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Location: Motherwell, UK
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 17,088
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Originally Posted by
Ramble
I do agree with you. There are some reactive dogs at our agility and they are onlead between tasks,they have solid recalls themselves but there are one or two dogs that don't and it does make it much more difficult for their owners...because as soon as a dog charges at them they get hyped and are then harder to work with.
I do think a rocl solid recall is pretty essential if only to make the handler feel okay...I also feel for those whose dogs don't have a solid recall at the classes as it is embarrassing when your dog is at the other end of a huge arena bugging other dogs and ignoring you, regardless of that dog's intent.
I also think a rock solid recall is THE most important thing for an agility class...then a solid wait.
LB...you can practise a wait all the time...when you put his food down make him wait until you give him the ok to wait (we whistle feed...3 blows on the whistle lets them know they can eat...we can then use the whistle as an emergency recall). When he is onlead and out with you ask him to sit...then ask him to wait, take a step away then return to him...you don't want to make your return predictable...or the next command. Currently we are working on Cosmo's wait when we throw a ball. We put him in a sit wait and then walk away...sometimes I return to him and treat him and say 'nice wait' and walk away....when I do throw the ball I shout 'okay' happily and he knows he can go.
I look like a right nutter but I am past caring.
Jake recall is what worries me most, and I will be embarrassed if he takes off and ignores me. but I have been spending a lot of time working on it, using a whistle. and in the house and garden, he is amazing. His recall is 100%, and he comes running at the first sound of the whistle. im taking it slow though, and I am planning on trying him in the park onlead with the whistle tomorrow. so hopefully by the time we start agility, it will be much better.
His wait is good, and he already waits for his dinner
but there is still a lot to work on. I will start making him wait with his toys, that will really test him
I think im going to look like a nutter in the park too, practising everything lol. but I think people already think that, as im the crazy one who, when jake is offlead, starts running the opposite way when I see them
Originally Posted by
Tillymint
Some great advice there! We did a pre-agility course when Tilly was around 7 months old, so there was no jumps or weaves, but it got her used to the commands & she took to it like a duck to water, I found it more difficult to keep up! We are starting proper classes again in the spring, I'm so looking forward to it, but her recall was better when she was 6 months than now at 14 months
but we've gone back to basics & getting there again. I also had my own little practice bits in the garden using a plank, some upright canes & a childs tunnel from the early learning centre
Good luck with Jake you'll love it
Thanks. a pre-agility course is what we need!
I want to get us both as prepared as we can be, coz its something I am keen on doing and I think jake will love it. of course, if he doesn’t we will stop, but im hoping he does like it. i can wait till he is a wee bit older, and I will make the garden into a wee agility course