In other (and more positive) news...*drumroll*... Frodo and I have started agility!! He seems to think it is the best thing ever and I have had so much fun in just two sessions that you can consider me hooked!
Now, we aren't taking real classes in the pay $xx.xx for 6 weeks sense. We are training with a friend of mine, Silke, and on occasion some other agility folks. I think it's good for me because I don't feel the pressure to do really well that I might in lessons. I trust my friend and her training methods/mentalities 100% with Frodo.
Anyway, here is a little breakdown of the first two lessons and how they went.
Agility Lesson 1 -
Course: http://www.flickr.com/photos/izfro/4948883241/sizes/m/in/set-72157624733797005/
(gotta love my Paint skillz)
Yes, they are all tunnels, and we only used the two on the right (straight tunnels). Frodo didn't really understand at first that he was supposed to go *through* the tunnel, so we made one very compact and Silke stood at one end and I stood at the other and we just treated him for running through and gradually widening it. He didn't show the least bit of hesitation, his confidence over this past summer has *really* improved! It makes me so happy that he doesn't worry so much anymore :D
After we had that tunnel down and I had him running through it from all four positions (left and right lead on both ends) we tried to tie it together with the tunnel in front of that one. Didn't work so well as he would run through the first tunnel and dodge the second one to follow me. If we ran from the second tunnel to the first tunnel we had better success, probably because he was reinforced so much more for going through that first tunnel (the one we gradually made longer for him).
One of the problems we were running into was the Frodo wouldn't take his eyes off of me! Great while we are working with other dogs in the area, but not so great when he is supposed to be looking ahead at tunnels! :p
On one last note for the first night, everyone was impressed at how FAST he can run, probably because he acts so lazy in class, haha!
Agility Lesson 2 -
Course: http://www.flickr.com/photos/izfro/4964884908/sizes/m/in/set-72157624733797005/
Yes, just tunnels again.
Yesterday morning we went over for another lesson, and this time Frodo had the whole place to himself! :p
My friend (I'm going to start referring to her as Sue, since that is her name and I will probably be talking about her a lot!) started off my giving me 2 stuffed toys with openings where you can stuff treats, and a food tube, since we needed a better method of rewarding than throwing pieces of treats and waiting for Frodo to find them! I put some high value treats in the toy and let Frodo sniff it and that was the end of him! He thought it was the best tug toy ever invented...ever!
We did three short rounds of training.
Round one was to go out and get Frodo through the tunnel from all four ways (left and right lead on each opening), for both tunnels. This was also the first time he had done a curved tunnel, though the tunnel had quite a gentle curve. No sweat for him! We did this with lots of tugging and treat giving, then off the course.
Round two was restrain holds. The first time we did this he went through the tunnel so fast that I didn't even have time to get the toy out of my pocket and throw it! He was scary fast! We did it again, with the same results. Then, on the third time when Sue reached for his harness he turned and started barking at her, which I wasn't expecting but probably should have. Sue had me put a leash on him and she held that for one more restrain hold and then off the course.
While Frodo rested again we talked about his triggers and how all of the work we have been doing lately has been about being calm. Calm in new situations, calm around other dogs, calm calm calm. And with agility, we are allowing him to get up and "high," and that is probably why he reacted at Sue. That the restrain holds and runs are emotional, which is why they work, because they frustrate the dog. She really didn't seem worried about it, but said that we would do restraint work with a parachute rope from now on.
Round three was just for me to go out and have Frodo focused on me for 1 minute. I could reward however much I wanted and I could do whatever with the tunnels that I wanted, but had to keep his focus. We did quite well! Only had one little slip up, and that is because Frodo smelled one of the treats that had dropped out of the toy after he tugged a hole through it earlier. Other than that he was with me the whole time.
Overall I think things are going well. A few things bother me (like that he snarked at Sue), but there are also a ton of good things I am seeing, like even though he is very "on," he stays right with me and listens to me, every time I asked him to drop the tug he did without a moment hesitation, and most of all he seems to be having a blast out there!
Thursday night is our next get together, so we shall see how it goes.
that's great!!! Just remember that agility is very little to do with the obstacles and everything to do with the space in between the obstacles. I recommending picking up a book on "flatwork" to teach Frodo to follow your shoulders, recalls to heel/side, to go outs around cones, then front and rear crosses with the cone...
Glad to hear you're both having so much fun!
Any suggestions on a book? :p
Agility Right from the Start is really great although quite long. It also goes into some obstacle training at the end. Pure clicker training and lots of free shaping.
Flatwork- Foundation for Agility is pretty short and very basic. It covers pretty much everything in a foundation 1 class but doesn't go further then that to actual obstacle work. REally good for teaching dogs to follow your body language and do cone work.
Developing Jumping Skills is a GREAT book on beginning jumpwork and basic handling. But that's usually after some other foundational skills.
I've also heard that the DVD Foundation Training for Agility is supposed to be really good but I haven't seen it.
Ask your friend as I'm sure many people near you would be happy to loan you stuff.