HopeShelties
Forums Enthusiast
I'd tend to agree with Sharon...
Both of my girls have a love for the game, with speed and drive as well, and there was definitely luring involved. Both dogs enjoy to work with me. We are a team, and while they may not be MACH dogs, both are highly competitive, and WILL be MACH dogs. Athena is steadily inching toward that MACH. We are competitive with the areas top dogs.
Having to go back and retrain things for any dog isn't so much the method used as the work the handler puts into that method- how thorough they are, and all things trained must be maintained, regardless of the method used. Any method done well can be successful when the work is put in. It's more up to the individual dog and handler team as far as what works for each. Luring isn't for all. Clicker isn't for all.
I use a combination. There are a lot of things I do train with a clicker, but there are things I will teach with luring, or whatever other method works for me and my dogs. The dumbbell retrieve for competition obedience was something I taught with a clicker... not to mention the dozens of little behaviors I can get Athena to do through getting her to offer behaviors with clicker training. The weave poles however hasn't gone how I'd like with my three dogs needing to learn the weaves... so the combination of the 2x2s with the baskets has produced the best results for my dogs. No, they aren't having to think through how to do the poles entirely on their own, but they are learning to do them, and quite well at that.
I'm not wrong in not shaping the poles. The dogs may not have the choices they do when training strictly with 2x2, but they are learning entries, independence, footwork, and speed in the poles. The desire is so very clearly there. I can stand 20 feet across the yard, send them to the poles, and watch them zip through the poles eagerly. A dog with no desire to do the obstacle isn't going to weave how mine are weaving.
Both of my girls have a love for the game, with speed and drive as well, and there was definitely luring involved. Both dogs enjoy to work with me. We are a team, and while they may not be MACH dogs, both are highly competitive, and WILL be MACH dogs. Athena is steadily inching toward that MACH. We are competitive with the areas top dogs.
Having to go back and retrain things for any dog isn't so much the method used as the work the handler puts into that method- how thorough they are, and all things trained must be maintained, regardless of the method used. Any method done well can be successful when the work is put in. It's more up to the individual dog and handler team as far as what works for each. Luring isn't for all. Clicker isn't for all.
I use a combination. There are a lot of things I do train with a clicker, but there are things I will teach with luring, or whatever other method works for me and my dogs. The dumbbell retrieve for competition obedience was something I taught with a clicker... not to mention the dozens of little behaviors I can get Athena to do through getting her to offer behaviors with clicker training. The weave poles however hasn't gone how I'd like with my three dogs needing to learn the weaves... so the combination of the 2x2s with the baskets has produced the best results for my dogs. No, they aren't having to think through how to do the poles entirely on their own, but they are learning to do them, and quite well at that.
I'm not wrong in not shaping the poles. The dogs may not have the choices they do when training strictly with 2x2, but they are learning entries, independence, footwork, and speed in the poles. The desire is so very clearly there. I can stand 20 feet across the yard, send them to the poles, and watch them zip through the poles eagerly. A dog with no desire to do the obstacle isn't going to weave how mine are weaving.
