Agility people....We need help!!

[Silaria]

I'm wondering if it's environment related; especially since she does it fine when you practice outside of class, show-n-go, and trials. Is something causing her some stress in those situations that she doesn't have when you are at the park? Are you any different in class/trials than at the park? Video from all those settings would help.

When Edan and I started he would run fast in class but 'trot' around the ring in trials. Some of this was confidence and some of it was thyroid related but the point I'm making is the two different behaviors in different situations.

 

[corbinam]

I'm wondering if it's environment related; especially since she does it fine when you practice outside of class, show-n-go, and trials. Is something causing her some stress in those situations that she doesn't have when you are at the park? Are you any different in class/trials than at the park? Video from all those settings would help.

Yep--Dawn, your last comment made me think exactly what Sheri wrote her. It sounds like a stress response to the environment.

But, the key to unlocking it is finding what motivates her. Bentley was (is?) not drivey either, but when we first started I figured out what motivated him. He doesn't like toys, and didn't like target plates, but loved to chase us. So his reward was that I would run around like an idiot and let him chase and bark at me. Now he understands the concept and it translates a lot better.

What's hard for me in this scenario is that I'm not sure how to solve it if Pyper doesn't drive to match your speed. If you're running on the flat (no equipment), just running, does she keep up with you or fall behind? If she falls behind in that scenario, which is what it sounds like, I'd go back to foundation training of doing circle work (going in a circle with the dog at your side at varying speeds, and rewarding them for being at your side).

If you can find what motivates her, and keep her running with you, you can work on the stress part by simulating trial-like environments. Pipe in noise, have Lexi barking on the sideline, invite friends to come watch and bring their dogs, attend show-n-gos and run throughs, etc.

 

[k9kreationz]

I was thinking confidence issue....that pertains to trials only. They know the difference. I know Koji was slow until he built up confidence. I think that had a lot to do with out working together. I mean, do you remember when Koji wouldn't even trot on the DW? Same with the weaves.

I don't have any suggs, I think you got a lot of those, mostly because I'm not sure what changed with me and Koji. But wanted to throw out "confidence".

Sorry I can't help, but yay on being in Open.

 

[dmeyer123]

I was thinking confidence issue....that pertains to trials only. They know the difference. I know Koji was slow until he built up confidence. I think that had a lot to do with out working together. I mean, do you remember when Koji wouldn't even trot on the DW? Same with the weaves.

I don't have any suggs, I think you got a lot of those, mostly because I'm not sure what changed with me and Koji. But wanted to throw out "confidence".

Sorry I can't help, but yay on being in Open.

Thanks Cheryl! We are having fun. You made me think. Pyper loves the DW. She goes so fast across the DW I have a hard time keeping up with her. She also kicks butt on the A fame and the teeter. She seems to slow down for weaves and tunnels. When there's several jumps in a row, she can really turn on the steam, too. I think you're right about confidence.

 

[dmeyer123]

... are zoomies fun for the dog, I thought they were caused by stress and expressed with frentic activity... didn't think they were 'for fun'....

but I'll go back to lurk mode now.

My girls get the zoomies when they are playing at home. I always thought it was because they were having fun, but it definitely could be a way of letting off stress. I'll pay more attention, next time it happens and try to figure out if I'm reading this behavior wrong.

 

[dmeyer123]

Yep--Dawn, your last comment made me think exactly what Sheri wrote her. It sounds like a stress response to the environment.

But, the key to unlocking it is finding what motivates her. Bentley was (is?) not drivey either, but when we first started I figured out what motivated him. He doesn't like toys, and didn't like target plates, but loved to chase us. So his reward was that I would run around like an idiot and let him chase and bark at me. Now he understands the concept and it translates a lot better.

What's hard for me in this scenario is that I'm not sure how to solve it if Pyper doesn't drive to match your speed. If you're running on the flat (no equipment), just running, does she keep up with you or fall behind? If she falls behind in that scenario, which is what it sounds like, I'd go back to foundation training of doing circle work (going in a circle with the dog at your side at varying speeds, and rewarding them for being at your side).

If you can find what motivates her, and keep her running with you, you can work on the stress part by simulating trial-like environments. Pipe in noise, have Lexi barking on the sideline, invite friends to come watch and bring their dogs, attend show-n-gos and run throughs, etc.

She falls behind. She isn't driven to keep up with me unless we're doing a long run out, then she books! Maybe it would help to do a lot of jump grids, just to let her run fast w/o the possibility of a mistake. She loves running, when she gets going. The DW is her favorite. Once she hits the DW the rest of our run will be twice as fast. DW just needs to be the first or second obstacle...

 

[corbinam]

She falls behind. She isn't driven to keep up with me unless we're doing a long run out, then she books! Maybe it would help to do a lot of jump grids, just to let her run fast w/o the possibility of a mistake. She loves running, when she gets going. The DW is her favorite. Once she hits the DW the rest of our run will be twice as fast. DW just needs to be the first or second obstacle...

I wonder, could you use the dogwalk as a reward? I would work tight jump sequences with Lexi and reward her by releasing her to the tunnel (her fave). Maybe seeing the dogwalk coming up would motivate her?

 

[k9kreationz]

Thanks Cheryl! We are having fun. You made me think. Pyper loves the DW. She goes so fast across the DW I have a hard time keeping up with her. She also kicks butt on the A fame and the teeter. She seems to slow down for weaves and tunnels. When there's several jumps in a row, she can really turn on the steam, too. I think you're right about confidence.

If weaves and tunnels were always a hard thing for her or there's something she dislikes about them, that could be one reason. Definitely think about everything that is being said here and think about how Pyper is. I know Koji still isn't one to run across a DW, but he trots darn fast. But that's a big difference from when he'd walk real slow across. Maybe Pyper will always be slower in the weaves, but I think you should be able to speed them up, especially if it's costing you time in Open.

I hope you figure it out.

 

[dmeyer123]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to try all of these suggestions and watch for behavior patterns. I think we can fix this...time will tell.

 

[labgirl]

Merlin seems slower at trials than in practice, or just running in the park, and I put that down to confidence. Also I tend to get a bit stressed at comps and I know he notices.

I had a practice session with a competition trainer on Sunday and she picked this up straight away, in particular she noticed how Merlin sped up on the course towards the end and was so excited at the finish when I was saying what a good boy he was. She said she wanted to see that at the start, so instead of calming him at the start, I am to fire him up with lots of fuss and getting him hyped - boy did that help! He just shot forward instead of taking a few steps to get going!

He is also slow at the weaves (though apparently not as slow as I think!). This is due to how I trained him, the trainer was explaining he doesn't know where to place his feet so he is walking the poles. I have to go back and channel weave him and that should solve the problem.

She also said that when we finish a course, I must crouched down to praise him and not lean over him, as I normally do, to build his confidence.

So really it is all about confidence, confidence, confidence. I wouldn't be surprised if Pyper is the same. I would also try entering a few comps with the attitude that you are just running for fun. Forget about times and placings and remove the pressure from yourself and Pyper and see if that helps.