I hope so....I have a helper tomorrow (not often I have a helper) so hoping for a good training session..and no horrible dogs spoiling it!
Using my placeboards to help expand the areas and exercises for steadiness. Unfortunately, @Joy, the video is a bit long, and flickr has cut the end of it off when I removed the boards when he was successful. I'll see whether I can chop the vid up and post that bit separately. more steadiness by Julie T, on Flickr
Here is the end of the vid - I removed the board on the back cue, and on the final path because he hadn't made a mistake on these two exercises. Earlier in the vid, he had made mistakes so I didn't remove the boards. (I am not sure why he made mistakes - according to my notes he is more likely to make a mistake when that large area of heather to the left (in the bit where he ran in) is very close, and you can see how he diverts with the dummy into it and doesn't return in a straight line). But that might be a bit of a random reasoning on my part.... end of vid removing boards by Julie T, on Flickr
Thanks for putting the videos on (only just looked at them as I had a 24 hour D & V bug and wasn't up to much yesterday.) What you're doing with Charlie isn't quite what I'm trying to do, however. Molly already has a secure stay, in the sense that I can tell her to stay, walk away throw a dummy and then either walk back to her and send her for it, or send her from where I am at that point. She will 'drop' (the word I use for 'down') when next to me and I can do all the kikopup jumping around etc without her moving. What I'm finding tricky is getting her to drop when I'm not next to her. This morning I tried it with the folded towel again and I could send her away from me or call her to me and get her to drop on the towel. Anyway don't want to hog your thread, so will write more on the one I started.
Ah, sorry you have been poorly, @Joy. That doesn't sound like fun at all. Yes, sure, I know you are trying to do something else - I was just trying to show removing the placeboards, sorry the translation to what you are trying to do wasn't helpful. I trained stop on a recall on Charlie's evening walk - I have never trained this before - thought I had better do it since we've been discussing it so much! Obviously, go to the placeboard is already on cue for Charlie and from that point, it took 10 minutes, no more. So if definitely works and it sounds like the towel is working for you too. stop on recall by Julie T, on Flickr
Excellent! Charlie really understands what the stop whistle means doesn't he? Thanks for this - I think it shows I'm trying to dispense with the towel too soon, before Molly really understands the signal.
Impressive as usual. You are very committed, put me to shame; every day I intend to train, but have two dogs with me, so just tend to set up some retrieving excercise, stopping and directing left or right, but here and there, as I walk.
I have to train, @Stacia, if I don't Charlie gets out of control very quickly. I'd do more retrieving if it was practical for me, but right now I need a helper as I'm still on steadiness, so I need other things to do. This was fun.
Yes, although Charlie had never done this exercise before, he has done hours and hours of stopping on the board, and the whistle associated with stop. If Molly is steady, knows down, all you've got to do is get her reliable on the towel and you'll be able to do the rest in no time.
More proofing....proof, proof. I don't see anyone else doing this. It also doesn't seem to make much difference to Charlie's inability to behave! Still, plugging on. Charlie: " you cannot be serious - you want me to walk at heel around a BALL THROWER ???!??? ". We even moved the ball thrower! A bit, anyway. Yay! proofing off lead heel by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Isn't it? Would you believe I have never, ever, used a ball thrower with this dog outside a training set up to desensitise/training steadiness to ball throwers? Bonkers....
So you've never actually thrown a ball for him using a ball chucker? Oh my, it would blow his mind!! I do find it a little scary that his body language towards the chucker reminds me sooooooooooo much of Ella's body language towards people, dogs, balls, ball chuckers, leaves blowing in the wind  Oh no.. I sense a lifetime of proofing ahead of me
I did once or twice, with him on a placeboard, and my foot on his lead - after a lot of desensitisation. He was ok, but it was in a period where I was training a lot, and he was in a field where he ONLY trains. This made a difference. When my OH picked up the ball thrower, and Charlie thought it was a game and he might actually get to chase the ball, he went nuts. So we stopped, and Charlie did not get to chase the ball.
