I belive that training is an ongoing process for the rest of a dogs life. At my school we had a lots of dogs whose owners had well trained advanced trained dogs, brilliant off leash, but both dogs and owners were really getting bored with the routines of competition obedience, so we created our own dog sport class where we have introduced tons of fun games.

Most of them are off leash games so need a good level of dog reliability and we have taught games including lots of retrieve games but stretched to include new activities and words such as:-

Ten pin bowling - the dog is the "ball" and is sent out to skittels which he has to knock over using only a front foot or his nose one at a time - any knock (that is an accidental knock) with the back legs is a minus point.

Command used is "go touch" and directional cues are given also repeat cues - I use the word "again"for repeating a behaviour which most dogs "get" quite quickly.

Basketball is also a fun game where we start with teams of two dogs and the owners throw the ball to each other and then take turns in throwing to the dogs who have to run to the net which is attached at a suitable height so that on cue they can drop it in. I teach the word "score" for this - though must say also use it to get one of my dogs to pack away his toys in a basket and also help pick up dirty washing lol!

We are constantly dreaming up new games for the dog and each one brings new commands and new challenges - mostly clicker trained dogs (that is if the owners have good timing)

Busy making a goal post and teaching them to nudge or dribble the ball into the net is my next challenge ......

This constant learning of more exciting stuff which is also drive related seems to have put the life back into some of the dogs who were previously bored - of course the lessons are not just those games, inbetween the really exciting stuff we throw in some control stuff, and other concentration exercises.

Another fun one a couple of weeks ago I brought a hand drawn kiddies cart to practice "stay's" with. The handler had to set the dog up in the cart and then gently pull the cart from point a to point b........ it was really fun and showed that the dogs really understood the command - out of a group of eight dogs only one broke it's stay! Interestingly enough most of the handlers thought it would be the larger dogs that broke the stay, as the cart was a bit of a squeeze, but it was a terrier..... the gsd's bsd's and even a big mastiff coped really well Lol! Next time need to take pics!

Lou
Lou SA

It keeps handlers "thinking" too, many people ask me why I bother to teach my competition dogs things that are not related to their sport(s). My response is that it keeps their minds working and interested in doing and minimises anticipation when they go out in the field, so keeps "their ears on"!

I then find that dogs perform better as quite often these exercises help them (directly or indirectly) with the competition exercises.

Sometimes it may only be what I call "warming up or strengthening" exercises but they have a goal not necessarily obvious to those less imaginative!

If they ARE in a sit. I frequently use wait when Dahlia is standing, rather than sitting. Like if we're on a walk and I need to pick up her poop I tell her "wait" which means "wait for me until I start moving." I don't feel the need to make her sit, just want to stop her forward momentum.

I can understand them saying not to repeat a cue too often - you find people saying 'sit, sit, sit' or 'stay, stay, stay' which is a bit too much for some dogs (and changes the cue for the behaviour). I don't use 'stay' either - sit means sit until I ask you to do something else, or release you - but I know a lot of owners like to say 'stay' so fair enough. Nor, 'wait' if they are in position - but 'wait' when you are walking slower than them, or when they are waiting for their dinner (but not in position) seems reasonable, especially in young dogs before they have worked out that the dinner bowl doesn't go down until they are calm.

Regarding more than one cue for the same behaviour - I certainly use different cues for similar behaviour but at different levels. Come on - means come back to me when you are finished having that sniff. With me - when off lead - means I am going this way on the walk so would like you to do the same, even if you are still mooching around several feet/yards away. Here - means come back to me now, do not stop to sniff anything on the way. Whistle - means come back to me immediately, at the quickest possible pace. My dogs have been quite happy with these and as they go for a walk for fun I like to give them the opportunity to 'be' without having to race back to me more often than necessary. I perhaps should say that the immediate recall was the first one to be taught!

If you mark (using clicker/marker word) at the correct point dogs quickly understand exactly what each cue means.

I have never found a dog who - if taught properly - has too many cues. The problem I find is that some owners will use the same hand signal/verbal cue for more than one behaviour - that can be confusing. The name thing is a classic example 'Rover' means 'stop doing that', 'come here', 'walk nicely' etc, etc. Poor dogs are supposed to be mind readers

Yeah, I've been asked several times why I teach Rupert "pointless tricks". I've even been called cruel for teaching him things he doesn't need to learn Have to say that left me a bit speechless. Okay so it's unlikely I'll ever need him to get my bag and empty the contents all over the floor or to fetch my shoes or my keys but cruel??? Surely it's more cruel NOT to work a dogs mind than to find tricks to teach them?

I don't feel the need to make her sit, just want to stop her forward momentum.

You see I would just say stand, the same way as I do when I do positions on the move in Schutzhund! I don't care what position my dog is in, as long as it is in one.

or when they are waiting for their dinner (but not in position) se

I have never seen a dog NOT in a position eg it is ALWAYS sitting, standing or lying down................!

certainly use different cues for similar behaviour but at different levels. Come on - means come back to me when you are finished having that sniff. With me - when off lead - means I am going this way on the walk so would like you to do the same, even if you are still mooching around several feet/yards away. Here - means come back to me now, do not stop to sniff anything on the way. Whistle - means come back to me immediately, at the quickest possible pace

Again these are SIMILAR but not the SAME. so when I say come, it means a competition present. When I say "here" it means a different thing etc.