Alas I do not think agility is in our cards

[sweet_ceana]

I was very excited to learn how big agaility is in Arizona, so we bought Ceana a tunnel and a clicker and we began to try some new tricks. Some went well- others well Ceana really didn't like them. She hates jumping on command! She avoids jumping over things as much as possible to the point where it is amusing. She gives me the ears back forget you look, why would I jump when I can go around. I tried teaching her jump first. Then jump on top of "insert object"-- she will only do this on certain objects-- others get the same ears back responce. LOL. At first i was fraustrated but I really think she hates it. She will even stand up on hind legs to catch her frisbee to avoid jumping. Jumping to catch the frisbee is the only time she goes air born, and even then she usually times thing so she does not have to leap.

 

Oh well maybe it is rolled in with her fear issues and she will become more receptive as we work through those. We will just keep working with the frisbee for now.

[PSmitty]

I wonder if this should be in the agility section?

 

Anyway, how high are you asking her to jump? You should start very low, even with bars just lying on the ground at first. Secondly, do you think there is anything physical going on? A non-jumping young border collie is kind of rare.

[Kat's Dogs]

like Paula said, at first the bar should be low (like 4") or even on the ground.

 

By not liking to jump to that extent I would be inclined to think that something is wrong physically. Unless you know otherwise, I would look for any tenderness and maybe X-rays could be in order.

[RaisingRiver]

Are you sure Ceana knows you are expecting her to actually jump through a jump? And she's just not frustrated because she can't figure out what you want?

 

I'm inclined to think however, that she doesn't like landing... which is an indicator that something physical is the problem.

[SoloRiver]

There's nothing wrong with Fly physically, and she has the same reactions Ceana has to jumps.

 

This is part of the reason I never bothered training Fly in agility. She doesn't "get" the point of obstacles the way Solo intuitively did. With Solo, I'd just point him at stuff and he'd do it.

 

If I really wanted to do agility with Fly I am sure I could train her to take jumps. She'd be fast as hell, too. But I never felt like bothering.

[Barb Scott]

If it's not physical, maybe she doesn't know what you want her to do. I use a clicker for many obstacles, but use a treat to lure my young dogs over the jump. I also progress to a target on the other side of the jump and throwing a frisbee or a tennis ball. I'd still check for physical problems.

Barb S

[hsnrs]

You might try joining one of the clubs in your area. My friends are with Contact Zonies. There is also Jumping Chollas and a few others. Email me and I'll give you my friends contact info; they are nice folks and always glad to help. hsnrs@localnet.com. You can also try herding in your area. Lots of folks doing that and it is so much fun. We just started training in Benson in July and the dogs love it. N

[Root Beer]

I second what everyone else has said about checking for a physical issue.

 

If there is nothing physical wrong, and you want to keep trying, I would recommend trying to retrain the jumps from scratch using a completely different technique and go verly slowly.

[billiegirl]

some of you may remember when Sophie had problems crossing grates...she wouldn't jump, or walk or anything. just sit and plant and try to back up. she's since gotten over it--she does it, now and when she does i say "jump" right before she does. ya never know. she did it in her own time - i stopped letting go of the leash for her to go around....i just waited a second and distracted her with treats and she got over it.

 

now, if i could alleviate the cricket obsession or pecan/ treat munching ( we live, at the moment, near a college campus where who knows what kind of goodies she's looking for).

[sweet_ceana]

Ceana will pounce at the house and while playing, jump on the couch and the bed, just not with obstacles. There is a man hole in the park that she will run around instead of jumping over to catch her frisbee. chris and I throw over the man hole to see if she will try, she has only done it once. She does not have any tenderness and her whole backend was checked out last time we went to the doctor-- they didn't do any x-rays though. I will keep an eye on it and see if i can notice any pain, it seems mostly that she finds it pointless. She is not a big trick preformer either. She does what she is told, but the silly tricks aren't as fulfilling for her as a frisbee throw. It is kind of intereting because when she misses the frisbee she seems dissapointed, when she catches it she is elated.

 

I think I may try with a jump rope and slowly rise it higher and higher. I have to find a good treat that doesn't give her losse stool, maybe the incentive isn't there?

 

*** Oops and sorry i ment to put this in the agility section**