tips for teaching indpendent contact (2o2o)

[Carlasl]

I need to work with Maya on independent 2o2o contact, she is reading my movement too much when it comes to the dogwalk, She knows what she is suppose to do, but she does a few things I need to fix, first she is looking for my movement to finish the obstacle, if I lag behind or move laterally or even try to send her over the obstacle she is super slow and curls around the contact to wherever I am. I can run ahead no problem and she will stop in her 2o2o, but if my movement slows down she slows down as well.

 

I am thinking about placing a ball or tug a few feet from the down contact and releasing her to it instead of releasing to me like I have been doing (probably my first mistake). Then slowly working my way to less and less movement on my part. I will probably use my clicker to reinforce the 2o2o.

 

I don't really want to train a nose touch or use a disc, she is much more toy motivated than food motivated.

 

Does anyone else have suggestions?

[gcv-border]

I need to work with Maya on independent 2o2o contact, she is reading my movement too much when it comes to the dogwalk, She knows what she is suppose to do, but she does a few things I need to fix, first she is looking for my movement to finish the obstacle, if I lag behind or move laterally or even try to send her over the obstacle she is super slow and curls around the contact to wherever I am. I can run ahead no problem and she will stop in her 2o2o, but if my movement slows down she slows down as well.

 

I am thinking about placing a ball or tug a few feet from the down contact and releasing her to it instead of releasing to me like I have been doing (probably my first mistake). Then slowly working my way to less and less movement on my part. I will probably use my clicker to reinforce the 2o2o.

 

I don't really want to train a nose touch or use a disc, she is much more toy motivated than food motivated.

 

Does anyone else have suggestions?

 

I will be interested in any suggestions too. Even though I am training for running contacts - after doing the 2o2o contacts - I am always interested in training techniques since I want to expand my understanding of a variety of techniques. You never know when one may apply to a particular situation.

 

Perhaps because of my inexperience with training agility (I am training my first dog), I am still not clear as to how to and when to train handler focus vs. obstacle focus.

 

Jovi

[MicheleS.]

I would be interested in hearing responses as well. Sorry, I have nothing to add. I am in the same boat with the contacts at this point It's driving me insane.

Any lateral movement and he's on the side of either the teeter or dogwalk doing a contact. Not liking that very much. I don't use a target because all he does is pick them up. I'm also getting the same thing I think with the weave poles. Any lateral distance and it seems he wants to beat me to the next obstacle so he pops out. Not all the time, but I'm noticing it. Help!

[muttlycrew]

When I needed suggestions for Stella's 2o2o, RootBear (I think) suggested I put the side of the wing jumps on either side of the DW (and one in front, which I didn't need). This helped Stella stay straight on her DW and not look back or hang off to the side. I did this for a few reps (one time I'd hang back, the next time I'd run through, etc) then took away the wing jumps. She nailed it each time! She generalized this to the AF and Teeter (luckily).

 

Once she fully understood her criteria I found she was no longer looking for me. I've started to build my distance laterally, as I can hang back or surge ahead and she nails her contact. I'm working on building her speed back again by pulling her back and revving her up and then letting her GO while I race her or hang back. She's really getting it. I found releasing her to her toy/ball caused her to break her contacts early in anticipation. I always go back to her and tug or release her and then let her have her ball. Now I will proof her contacts by racing her and throwing a toy and 99% of the time she stays. But again, I don't release her to it. I go and get the toy and toss it back to her. I know others who release dogs to toys and the dogs do great! Unfortunately Stella is one of those "give an inch, take a mile" dog.

 

I have an issue of Clean Run that has tips for independent contacts/obstacle performance. I will look around for it and add in some of those tips later this evening. I am interested to hear other suggestions, as what worked for Stella didn't work for my other two (non BCs) and vice versa.

[Mariji]

I think a huge part of it is not rewarding ahead. You don't want to indirectly teach you dog to check back at you constantly. Always reward ahead that would be a good start. My dog when we first learnt her contact she would hit the bottom and go into her 2o2o but like you say if I was away either behind or laterally she would curl around and have her feet off the side whilst still maintaining the general position it was straight. So I went back to re clicker train the position and clicking for when her feet hit the ground and she didn't move them. So she learnt the second her feet hit the ground which at first is always straight they weren't allowed to move. So she still will turn her head but her feet won't move. As for speed I used a tennis ball (her most valued reward) and rewarded only fast performances once she knew all position criteria. And I always threw it ahead so she would go racing over anticipating that her reward would land ahead of her. Then just work her with you standing at all angles.