Chace progress...

Chace 'N Brody

Chace is now almost 10 weeks old.... and she's getting bigger - everytime I see someone who knows her the first thing is 'She's grown'!

I know thats what puppies do...but she's growing so fast!

Chace is doing well with her basic training.... she's recalling (when not distracted), sitting, down, touch, and shake.

I'm also starting to work on racing to the toy for agility.

She's great at home with toilet training and in the crate... just not so good away from home yet!

Chace and Brody have an interesting relationship... Brody has told her off once or twice, and now she dosent understand when he wants to play - she thinks he's telling her off again! And when she wants to play with him he ignores her! They will get there in the end though..... Whenever they have been apart they do a waggy tail licking face greeting which is cool.

Chace is doing really well at school - she LOVES all her student buddies, and they love her - she gets cuddles and walks every interval and lunch. She also gets to play with her puppy playmate Nitro!

Obedience Seminar - Kamal Fernandez

Last weekend I went to an Obedience seminar - Training course with Kamal Fernandez.

• You Tube Video of Kamal at Crufts

Brody and I were lucky enough to get one of 10 handling spot, where I could take Brody and work with him during the seminar.

Saturday started with a FREEZING cold start at Ardmore.

The four reasons that you are not getting what you want from a dog

1. Lack of understanding - the dog does not actually understand the task you are asking it to do properly
2. Lack of motivation - the dog is not motivated to do it
3. Lack of Respect - the dog does not respect you
4. Relationship problem - a handler issue.... eg. the dog is a rebound dog, or trying to live up to a previous dog.

I think that Brody definately has a lack of understanding of the things I am asking him to do, and needs more motivation.

The basic ideas were that in training a dog, to get a really motivated excellent dog you should:

• Positive reinforcement (LOTS)
• Clicker training - allow the dog to learn what you want by offering behavior, rather than being lured. A clicker could be an actual click, or clicker word.
• Teaching to dog to be focused on the handler, almost WILLING the handler to notice that it is doing what the handler wants so it can be rewarded.
• The dog should learn to hold a strong heel position, despite distractions or the handler looking away, talking, or doing strange body posture
• The handler should not lead behaviors or nag to heel, or look at the dog... instead reward with a high motivation reward when the dog is doing it well
• Lots of training in the ring is really important e.g. 4:1 training:competition. So your dog isint sure when a reward is coming. The dog thinks the ring is just an awesome place to be, as it gets all these rewards there! Choose what you want to reinforce and have your rewards ready.
• Overtrain what you need in the ring - do 150% more heelwork then you need in the ring, or three retrieve's when you only need one.
• Randomizing where the reward is coming from, and teaching that the dog must do the behavior to get the reward, rather than be lured to follow the treat.
• Reinforcement zone - using where you reward a dog to build importance for that area e.g. the left side for heel work
• Plumbline - the position your dog should hold during heelwork - like a piece of string from you hip down to the ground
• Using lots of hands on tactile work with your dog, to build your relationship and value for interacting with the handler, and desensitize to handlers touch / movements
• Being a 'lumper or a splitter' e.g. breaking an exercise down to lots of very small pieces
• Hierarchy of reinforcement - having a range of rewards, and understanding the importance / value of each for your dog, and using them appropriately.
• NOT naming a behavior / task till you get exactly what you want. Kamal used noises to gain attention rather than asking for things, and rarely used to dogs name. Also just click / reward for a long time until you get your 'finished product' that you can start adding the cue / command to.
• Reward NOT lure. Train the dog that yes. there is a treat in my hand but you only get it for looking at me, not following / nosing the treat. The dog learns that to get the treat / reward he must give the correct behavior.
• Don't 'cheerlead' your dog. If you cant get the attention / work you want in the ring you need to do more training. Your dog should WANT to be in heel, looking at you because you might just look and see him working really hard, and reward him!
• Not all dogs are toy motivated, but you can build this drive. By making the toy more rabbit like (not a half dead three legged rabbit - be exciting and realistic!), putting onto a rope, flicking around etc. Trying different types of toy, incorporating treat into toys to build interest. Even playing with other dogs in-front of your dog. Work over many sessions to build up the interest / drive.
• Food circles - to reward, build drive and interest. Throw a treat out, and encourage the dog back, pull the dog around you and throw another treat out.... You can change so the dogs runs around you, through your legs etc.
• Targeting - teach a dog to hold a nose touch to hand, to use in heel work and maintaining head position.
• Transfer of value - making a little boring thing totally exciting and the best thing ever for your dog because of the rewards / high value you build for it.

Important concepts to consider when teaching new tasks

Proofing - testing your dogs understanding, giving controlled chances to fail so the dog learns

Generalizing - transferring the experience + learning to a new environment

Reinforcement - builds behavior

Kamal used lots of games to build motivation for the dog

• Get the party started

Sit in a chair, somewhere quietly with the dog with you. Suddenly jump up and have a big play with your toy, being super fun and exciting for the dog. Alternatively to playing you could do food circuits. This builds interest in you, and the dog is always looking at you to see is a game is going to start.

