Working 'lines'

A

Ania

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I paid for a private lesson today to mainly work on our 2x2's. That went really well and I got a lot of great information on what I was doing wrong.

But the best part of this short lesson was that I found out something else that I need to work on with Maia, and didn't even know it! She does not know how to stay on her line! She comes off towards me!!! Here's the sinario:

picture a dog walk, and to the right of the dog walk is a straight tunnel and then the wall of the building. On the same line as the straight tunnel, at the end of the dog walk decline, is a jump. So if the dog takes the tunnel and you do not call them to you but are running straight, parallel to the dog walk, the dog should continue on her line from the tunnel to the jump. Well, miss Maia, each and every time would cut under the dog walk or jump onto the decline and over the dog walk to me! She would not take the jump at all even if she was right infront of it.

So my question to all of you, is this, since I do not have an instructor, how do I work and teach Maia to stay on her line unless I call her off of it???
 
I have that problem too, but that's because Koji is a velcro dog (always wants to come in to me). Granted, there's upsides to it, but like you saw, it can be difficult when you want them to go straight.

Can't wait to hear the responses. :)
And I too need to work on it.
 
Teaching Maia to be more independent with distance work will help with her staying on her line. That's something green velcro dogs typically do. Teaching her go on will help. You can do that with a cone. Put it a foot or so out to start with, take a step in and tell her go on. As she gets it, gradually increase the amount of distance she has to go out on her own to go around the cone.
 
Ania, I have walked/ not run, jog just walk next to bunch of varied jumps/ with Che around jumps, when I walk near the jump and it is in his path he has to take it. I would initially throw food on landing site as soon as he commits to jump. I ended up with very obstacle oriented dog- if it in his path, he will jump and go and go...
For one I would suggest build value for the jump itself. Then set obstacles in a row and run next to them, then 1 foot away, then 2 feet- whatever Maya can do...
It is blind leading blind advice thoug... take it for what it worth...
I have Linda M book on Jumping where she suggests never use treats on landing site but I think one has to judge what works for you and your dog. Am sure if you have terriers it migth take hundreds of repetitions and then of course dog will be watching for treats and not handlers body language... with Sheltie it does not take more than few tries to get the message so not a problem...
 
We have a similar problem with Bentley, and a somewhat similar problem with Lexi.

One thing that you can do is to teach go on. We use targets, but it's the same idea that Stacey posted.

Also, one thing that Stuart Mah mentioned is that a handler should be able to run a straight line, and the dog should pick up every jump in front of them, even if they are slightly askew, and not quite in line. My dogs definitely aren't good at this. You start with the jumps in a straight line, then you angle one slightly, then even more, then another...etc. etc..
 
Good for you for private lesson! I bet it was fun!!?
Yes I am working on that right now.. among many other things, LOL
I agree with Stacey, I use go and outstretched arm, feet facing in the direction I want him to go.
Interestingly enough lately in class I realized when I say any command it brings him off his line towards me... So out came again the invisible tape my trainer preaches about... And the next run worked well... just my feet pointing forwards and arm kept up...

You know what REALLY worked lately with trying to get distance from Toffee? Throwing his favorite squeaky ball as a reward when he goes ahead of me and stayed on the line. That dog LOVES that squeaky ball, lol ... to the point of me having to reign him in because it's a balance I am trying to find right now for us ... Because with that distance came a sloppiness, LOL he focused on the ball play only ... and then he keeps hollering at me for not throwing it quicker!!

SO, I now I do a lot more circle work with treats and stopped with ball reward, except for working on the line.
 
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