Let's hear it for the dogs that vault in front of your scatter feeding throws 😂 thank you @goosethemalinois for the inspiration.
Enzo has grown in leaps and bounds this year. I am so proud of him and can't wait to see what the future hold for us.
Huge thank you to @caninephysioandfitness for getting him in shape to excel in his sports career!
#caninephysioandfitness #caninefitness #dogsports #dogagility #positivereinforcement
Saint had a little trouble dropping his disc on cue this season, which is not usually our issue. Normally, we struggle with a consistent retrieve. I guess I am happy the work we did getting him invested in carrying the disc (and not just the chase/catch) paid off.
But now we are going back and cleaning up his drop. First, we are using a ball and tug. It's easier inside than a disc, and the days are short right now. Plus, if I mess something up, it's separated from the disc, which should protect the skills he has now.
📹 a white border collie switches between catching a ball and tugging with his person. She is using hand signals because the border collie is deaf.
Bring on the generalization training 😅
Normally, I would say only change one thing at a time. But my brain was running on E, so we changed three things tonight. Wink handled it like a champ.
I introduced Wink to (a) doing multiple behaviors before being rewarded (tbf, we've done a little bit of this before), (b) cue discrimination (i.e., switching between touch and sit), and (c) I sat in a chair for the first time foe both of these behaviors (though I have changed my position in other ways for both behaviors before).
If you want to train like a pro, first think consistent. Show a consistent picture to your dog in the beginning. That picture should be as conducive to getting the desired behavior as possible. But as soon as they show you they understand the behavior in that picture, start changing things in small ways. Think different, not harder. For example, it's not harder for Wink to sit when I'm sitting in a chair, instead of standing, but it is different. Next time, I'll rotate a little bit and have her sit off center or to my side. If you change things and your dog just stares at you in confusion, you probably changed too many things or changed one thing too much.
VD: a blue merle corgi mix alternates hand touches and sits in a random order with her foster mom.
#dogtraining #positivereinforcement #fosterdog
You don't need special equipment for this exercise. You can use broom polls or whatever you have around the house.
The key is to take a handful of poles and drop them. They should fall randomly. Then, take a handful of your dog's food and scatter it over the poles, and release your dog to forage.
The benefits of proprioception exercises can be found in my previous post with Enzo trotting over different textures. Proprioception exercises are great for all dogs but perhaps especially for seniors and puppies. Just make sure to work with a qualified professional to keep your dog safe.
This exercise is part of our fitness plan created by !
@caninephysioandfitness in our 1-2-1 session.
VD: a black and white border collie forages for kibble that is scattered around bright orange poles that lay in a random pattern.
Never fails
VD: a white border collie refuses a banana, which is promptly eaten by a black and white border collie.
Unexpected things happen. That's part of life. But you need to have a management plan in the back of your mind to prevent situations from spiraling out of control. I don't know if my dogs would have gotten into a fight over this toy. I doubt it. The boys didn't care much about the toy. They cared about the game. But feelings would have gotten hurt, and Hum, especially, can get very angry when things spin out of control. Instead of just winging it or letting them sort themselves out, I stepped in. I provided a safe place for Pua to unwind and helped everyone calm down.
If I had taken the toy away, it would have only confirmed Pua's fears that her possession of the toy was being threatened. If I had gotten on to her for growling, I would have made her feel less safe and, therefore, more likely to guard in the future. If I had gotten on to the boys, they would have been confused since they were just goofing off and possibly hurt our relationship.
If your dog us resource guarding, don't snatch the object away. Try redirecting with something better and then remove the guarded object when your dog has abandoned it. You might have to even lure your dog out of the room to do so safely. DO NOT create conflict around the object. That will only increase their desire to guard it. Then seek professional advice on how to help your dog in the long run.
#accessibility a terrier mix plays with a stuffed toy in a kennel. The caption explains that this situation started out as resource guarding.
We have a lot of rules around playing fetch to keep my dogs safe. A quick run down:
1) we don't play fetch every day
2) we don't play for long (10 min max) and there are actually very few throws. I work each throw for the maximum effort by using the next two points.
3) we take breaks frequently and do search/dead retrieves
4) we build in cues like sit, down, wait, stop, go, left, right, near, far, away, come by, around. etc. It's as much of a mental work out as a physical one's
5) I do my best to keep the throws low and straight
6) I frequently send my dog out and throw the ball straight to them to prevent uncontrolled scambling
I'm careful about which dogs go out together. Pua will Nancy Kerrigan the bcs for a ball.
Fetch has its downsides, and you should talk to your vet and/or physio to make sure it's right for your dog. I would absolutely avoid long or frequent sessions, and I would have my dog evaluated for structural soundness and fitness first. If a human did the equivalent of fetch with jumping , twisting, sprinting, turning, and twisting, it would be an extreme sport. So make sure you take care of your canine athletes!
If fetch isn't a good fit for your dog, there are lots of other great activities to exercise your pup. Feel free to reach out for recommendations!
#accessibility a black and white border collie searches for a lost ball in a field.
Practicing in all different conditions is key, but don't subject your dog to sloppy throws if at all possible. If you have a dog like Saint, he might just hurt himself trying to get your bad throw. If you have a young or less confident dog, they might stop trusting you and the disc, leading to tentative play.
About 75-90% of your practice should be without your dog. I know we got into the sport to be with our dogs, but keeping them safe and healthy is essential!
#accessibility a white border collie chases a Frisbee and catches it two times. The onscreen text explains that practicing in windy conditions is smart, but do it without your dog first.
#discdogsports #dogtraining #discdog #discdogtips
Working on static behaviors is hard! I knew we'd have a lot to learn when we started working with @caninephysioandfitness but I didn't realize that holding a static stand would be one of them!
I love that Enzo is so game to try even though everything is so new for him.
#accessibility a black and white border collie stands on a slightly raised platform (Cato board). He consistently steps to the left when he is asked to hold position.
#caninephysioandfitness #caninefitness #dogtraining #bordercollie
