# Aren't poodles wonderful to work with?



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Poppy was a little star at agility training today. It was week 6, so things have started to get more difficult - figures of eight over and round two jumps, combining obstacles, jumping four jumps from a Wait start - she was brilliant! She even made me look quite good, despite the fact that I was usually gesturing with the wrong hand, or calling the next obstacle far too late. She even did well on the weaves and the seesaw, which are not her favourite things. And then, after a long class, she still had energy left to run all over the big field playing with the other dogs - very brave for my shy little Poppy!

The only hiccups were her freezing when one of the big dogs got over-excited and started barking and bouncing a bit too close for comfort (and who can blame her!), and her getting a bit too enthusiastic over the dog walk and A-frame, and flying a couple of contacts. But having a dog that just wants to know what is next, so she can have fun doing it, is wonderful. I really don't think there was another dog in the class doing as well, and having as much fun, as she did. The biggest challenge is stopping her queue jumping - she wants a turn every time!


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## Feralpudel (Jun 28, 2010)

Good Girl, Poppy!! FJM, I am reading a book now I think you would like. It is called Control Unleashed, and is based on a course and workshop that this woman developed for her agility club to help dogs deal with all the excitement of an agility setting. It is mainly geared towards reactive dogs and dogs that stress up, but includes a set of exercises and skills to help any dog deal with stressful conditions, including dogs that come too close for comfort. It is very much in keeping with your approach to training, and I think you'd like it.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Thanks Feralpudel - off to Amazon to look for it!


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

I love the dogs in agility that try to queue-jump. Vasco also is bad at waiting his turn.

You guys are going really quickly! Our instructor is so incredibly cautious and careful about teaching the dog the correct method, that we only graduated this week to the A frame off lead.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Most of the dogs are still on lead - Poppy got a bit of a dispensation because she is so tiny she rarely misses contacts! Your instructor obviously has the same mantra as ours - "On the lead till no mistakes - it's hard to unlearn!" It is a very good class - the first session is inside, with very small jumps, a very low dog walk and a tunnel. Then outside, introducing one or two new pieces of equipment each week for four weeks, the seesaw last of all, with a LOT of care taken that the dogs are never frightened or distressed (owners are expected to look after themselves!). Then gradually building up to a sort of circuit training for the last couple of weeks, culminating in running a course. The only problem with Poppy enjoying it so much is that I will have to continue - which means early mornings on a Sunday all through the winter ... !


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## debjen (Jan 4, 2010)

It is fun..Flyer is so good that I sometimes forget he is only 2 years old..He is in the same competition class as my 4 and 5 year old Cavs..


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## Margotsmom (Jun 6, 2010)

Go Poppy go!!  My Margot is a star in our agility class too and I am so happy she is almost 18 months old when we will be allowed to do the weaves and regular height jumps. We work at a half size field so a bit hard for her to restrain those long strides, and...the ICD (Inner Circus Dog). But yes she is so much more cooperative than my wiz kid Crested, who is fantastic but takes off on her own course half of the time.


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## Purley (May 21, 2010)

I don't have Lucy in agility yet, but I am going to put her in the next session of beginners agility. My younger shih-tzu Tyson has been doing it for years and he loves it.

We learn the teeter (see saw) by putting it on the ground and just having the dogs walk along it without any movement. Lots of dogs have a real problem - I think its both the movement and the crash when it hits the ground. 

I'd be interested in how others have been learning the different equipment, particularly the teeter totter and the weave poles.  We learnt the weaves by bending the poles right and left to create a flattened "v" and then gradually moving them up to vertical. It took Tyson ages to figure out the straight poles.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

We spent the first five or ten minutes with the seesaw giving the dogs scrummy treats or a game with a favourite toy every time it thumped down, until they looked forward to the noise. The instructors are very, very careful to hold the end and lower it very slowly, so that the dog is never scared - at the first sign of anxiety they suggest practising with a wobble board or some other platform with just a bit of movement to build the dogs's confidence (a good idea for pre-agility training with pups, perhaps - especially with a clicker). The key is to get the dog to recognise the balance point and manage the descent - which for Poppy means getting almost to the end!

Weaves are done by using poles on hinged bases, so that they start in two parallel lines that are gradually moved in till they converge - and with some training on a straight line as well. Poppy was very reluctant to walk on the metal strip joining the poles at first - she was getting much happier about it after a few goes, once she knew it meant chicken at the end!


