The Ultimate Agility Test

[Root Beer]

Tonight I took Dean along to Maddie's Agility class as a drop-in. He really hates training at the place where Maddie trains and I usually don't take him there, but because class was to be outside, I figured he might enjoy it.

 

When I got there, I discovered that the training center owner's four new SHEEP were pastured adjacent to the Agility field!!! I knew she had gotten the sheep, but I had thought they were in another area!

 

I had a halfhearted hope that Dean had forgotten sheep - he hasn't seen them since his last lesson almost a year ago - but I doubted it. My doubts were correct. He smelled them before he saw them, and he certainly had not forgotten them!!

 

When I sat him at the start line, he swiveled his head around to stare at the sheep! As he stared, one of them meandered across the little field, went up to the fence and went "baaaaaaa!" at him! I thought he was going to jump out of his skin, but he held that twisted sit-stay!

 

I went out to the other side of the jump and he held his stay, although his head was turned the wrong direction! Instead of releasing him, I called "that'll do" and I was never so proud of him as at that moment when he took his eyes off the sheep, turned immediately to me, took the jump, and did the exercise that we were working on!

 

Thankfully, the rest of the class took place at the other end of the field. Dean was aware of the sheep, but he figured out pretty quick that we weren't there for sheep and he did some nice Agility. I know it took a lot of self-control for him to keep his head in the task at hand, but he did it! Dean Dog has come a long, long way!!

 

I guess if he can do Agility with sheep on the other side of the fence, he will be able to deal with almost any distraction!!!

 

Oh, and he no longer hates that place. By the time we left, he wanted to go back into the field for more!!

[diane allen]

Great story. I think that's called bribing your dog to do agility - but hey, whatever works! (Will he ever get to work the sheep instead??)

 

diane

[Root Beer]

Will he ever get to work the sheep instead??

 

Probably not those particular sheep. There isn't an instructor up there, and I'm not sure if there are plans for there to be. If there ever is, I would consider it.

 

After seeing his reaction - and the amount of self control that he has developed since his last time on sheep almost a year ago - I'm considering getting him a lesson at some point.

[zenotri]

LOL, what a good boy Dean is.

 

We have been in that situation a couple of times. I have the same initial trouble getting Trim to face the obstacles, she has also been known to go over the last jump & then creep to the fence & she seems to be able to keep one eye on the sheep as she goes around the course.

 

I've done a couple of agility trials & popped over at lunch to give her a go on sheep. Problems is...we never make it back to the trial...I know which activity we both prefer to do

 

I don't think I'll ever attempt it with Shine, I doubt I'd get her over the first jump.

[mum24dog]

I discovered that the training center owner's four new SHEEP were pastured adjacent to the Agility field!!!

 

I train at a friend's field where there are sheep and lambs in the same field for part of the year - and unfenced when Kye began training.

I have no intention of awakening his interest in sheep as they are everywhere where we live and it's safer if he ignores them, especially as he has a lot of working drive being farm bred.

I don't want him to bring me back someone's flock of sheep when we're out like a friend's dog did. Very embarrassing, to say the least and could easily get him shot.

There were no sheep when he started agility training and luckily by the time they arrived in spring he was so into agility that he ignored them.

The sheep aren't skittish as they are used to dogs in the field, so that helped.

 

Pam