Agility "drive"

corbinam

corbinam

Moderator
Hi everyone!
I'm just getting into agility with my 1 year old sheltie, Bentley. (And by "just getting into" I mean we had our first class yesterday!) Our homework was to go home and work on teaching our dogs to drive towards a target. This required getting the dogs really excited to rush towards a treat on a target. I'm a little concerned because Bentley is so laid back. He doesn't get too excited about anything, and when we were trying to get him to drive towards the treat, he would just meander towards it (and it was cheez whiz, which he really likes!). Any suggestions?

Thanks!
 
You have to find out what motivates him. Food? Toys? People? Tugs? Chase games? Balls? And use that to your advantage.

If he isn't completely food motivated, then use the food to direct him to the target but reward with whatever he finds most motivating. For instance, if he really like chasing a ball, put a bit of treat on the target and when he touches the target reward by throwing the ball. After a few repetitions, he will learn that the faster he goes to the target, the sooner you will throw the ball. If he likes chase games, then do the same thing. When he touches the target, you initiate a chase game by running away from him and encouraging him to catch you. Run a few steps, let him catch you, play play play. Then repeat the exercise with him going to the target and being rewarded with chase.

It's all about thinking outside the box and finding that one thing that really gets your dog excited, then incorporating that into your training.

Do you use a clicker? Clicker training comes in very handy for forming actions such as this.
 
Motivation

Thanks for the tips! Bentley is super chase motivated! Nothing gets him riled up like people running away from him (I guess it's that herding instinct in him). I like the idea of teaching him to go to the target and rewarding him with a chase.

We just started using a clicker this week, so we're currently still "charging the clicker" by clicking and feeding so he knows what it means.

I'm not sure how we take it to the next level. When teaching him to go to the target, would you click when he gets there?

Thanks!
 
If he has absolutely no clue what to do with the target, then click/treat for even the smallest notice of the target. If he looks at it or steps towards it. If he kind of gets the idea of the target already, then click when his nose touches the target. Start with the target close by, only a foot away or so, so that he doesn't have to move far to get to it. Once he understands the nose touch situation, then gradually start moving the target farther away.

When he really begins to understand the clicker, then he might be more fired up about going to the target in order to get a food reward. Or subsitute in your chase game for a food reward, while still using the clicker. So for instance, when he touches the target, click, then immediately get all excited and start a chase game. If the food isn't doing it for him, switch it up for something that will :biggrin2:
 
I just started working on Targets with Edan last week. He caught on REALLY fast. (We play "Touch" with my palms so that helped.) He also picked up on touching it while it was on the floor very quickly. I started with it beside me for all of one day; same with it being across the room.

Right now I'm working on adding a name/word to the target; I'm using "Mark" to avoid too many "T" sounding words while on course. Since its a new command, I'm click/treating when he moves to the target on command whether he touches it or not. If it noses at it without the command (which he does frequently thinking he'll get a treat) he doesn't get anything. I'll let him look at me for a few minutes, give the command "Mark" and, if I get the action I want, click/treat.

Does this sound like a good approach to reinforce the "Mark" command? I just started with that yesterday so I'd rather adjust now if there is a better way than after working at it for a week.
 
Agility

Sheri--People use different words for "Touch" like target. I personally haved used the same word Touch.I can work distant withmy dog Shadow and can put out anythig that I want him to touch 50 feet away.When you are out running a course there are alot of T sounds like tunnel, table, teeter, so I use different words for the seesaw his word is go BANG,I hear people use Box for Table but I use table and tunnel.His command for the dogwalk is walk it and half way across it I tell him touch so I can get the 2020(two on two off command )that we worked hard to get.Are you doing running cotacts or 2020?
 
Since the class I'm in is mostly an introduction to a number of obstacles (flat plank for getting them use to walking on a narrow space, very low (no higher than 8") jumps, tunnel, chute, table, cavaletti, and wobble/buja board specifically) , we really haven't focused a lot of 2O2O; though it has been introduced with a plank with a low (2") pivot point that had contacts painted on it. The facility I'm training at has a class that is 100% dedicated to contact obstacles and weaves so they will really push the 2O2O there.

My instructor advised me against using "Touch" since I already have that associated with my hand. I was also advised against "Target" because of the number of "T"s on the course. I chose "Mark" because it has a similar meaning and sounds completely different from everything else on course.
 
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