It only seemed like yesterday when there was 5 weeks to go to Grace's first show and now there is only 5 days! And am I nervous ......no! I was 5 weeks ago, panicking because she was still only jumping medium and we hadn't really started weaving. So in my panic - for a couple of training sessions I pushed her slightly too much - which for a sighthound is so easy to do. She mastered 6 weaves so easily using the 2x2 method that I introduced another 6 far too quickly and I realised I was luring her through.
Also I filmed her doing a simple jump tunnel sequence - the whole session lasted 4 minutes, including warming up and playing with her and I realised that was 3 1/2 minutes too long! She gave me everything she could for 30 seconds (which hopefully is longer then an agility course) and switched off after that getting slower and slower.
So - my new regime began and we went back to having fun with 6 weaves. She can do these totally independently again, rewarding each set of weaves with food - she actually gobbles up the food as quickly as possible to get back into the weaves. What more could I ask for!? Once she'd done them nicely for a couple of days I've added another 2 and she's now doing 8 just as nicely.
Then each training session since (and there hasn't been many!) has only consisted of a blast round a very small sequence (and a different sequence everytime so she is always learning something new) with someone holding her at the beginning so she has to chase me. Then that was it - she'd play with me or a stolen toy (always much more exciting then her own) and come back out again later to practice smaller things eg contacts or start line waits or maybe one new handling technique - all using a clicker and food and I've realised that I actually love training her. How could I not love that daft goofy personality?!
She just needs training so differently to the collies and I need to go with what she's telling me. I have to reward so much more - basically clicking and treating everything nearly all of the time and things are starting to get better - for example - she is sort of driving onto tunnels now - what an achievement!
I do think she will always be an 'end of my fingertip dog' but who cares, she's who she is, there's 5 days to go so she's not going to actually learn anything between now and then and she can string enough obstacles together to do a small course - I think there's about 15 obstacles in the video below and ----- its the first time she's seen weaves in a course and she did them! Can't wait for her first show!
Also I filmed her doing a simple jump tunnel sequence - the whole session lasted 4 minutes, including warming up and playing with her and I realised that was 3 1/2 minutes too long! She gave me everything she could for 30 seconds (which hopefully is longer then an agility course) and switched off after that getting slower and slower.
So - my new regime began and we went back to having fun with 6 weaves. She can do these totally independently again, rewarding each set of weaves with food - she actually gobbles up the food as quickly as possible to get back into the weaves. What more could I ask for!? Once she'd done them nicely for a couple of days I've added another 2 and she's now doing 8 just as nicely.
Then each training session since (and there hasn't been many!) has only consisted of a blast round a very small sequence (and a different sequence everytime so she is always learning something new) with someone holding her at the beginning so she has to chase me. Then that was it - she'd play with me or a stolen toy (always much more exciting then her own) and come back out again later to practice smaller things eg contacts or start line waits or maybe one new handling technique - all using a clicker and food and I've realised that I actually love training her. How could I not love that daft goofy personality?!
She just needs training so differently to the collies and I need to go with what she's telling me. I have to reward so much more - basically clicking and treating everything nearly all of the time and things are starting to get better - for example - she is sort of driving onto tunnels now - what an achievement!
I do think she will always be an 'end of my fingertip dog' but who cares, she's who she is, there's 5 days to go so she's not going to actually learn anything between now and then and she can string enough obstacles together to do a small course - I think there's about 15 obstacles in the video below and ----- its the first time she's seen weaves in a course and she did them! Can't wait for her first show!