As I'm preparing Rae for her open debut, teaching her to jump from the 8' mark and collect to her front at the 8' mark are super important. Utilizing the wall to keep her fronts tight and straight.
The Skills needed for this are as follows:
- Wall Fronts with Focal point
- Directed Jumping
- Solid Formal Retrieve without mouthing
Until the dog is informally running a d grabbing its dumbell correctly, hunting a jump when asked and landing it's fronts tight and close, I'd not ask to chain these skills together.
The 8' mark forces the dog to land it's front with little room for error. Too much landing room is a recipe for a poor front here.
Our current Board and Train, Larry GSD. At 10 months old, he's a fast, fun learner.
Day 4 of Five: Five Days of Figure Eight Drills
Day Four: Circle Backs
Circling into the cone, offering hand touch, feed.
Comments or Questions below!
My current Board and Train, Torrie. He graduated to the big field to widen out before I start naming sides. Jewel was helping to keep the sheep from running off and killing his confidence. It's been a good combo. Fun dog!!
Day 3 of Five. Figure 8 Drills.
"The Swing"
Following the same idea as days one and two, the Swing is a bigger imposition and more dramatic of a body turn than the previous two days. I do not use a pinch collar as my dog just came off a walk and swim. Take a step, then do an about face, freeze and ask for three repetitive hand touches. Reengage, set up and add a step.
Tools: food, cone, Operant Dog
Questions in the comments below!
Day 2 of 5: Figure 8 Drills.
"Celeste Meade inspired "ChaCha"
Skills needed: Hand Touch, Back up Reign, & an Operant Dog.
Tools needed: Lose Prong, Heeling Lead, Food, & one cone.
Teaching the dog that a variable back up reign can be applied around the inside of the cone. I do the following: one step, back up, two steps, back up, three steps back up, etc.
Any questions in the comments below.
Day 1 of 5: Figure 8 Drills.
"Shaping a rear touch"
Skills needed: Hand Touch, Side Pass Reign, & an Operant Dog.
Tools needed: Lose Prong, Heeling Lead, Food, & one cone.
Teaching the body posture for a dog to offer a rear end touch. Dog should move it's rear and touch my right foot when cued. While this will fade and not happen in the ring, the game is overdone to put the dog in the mind set of moving it's rear during this exercise.
Any questions in the comments below.
"unwrapping behaviors"
Sidenote: Any Drs who do Botox need a dog trainer? Asking for a friend.
My incredible Rae, from CT to FL she gives me her all. She sandwiched a trial between two seminars where she qualified for the Classic by finishing her CD title with a 199/200 and HIT. Today she demoed retrieves in "Teepees". In the course of three weeks she's been in 11 states.
Today in FL, she demoed under pictures of her OTCH Grandsire, OTCH Uncles and her accomplished Aunt that we helped train. Pictures of those dogs (and her Flyball Grandmother) hung on the wall and several of her own pups were in attendance working. it was surreal to be able to remember those dogs own OTCH journeys and the fun and frustration of an OTCH campaign. There truly is nothing like it.
Thank you Rae for being the best demo dog!! Thanks Kayla for the video.