• Eye Spy

Stand up with the toy / treat in your hand. Stand still until the dog looks at your face, rather than the treat. Click and reward. Progress by increasing the time the dog must look, then increased time and you looking away. Teaches the dog that he wont get a treat by focusing on the reward, instead is rewarding for giving the handler attention. Encourages the dog to be looking at the handlers face all the time just incase they notice and reward.

• Give us a clue

Stand and without giving any other clues / cues (dont' move your body!) move your hand to the left side in the heel position. Click and reward your dog for any movement towards the left side, and each time ask for a little more movement. Reward on the left hand side to build value for the heel position. If your dog dosent notice your hand, do more eye spy games and you can wiggle your fingers a little.

• Chase the rabbit

Basically running around with the tog (tug toy is best) making it super exciting and fun, the dog tugging and playing with the toy. Make it exciting and not predictable, let the dog win sometimes (unless you have a very dominant dog) to encourage drive for the toy.

• Hit the baby

This is an extension of chase the rabbit..... when your dog is playing / tugging with the toy really well, with your hands touch their face and body. You can add in doing the same with your foot. Desensitizes the dog to touch, and also increases contact/importance with the handler.

• Musical chairs

Ask the dog to do something (sit, spin, down, thought legs....) click, run to your chair and reward the dog. Repeat. Then ask for two things, click and reward. Then do the same, but run to another chai you have set up with rewards..... This can be played with lots of people or on your own, and teaches the dog that it dosent know where its reward is coming from.

• Good Cop Bad cop

Ask the dog to do something with handler (like eye spy), then another person tempts them with a box of treats. The dog dosent get treats from the 'bad cop', who says 'oh no too bad' and pulls the treats out of reach. When the dog looks / returns to the handler it gets clicked and rewarded. Teaches the dog to stay focused on the handler and ignore distractions to be rewarded.

• Catch up

Another person holds the dog in the middle by the collar, and the handler walks in a circle around the outside (left circle) with hand in heel position. Dog is released, and when the dog arrives in the heel position with the handler is clicked and rewarded. Ask for a little more heel work each time, and then can change to right hand circles. Teaches the dog to race into the heel position and it will be rewarded, also good for Test A recalls.

• Beat ya

Hold the dog by the collar, and throw the toy out in front. When the dog is pulling against the collar restraint release and race towards the toy, let the dog win! Builds drive for the dog, and also desensitizes against collar touching / handling.

• food circle

A different way to reward with food to help build drive. Throw a piece of food out in front, and encourage the dog to move fast, and come back. With another piece pull the dog in a circle around you, and throw it back out in front, repeat. Can change to the dog going around the handler, through legs etc.

• Simon Says

How well does your dog actually understand its cues / commands?

1. put your hands at the side, and ask your dog to sit

2. Hands on head, ask your dog to sit

3. hands on hips, ask your dog to sit

4. Hands on knees, ask your dog to sit

You can do this for a number of commands and do all sorts of body / hand positions.... what about when you sit down? Will your dog stand etc. This tests your dogs understanding.

• Push me pull me

For building a stronger heel position, where to dog actively maintains the position ('plumbline'). When the dog has a strong static heel position, start testing by pulling the lead so it pulls the dog out from your hip slightly. As soon as the dog resists the pulling to pull the head back into heel, click and reward. Can add in more active pulling, pushing the shoulder away etc.

I hope my summary of the seminar has been helpful, I will keep everyone posted with how our new training regime is going, and hopefully load some pics / video's from the seminar if I can get them.

Agility weekend away

This weekend Brody and I went on an agility mission to Cambridge and Hamilton. We went down with Debbie and Bailey, and met up with Matilda with Hiska, and Tonka with Molly and Jazz, also Darren and Adam.

Saturday started with a very early morning drive - we left at 5.30am! We arrived at Cambridge far to early, despite the Mystery creek Field days traffic. And surprisingly the weather was actually great, despite a bad

forecast.

Brody and I ran in Jumpers C (knocked a rail because I didnt time it right, and Brody's pacing was wrong), Starters (placing yay!), Novice (missed an up contact), and our first ever AD.

I was really happy with our attempt at AD, as we got much further that I thought. My only goal was to get the see saw, which we did. It was really only me mucking up the cross over that blew it.... But check out the video.

Saturday night Debbie and I drove to Hamilton, and stayed in a great little dog friendly motel (the Abbey travel Lodge) with Tonka and Matilda and all the dogs.

Sunday at WAG was more like the forecast..... very wet and muddy, so not all the pleasant! Tonka started the day in great form - getting the last ADX she needed with Molly to get ADX gold! Wow.

Despite the weather and a tired Brody we managed to get two more ribbons - in Jumpers C and Starters. All in all a great agility weekend.

GC's got talent.... Results!

Well apparently Brody and I have got Talent - we won the most talented teachers award! Yay!

Look out Nationals and NDTA here we come

GC Talent Show

Today Brody and I participated in the schools talent show... GC's got Talent!

It went ok, except that the floor was super slippery (so Brody couldn't do some things properly), I was paranoid that he was going to bolt into all the students, also we ran out of room moving forward in the first part and had to stop and stand there!

