Reading through this thread made me smile, knowing just how far RD has come in a relatively short period of time. I'm not going to pretend I know jack crap about training for field work, and working with IRISHWHISTER a couple weeks ago was a genuine "AH HA" moment for me.
I will say this. One thing Mike stressed to me, after chastising me for repeatedly tossing a tennis ball and letting Brooks chase it merrily across the yard, was steadiness. The dog sits and watches, no matter what, until sent, then makes a proper retriever to heal. Since our return that is one of the many things we've been working on. I put Brooks on his PLACE board, and will toss a Dokken all over the yard, away from him, towards him, across and back. I'll toss that Dokken at least 10 times before I let Brooks have a retrieve. I'm getting a lot of exercise, and Brooks is getting steadier by the day. One thing I am also doing, before I send him, I will put my left hand in front on him and just hold it, and I will not release him until he makes eye contact with me. Even then I may make him wait up to a minute before I send him.
As for the sit/stand for exam, it's the Labrador curse. When I started obedience training with Brooks, he would loose his damn mind the second anyone approached him, much less touched his head. Luckily I was working with people who put many obedience titles on Labradors over many years. We started with someone just standing 3 or 4 feet away from him while he sat. Treat, treat, treat. 1 or 2 feet away. Treat, treat, treat. Right next to him. Treat, treat, treat. Walk up right next to him, briefly, briefly, touch his head. Ultimately we've progressed to a stand for exam, and he's doing really well. It takes a lot of time, and baby steps, but it can be done. Once they learn sitting/standing still is a good thing it gets better.
Hmmm... I am almost tempted, Barry. I've had some issues with the local obedience crowd. As you say, it would take some help and a lot of patience from helpers to provide the increments necessary to desensitize her. I guess, though, I won't know unless/until I ask around.
But, oh baby, is she ever hugging my leg with her right ear. Fabulous.
Now we'll see if it pays off when we set up increasing increments of distraction and eventually with actual behavior on line.
barry581 (10-04-2017)
We're doing off-lead heeling now in front of and around the house. Doing very, very loose leash when we're in a new area. I'm trying to come up with appropriate new "distractions" to introduce. I could go down the street when the school bus lets out and see if she'll be distracted by children (her FAVORITE thing in the whole world!) Or, I might put a defrosted duck in the yard (her FAVORITE thing in the whole world!)
We'll see.
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
Hidden Content
Perfect. I told my husband that he needed to play with one of the other dogs a little bit while we were heeling and see how that goes. But I like the idea of him also just tossing a duck.
In the Hillmann DVD series, it is Lesson #15 where he sets up a real Hunting Test situation, has the dog exit a holding blind and has someone standing out a way waving a duck and yelling "hey-hey", firing a gun, and tossing either a bumper or a bird.
We're not there yet. But we're making progress.
I had to drive to San Jose (275 miles) to help my mom. I took Rocket Dog who had to live in the truck the whole time. But it was good, I think. I had to get out and walk her thoroughly and play with her a bit and we did that about 4 times/day. She walks like a really solid citizen for blocks at a time.
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