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  1. #1
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    This behaviorist thing is fascinating

    First of all, these folks at K9 Games don't know much about Field trials or Hunt tests. But they are really helping me fine tune Rocket Dog's heel. Specifically, I went to them describing the "nose-over-toes" posture that RD and I should have and maintain on the line while running marks or blinds. If the dog is too far out in front (even, say where her shoulders are even with my leg) she is not in a position where I can influence her as the birds or going down.

    [Parenthetically... where is proper "heel" position in the Ob. ring?]

    Anyhow, so these people don't know beans about what happens in retriever field sports. None of them are hunters either. I did show them a snippet from a DVD on handling, but apart from that, not so much. Obviously, my regular field training group friends know a LOT about (i.e., more than I'll ever know) handling dogs on the line at a high stakes HT or even the Master National. But fine tuning my work with RD on the line is hard. We're usually going through 20 dogs and everyone has to help load wingers and so forth.

    It is counter-intuitive for a field person to go to a behaviorist for help on something so basic as line behavior. But I believe they are making a big difference. First... we just did walking and sitting at heel, even with attractive distractions strewn around. Then the next week I showed them a wagon wheel drill and how she wasn't moving with me, and even if she did move with me... she got out of position.
    -wagonwheel-jpg Whoa... in both cases, they saw stuff going on that I wasn't aware of. They really helped me nail the details down. Last Monday, I showed them a simple lining drill (behind their building) and how once Rocket Dog had gotten a chance to run hard and snag a bumper up, this was giving her more stink (so to speak...) getting her higher so that her heeling position on the return was getting ragged again. They helped me clean that up.

    Now, we've been doing this with very low intensity e-collar stimulation. So the big question is... how do we translate this to "naked" performance? That is something we'll be transitioning to next Monday. We'll see how it goes.

  2. #2
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by TuMicks View Post

    [Parenthetically... where is proper "heel" position in the Ob. ring?]
    This is how it is defined in the regulations "The dog should be at the handler's left side straight in line with the direction the handler is facing. The area from the dog's head to shoulder is to be in line with the handler's left hip. The dog should be close to, but not crowding, its handler so that the handler has freedom of motion at all times.”

    Personally, I try to keep her ear in line with my hip at all times. While it shouldn’t be scored if a dog “floats” in heel position slightly as long as they fit the definition above, I think it makes a prettier picture to be precise.

    Glad things are working out for you with the behaviorists.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  3. #3
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Thanks for the clarification of the Ob ring rules. Rocket Dog has a long body and neck (very un-Lab-looking.) When she was a puppy I began teaching "heel" with her head in front of my left leg so I could watch her nose as I walked. Unfortunately, when she sat, this put her shoulders in line with my hip. This is functionally too far out. So the poor thing has had to relearn (as have I) about proper heel position. Her entire body and front feet have to be behind me. In fact, to work really well, for THIS dog, she has to be almost peeking out around my leg to watch the action in the field.

 



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