My dog has speed......

[Caro]

oh I like this idea?
I think my mind is too slow for my dog... omg so I am a Velcro human with a slow mind..oh boy

Sounds just like me!

If Tully has too much speed I get her to wait before entering the weaves, but only intermittently now. I was doing it more often but she got into a habit zooming ahead then waiting at the 3rd weave.

The thing we do most now is I use clear hand signals and direct her to the weaves from a longer distance. If I send her to the weaves when we are close she will often miss the first weave, when we are at a distance she sees that first pole. When I send her I hold my arm away from my body if the entry is on the far side and close to my body if the entry is on my side. I also have to say 'weave' at the 10th pole because she often pops out and wants to go to the next obstacle (plus it keeps me from pulling her off the weaves unintentionally)

 

[k9kreationz]

Something I wanted to comment on in response to your last post about the weaves...I think that the problem you're talking about, at least in regards to blowing past the weaves, really really exemplifies the pitfalls of a velcro dog.

Bentley does this a lot too. In my opinion, it's because of his lack of obstacle focus. I can say it early enough, but the problem is that he's focusing on me, and not on driving ahead to the weaves. I think this will improve as you work on distance, and confidence.

I completely agree. I know the first run we did that night, he blew past them because from the tunnel to jump, he went straight, but from jump to weaves, he looked at me and pulled into me. Ugh! The idea of what the woman was doing, was forcing the dog to LOOK for the obstacle. Granted, they're supposed to, but we all know how much that works at times, lol.

 

[k9kreationz]

It's hard to know without seeing exactly, but everyone I know that runs really fast dogs, uses decel cues for tight entries to obstacles. I attended an entire seminar with Nancy Gyes (AKC World Team Coach) on nothing but acceleration and deceleration. That said, your trainer is there and it could be decels aren't appropriate for you and Kojii.

I'll be honest. I'm sure my decel cues really aren't cues. lol. I'm working on them. But typically, when I decel, Koji pretty much stops and pulls into me to say, "what are we doing mom? why we stopping?" darn velcro part. I mean, we did teach him if I stop, you stop. But sheesh. Yeah. I think that's a distance thing too. He needs to learn that if I'm only slowing down, and not stopping, he's not supposed to come running to me.

I'm starting to realize how many things are either intertwined, or directly related to distance.

 

[Silaria]

Training distance is definitely NOT easy. I've been working on distance, "go" and "out", for a year now and have only really achieved a distance of 10 - 15 foot but its not consistent.

My club just started offering a class on Distance Handling. It's shown me what I DIDN'T know about distance work and give me more stuff to work on. While this is a good thing, its also a bit frustrating. Edan is one of the better performing dogs in the class though because we HAVE BEEN working on distance for a year.

Clean Run magazine has an article in this month's issue on Distance work. If you don't subscribe to the magazine (which I HIGHLY recommend if you are involved in agility), you can order just the August 2010 issue in Print, http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2547&ParentCat=565, or Digital, http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2548&ParentCat=566. (I personally prefer Print since I can take it with me anywhere and read it any time.)

 

[k9kreationz]

Clean Run had an article? I must've missed it. Must check it out (I am a subscriber). I think the hard thing is....I need space. I'm thinking about finding a way to go practice at the park by my house, without getting in trouble. I hate to practice with him on a long lead, but may have to. At home, he can get in about 6-7 feet, but even that, like you said, seems to take time. He forgets fast and doesn't want to leave. Sigh. So much work.

 

[Lovely]

Try a recreation facility near you. Sometimes they have soccer/football fields fenced in. Avoid game times and practices and no one will say anything.

Then again, I haven't the guts to play off-lead even in the fences yet. I'm afraid a ranger is going to yell at me. Hehe... so much for advice.

 

[Silaria]

Clean Run had an article? I must've missed it. Must check it out (I am a subscriber).

Yup! Its in the August 2010 edition, page 24. There's also an article on NADAC's Weavers Class.

I think the hard thing is....I need space. I'm thinking about finding a way to go practice at the park by my house, without getting in trouble. I hate to practice with him on a long lead, but may have to. At home, he can get in about 6-7 feet, but even that, like you said, seems to take time. He forgets fast and doesn't want to leave. Sigh. So much work.

I tried using that excuse with my distance class instructor.

You know what she told me.. send him around the dinning room table; set up chairs and use those to practice holding him out between two points; send him around trees while out for a walk, etc.

Darn those instructors for thinking outside the box.

What I've been doing every day is telling him to "go" from where the container is for his food to his designated spot for eating. Those two locations are about 20 foot apart from one another. I'll also stand in the hallway and 'send' him to his bed in our room with "go bed" or "go to your bed". (It helps that he knows what "bed" means.) Every little bit helps.

While these two things aren't directly related to agility, what it does teach him is "go" means run forward, away from me and do something.

 

[corbinam]

Yup! Its in the August 2010 edition, page 24. There's also an article on NADAC's Weavers Class.



I tried using that excuse with my distance class instructor.

You know what she told me.. send him around the dinning room table; set up chairs and use those to practice holding him out between two points; send him around trees while out for a walk, etc.

Darn those instructors for thinking outside the box.

What I've been doing every day is telling him to "go" from where the container is for his food to his designated spot for eating. Those two locations are about 20 foot apart from one another. I'll also stand in the hallway and 'send' him to his bed in our room with "go bed" or "go to your bed". (It helps that he knows what "bed" means.) Every little bit helps.

While these two things aren't directly related to agility, what it does teach him is "go" means run forward, away from me and do something.

We started teaching distance with Lexi fairly early. We started teaching her to run around a chair in the yard that was away from us just like Silaria mentioned. I was able to get almost to the other side of the yard (20 feet?). I then added a jump to the other side of the chair, and she had no problem.

We had such success, that I started using it for Bentley. I then traded the chair out for a jump, and he consistently ran around (past) the jump! I had to stop, because technically I was previously rewarding him for running around the far side of the chair. He felt the same must be expected for the new "obstacle", the jump.

 

[Caro]

You could try the flyball exercises for teaching a dog to drive ahead and away from you. We teach the dogs that running away from you is just as rewarding as being with you.

A lot of teaching the drive away in flyball uses restrained releases with energy. Eg, restrained recalls over jumps (where the person releasing says 'go'), get the dog really revved up too before releasing. Or hold on to your dog, talk to them to get them revved up, throw a ball or fave toy and say 'go' and release - and you can turn it into a game and play it anywhere. We still play the 'go' game, although I dont have to restrain them now, I just say 'wait' in a slow revving up tone (with Tully I can also say 'ready' but Deska gets too excited and runs on ready). Once they get the 'go' game you can get to the point where the dog will go over several jumps to get the ball (or toy) when you say 'go'.

I am currently using the 'go' game to get Tully to drive through the weaves without me moving. Only problem is when she gets close to the ball at the end she pops out to get it. Going to try a treat pouch at the end next class.

 

[k9kreationz]

I just read the article. Ugh. I don't think Koji know what 1) personal space is and 2) what pressure means. LOL. Although, I do have a story.....

I have been using him to go around the table to "get out" to a jump then "go on" around our kitchen table to take another jump. He tends to pattern fast, however, it does help a lot. I'll need to work on the "go" onto the bed. He likes that. Thanks for the "out of the box" non-excuse ideas. Too many quotes? Sorry.

I should try it outside, since he's not as focused out there. Love the "go around a tree" bit.