The agility thread

When I did an agility taster day with my old dog (he did really well until he got tired/bored, removed a pole and started parading around with it in his mouth) the trainer (who also does IGP) was using place boxes/mats, similar to what we would do to train retrieves and jumps, the dog is rewarded for staying in/on the place, feeding in or on the place, even if line pressure is applied to try and pull the dog out/off the place, the dog must stay until told otherwise, go back and feed or reward or whatever. And randomly interspersing with explosive release and reward so that they do not want to stay there forever ;) timing is the major problem as we are predictable humans, we usually always do the same thing at the same time, in the same order, and the dog learns this.
This is trained separately, before we even went near the jumps, then box to box or mat to mat, small elements then put together.
 
I haven't maintained a wait with the small one (I fling him round the back, he likes to chase and I'm faster than him!) but I'm in the throes of startlines now with the large one. My rule is that I always reward in place or after asking for an alternative behaviour and never reward for a release over a jump.

Today she will be sitting while I raise and lower my drive arm (go back and feed), jog a few paces (go back and feed), star jumps, tying my shoelace, speaking to her etc (go back and feed) and then I'll call her to me away from the jump and produce a ball to finish the exercise. You can ask for alternative behaviours too - I don't teach my dogs to spin but asking for a left or right spin is common, or a change of position, hand touch, send them back to a dead toy behind them etc. The goal is to take the anticipation out of it - that being sat in front of a jump should be no sure indication that you're going to be released to hare-arse over it every time.
 
blackcob said:
Today she will be sitting while I raise and lower my drive arm (go back and feed), jog a few paces (go back and feed), star jumps, tying my shoelace, speaking to her etc (go back and feed) and then I'll call her to me away from the jump and produce a ball to finish the exercise.
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do you do this where the general public can see? 😆
 
We had a good day on Friday at Cornwall, placed (at the bottom of the line, but then I look at all the E’s below me) in jumping, E in helterskelter because I missed a jump, otherwise we would have been highest placed G1, and E in agility but a good run.

Tomorrow I have my second Lee Windeatt training session!
 
Nettle the one I lost recently had an awesome wait in fact sometimes she'd rather wait than go. Pebs sort of waits I set her further back to give me more time. In an ideal world yes would do more practice, but the reality is I don't much 🙄. We have a comp on Saturday so will see how we get on. Need a clear agility win.....that's all 😂😂
 
MurphysMinder said:
Covid put an end to any hope I had of Pickle going from Grade 6 to 7, he was 9 at the start of 2020 so would have been a vital year. I agree about needing younger legs, I've been at a UKA show today, lovely big rings but I think it was maximum distance between every obstacle , nearly killed me! We've lost a lot of local KC shows here too, but luckily there have been a lot more UKA shows locally and I really enjoy them, my little guy can run at 250 and just those few cms lower make a big difference to him. I like the progression system too.
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Were you at k9 brats?
 
Mynstrel said:
I feel your pain, the rings there are huge! We were at agillidogz, that's a nice unaffiliated show if you ever you feel the urge, works off the same rules as UKA.
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Thought it would be the huge rings that gave it away. I was at agillidogz on the Saturday, last minute decision just went for the agility class. I agree it's a lovely show, shame it clashed with K9Brats.
 
Is there anybody in the South Yorkshire/North Lincolnshire are? Me and Bandit are going to a UKA show next week at Calmer in Barrow Haven.
 
Well I went to watch @Spotherisk and Rew compete yesterday, they were just up the road from me.
I’ve never been to an agility competition before and have only ever seen it on Crufts.
I take my hat off to you all, it is so hard! Enthusiasm tempered with obedience and skill. I was really impressed.
And I decided I’d stick to making Labradors pick things up, much easier to train!
I’ve added a photo of Rew here, I hope that’s ok with @Spotherisk
 

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Errin Paddywack said:
It is hard but the buzz you get when you start to work in harmony with your dog is fabulous. I've been doing it since 1999 and no intention of stopping any time soon.
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Watching Rew checking in (as in the pic) was great. And he’s a whippety thing which I assume is far harder than a spaniel.
Collies were just too insane… like someone opened the asylum doors…
 
I tip my hat to people who train sighthounds successfully, I think you have to do a lot more work to get them focussed on you than the horizon. With breeds like collies they are at least hardwired to work as a partnership with humans so although they may look crazy that part of the battle is done for you. Spaniels are very sensitive little souls and can fall apart if the handler isn't on it so they're not as easy as you may think either. We have a wcs and although I love him to bits I'm not sure I'd want to train one because of that, my collies don't not give a stuff so long as they get to have a go but the other week hubby was limping and the wcs had meltdown of I must be useless that we still aren't fully over.
 
Clodagh said:
Well I went to watch @Spotherisk and Rew compete yesterday, they were just up the road from me.
I’ve never been to an agility competition before and have only ever seen it on Crufts.
I take my hat off to you all, it is so hard! Enthusiasm tempered with obedience and skill. I was really impressed.
And I decided I’d stick to making Labradors pick things up, much easier to train!
I’ve added a photo of Rew here, I hope that’s ok with @Spotherisk
Click to expand...

Don’t mind at all, wouldn’t mind a video either (given up caring)!
 
We had our Independent finals the other weekend. Was bittersweet as my old girl I recently lost won her league and I did shed a tear collecting her award 😢. I blame the emotion for being rubbish for the rest of the day with The Little One. In the finals she acted like she had never seen weaves before even though the entry wasn't too bad 🙄 but flew the rest for a 2nd. Then in the jumping we absolutely flew and I was buzzing as I came out. Only for everyone to say oh what a shame.....oh no I'd missed out a jump! What a plonker and she'd run her little heart out. Next up a triple A and she was a little star 🌟 despite me and we nailed that. Then ended the day with another fat E ...my fault too fat too unfit dropped my hand and so she said oh ok I'll come to you...then back jumped. Hopefully we'll do better at KC on Sat but I won't hold my breath! Still I have a perfect excuse as out on a birthday bash the night before 😂
 
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