a new toy in the house - letting him play with one end, whilst I hold the other - and then producing this toy from my pocket when we are out. Again, he's not interested in the toy as a reward. I know I need to reward him when he goes "down" but don't know what to reward him with so that he thinks "wow" that was good. Somehow words of praise and a pat on the head don't seem enough. Any ideas anyone??