Cheryl I am so sorry that your having such a hard time with Koji.
I don't have any experience with agility as I have not trialed long enough to have things break down but I have tons experience with it in obedience. Jstice went though 2 major training issues the first with his sit stays where he would lay down on the out of sight sits(NQ) a couple times after I had only taking 2 steps. It lasted 6 months. The second with scent articles, he won't bring the metal article back even though he would indicate it. It last 4 months. Both issues only occur at trials. At the time of sit stay issue, he already had his UOCH, Can OTCH and needed only 1 leg for his UDX and when the article issue occur he was 5 combined legs from his UGOCH and 2 legs from his UDX2. It was SO frustrating because I knew he knew what to do and wasn't doing it.
Things I learned:
1) stop trialing- I kept trialing with the sit stay and it got worse and worse. For the point that it was 30 secs before I would return to right after I had left and was still in the ring. He laid down in every Open run for 6 months.
2) go back and break the exercise down like you are just starting to teach it. Reward small steps and build it back up. It doesn't take as long because they know what to do it just messed up in their minds. Have what behavior you want in mind and reward only that do not accept close enough behaviors from even the beginning of your reteaching.
3) Proof- once you have retaught the behavior vary your behavior so that the dog learns to pay attention. So for example with a stay. I would leave walk a few steps and go back and reward, leave at a run instead of a walk. Go out and do jumping jacks, play with a toy or ball, play with another dog, acts like you are going to call them , lower your shoulders, jerk, wave your arms. Anything you can think of to test that stay. If they stay reward(in agility let him run), if they break replace them. I don't use any corrects other then replacing them. I don't want them stressing out but I don't want them to decide they don't have to stay, go or stop what they are doing when I don't want them to..
4)When you do start trialing again, don't stress over them not doing something. You trained hard, let what happens happen. I used to get so mad(internally) when Justice would lay down and that added to his stress about doing the exercise. Seemed everytime I worried about Justice not doing something, he would do the very thing I was worried about. I learned alot of these issues that occur only at trials is due to stress and we are doing something to change our handling and confusing the dog or the dog is feeling extra pressure from us to preform and its freaking them out. Fun matches or run and dones are great places to see how you are doing without actually trailing. Treat them like a real trail but you can train if something goes amiss.
5) Get physical problems rule out. Both of these issues started with Justice as physical problems. First he had thrown out his lower back and sitting hurt. CHiropractor fixed it but the aviodance/learned behavior remained because he had been left to practice it without conquences so long at a trial. Second time it was a tooth issue and the metal hurt. Again learned he didn't have to pick up the metal article because I let him "get away with it" In practice if he brought the wrong one I would have sent him back for the right one. In a trial I didn't so the behavior continued.
I hope this helps. I know its not agility but training is training. Behaviors breakdown the same.
