Sequence / Course Maps and Training Help

take4roll10

take4roll10

Moderator
Hello there agility folks! I have some questions for you...

First, is there a website that posts training sequences or course maps? I've been renting out our training hall once a week to practice with Bailey. I think I'm doing a less than satisfactory job making up my own sequences. It would really help us if there was site I could go to and just download novice course maps or training sequences.

Also, when I practice alone with Bailey in the training hall, she thinks it's a game and doesn't want to listen to me. While practicing sequences I put together, she'll run ahead of me and take whatever equipment she wants and ignore equipment I tell her to do. Then when I try to get her to start over from the beginning, she'll run away and won't respond to any recall commands. Is it because she has too much energy and just wants to play? Should I tire her out before we practice? She can be such a terror sometimes!
 
Randi, there are a few websites that I can think of:

http://agilitynerd.com/blog/
http://budhouston.wordpress.com/

And to be honest, our club posts course maps from our last trial. Might be a good place to get some real starters course maps:

http://www.lowcountrydogagility.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=228482&module_id=64583

If Bailey runs ahead of you on a sequence, immediately turn and go the opposite direction, running your "perfect dog". At some point, Bailey will wonder where you are, why you aren't following her. If she comes back to you, keep telling your "perfect dog" what to do. If Bailey eventually does what you ask, reward her, even if it wasn't the original sequence that you had in mind. She needs to learn that the obstacles themselves will not lead to a reward--it's the obstacles that you ask her to take.

Are you using high value rewards? Apparently for her running around like crazy is more rewarding that what you have. Can you start by just asking her for simple tasks, just to get her working? Just have her sit and then release her over one jump--throw a party for her and give her like 100 cookies, even if she knows how to do that. You have to make doing what you ask her to do more fun that her choosing what to do.
 
Ashley, thanks for the websites and thank you for the awesome advice!

So, when Bailey takes off and I run in the opposite direction, do I give her a treat for turning around and following me?

The treats I use are zuke's mini salmon, freeze dried liver and turkey hot dogs. I usually take all 3 with me.
 
take4roll10 said:
So, when Bailey takes off and I run in the opposite direction, do I give her a treat for turning around and following me?
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When you are running in the opposite direction, ask your "perfect dog" to take some obstacles, tunnel, jump, etc...essentially create your own sequence. If Bailey comes with you, and THEN does an obstacle, stop and reward her.
 
Here are a few sites with course maps I can think of:

Actual course maps used in trials (various venues): http://agilitycoursemaps.com/Home.aspx

Box Course skill practice: http://agilitycourses.com/courses/box/create/


When I am teaching my Agility 100 class and the dogs start to get excited, I take a timeout to work on obedience skills such as sit and down stays, self-control exercises, and similar things that require a different sort of attention. I know you said she stops listening to you; when that happens, all "play" stops. Sit down on the floor and ignore her until she settles.

Do you take her to the training still hungry? If not, try feeding her less or not at all prior to the training session. Hungry dogs will sometimes pay better attention.
 
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Silaria said:
When I am teaching my Agility 100 class and the dogs start to get excited, I take a timeout to work on obedience skills such as sit and down stays, self-control exercises, and similar things that require a different sort of attention. I know you said she stops listening to you; when that happens, all "play" stops. Sit down on the floor and ignore her until she settles.

Do you take her to the training still hungry? If not, try feeding her less or not at all prior to the training session. Hungry dogs will sometimes pay better attention.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried practicing obedience when she is uncontrollable. Last week, I did try ignoring her until she settled down. I walked out of the training room and into the area where the crates are and closed the door. I stayed there for about a minute, but it didn't seem to help. Maybe I need to try it for longer than a minute.

I always feed her breakfast which is around 8am. I usually go to the training hall between 2-5pm. It all depends on my schedule that day. I feed her dinner when we get home.
 
I'd work on a couple of exercises.
1 Start by calmly walking around a course, and ask her to take what is in front of her. Reward her for taking each obstacle.
2 Again walk calmly around the course, this time asking her to take some obstacles, and other times just going past the obstacle. If she isn't asked to take the obstacle, she isn't to take it.
3 Then I would walk calmly around again, stopping a good distance from the obstacle, and rewarding her stopping with you. Gradually increase how close you get to the obstacle before stopping.
4 Combine the above, sometimes asking her to take obstacles, sometimes stopping and rewarding her for not taking it, and somestimes just going around an obstacle with her not taking it because you didn't ask her to.
She needs to learn to take what is asked of her, and to listen to your instructions. It sounds like maybe she is a little green, and is perhaps confused as to what her job is.
What types of courses are you doing, and how long are they generally? I would for the time being keep the sequences short and simple. Say... have five jumps in a circle. Have her do it, praise, treat. Simplifying it, and making sure she does her job by providing her with something she can easily excel at should help. By giving short, easy sequences, you are giving her more of a chance to succeed, and do what you ask, and less chance to do as she pleases.
Bailey sounds a lot like my Ember, who is extremely green, extremely game, and extremely fast. She will get ahead, and because she doesn't fully understand her job yet, or what to do when I'm not right there, will go off on a tangent, taking whatever is there. We are currently working on a lot of short sequencing, focusing on her taking what is asked of her, and setting her up to be successful.
 
HopeShelties said:
I'd work on a couple of exercises.
1 Start by calmly walking around a course, and ask her to take what is in front of her. Reward her for taking each obstacle.
2 Again walk calmly around the course, this time asking her to take some obstacles, and other times just going past the obstacle. If she isn't asked to take the obstacle, she isn't to take it.
3 Then I would walk calmly around again, stopping a good distance from the obstacle, and rewarding her stopping with you. Gradually increase how close you get to the obstacle before stopping.
4 Combine the above, sometimes asking her to take obstacles, sometimes stopping and rewarding her for not taking it, and somestimes just going around an obstacle with her not taking it because you didn't ask her to.
She needs to learn to take what is asked of her, and to listen to your instructions. It sounds like maybe she is a little green, and is perhaps confused as to what her job is.
What types of courses are you doing, and how long are they generally? I would for the time being keep the sequences short and simple. Say... have five jumps in a circle. Have her do it, praise, treat. Simplifying it, and making sure she does her job by providing her with something she can easily excel at should help. By giving short, easy sequences, you are giving her more of a chance to succeed, and do what you ask, and less chance to do as she pleases.
Bailey sounds a lot like my Ember, who is extremely green, extremely game, and extremely fast. She will get ahead, and because she doesn't fully understand her job yet, or what to do when I'm not right there, will go off on a tangent, taking whatever is there. We are currently working on a lot of short sequencing, focusing on her taking what is asked of her, and setting her up to be successful.
Click to expand...

These are some very good tips too! I will probably try this first because it is really simplifying it.

She is a very green dog and I'm a very green handler as well. Bailey is a year and a half and has been taking classes since the summer. This is my first time training for agility, so me and Bailey are learning together.
 
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