I do find it a problem having two dogs, what to do with one dog while training the other, if away on a course! OH cannot do anything now to help Hope you enjoyed it, bitterly cold here and think you are only about 40 mins away from me!
Tired puppy.... IMG_2907-2 by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr We did a fair bit of walking, and settling. Then Betsy learned 'go under' and 'go over' straw bales. A bit of fetch, and being relaxed while other dogs worked, then this afternoon Betsy got to have a sniff of a pheasant. She picked it up, but started playing with it, so got interrupted. We got the wings to put on her little dummy so we can have another go at home. IMG_2895 by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
I'm having trouble with distance with Betsy! I think she is very reluctant to move away from the treats or me as the source of the treats (I have tried not having treats on me). So, for example, I really struggle to get her to go to place boards, mats or target sticks as soon as I introduce any distance (I don't have this trouble with retrieves, she'll happily run out for a ball or dummy). When I say 'any distance' it's small enough to drive me quite potty! I decided to tackle go to mat last night, because it's the one most bugging me because she won't got to her mats unless I'm close to them. A few extra cms is enough to make the cue fail! So she'll go to her mat with the mat about 1.5m away, I shift it just a little bit further, and that's it. She forgets about the mat! Same with her place boards. Obviously I'll just have to keep inching away at it but it's really annoyingly slow. I do wonder whether I've just put this off for a bit too long, because it was annoying to do, and now made it harder for myself. I'm going to try to put her target sticks out today with sardines on the top, and hope that helps with a bit of a break through...
Treats only on placeboard and mat, so she has to go to these to get reward? I found that my dogs would do the distance, but if I sent them from a different angle, they had no idea what I meant! They do think differently from us humans at times
What about a remote trainer? Or the smaller more portable version. I have used the remote trainer with a lot of success with Bramble
I've lost the dratted remote for my treat and train! No doubt it's in a field somewhere - haven't managed to replace it yet. What portable version do you have? @Beanwood A smaller one would be handy, for sure.
Hi @JulieT, no I haven't used the portable ones, I just came across this one whilst searching for something else on the performance dog website. One of my favourite dogs sites,,,just can't resist buying stuff from them! Did look interesting though! Not sure if I would have the same problem that I do with the medium lotus ball, she keeps bringing it back for me to open for her! http://www.performancedog.co.uk/ready-treat
Betsy having a go at the first couple of bales in the scurry at winter clicker camp. She was only 6 and a bit months here so too young to be jumping - and will be for another year yet - so we just did a couple. She's got a lovely booing puppy pounce! Betsy scurry by julieandcharlie julieandcharlie, on Flickr
Well done Betsy We went over those a few weeks ago, though they were higher 'cos Rourke is a grown up dog I thought Betsy did very well and looked as if she enjoyed it, she held the dummy well, no mouthing and gave it to hand, good girl.
Ah, thanks - she looks to be having fun. I don't think she'd make it over the double bales (they were next door) - this was the first time she has ever been asked to jump anything! And she's a Titch... I'd like to move her onto 1lb dummies now, only she is a bit reluctant to pick them up. She picks them up by the flap and sort of drags them. So I taped the flaps down, and she was mesmerised by the taped end! No doubt we'll get over that as her motivation to return improves. Her return is not at all strong yet.