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## debjen (Jan 4, 2010)

for the teeter..I actually start all my dogs out on a wobble board at home so they get use to movement underneath them..then when we actually start the teeter we start with the bang it game..with the teeter barely an inch off the ground and with some dogs I start on the ground they just have to come up and put a paw on it to get treated..as they get comfortable on it I move it further off the ground..once they are doing that well I move them to the side of the teeter so they are heading in the down direction..I take it back to an inch off the ground and they get on the teeter a few feet from the bottom and go to the end and ride it down..slowly moving it up again..once they are doing that well I adjust the teeter (if you have an adjustable teeter to low and start running the hole teeter and slowly move it up..even when it is all the way up I will hold it sometimes so they have to come to then end and then I let it go down at first helping it down gently but now all of my dogs can ride it down from full height 

for the weaves I am sold on Susan Garrett's 2 x 2 method..Flyer learned that excusively and he truely has the best weaves out of any of my dogs.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I was very keen to try Susan Garrett's method for weaves, but no one round here seems to use it, and I didn't want to confuse Poppy with too many different methods at once. I think it helps to have a dog that is highly motivated by toys, too?


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## debjen (Jan 4, 2010)

fjm said:


> I was very keen to try Susan Garrett's method for weaves, but no one round here seems to use it, and I didn't want to confuse Poppy with too many different methods at once. I think it helps to have a dog that is highly motivated by toys, too?


It helps but I have a friend who trained her dog using the method and a food tube that she could throw for the reward.


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## apoodleaday (Feb 22, 2010)

Lacey loves the bang game as described by debjen. She is now hopping up and riding it down. We've gone pretty slow so she is pretty fearless about it. Lacey loves agility and I love doing it with her. The only piece she doesn't like is the contact board. Any suggestions for amping it up??


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## debjen (Jan 4, 2010)

apoodleaday said:


> Lacey loves the bang game as described by debjen. She is now hopping up and riding it down. We've gone pretty slow so she is pretty fearless about it. Lacey loves agility and I love doing it with her. The only piece she doesn't like is the contact board. Any suggestions for amping it up??


What are you doing with the contact board and how are you doing it?


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

We didn't really use a contact board - we started with a slanting board with a low table at one end, with the dogs jumping onto the table and walking down the board. We have been taught the "two on, two off" contact, but to be honest, as long as Poppy runs down the middle of the board, with her short stride she hits the contacts, so I suspect we are finding it easier than the bigger dogs. Both of my tinies love the contact equipment - I think they like the feeling of for once looking the world in the eye, AND getting chicken for it!

Is Lacey aware of her back end? It does seem to be a problem for many bigger dogs. My instructor recommended putting a ladder on the ground. and walking the dog along it (starting a few rungs from the finish and gradually building up may help to keep her interest!).


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## apoodleaday (Feb 22, 2010)

We are using the contact board to train the two on two off end behavior. 
I am having difficulty convincing her that two on two off is what I want. She wants to do all four feet on the board. I can lure her into position with a treat but for whatever reason she will not do the two on two off with her word. I've tried waiting her out to see if she will come off the board on her own but she will stand, sit, or lay on the board indefintely, until I release her.
She's not having trouble hitting her contacts at this time, but I want to be certain we have a solid end behavior. Even my trainer is at a loss. I thought maybe someone here would have a good idea. Any thoughts are welcome.
She is aware of her back end as per the perch game. I will give the ladder a try, as I have not tried that before. Thanks.
I don't know if it makes any difference but we do train obedience as well.


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## debjen (Jan 4, 2010)

apoodleaday said:


> I am having difficulty convincing her that two on two off is what I want. She wants to do all four feet on the board. I can lure her into position with a treat but for whatever reason she will not do the two on two off with her word. I've tried waiting her out to see if she will come off the board on her own but she will stand, sit, or lay on the board indefintely, until I release her.
> QUOTE]
> 
> My first thought is ..what's wrong with 4 on if that is what she is offering..I was originally going to train a 2 on 2 off with Flyer (all of my other dogs have done running) but he started offering a 4 on so that's what we went with..
> ...


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Is Lacey clicker trained. It sounds as if she has decided the stopping on contacts is an obedience wait, and is doing that despite all distractions! Using a clicker would enable you to mark the exact moment she has two feet off, without muddying the water with cues till she has got it. or, as Debjen says, accept her 4 footed contact!


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## apoodleaday (Feb 22, 2010)

I never really thought about 4 on. The 4 on is very very reliable, but I have been so focused on the two on two off that I never even considered it. I think you both just made my whole day! Thanks!! Sometimes you just need someone outside the situation to take a clearer look.
I may revisit the two on two off, but it would be so nice to remove this one glaring frustration from something we both enjoy so much.
We have done some clicker training and she is very good with a target, I'll keep these suggestions handy for later on.


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## jester's mom (Nov 25, 2008)

GREAT job, both of you!! I LOVE agility. I sure sounds like you both found you love it too! Look forward to hearing how she progresses and how you do in shows if you go.  Pics would be GREAT of her working if you get some....


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