# By Golly, I Think He's Getting It!



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I figure stays will be the last thing I'm waiting on to show Flip. I don't want a dog in groups unless I know he'll stay through pretty much anything other than the building crashing down upon him. And that's going to be asking a lot for the pup with little self control.

I was very happy earlier this week when I had Flip in a sit stay and then I let Colby run around the room and Flip held his stay. That's the first time he's ever been able to withstand that temptation.

Last night I got really bold and put out his ultimate obsession: the cat. I put him in a sit while he watching the cat from across the room. Then I picked the cat up in my arms and walked past him with it. Then I put the cat down and let it walk around. I was so impressed, Flip did not move until the cat came right up to him, grabbed the end of his leash, and started jumping around in his face with it. That was just too much for him at this point and he broke. But I set him back up and let him sit while he watched the cat walk around the room again, and then I repeated on a down stay. 

His stays are still nowhere near ready for the ring. I want to be confident that if some dog starts getting the zoomies in the ring during stays or another dog comes and give Flip a play bow during the middle of stays that he's going to ignore it. We're not at that point yet but last night was the first time I've seen real self-control on his part, so that's a beginning.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Kudos<: 

Is he in group obedience classes or are you going it alone?


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Megora said:


> Kudos<:
> 
> Is he in group obedience classes


I wish. There are no classes here. We do have a group getting together to train this Saturday for the first time since October. There's a person from Baton Rouge (2 hours away) with an OTCH that will be driving in and she does run-throughs with us and then we do stays together at the end. People drive in from all over and we meet at an outdoor pavilion. Other than Petsmart and the Kennel Club's CGC class, that's the only thing in my area.

I did drive to Houston for weekly classes when Flip was about 7 months old, but it's a three hour drive each way and I just couldn't do it after a full day of work. I made it four or five weeks than had to drop out from exhaustion.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

don't rule out petsmart. Go watch a class. You might be able to work with Flip at his own level, but with the influence and distraction of other dogs being around.
A long, long time ago in a galaxy far away when I showed Tiny and Toby in Novice A, we took some classes at the local Petsmart. The trainer was awesome. If a dog could hold a stay in her class, they could hold it no matter what happened in the ring. She would have kids that were in the store bounce a tennis ball in front of the dogs, etc. 
So check it out, it might be worth your while (or not).


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I did put Flip in the Petsmart puppy class. But I didn't do anything they did, I just wanted him to work around other dogs. The trainers they've had the last few years aren't the best to say the least. When one leaves someone that's been working the cash register will take the two week training course and suddenly become the next "trainer." Then they'll stick around for a few months and a new cashier becomes the trainer.

I do bring the dogs to Petsmart occasionally to work around the distractions, but you can't get all that much done because of the slick floors.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

that's too bad. Of course, this was 12 years ago, and training was new at Petsmart so they probably hired decent trainers.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I did start out with Petsmart before I got into all this. Annabel took a puppy class and then later an advanced class. The instructor for the advanced class was actually decent. He cracked me up though because Petsmart is totally positive, don't ever touch your dog to help him out, don't tell your dog no, etc. Just lure and treat. This trainer would say "This is how Petsmart says to do it. Now this is how I would do it." 

I was taking that class when I saw my first ever obedience trial. I remember going back and telling everyone about how people would spit treats at their dogs so we all sat around spitting treats that night.


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## Augie's Mom (Sep 28, 2007)

Did kitty get a treat for being such a good distraction?


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Augie's Mom said:


> Did kitty get a treat for being such a good distraction?


She got a nice pat on the head 

I used to have another cat a few years ago. She was an awesome distractor. She would jump in the pile while Conner was doing articles. She would hang off his leash while we were heeling. She'd race him to me on recalls. Conner wouldn't even look at her. Flip still has a lot of growing up before he's to that point.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Horray!

Cats are great for stays. When you're ready to increase the distraction level... be tossing food on the floor during stays. And then the cat will come and grab it and run away. My cats love that game. I did not like it the first time they taught me the game.


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## JDandBigAm (Aug 25, 2008)

I think Flip and Jonah are twins?! Like you, I'm going to do sit/down stays last because of the self control issue. I've had a little success with cat or food distractions but it was probably because he just felt like it at the time. Its so funny that we are training through utility but haven't done formal sit stays in a group setting. No wonder my instructor says we may not be ready for the summer shows but probably the late fall shows...


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

My world was turned upside down last night.

I'm still practicing stays with Flip. Last night I put all four dogs in a line up for down stays. 3 little heads were immediately on the floor, eyes half closed. And 1 head was up, eyes darting around, saying "can I get up yet? can I get up yet?" :bowl:

But what totally stunned me last night was the sit stays. Because Conner has had such issues with going down on sit stays in trials, he has been through super proofing against breaking stays and he is completely, totally solid (except in trials. I would very comfortably bet $100 that he would hold a sit if we are anywhere besides a trial. The last time he broke a sit in practice was two years ago, during some major proofing. The last time he broke just a regular sit stay without extra proofing going on was three or four years ago. 

Until last night.

I had Conner and Flip in sits, but I don't make Annabel or Colby do extended sits anymore so I called them to me. And when I called them Conner came right along with them. I don't know who was more shocked, me at seeing him break or him when I replaced him in the sit and he realized he had broken. It broke my heart seeing that white face look so crestfallen (and all I did when he broke was say "oops" and gently replace him in a sit, but he knows he absolutely is never supposed to break a sit and you could just tell it upset him).

But the amazing part is, even though Conner broke, Flip did not!!! I can guarantee you I never ever thought I would see the day when Conner broke a stay in practice and not Flip. I guess small miracles happen every day.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

On the bright side, it sounds like Conner was horrified enough about his mistake that the next break should be at LEAST another 2 years


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

More progress last night! I usually make Flip do a sit stay while I fix his dinner if he's in the house. Last night I made him do a down stay instead for the first time (the down stay is much harder for him than the sit stay, he just wants to pop up so much!) He held it without a problem 

We have a private lesson scheduled for March 8 (Mardi Gras!). I think while I'm there I'll ask what she thinks about starting beginner novice/prenovice this summer.


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