This is the most recent video i took of Captain and i doing some training. We are in the front yard. This is where we do a majority of his off leash training because there are plenty of distractions. It's not uncommon for residents to be walking, running, taking their dogs for walks, bicycling, groups or individuals wanting to pet him or watch us, etc. I do not use a clicker. I do not intend to use a clicker. I'm asking for feedback from any and all. My goals are to develop proficiency and participate in obedience competitions. I'm exploring flyball or similar activities. Gun dog training isnt practical for us.
Hi @Anthony Abrao I see the evidence of the hard work that has been devoted to training. I am reluctant to raise issues because I am impressed. But you asked for some suggestions for improvement. I would give treats with thenleft hand. If you give with right hand then the dog can creep around sideways peering around your left leg. If you want to work on obedience retrieve, then work on getting the dog to retrieve many different things such as a dumbbell and other objects. Needs to give it to you on cue rather than dropping it in front of you. There is a recent publication called Awesome Obedience that has seemingly thousands of different ideas of how to train the dog on a wide range of obedience tasks such as scent work, retrieve heeling and so on and so on. Sometimes I think there are too many things to do. But that is just a very mild point of contention. It is a wonderful source of information and a very impressive work. What I really like about Hannah Branigan's book is that she covers the foundational exercises such as shaping and targeting.
One more thing. If the frisbee curled to the road and a car was coming, is your dog's distant down good enough to stop the dog on the grass? If not, herein lies an advantage in gear like a dumbbell--much less chance of going onto the road.
@Michael A Brooks thanks for your help! I recently watched a video that included using different hands to reward for the same action. I was interested in what the reasoning would be. It's clearly explained in your reply, and i will add that. I also noticed different shaped objects being retrieved during obedience, but didnt put much thought into it. I assumed "Captain gets anything i throw, so that's not a going to be a problem". I havent yet, but i intend to find some of them and make them or buy them. I didn't catch that he has to return it on cue, so we will further develop that. Awesome Obedience.Check. Will look into this. Hannah Branigan. Check. Will look into her work. Captain is not good at very much at distance. His recall is about all i can rely on. He does pretty well with staying in the yard, though. We have worked on him recognizing and maintaining the curb as a boundary. Most of the videos i watch are about distance training. Again, thank you for the thoughts. I really appreciate it!
Hi @Anthony Abrao - this is looking great, and he's not yet a year old is he? Considering you're not able to train every day because you're away from home, I think you've done an amazing job with him, and you can see how focused he is on you too which is no mean feat when you have distractions on the road. Like @Michael A Brooks the only observations I have are that the RH treating looks a bit awkward on the video (but if it's not making things harder for you then I don't suppose it really matters). I'd also maybe try practicing with something that's easier for him to get his mouth round so that he can successfully deliver it to your hand more often (like a dumbbell or a dummy). We have one of those floppy frisbees and she spends more time trying to pick it up than she does actually concentrating on what she's doing.
Lovely to watch, well done. Waiting steady before being sent for a retrieve is a great exercise in self control for dogs, and, in my opinon, much better for the physically and metally than just repetedly running after a thrown ball.
@LoopyLuna thanks for the response! Captain is not a year old yet, he is nearly 8 months. I re-watched the video, and i dont think it makes anything hard(er), but i think back about the road we traveled to get here and i can easily see (in my memory or the many videos i have) where the right hand treating created challenges. I do spend some time away from home, and it causes gaps in our training. It is taking less and less time to "catch up" to where we left off when i departed, and i believe this is because we work on proofing while also developing other behaviors. My travel is slowing down, so I'm looking forward to having more continuity. The floppy frisbee is his newest toy, and we ar using it because he has such high interest. He does spend quite some time fighting it in his mouth, getting it when he drops it, or even finding it in the taller grass areas. @5labs I agree with you! When he gets rambunctious or loses focus, i usually get him into some kind of 'holding pattern' and it helps us get back on track. Sometimes it's sit, down, or look at me, but helping him narrow his focus and drive his energy the right way helps drastically. We usually start training with some kind of game like fetch. As his energy settles down, i most often start working with these same cues. I think he has picked up on it, and more quickly prepares for the training fun we're about to have. Thank you both!
Please view the link. A frisbee easy for dogs to pick up. Blue for soft mouth. Red for dogs with a harder mouth. https://aussiedog.com.au/product/fly-it-blue/ I do agree with your general point--the dog needs to be trained to retrieve almost anything. And I add that that type of training should begin sooner rather than later.
Branigan has a small section on how to teach distance down. You are correct. Teach the retrieve with many different objects. Get Captain to start picking up different shaped spoons, clothes pegs, a glove, etc. In obedience the dog has to pick up a metal object. So include a metal spoon too. Such training generalises the idea of retrieve. I taught my dog to retrieve a whisk. So search the kitchen for things for her to pick up providing they want hurt the dog. The skill is important in assistance dog training.
