Bandit's Agility Thread

[Root Beer]

I think the time has come to have an Agility thread for Bandit!!

 

We are taking a distance class through the Fenzi Academy and we are working a lot with cones. I absolutely adore working with the cones!!!

 

First, I don't have to worry about equipment performance. If he misses a cone . . . who cares? I'm never going to need him to not miss a cone.

 

Second, no criteria other than the cone.

 

Third, it is giving me a great chance to get a feel for timing and connection to a brand new dog. For instance, I actually have to turn completely when I'm doing a front cross. I can't get away with actually still facing him.

 

Fourth, Bandit and I are building teamwork. He is working hard - just like Tessa does - to figure out what we are doing. It is beyond cool to see that in him!!

 

Finally, it is something that belongs to Bandit and me. It's not the way I've always done things - it's a new spin on something that is very familiar to me. It's skills Tessa and I use, but in a context that belongs to the team of Kristine and Bandit.

 

This is actually something I have heard about and always wanted to do. Actually having the chance to work with a dog this way is even better than I thought it would be.

 

Here is our fourth cone session!! There are mistakes, but I am learning a TON from them!!

 

I am still actually somewhat intimidated by the idea of handling a dog like Bandit in Agility, but we are learning together, one step at a time.

 

And that's really what counts . . .

 

 

 

 

[Blackdawgs]

How old is he now?

 

Clean Run sells some very good foundation DVDs, I like the ones from Mary Ellen Barry and Sylvia Trkman.

 

I've found that carrying toys in the hand can be very distracting to the dog and can increase arousal to the point where they can't think. Also, they watch the toy rather than the cue. If you are going to carry toys, I think that it is better to have them in the hand that the dog is going to come to after the cross. I use toys that I can shove in a back pocket.

[Root Beer]

He's two years old and some change.

We haven't hurried his foundation, and I have focused a lot more on his Freestyle than his Agility. Also, I've been focusing on Tessa's C-ATCH. But that is almost done (2 more Q's to go!) and then it will be time to turn my attention to Bandit's Agility a good bit more.

 

He is actually kind of in a foundation class that I am also teaching (we get a little time at the beginning on weaves and contacts). It's slow going under that arrangement, but it is going.

 

I found that to be a problem with the toys if I was trying to train a behavior from scratch. Bandit had to learn the sending with food first, and then I could use toys. The instructor of the class is encouraging us to mix it up - sometimes food, sometimes a toy in the hand, sometimes concealed toys, sometimes a Lotus Ball (but Bandit doesn't recognize a Lotus ball as anything other than a ball). The idea is to make sure the dog doesn't always expect the same thing.

I go with the hollee ball because he can pick it up as he is running without slamming into it. When I go with something concealed, I will have to have him come to me, rather than toss. And that is fine at times, as well.

[Root Beer]

More work with cones, and now adding a barrel.

 

I think I might see NADAC in Bandit's future!!!

 

[Root Beer]

The "Grand Finale" from our Distance Agility class. I just loved, loved, LOVED taking this class with him!

 

It really was a "back to basics" kind of experience for me. And Bandit is ridiculously fun to work with!!

 

I am eager to go on to Part 2 where we will be doing patterns at a distance, and getting into distance discriminations!!

[CptJack]

AWESOME!

[Root Beer]

We are enjoying Part 2 of the Distance class!!

 

Bandit is coming along beautifully!!