Running Contacts

There are two ways to get your dog to hit the last 90cm of the Dogwalk & A-Frame. 2o2o or Running Contacts. 2o2o you teach your dog to stop and wait with their two back paws on the dogwalk/A-frame until a release and RC is when you teach your dog to stride so they hit the contact point. RC is better for speed and forward drive, no loss of time or momentum.

I've decided to sign up with Holly for Silvia Trkman's RC, I chose Holly for this course as, I think she will be harder to teach RC to, unlike Wilson she is obsessed with Balls/Toys which is good but sometimes she get's so focused on having that ball thrown she doesn't think about how to get it. Wilson has had more issues with working for toys (although it's much improved and only getting better, I'll post about our new game soon) but I think he's more aware. He think's about what he's doing and how he's earning it. Also I've just finished a course with Wilson leaving more to work on and Holly's training needs more structure. I am going to try training him with what I learn from Holly and the RC DVD, and Agility Diaries, and if we have big problems there is another course next summer. Also Holly has more troubles with DW, A-frame and Contacts, she flies off, literally in the middle! And contact's make no sense to her, and Wilson I can work with 2o2o for now anyways.

So you'll be getting more Holly updates as this is part of the transition to me doing all her Agility. She's not my dog and I had been doing part of her training but it's had little structure and she is a super dog.

Also we're going to work with 4on for the seesaw as I don't like the way the seesaw bounces with their back legs on and front paws on, it can't be good for them.

Holly's Video

Videos: SUMMER 2015, Wilson 2.5 Years & London Trip!!!

Okay, sooo I have a bit of an issue with my laptop: it's full! I'm currently editing my Summer video and Wilson's 2.5 years video, and I'm also making short videos for the online agility class i'm doing with Wilson.

My Summer video was going to be published in the next few days but, I can't finish editing it and I ended up losing 2 minutes of it because I couldn't save it! It might be published soon and should definitely be done mid/late September.

Wilson's 2.5 year video is meant to be published 3rd September but we're in London 3rd-4th September so I'd planned to publish it 2nd September before we leave but it could be once we get back, if so it should be early September.

My London video will be published early September.

Beth + Wilson Xx

PS. Sorry for both the boring post and the lack of posting!

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

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