Toy Motivation: Play with Balls

I've just been doing some work on toy motivation, Wilson isn't the most toy motivated dog: you could throw a ball and he'd ignore it! I think working for toys would be good as I think he'd run faster in agility and I also think it would be good to reduce treat's: not that he's fat! I also think it would just be more fun for both him and me.

I decided to use a purple squeaky ball, because he likes it, it squeak's, which will make him more likely to chase it, and besides I couldn't find any other toys! I'm going to buy some tug toy's an balls. Anyway I squeaked it and threw it and just played, then I asked for basic tricks, sit, jump over my leg ect... and got him to do it before he got the toy - eventually I want to be able to hide the toy or show it then hide it (as you would in agility you play with the toy, give it to the person at the end and then run, then reward!) ask for the behavior and reward after he does it! I was sort of luring him today. I also did some restrained chase's - I held him with one hand bounced or rolled the ball or just waved it around and then yelled "Get It" or "Go" and then released him! I also made the ball go side-to-side and then let him go telling him "Get It" and throwing it!

He really enjoyed it and we stopped the game with him wanting more!

Beth + Wilson Xx

New Tricks: HIGH TEN

Wilson now can do a High Ten! I've only been working on it for a short while and today he got it! Now I've only got to add the cue, and then he'll have really got it. I'd already taught him High Five and Give Paw and I worked on getting him to give both, or give left and right (Right is his preferred paw to give) and encouraging him giving his left paw to my left hand and right paw to right hand. Then he was offering both paws to my right hand and today he did a High Ten, Giving his right paw to my right hand at the same time as giving his left paw to my left hand! He also has done "Paw's Up" and "On" - these may have made this trick easier.

Beth + Wilson Xx

Agility Show & Training Plan

We went to the show yesterday for our first Competition. We got up at 7am and then packed the last few bits, and got in the car, which wouldn't start. Two hour's later we got it to start so we decided to go, and hope we'd get there in time. When we arrived we got the dogs out and I went with Cait and asked what time the Agility was on and they said not till after lunch, we got there for 12am. So we asked about the Obedience which we had missed, and then went to meet Gilbert and we had lunch and watched Gilbert and Zara being shown. Zara got Best Baby Puppy Bitch of her Breed and Gilbert got Best Baby Puppy of Breed.

Then we went to the inside part of the show (the Agility, Obedience and Bernese Showing was all outside). I got a bed for Wilson (Grey Camo Vet-Bed)  and a Bandanna (Lime Green Polka-Dots), and Cait got a bed (Lime Green Paws) and a Bandanna (Pink Dogs) for Holly. 

Then we watched the Agility for a bit until it was our turn, firstly was walked  the course. When it was our turn Wilson kept running of to meet other dogs, the only thing he did was the Seesaw ( I think he was expecting it to be a dog walk and he was surprised when the seesaw moved!) I was disappointing and a bit embarrassed. However I now know that we need to do a lot more training & go to a class, so he'll get used to focusing on me with other dogs/distractions and so he can run a full course with real equipment.

My training plans based on what he did yesterday is, Finnish Freecallers, Freecaller's is part of the "Recallers" program the first four games for free, to help with his general obedience, focus & recall. 

Watch the whole of "Foundation's Fun" (an Agility Foundations/Training DVD which I bought and is very good) and follow as much as I can. Work on Toy Motivation. And continue Junior Handling and Trick Training.


Beth + Wilson Xx

Wilson's VetBed and Bandanna and Holly's VetBed and Bandanna

Wilson's new Bandanna

Training for Our First Competition

Well, the fact I don't own either a floppy/collapsible or ridged tunnel is annoying. It was one of the few thing's Wilson wouldn't do at the BMD Show. I've been working with our childrens play tunnel - which was originally bought for the puppies - it's a bit like a collapsible tunnel. He's doing really good with it - a bit more time working on that and he'll be ready for a real floppy tunnel!

 For the ridged tunnel, the play tunnel has helped I'm also using lot's of different things to encourage him to basically go through any 'tunnel-like' thing I ask him to go to. I used small/low chairs with a blanket draped over them to get him to both do a straight and curved "tunnel" I just pointed at it (for now my hand has to basically go in the tunnel but with practice just pointing at it from a distance should do) and ran to the other end and called him and at the end of the 1st session I did it with with no food in my hand and he went through and came out the other end looking for his cheese!

We're also working on 2o2o, I point at the dogwalk and say up,up,up,up and run ahead and position myself in-front of the dogwalk and get him to wait and then say ... AND GO! and he runs on to the next obstacle with me, I'm doing simmular on the Seesaw, the Seesaw is also improving a lot and were continuing to train on all the obstacles focusing mostly on Go! Run and Weaves.

We got the dogs "numbers" and the map of the show (location for rings ect...) and all the info ... start times ect... Wilson is No. 2025 and is entered in Pre-Beginner's Obedience and Grade 1-3 Combined Jumping. He is in the "Small" category at 30cm but hasn't been officially measured. My sister is running Holly - they are doing Grade 1-3 Combined Jumping aswell. And my other sister is doing the "Baby Puppy" class with Zara.

Beth + Wilson

Swimming!!!

Taking a break from paddling

Yesterday we went to the beach, our beach walk lasted - 1 minute. It wasn't until we were on the beach that we realized - there are no dog's allowed on the main beach between 8am and 9pm (or something like that). So we turned round got the dog's in the car and went to the cove, which is a little pebbly beach with a lake/river running into the sea. We brought the cameras (the Cannon E0S 7D and my GoPro - which ran out of charge as soon as we got there) so we could get some photo's and clips. I had brought the Hurtta life-vest we're testing at the minute. I wore short's and rock shoe's as I had planned to go in the water with Wilson.

We went straight in the water after putting on the life-vest. Wilson was happy to go in and he paddled about - not much swimming mostly paddling (but in quite deep). We went in the sea and river and he was great in both! We got loads and loads of clips.

The clip's will go in my Summer 2015 video - which should be filmed/edited/published by September 1st.

Beth + Wilson Xx

Wilson - just before he jumped in the water again

Paddling in the Sea

Preparing for Pawfest!

On the 19th of July we're heading to Pawfest, there is going to be a fun dog show and have-a-go Agility! This will be the second time Wilson has been on a "proper" Agility course, and the last time before our first Competition. Last time he did well on the Go!, Jump's, A-frame & he kept his attention on me - most of the time! He didn't do the tunnel's & he wasn't great at the hoop, to be honest some of it was my fault, I ran round in the wrong order, and I totally missed the weaves - oop's. He's never been on a dogwalk (although he was great on the A-frame so I'm not worried) or seesaw.

What I really want to do is be able to run a full course - as we would in a competition. I've been doing as much work as I can at home, and I'll be doing lot's of training over the next few day's so we're ready!

I have also been working on a new trick - Foot-stall, we're getting there!

Beth + Wilson Xx

We're Entered!

Today we officially entered the show on 25th July, I have entered Wilson in Agility & Obedience! So I have lot's and lot's of work to do to be ready. So excited! 

Wilson + Beth Xx