All in all it was alright, but I definitely need to do more work, mostly on me dancing better and being more theatrical.

2009 Eukanuba Nationals - Fielding

Last Wednesday Brody and I embarked on a great adventure - our first Nationals. We left in convey with Michelle, Jan, and Janna in two campervans, and made it to Fielding a mere seven hours later.

To our great joy we were to be camping in the event centre's carpark for the week, without power. On the plus side there were half decent toilets and showers pretty close, and the centre where it was all heppening was literally 100m away!

After setting up, and getting settled in it was down to buisness. On the Thursday the first of our group, Michelle was competing with Bodie in the Obedience curtain raiser event. He did very well, despite being a little over prepaired by Jan, with some pretty good heelwork and a nice recall and retrieve. Pity it was out in the carpark with a cone boundry rope!

Then I had my first glimpse into the strange world of Breed shows..... We ventured into the centre, and started wandering. After visiting the stalls, and checking out all the food stalls, I settled down to watch the breed shows. After a week I still dont really know how it works, it was definately an experience. The thing that got me the most was the amount of dogs that peed and pooped in the ring! And also the crazy costumes they were put in to keep their fur nice between shows... And I though obedience people were weird! (Just kidding).

Then came Friday.... The big day!! Friday night the Paws 'N Music event was held in the main

ring, in the centre. Scary! Michelle and I were competing with Brody and Moss, and Jan was judging, so a big day for our group. After a day of nerves it was time for the big event. The show started at 7pm, and I was 7th in the elementary group. Over 500 tickets had been pre-sold, and two big grandstands were full. I was SSOOOO nervous!

But it went great, despite some dubious practice in the corridor beforehand.

My new imporved part of the routine (with human props Kelly and Michelle) went great, he was totally focused! Just a little coughing incident, and a few bits that were not as well timed as I would like, but he hit all his tricks. Michelle and Moss's routine was in Novice, and she was competing against Chelsea Mariner, with a very different type of routine. And it went great, and Moss mostly behaved.

And then the prizegiving..... So nervous! My main goal was that Brody get all his tricks, and I would like to place. And then we won!!!! Yay I was SO happy! ANd to make it better, Ngaire with Risky got third (another Choredography dog). And Michelle and Moss won Novice! What a great night, Jan was so proud!

And of course, true to form, Brody slipped his collar and bolted... running through the crowds to dash into the mens bathroom. He came back, eventually!

So Brody is the New Zealand Elementary Paws 'N Music Champion for 2009!!

Friday was a very nervous day for Michelle (and

Jan) as she was also competing in Novice with Bodie inside. He was great, did very well, great retrieve, and stuck his stays.

I also was lucky enough to meet another of Brody's sister Fusion. She definately takes off her mum, very husky looking. She also ran in agility later in the week.

Saturday was a nervous day for Jan, as she was cometing in Test B with Onyx, who is a pretty young dog, in a very competitive grade.

He did great though, just a bit of a short send away. We also watched the junior handler competitions in the evening, which were heaps of fun. It was great to see so many young handlers doing so well. And having heaps of fun.

Sunday was Janna's day, competing in the big Test C with True. He definately did Janna proud, with some beautiful heelwork, and he seemed to have fun!

Sunday was all the Best in Breed and other big competitions, which again was interesting to watch! Kelly (the prop in my routine) was competing for best young handler, to win a trip to compete in Crufts. And lots of the other winners did a parade, which was nice to see. Pity that they didnt want any Paws 'N Music demos. Oh well. Then came the big news..... Snow everywhere and the desert road closed! Dramas! Sunday night Brody and I checked into the local holiday park, as the others were leaving in the morning.

Monday and Tuesday were the agility competitions, and it was very cool to see the big centre all changed around for agility. We competed in Starters and Novice on Monday, and we achieved my goal - a clear round! I was stoked, he was pretty fast, and did his weaves first time. Novice wasnt so good, he was getting really tired. He got all his contacts, but didnt want to weave, so we just ran and had fun.

On Monday we ran Jumpers in the morning before we left, and we were both super tired, so just had fun. Then we

had to drive home, which was somewhat of a mission due to all the snow! We had to go National park, as the Desert road was closed. But that was kind of cool as Brody had his first ever romp in the snow.

Then we got home, and blobbed out! Two very tired people.... Well one human and a dog.

Catch up on what's happened in 2009...

This is a bit of what's been happening this year for me:

• I'm back at Glenfield College teaching in a permanent full time position. Teaching Senior Biology, junior science, and some junior maths (aahh!!)

• Still coaching the school girls basketball teams (they are doing well this year!), and also assisting in the coaching of the North Harbour U17 Rep team. We went to nationals and came third.

• Matt and I broke up. Very sad, but we are both happier now.

• Still doing HEAPS of doggy stuff with Brody and at club - still plugging away at obedience, doing better at agility (we have just been upgraded to the 8pm competitive class at club! And I'm instructing a new tricks class at club, and we are about to enter our first Heel work to music competition! See the video on the right for a look at us practising the routine.

• Brody, Max and I have recently moved into a cute little 1 bedroom flat in Torbay - pics coming as soon as its looking neat and tidy and how I want it to look!