Betsy Posted June 25, 2004 Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 I've recently picked up the clicker again and Riley loves it! How can I use it in agility? Riley is in his second agility class and he knows individual obstacles. My problem is he is just too danged fast for me to keep up with (even when I'm not 6 months pregnant!). Plus, he gets so excited and barks the whole time he is running, so he can't hear my commands very well. So what I end up with is him doing one obstacle and then barking and turning in circles while waiting for me to catch up to him and then I have to repeat the command for the next obstacle several times before he is able to hear me above his own barking. Can a clicker help me in this somehow? Betsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigD Posted June 25, 2004 Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 We are working on our 2nd Agility class and Buddy is very fast. We had a little informal competition at the Border Collie club last year and Buddy beat all the other BC's on Oahu - hands down. Now that wouldn't be a problem in agility if A) I knew what I was doing, Buddy didn't like to self reward, and C) I didn't have asthma! Ever since our instructors came back from the Power Paws seminar, they've really been working with the clicker. It's our first time using it and I must say "WOW!" We are doing the 2 on - 2 off work and targeting using the clicker. Once we have these 2 things put together we can use the commands to send the dog through different obstacles and they will wait at the end for us if instructed. This may help your dog concentrate and it will slow him down if you so choose. Keep in mind, the dog still takes the A-frame or dog walk, etc at full speed - but they can wait at the end for the next command. Not self re-ward (by doing it again, or going on to whatever they see ahead of them) or spin in circles barking! I'm sure if you look online for "Agility Clicker" you will find a ton of articles. It does help... Good luck, Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted June 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 By "2 on - 2 off" are you referring to contact points on obstacles? As in, 2 feet on the obstacle and 2 feet on the ground? What about things like jumps and weaves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigD Posted June 25, 2004 Report Share Posted June 25, 2004 Yes - 2 on the ground, 2 on the obstacle. for weaves - they taught us one way, then threw that out and are going to teach us weaves using the target (this is where the drive to the target is important...they just go to that target and don't care what's between it and them.) I think the weaves are called 2 by 2 weaves. There are many different ways to do it - but it's all about the target at the end. We are working on building drive to the target. At first we would click when the dogs touched the target as we held it, then we move it away, put it on the ground, and start naming the behavior. Later, we put the target down, placed gates behind and to the side to build a "chute." We hold the dog and get them ready to go...then send them. They still get a click at the touch. Then we work on angles. Soon, we will put weaves up instead of gates. But we must maintain the drive to that target. The target - BTW - is clear acrylic. So far, so good. But again - I'm such the novice at this stuff. I'm sure there are others out there that have used the clicker in agility and actually know what they are talking about! Denise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 We are currently taking an agility clicker class via the web that I think is excellent. In the article on "Home Schooling Your Clicker Trained Agility Dog" on the page below, you will find a lot of information about using the clicker in agility. There is also a good discussion of building agility-specific foundation skills before you and the dog ever get near an actual obstacle (which most agility classes do not address at all): http://www.cyberagility.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted June 28, 2004 Report Share Posted June 28, 2004 Betsy, Ask your instructors to teach you and Buddy how to run a course w/o any verbal commands by using body language. Teach the dog how to focus on the obstacles and get cues from your body language and speed, then you won't have to worry about trying to be heard. Learn how to use distance as well and you won't have to run as much. The dog shouldn't have to wait for you to catch up, he should be going on to the next obstacle unless you tell him otherwise. -laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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