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  1. #1
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    Balancing your programme

    With M away we have been really trying o keep Huggie in a balanced programme so that when M comes home we can fit her right in. We tend to get out of balance with too many marks and not enough drills and concept work so I have put my foot down and we are setting specific days for each. Our problem has been that others want to come in the evening and train but they want us with them. I can't do it, just too old. We have tried to set Wednesday for an evening train but inevitably the group will want to change nights. So I have said if this is the case they have to train on their own
    . Thursday there is a new group coming and I will let them choose they area and they can set up what they want.

    How do others keep things in balance?
    the

  2. #2
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Dogs or dog training and people?

    The nice thing about dogs is they're happy to do whatever is on the schedule today. People, not so much.

  3. #3
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    I guess it goes back to Dennis' ABC ideas Attitude, Balance and Control and tailoring your programme for each specific dog. Attitude is straight forward. It is critical that the dog have a god attitude in order to learn. As a trainer we need to temper the training so that we build on this and not sour the dog. Control comes with the obedience training and yard work. Developing a willing partnership. Balance to Dennis means seeking the over-all, all round dog. Balancing work on land and water, on marks and blinds, on simple and complex, on multiples and singles and diversions, on drills and field set-ups on free decision making and compliance, on excitement and control on technical and drive are all part of getting the most out of the dog. Too many multiples and you get head swinging, too many blinds and the marking drops, too much free decision making and the dog starts to work for himself, too much compliance and attitude can sour. All of this makes my head spin at times.

  4. #4
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Whew! I'm glad you added the last sentence! I was thinking the same thing and feeling really inadequate.

  5. #5
    Senior Dog
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    I will be so glad to get M home. I am exhausted working with other peoples dogs. Yesterday I threw for a group of Toller owners. I am sure the dogs were getting in one side of the truck and out the other, there never seemed to be an end to them. Today was like Grand Central Station here. Eden and I and another Toller owner started the day on the lawn. I am putting Huggie through the T and Double T and Billie needed to see how to start teaching the overs. After that we started to teach the no no drill. By this time some of another group using the property had arrived. One of this group is the type who sees you doing something and automatically has to do it too. Her dog is older and she has created some major momentum problems by over use of the whistle and the collar ( no balance, no teaching, no listen). The last thing she needed to do was run a no no drill and have to call her dog back when it made a mistake but she did it anyway. The dog was actually walking on this drill. Once she was finished Eden, Billie and I headed out to the swim-by pond to teach Huggie the centre pile across the pond and to tread water. When we came back up the fellow from down the road was here and he just wanted to go out and work on a certain blind concept. The rest of the other group was setting up on the front pond so Eden and I retired to the garage and yet another fellow arrived. His dogs need obedience so Eden and Bob went out with him while I did some paperwork for the township. Once that was done Eden and I delivered it and when we got back a friend was at the back with his grandson shooting some sporting clay. The place was just hopping. It is supposed to rain tomorrow and I could use the day off.

 



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