Training Tim

Had a BRILLIANT training session last night with Dawn Long who had come to teach us for the evening. She started off by saying that the main ‘rule’ was that the dog is never wrong, it’s always us, and we shouldn’t ever use a negative tone or words like ‘No’, but rather just tell them how wonderful they are when things go as we want, and, if they don’t then to ask them to try again, but in a positive way. I loved this approach and so did Tim.
Some bits stood out:
Startline wait – setting up the dog and walking down a line a jumps but not always releasing towards you but instead sometimes to a toy thrown behind, so the wait itself becomes a fun and dynamic thing, anticipating a reward – whether that be the forward release or back to the toy.
We also worked up to some exercises which were challenging for the stage we’re at, by breaking them down into sections and rewarding, so e.g. first sending on down a straight line and throwing the toy to the end, then adding in a 180-turn into a tunnel and throwing the toy after the tunnel, then adding on the next bit, etc. Tim really responded to this as he picks things up so quickly and he was desperate to try to get each next bit right. & when we (I!) didn’t get it quite right we just had to carry on and work through it and reward him for trying. He believed he was a superstar! Some things we achieved included working diagonally across a grid from one side, then sending on and away with the opposite arm, to a thrown toy, and then repeating but this time sending on further to the next obstacle. And Tim does now seem to be really picking up his lefts and rights, and he’s sending on ahead at speed but still picking up directions from right behind – gosh, I can’t believe how well he’s doing :o) Another bit I was amazed at was setting him up in a wait and me moving out several yards sideways and releasing him forwards over a jump to a tunnel. I couldn’t believe his confidence in driving forward and out.
Another point that was made was that when waiting for our turn we should constantly be interacting with the dog so that they become totally fixated on us and that attention is there when we ask them to work. This seems obvious in a way but it is easy to slip into sitting having a chat with your mates, rather than keeping on chatting and having a laugh with the most important ‘person’ there – the dog.
And I’m feeling a little less overwhelmed by Tim’s natural drive and starting to just enjoy the thrill as much as he does. Don’t know what I did to deserve such an ace little dog but feel very lucky to have him to play with – so completely different to Maisie as an agility partner, but equally perfect.
I hope everyone else got as much out of the session as we did – guess so as there were smiley faces and lots of tired doggies at the end. Bloomin’ suffering with my neck today but never mind.
And club training is tomorrow already, yippee!! OK, I’ll stop gushing now.