# Winter Training Plans - What are yours?



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Winter is here in New England
Soon we will be limited to training indoors or outside on reasonably warm days.
I am rolling around these ideas....

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Liberty (6 year old spayed female)

Liberty is behind me
Cue her to pass through my legs and sit just as her shoulders are through and look up at me...Anyone on the board into freestyle? (I am not ......yet.... ) Is there already a name (cue) for this?

I am a planner and Liberty is fast learner...so I need to think this through before I get started!

Breaking into pieces:
Liberty needs to wait 15' away behind me - this is good and solid

Then on signal needs to advance - this is good from the front no experience from the back

Then pass through - good from front - very little experience from the back

Then sit - good and solid

Then tilt her head up - She knows this piece with moderate distractions....however will need to work on getting her to sit in closer....

Then needs to maintain eye contact for 5 seconds with moderate distractions (other people and dogs in the room) - This is good and solid 

I plan to use a target to get the pass through ...Initially will use her verbal cue "Foolish" for the sit/head tilt/eyecontact...Plan to wean off the verbal "Foolish" asap - but dont have any clever idea of what I want to call this chain....ideas?

I am also looking for ideas for a signal that I can give to her without looking at her...have been thinking I could have my hands behind my back and signal by flicking my fingers or I could lift up my heels....but think lifting my heels would be too easy to miss.

PLEASE - if you see gaps or holes in my thought process HOLLER!!! 

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For Lexi (senior, spayed female):
Close the darn fridge door!
She loves the "fetch me a drink" game....but is really weak at closing the door...so this winter she will be learning how to shut the fridge door! 
The final trick - she will go from the living room to the kitchen open the fridge - retrieve the drink to hand - then go back to the fridge and shut the door - then come back to me...


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Trace (8 month old intact male):
In sight 5 minute Sits and 30 minute Downs with heavy distractions 
currently he is at 2 minute sits and 15 minute downs - mild dsitractions

Out of sight Sits are 1 minute very mild distractions and OOS Downs are 5 minutes with very mild distractions (very mild=Lierty and Lexi in the same room doing the same thing)...not so much concerned with time, but with increasing distractions...

Right and left finishes with distractions - yeah well...he is a goober boy...Left finishes are very, very crooked....right finishes are slow but coming along, but cant handle any distractions yet! 

Retrieve dumbell and other objects to hand from both the front and heel postion:
Doing great from the front will hold for 20 seconds..with a few verbal reminders every 5 seconds....(need to wean off asap)
Is still weak moving from the front to heel <gets easily distracted  moving from one postion to the other!>

Scent discrimination - we worked it when he was about 10 weeks old (pre teething) and he loved it....now we will reintroduce and see how much stuck in his fuzzy Golden brain!! LOL

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I KNOW Im not the only geek out there - who else is going to work on tricks this winter?


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Hahaha, good topic ... it was snowing here this morning!

Easy answer ... RECALL. So that when Daisy has both her legs back she isn't chasing the neighbors' cats into the next county!!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Well, let's see... our "winter" training plans aren't really any different from any other time of the year! It's 87 degrees today!

But -- we do have some specifice in mind...

Polish up open exercises. Goal is to be ring-ready (by my standards) by March.

Work on utility articles using a method from Steve White.

Continue odor detection work started this past weekend with Steve White. I'm teaching a reliable search * locate * report sequence. Want to work toward using the scent wheel.

Put my sustained targeting behavior on cue. (I've built the behavior but it's not on a specific cue yet.)

KEEP BETTER NOTES while training.


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## Phillyfisher (Jan 9, 2008)

For us- working on - "go lay down" - which means to go lay down on your bed in the family room. He gets it when we stand near the bed, now we are starting to increase the distance. Also- to work on our down stays for longer time. We are at 3 minutes now. Working on our leash walking, and try to wean from the easy walk harness to a flat collar. Finally - "Go to sleep" using FQ's video as a guide. Tucker hates rolling over on his side for this, he resists the weight shift on his back hips that would allow him to roll to his side. It is going to take awhile for that one...


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Winter means I can actually train outside with my dogs dropping dead! My favorite time of year!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Can you tell me more about this method?
I just got my articles, so I haven't really done anything with the Tito monster with them yet. I'm just now trying to research the best way to go about this.
Our trainers use the "tie-down" method, but I want to know a bit more about some other methods before I try that.
Thanks!


Work on utility articles using a method from Steve White.

Continue odor detection work started this past weekend with Steve White. I'm teaching a reliable search * locate * report sequence. Want to work toward using the scent wheel.


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## Judi (Feb 26, 2007)

I have an Obedience School indoors that I go to.


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## Soda (Feb 23, 2008)

Wow...great minds! I was just working through my winter dog training priorities this morning.

Rusty: Maintain UDX exercises but switching gears to work on his field career. Continue doing yard work, lengthen marks, change terrain and add live flyers. No water work until spring but for him that's easy. Will focus on field this spring.

Tally: Her forte is obedience and she'll be working to polish up her for her UDX. Continue to teach her she can give a straight front with something in her mouth. Really proof heeling. Work on a faster drop, not taking a step on the signals and better transition from each exercise. Since I'm working Rusty in the field Tally will also run some marks working on not trying to say hello to the gunners....

Piper: Even though she's just a little lass we've already started working to teach her to learn. Luring into sits, downs, stand, spins and heel position. Walking on loose lead, no jumping, puppy recall, play retrieves, scent work (finding the treat), puppy go outs, hide and seek and lots of socialization.

Gees...and this is the off season! lol


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## z24pride (May 13, 2008)

Since Boone Graduated Obedience Class, This sunday I meet with a trainer on now putting him through actual hunting school...


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Soda said:


> Wow...great minds! I was just working through my winter dog training priorities this morning.
> 
> Rusty: Maintain UDX exercises but switching gears to work on his field career. Continue doing yard work, lengthen marks, change terrain and add live flyers. No water work until spring but for him that's easy. Will focus on field this spring.
> 
> Will you do force fetch with Rusty?


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