Need some DW feedback

Sealtainn said:
I agree that Koji's contact at the end of the dw was *not* anything to get worked up about. Yes he moved quicker on the upramp than down -- for stopped contacts that is typical. His stride changes while on the middle plank -- also not uncommon for stopped contact dogs.
He is slowing significantly on the down ramp, but it looks to me like he is *trying* to do what he thinks you have trained him to do: it appears that he is looking for the end of the ramp, & if he has a 4o the teeter, well is it really an issue if he is consistent on the dw - you say you released him: looking at this video his "bounce" off is immediately after you took a single step (accel forward motion) but then *you* decel'd by stopping momentarily.
I suspect if instead you continued motion forward without the pause after the single step then Koji would have more confidently driven forward.

So, just looking at this single instance I say Koji's contact work was not bad at all & he was responding to your (intentional or not) cue appropriately.
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All good points. In all honesty, no, the stopping early doesn't really bother me, but at this point in our DW training, I don't want to allow his behavior to break down. I wouldn't mind it if we were consistent for a year, if that makes any sense.

As for me going then stopping then going, omg, I don't even realize I do things like that. I just started putting in a "quick release", so we're not there yet, it's probably why I "stutter" still. He also boinged off the DW this weekend too. I mean, he stopped, then boing. It's cute, but yeah, for now, just not a behavior I want.

One day, I'll be able to run, run past to catch up, get into position and release him all as he's striding, slowing, stopping, and then going again. ;) One day.

Thanks though. Sometimes it's nice to hear that what he's doing is okay.
I really am proud of him even running half the DW in strides. He used to just trot across. I think when he gets more confident in his 2o2o and with me and my crazy handling (read that as "bad handling), he'll pick up more speed towards the second half.
 
corbinam said:
Yes, I agree. I meant to say this in my first post but forgot! If I let Lexi get away with missing the criteria, she'd outsmart me and push farther and farther until we had no criteria at all. Bentley thinks and works differently, and becomes unmotivated if he doesn't get it right after a few tries.
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Yup. I think right now, I can't let up at all. I started working with him and the target again. I have to laugh, I can't get more than 5 feet away from it before he starts offering me other behaviors, instead of touching the target. So strange. Baby steps. Tonight is class. I'm going to use the target again to get him to drive to it and also to remind him to stop 2o2o.

Koji likes to forget things and do what he wants. He sounds like Lexi. It's why my 4-on contacts got so out of hand. And my start line stay (he's only broken it once in all this time, since retraining it, yay!!!)
 
ortegah said:
Trax ain't all that, I guarantee you. He's a great dog, but at the end of the day he's only as good as his handler ;)

The target though made all the difference in the world. I really think it helped him "get it" and taught him that I can't always be there and when I'm not he still has to do his job.
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Koji here: What do you mean I have a job? Isn't my job to run fast and jump everything. Trax is family, therefore he's definitely "all that".
 
well, we think Koji looks good.
Cranberry did the most amazing running contact this evening. He was running/playing with Dixie and another dog and the other dog ran between the DW and the fence, Dix was this side of the DW and Cran ran up the DW all the way across and all the way down full speed. It was beautiful. I want to know how to replicate that......:eek2::yes:
 
Wanted to update everyone. I discussed this with my trainer a bit. She said to whip out that target plate. She believes he's stopping because I want him to do so on the teeter. We put a target at the end of the teeter and he'd drive to it, then fall off. LOL. I told her, "that's why I had him do a 4-on, I never wanted him to walk into a 2o2o, but he does".

So, she said it's time to remind him what he's supposed to be doing on the DW. Target plates came out for everything, lol. I still need to work on him driving to the end of the DW w/o me being in front of him or at the side. But once the target plates came out, he was back on track.

Yup, looks like I'll be doing a quick run through of what the DW criteria is. And working a lot more with the target.

Question. For those that use it, what is your DW command (for the end criteria)? Is it "touch"? Or something else? I was worried about using touch, because he associates that with a hand or target plate (no matter what). I was just wondering how you went from using a target, to no target with drive still.

Thanks.
 
k9kreationz said:
Question. For those that use it, what is your DW command (for the end criteria)? Is it "touch"? Or something else? I was worried about using touch, because he associates that with a hand or target plate (no matter what). I was just wondering how you went from using a target, to no target with drive still.
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I use the command "target". When we started training, I already trained a "touch" which meant to push his nose into my hand. To avoid confusing the two behaviors, we used target instead of touch.

Other commands I've heard for a target are 'hit it', 'spot', 'get it', and 'mark'.
 
Dogwalk

I use "Touch" for all my contacts.It doesn't confuse my guys at all.When people tell my dog to shake hands I tell them they do not know that but use the word Touch and they will do it so for me it doesn't confuse them.I hear people use bottom, point,feet, target,touch,hit it.The other day one of my trainers was using the word yellow for a running contact along with the manners minder.
 
k9kreationz said:
Wanted to update everyone. I discussed this with my trainer a bit. She said to whip out that target plate. She believes he's stopping because I want him to do so on the teeter. We put a target at the end of the teeter and he'd drive to it, then fall off. LOL. I told her, "that's why I had him do a 4-on, I never wanted him to walk into a 2o2o, but he does".

So, she said it's time to remind him what he's supposed to be doing on the DW. Target plates came out for everything, lol. I still need to work on him driving to the end of the DW w/o me being in front of him or at the side. But once the target plates came out, he was back on track.

Yup, looks like I'll be doing a quick run through of what the DW criteria is. And working a lot more with the target.

Question. For those that use it, what is your DW command (for the end criteria)? Is it "touch"? Or something else? I was worried about using touch, because he associates that with a hand or target plate (no matter what). I was just wondering how you went from using a target, to no target with drive still.

Thanks.
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Sounds like you two are coming along! I just used the word target in the beginning of teaching the target but later just waited for him to offer the behavior of going over and putting his nose on the target. But when I put it at the end of a contact, I still used contact and put a treat on the target so he'd stop and eat the treat. It seemed to work for us.
 
Thanks for the feedback about how you guys used the target. I've been working on him targeting for the past week or so. When did I start this thread? LOL. I've gotten him to get further away from me, but he still likes to bark at me when it's just a bit too far. I figure our range is only 10' right now but working on it. :)

Lots of little things to train. AUGH!
 
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