that obsess about running contacts.
But in my quest for a healthier, safer A-Frame for Wicca I am one of those people. I think about how, and why, and just general thoughts like every second of the day almost. I want and need for Wicca to understand that THIS is different from what she has been doing for five years.
It's a challenge- but last night we made some serious headway.
She was running off with no hesitation.
No worried glances back at me wondering if she was doing the right thing.
Diving through the hoop like a pro.
What's the difference?
A change in the order of the words. I kid you not. I started this adventure with "Okay, Run." Okay being the magic word that says you can go now. Run being the word I want her to learn means run off without stopping. My plan was to fade the okay.
I had it backwards. Yesterday I thought about it almost all day (seriously, I am obsessed) and decided to try changing the order.
"Run, Okay."
And it did the trick. The new word, followed by the old one. Say them together often enough and the dog will learn the new word. (Much like "table, down" when first teaching the table. We always combine it until the dog is offering the down and then we fade the down) I think in this case by hearing her release word (okay) last she is sure that she is making the right choice. Where-as before she was doubting herself when she heard the new word after her release. i could be wrong of course, and it just appears that the word change did the trick, but in actual fact maybe she is just getting it.
Whatever the reason, I am pretty happy with how things are going.
I finally remembered to bring the hoop home so plan to work on it every day.
I never thought I'd be one of those people that obsess about running contacts......
manymuddypaws; a blog about dogs, training, dog sports, life, and pretty pictures too...
6 comments:
i think it is that she is just getting it - and your rewarding and marking it is better. not sure you really need the hoop unless you are worried about her jumping which she isn't. it isn't the hoop that has made the change, it again is your marking and rewarding the behaviour you are wanting. what exactly is the hoop's purpose at this point? it isn't teaching her to run, the other things you are doing are.
yes similar to table, and like your BOTTOM, OK.
the problem as you know is where you are marking the ok - too soon or too late - the problem with the running contact, where to mark. she has to know that RUN isn't a new word for BOTTOM - which you are making sure of by picking her up if she stops.
if she doesn't know what run means (which she probably doesn't 100%), all you are doing is quick releasing, because she knows what OK means ... you have quick released in the past ... but that said, she GETS what that means, which will make this process easier.
i think you should ditch the hoop. that's all i have to say about that.
i disagree- I need the hoop to ensure she is running all the way off and low. Once she is understanding more about the hoop and her job I am going to place the hoop farther off the contact- so she HAS to run all the way down and not jump off. Right now she is just learning the hoop- which is why I finally brought it home- she needs to practice just the hoop by itself a bit more...
you know as well as I do that she is a give an inch take a mile dog and it needs to be crystal clear to her what her job is.
by using the hoop- RUN will not be a release word- it is a behaviour- run to the bottom and off. That is why I need the hoop. Without it- then yes, my Run is just a quick release. But that's not what I want.
amanda *not wendy
OK I see, 'cause right now it seems like you are doing step 3 before step 1 - the cart before the horse ....
or in this case the cue before the understanding since you are already having her on the frame ... and the hoop understanding isn't there yet ... but what she is responding to is YOU and body and toy etc you even said it was a lure that way.
that's all.
if you are still breaking it down more, then great!!!!! use the hoop!! just from my observations, it didn't seem like she needed it, she wasn't running because the hoop was there, she was running because of your release.
i taught gyp that way first to as you know, but she didn't know anything at that point, so the hoop was useful to help her be low. i just can't see wicca jumping because your timing is always pretty good!
you aren't going to screw her up!!!!!!! OK i'm done obsessing about it .. I'll leave that up to you :)
you are right- the understanding isn't there. which is why i brought the hoop home. she is learning. but for now she still needs be doing frames at trials and at classes- so the freakin' hoop might as well be there...the more she sees it the better...it will all tie in...eventually...
LOL, welcome to the Obsessed-With-Running-Contacts Club, glad you joined! :)
Lots of improvement with Wicca's running AF every time I read, that's really great. I bet she'll be running it at trials before you know it.
~Nat
What does the hoop look like? IOW, what's it made out of, how would I make one ... if you don't mind taking time to spell it out.
thanks,
--gay and paikea
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