Agility

[scullywags]

Currently finding that my BC is not driving down into 2/2 position

hes hanging back waiting for me to get there to drive down and target

on dogwalk and A Frame

thought if I could pick the brains of any experienced agility folks I may get some ideas to try

 

We have just started to doing the entire obstacle if i back chain he runs thru and down into 2/2 but the moment i try to do complete obstacle hes hanging back about midway to the contact point Any suggestions?

 

We have done and still do a run down the plank on ground to drive to the toy or treat he has no problems there

 

I have to train on my own at home so need suggestion for 1 person 1 dog !!

 

thanks

[Root Beer]

We have done and still do a run down the plank on ground to drive to the toy or treat he has no problems there

 

Have you tried setting the plank at an angle so it more resembles the down side of the contact?

 

I run a plank down off of an easy chair at home. Have the dog jump up and drive down the plank to the target.

 

Might help the dog generalize the plank to the equipment.

[scullywags]

Have you tried setting the plank at an angle so it more resembles the down side of the contact?

 

I run a plank down off of an easy chair at home. Have the dog jump up and drive down the plank to the target.

 

Might help the dog generalize the plank to the equipment.

 

 

I have set on concrete blocks and bounce him up there like Rachel Sanders videos tell you to do (i cannot do in the house hes a blaster and I would have no furniture left!

I am thinking i need to lower the complete obstacle down and build drive thru on the low and then build up to fullheight in class the teacher just had us start running them full height without a build up of height i wonder maybe thats it its kinda like he hangs back and says are you sure you want me ALL the way to the end!!

[rushdoggie]

If he is waiting for you, you have made your position part of the criteria for the behavior (just realized last night at my lesson I was doing this myself: pointing at the ground). Go back and retrain with your plank and by back chaining on the equipment with you holding your body at different positions and in different places. Use a marker to mark the precise movement and avoid going in and "fixing it" then rewarding.

 

If you need to use props to help him get it and reduce the chances of him getting it wrong (fencing on the sides if he bails, a better more visible target, etc). Then fade the props quickly.

 

I would also do this with a hungry dog (contacts for supper) or with a really high value reward he sees only at contact time.

[scullywags]

If he is waiting for you, you have made your position part of the criteria for the behavior (just realized last night at my lesson I was doing this myself: pointing at the ground).

 

 

Ok so i am not sure what you mean for me to do

sorry i am like way visual learner

 

do i collar grab at all different distances on the plank and release him to the target

or do i let him free run to the target and i just go where ever

it seems i am also at the back he will beat me there each time so that would make him drive on his own is that what you are saying?

[Rave]

Yes your dog should always beat you to the end (provided you're starting in the same spot). Ideally he should run to the end no matter what you are doing, where you are or how slow/fast you're running.

 

You definitely should build up slowly, from low to high. Get the speed and end behavior you want on the low obstacle before increasing the height.

 

What are you using as a target and what does that mean to the dog? Does he get a treat on the target or a thrown toy? Does he like toys, will he chase one if thrown with the speed you want?

[scullywags]

Yes your dog should always beat you to the end (provided you're starting in the same spot). Ideally he should run to the end no matter what you are doing, where you are or how slow/fast you're running.

 

You definitely should build up slowly, from low to high. Get the speed and end behavior you want on the low obstacle before increasing the height.

 

What are you using as a target and what does that mean to the dog? Does he get a treat on the target or a thrown toy? Does he like toys, will he chase one if thrown with the speed you want?

 

 

he will target to food or a toy

I think I have read and investigated online til i am confused that he will self reward for the wrong position at the end

So do i click then reward once he drives down to the correct position? will this not lend him to still waiting on me to ge there?

Am i making any sense?

 

I have done agility with another dog for 3yrs and this was not issue for him so I am not green in agility

just not certain of best way to handle this with mr I am smarter than my mother step aside!!

[Root Beer]

he will target to food or a toy

I think I have read and investigated online til i am confused that he will self reward for the wrong position at the end

So do i click then reward once he drives down to the correct position? will this not lend him to still waiting on me to ge there?

Am i making any sense?

 

I think I'm understanding what you mean.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about self rewarding at this point. There are a lot of ways you can set him up for success to decrease the possibility of this, using gates, barriers, etc.

 

If you want the drive to the reward, I would have it there at the bottom. Later you can build the wait. I always try to work one criteria at a time.

[scullywags]

I think I'm understanding what you mean.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about self rewarding at this point. There are a lot of ways you can set him up for success to decrease the possibility of this, using gates, barriers, etc.

 

If you want the drive to the reward, I would have it there at the bottom. Later you can build the wait. I always try to work one criteria at a time.

 

 

thanks so much I will work on the drive for now cross the next bridge when we get there i tend to be a tad analitical!!

[rushdoggie]

so that would make him drive on his own is that what you are saying?

 

What I mean is:

 

He sees you as a part of the picture he gets rewarded for for hitting that target. So, if you are not where he expects you to be he is waiting for you to get there.

 

Your job is to teach him that when he runs a plank his job is to run to and hit that target regardless of where you are standing or if you are moving or not. In order to do that, you might have to take some steps back in your training to reward him driving to that target and this time make sure you vary your position so that he understands that it doesn't matter where you are.

 

IMO, you need some kind of marker (clicker,verbal, whatever you use) to mark the "hitting the target" behavior so you can help him understand when he gets it even if you are far away.

 

Once he is hitting the target consistently no matter where you are, then start playing games to encourage him to run there...like trying to beat him to the target and if you beat him there you pick up the cookie.

[alligande]

I was told by two very good trainers in different seminars to train the two behaviors separately, the end behavior and running over the contact obstacle, I only had access to an Aframe at home so I kept very low resting on a couple milk crates. I was concerned that it would not go back together, but it does, my goal was to have a dog that drove hard, and he does. I also agree with everything about taking your body position out of the equation, this also achieved by teaching the dog to run over as you can then run with him to get his reward or just send him. You want the dog driving over the obstacle for a toy or treat waiting on the other side. To prevent them from jumping over the yellow put a hoop at the end, so they have to go all the way to the bottom.

 

The other thing was once you had a solid end behavior with the dog driving in, is not to reset the end position if the dog breaks or does not nail it but to repeat the whole thing, otherwise the dog becomes patterned to correcting him self and you can NQ if they learn to self correct those back paws, once it was pointed out to me I now see dogs do this all the time in training.