Please do.

I've read this with interest as Jed is very similar. He enjoys agility but it always seems like hard work to him, physically, and he tends to get the state of mind "I cant be bothered". We've started with a new trainer who mentioned doing things to try and build his speed. We've never succeeded in 4 years of doing agility and now, at 5 years of age when he's past his peak, I would say we're never going to achieve it!

He isnt toy orientated, he will have a game of tug and then gives up after about 30 seconds. As you mentioned Layla, when food is used he's more interested in sniffing around for more, especially if he's rewarded by finding food other handlers have dropped. He's the same in obedience, he constantly switches off and starts sniffing the floor or looking around.

I dont compete so it doesnt really matter to me at the end of the day but I do understand your frustration, especially when you have another dog who is focused and has plenty of drive. I have Flynn who is quite intensely motivated for anything which involves action (not so much obedience, too slow paced!) and I, wrongly, find myself wishing Jed had some of his enthusiasm.

I`m glad it`s not just me then. I tried all sorts with Shamus - but have now accepted that he`s a laid back boy who doesn`t see the point of working up a sweat.
Bless him - he`s a wonderful foot-warmer though.

Sometimes iot is a good idea to do just three obstacles and then reward---but the reward has to be huge. Then do maybe two and the huge reward, then 4 etc etc.

If you have been doing too many that might be the problem.

Also make it really easy---so a circle of jumps or a line with just odd turns.

Sounds like he needs lots of confidence building----he is only a year so loads of time.

rune

Yeh, ive just been doing mainly short bursts with him 2-3 jumps etc and then rewarding.

Though i seem to have found a motivator...gave him a bath this afternoon (lingering smell of fox poo from him!!) then did some training...blimey never seen him move so fast...focused and driven...might have to dunk him in the water trough before every training session!!

I agree, short fun and v rewarding - and why not do a couple of bits then when he does something really great give him a little something he can take away and destroy?

What do you do when he has lost focus and is sniffing about?? Often I see that is more a stress thing rather than really looking for food, possibly you are just asking too much too fast from him and he is just a sensitive soul

Took me a while to realise that Mia actually got really stressed when she thought I thought she had done something wrong and she went and did crazy laps of the room, I had to make sure and always reward her and pretend things were right - then go back and try and figure out how to make things go how I wanted
- with Ben I could go back - not reward - and do the same bit again and he got the point - with Mia nope, if she got it wrong she didnt wanna know

What do you do when he has lost focus and is sniffing about?? Often I see that is more a stress thing rather than really looking for food, possibly you are just asking too much too fast from him and he is just a sensitive soul

This can be a sign of avoidance however it can also be a sign of a dog for whom food is everything.

The way to find out, is to feed from a small container rather than the hand or the floor.

The crazy laps is the "fart about" option from the list of freeze, flight, or fight list!

TBH i think the sniffing is just him looking for more treats, im quite aware of what he is like when he has had enough and/or stressed, and his behaviour is totally different to this.

I was at an agility comp today and took him in the practice ring.
He wasnt interested in food at all, just wanted his tuggy- to the extent that i had to put it away as he was too focused on it. I just did a couple of minutes with him and he was like a different dog- funnily enough when i was at a comp last month and used their practice ring he was the same there...it just seems to be in training that he doesnt have the same enthusiasm

Star is the same, she's better if the other dogs aren't around, she definately prefers tug to a ball although I do have 1 ball she really loves. I would just do very small amounts of agility and stop before he switches off, even if this is just 1 little set.

When I did agility classes with Parker we used to have a small plastic box we would place a treat in and the trainer would put it at the end of the course for us.

If the dog went straight to the box to get the treat without responding to the handler's commands she would pick the box up so it didn't get rewarded.

We had a lady there with a Collie and she didn't agree with using food for her dog. Parker was going round the course and when he got to the end and went to take his treat from the box her dog got there first and ate it! He's such a sweetie-he just backed away and wuffed at me! The trainer was surprised and said if it had been her dog he would have had the Collie's face off