# Our Second Lesson



## Titan1 (Jan 19, 2010)

Jodie
It sure sounds like you did the right thing. I am glad things are working out for you guys and it sound like you are getting lots of advice and lots of proofing for you.
Michelle


----------



## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

Wow - that sounds like a great session  Head restraint - huh - nope, mine don't much care for it either LOL

Jodie, may I ask what your training breakdown is? I do obedience (and rally), agility, field and just dog manners and it just seems that I am always out of time before I and out of dogs and sometimes find myself thinking, well maybe that's 'good enough' (okay, the thought doesn't stay long but its there sometimes).

BTW: Towhee started her life in a pet home, and it didn't work out so Flip's littermates may end up as working dogs - that is how I started since I ended up with a high drive golden and since giving up a dog is just not an option to me, I needed to learn how to channel that energy


----------



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I'll admit that Conner and Colby aren't getting nearly as much training as Flip is. But then again, I wasn't doing as much training with them as I should have before I got Flip so I can't blame it on bringing in a new dog.

I'm finding with Flip that I'm taking more time to perfect the basics before I move on with him. There are many things that I decided were "good enough" with the other dogs that I will not allow Flip to do - especially with Conner if it wasn't scorable I would let it go, like going into a sit first for a down, never could get a fold back down from him, and not moving his rear back for a left turn, he got his head out of my way and didn't get hit for it so I decided I'd let those kinds of things go. With Colby I started out training him with really high standards, and he has the high in trials to prove it. Then when it came to the reality of getting ready for the utility ring I decided I really don't care what his scores are if I can just _get_ a UD on a Lhasa Apso, so I am really letting things slide with him that I wouldn't with Conner or Flip (like I've decided that I'm just going to go ahead and let him hit the stanchion on go-outs and take the score hit for it, and I've abandoned front training with him in order to be able to use the time to focus on other things.)

With Flip it is not just about doing what I can to get a good score, it is seeing how nice of an overall performance I can get. I know what hurt me the most with my other dogs was being in too much of a hurry to move forward. So what I have now is a dog that can do all of the graduate open exercises (except the jumps), but has never done a figure 8, which is a skill that shows up in even the new beginner novice class. Since I have no plans of showing him until he's at least 3 it really doesn't matter what he doesn't know yet.

I don't have a regular training schedule or anything. If I feel like training at the moment we do. If I don't feel like it we don't, because I figure if I don't feel like it I won't be at my best as a trainer.

I don't know if any of that answered your question, but it gave me something to do while I drank my coffee this morning :


----------



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

I almost forgot one important lesson we worked on - the "Do not eat (or sniff, or even look at) the dot stickers on the mats!"

I'm still not sure how he ended up wearing one on his butt.


----------



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

sounds like a great lesson, and I REALLY admire your dedication to go that far for training!! wow!!


----------



## sammydog (Aug 23, 2008)

Sounds like all the driving was totally worth it! The head thing is interesting, what is the end goal for doing that? Flip sounds like a total blast! I think we need to see some new video! I really cannot wait to hear about the first time you step into the ring with him.

It’s amazing the things you learn from one dog and how you adjust your training and criteria for the next. Mira has so much more foundation work in her for agility (and it shows), but I have still learned a number of things that I plan to adjust for my next dog. I just love training!


----------



## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

sammydog said:


> The head thing is interesting, what is the end goal for doing that? Flip sounds like a total blast! I think we need to see some new video!


The head thing is Sylvia Bishop, who is a very hands-on trainer. Collar bounces, head holds, nose bridges, they are all things that she brought to American trainers. It's basically teaching the dog to enjoy you putting your hands on them so you can use it as a type of correction later.

I was actually going to video Flip and I doing some heeling work a couple of days ago so I could see how we're doing. I dug out the camera, and then when I got out the cord to charge it I saw that one end had been chewed off :doh: I think I have another one somewhere, but I haven't been able to find it so I might have to wait until I get back to my classroom next month, where I have a couple of Flip cameras. (ha ha I'll use a Flip camera to record Flip - cheesey joke!


----------

