1-2-3 game, beautiful Munch and a rant!

Well I might be biased but I think Munch is looking fantastic :) He is definately a mini Hoax and I think is going to be quite like Grandad Kruise. He is beautiful Yvette x

Detour is definately not a beauty. He is very plain but so lovely. He makes me warmand fuzzy coz he is so sweet and thoughtful.

His training is going well and I am enjoying the challenges. I have re-read some of Susans stuff and she uses the 1-2-3 game for a prelude of waits. The idea being they hold their position until you give them a new cue, i.e. GET IT- for the tuggy toy. We are enjoying playing the game and D is starting to understand it well. I'm starting to be able to move away and taunt him a little and I can see his nose twitching and ready to get the tug- he is so funny! His failiure rate is quite low and he likes to be right but I am making sure I ask a little more after each success so he does fail still which is good :)

Susans Ruff Love book and Shaping Success have the games in in case you were wondering!

I have heard so much 'trainer bashing' lately it's quite sad. From well known trainers themselves to people who have attended their seminars or even just heard gossip through the grapevine. I'm not trying to feign total innocence, I have had a good whinge at times but as I get older and hopefully wiser I realise that no one shares their ideas because they have to. Yes they make money from it (Good on them). They have different ideas and aims. Different lifestyles with their dogs and different ways of working them. Every single one though has belief in their training. They advise, share and help as they can and they enjoy it.

We need to remember that we can read, listen and implment whatever we choose as trainers, take a bit from here and a smidgen from there. Find what works for you and enjoy it. If you don't like it, don't use it! Different isnt the same thing as wrong.

rant over!

Detours Training

I really am enjoying training Detour and trying as much shaping as possible. He isnt a bold pup by nature but odly doesnt have the same with training. He is really bold to try different things and doesnt switch off easily. I have to make myself keep the sessions short as he seems quite happy to keep going.

Each session is about two mins long if that. We do different things each session, sits, down, perch work and he is just starting hand targets athough we need to increase pressure of nose now.

He has picked up the perch work fast, after two sessions he is keeping his front feet in contact with the box and is happy to walk round with his rear feet with me walking into him although its by no means perfected yet, I am trying to move things on much faster with him as I think with my previous dogs I got stuck on rewarding each stage too much and it confused them. This time I try to ask a little more all the time, as soon as he sniffed the box I rewarded the behaviour twice, next he knocked his foot against it accidentaly so I rewarded that, so then he had to figure out how he got that last cookie and repeat the behaviour and so on. I am loving watching it all click with him!

I think that I am going to find things harder once I start training for agility with shaping things, I suspect I will mix shaping with some luring especially for speed work over straight lines and stuff.

Anyway, I am still struggling a little with shaping waits as I dont feel I am moving on fast enough. I ask him for the position then am delaying the reward. The problem is if he moves Im not really sure what to do. I say Uh oh then wait for him to offer the position again and then hold it for a bit and reward but Im note sure this is clear enough for him... hmm

Back to Training

Training has started back now and I have mostly been focussing on Hoaxey. She doesnt seem to have slowed down at all and is as naughty as ever.

She is working nicely but her weaves are still rubbish. Her footwork and speed are good once she is in them, but I am still unhappy with her entries. I have had a really good think and have decided to stick with guide and angle work to try to fix her issues. I did think about the 2 x 2s but I havent really shaped enough with her and would need to work on this first, then work on 2 x 2s. Rather than confuse her more I think I need to be consistent and just do more entry work and lots of practise on different sets in different locations.

Hoaxey is in a team at Crufts 2010 and I am determined that her weaves will be trustworthy by then. This means practising in various locations and working hard on my proofing. I would hate to let my team down so need to work hard!

Baby D and pup Update

Well Detour is growing and is very sweet. He is such a plain puppy to look at. Boo has always been so gorgeous and Hoax so pretty. D is just a plain boy but I totally and utterly adore him!

I have started shaping some sits and downs, perch work and hard targets so far (not much for 11 weeks I know but we only train when we are in the mood) LOL. I need to think about waits/ stays and decide how to shape them.

Ajaxs continues to do well and is very cheeky and bolshy, tons of drive and confidence. Munch is a mini Hoax and is loving and funny but he doesnt forget if something worries him- he is so pretty with his prick ears! Buzz has settled in well and I think is mini Boo still being lovely, loyal and sweet!

Bye Bye Buzz

Buzzy has left now, the last of the pups to leave. We were sad to see him go but so pleased he has left with Kim and Dan, he will have a great life and is definately in need of some one to one attention now.

We took both Buzz and Detour to UKA show with us. I love the fact uka allow young pups as the socialisation for a pup like D is so important.

Detour is a wuss. He worries about new people but still loves to see them and have hugs. He found it a bit much in my arms and was odly enough much happier on the floor where he could approach or move away. He didnt move away from anyone- loved the attention and the longer he was out the happier he was. Buzz of course was unfazed by the whole thing. Ajaxs was at the show too so all three pups had mad play sessions. Ajaxs was definatly the mad one. Yapping at the agility already and so very confident!

I ran Boo and Hoax too and was pleased with them both. Hoax jumped Standard height and made a few mistakes, missing her weave entries in her Jumping and Agility (straight, fast entries that she isnt collecting for) and clipped a pole in her Steeplechase. She was quick though and ran good times in all. Boo was unlucky, pole in Steeplechase, missed the jumping, pole in Agility and just missed the gamble! Enjoyed the day though and did the pups the world of good.

As much as D is going to miss Buzz i think he needs it. Buzz was big bro and D jst stuck to him like glue. Even in the one evening since Buzz left, D has started to come out of his shell and get a bit crazy, playing games with Hoax and Linx and following me round tugging trousers and yapping.

I am going to pop some new photos on my website so have a peek!