Leon and My Progress On Long Downs in Ring Settings

This is Leon and my progression on sits/downs in a ring setting. Although I can't walk beyond six feet with him in this setting, you can see he is getting used to it and increasingly calmer. Thank goodness for all the unexpected and additional matches this year so I can work him on this. http://www.mannerlymutts.com http://mannerlymutts.blogspot.com

Leon and I practicing at a match in Saco Maine last weekend

Leon has cruciate issues, so I don't go for a fast sit at all. Also during the recall, there is a hotdog on the floor, which is why the judge puts her foot on it. Generally in a match or trial there will be no food in the ring, but it was good practice for Leon.

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Team Leon CGC (training for CD) practices for winter matches to prepare for March trials!

Team Leon CGC (practicing to add CD) practicing for Winter matches to prepare for March trials:) Unfortunately, due to Leon's knees, we won't be able to go onto Open or Utility together. Leon likes to be kept busy and to be in public. He is a huge ham, and so he enjoys these things. I enjoy being with him and doing these things.

I have plenty of body movement work to do on myself, and the timing of executing vs saying the command (ugh, I need to stop this motion memory that is bad) among other things. Leon just needs a little work to do. It has been five or so years since he has been in the ring environment, and he is now 7 years old. We pulled him 5 years ago due to the TPLO surgery that was needed. During that time, Jackie CD was the one that ended up being trained and going into the ring with me instead.

Now Leon CGC is back in rotation to do the stuff he loves with me (we will probably pursue tracking titles after this), and Boris CGC is training for the United Kennel Club's Companion Dog title this year!

Exciting stuff. In 2010, I competed with clients' dogs, which was fun, but I was missing being in the ring with my dogs. 2012 will find me in the ring again with my resident canines:)

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Westbrook Maine Show N Gos Perfect to Prepare for Spring and Summer Trials

Three legged "disabled" (NOT) Boris chasing his four legged
companion, Magoo.

Soon Spring and Summer will be here again, and it will be time for the usual AKC obedience trials in the New England area.   Show N Goes are an excellent resource for judging where your team is lacking BEFORE THE TRIALS.   Leon and I are planning to go to the January ShowN Goes in Westbrook Maine.  Boris may tag along on the following ones, although he is technically not qualified to trial (missing leg is considered lame in the AKC but not the UKC. (and whaddayaknow there is a 3/9/2012 Franklin Mass trial, that I just may need to try and attend.

So if you are planning on competing in obedience, interested in competing in obedience or thinking about competing in obedience, check these local things out.   I know I was inspired at the very first obedience competition that I went to.   I love the beauty of a team working together and sharing some amazing times:)

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Magoo Match 1

A match is set up pretty much exactly like the trial will be, but it's not a trial.   This is a place where you can see the weaknesses in your training and act accordingly.   In the following video, we are missing the on lead heel, because my husband was taking new puppy, Boris, out to the bathroom quickly.



In the on lead heel, the only thing that I recall not being great were that Magoo was too distracted to auto sit, though he auto stood with me.   I had to tell him to sit, which you would get great big points off for if not disqualified, since it was a practice, I just wanted him to be used to sitting even though he was distracted.   If it was a trial, I just would have said nothing---and we would have gotten some points off, but survived anyway.

On the figure eight, Magoo is doing the inside turns well if a tad crowdy, but the outside turns---LOL---you can tell he's trying to check out the audience and video person (Robert).   He took those way too wide, and so we will need to work on that.

Then follows the off leash portion, which I was orginally planning not to do.   However, Magoo was doing well enough, so I figured why not have this time to practice.   On the stand, Magoo does well EXCEPT when I walk back.   You can see him walk out of position.   If he moves his four feet before "exercise finish" that is points off.   He didn't end up walking away though.  

Off leash heeling.   He stays in position until the fast portion, where you will see he wants to say hello to the crowd.   So I would have had to use my one allowed heel command while in motion to correct that, as I did in the video.   Also, again I had to say sit until the last one, and Magoo remembered finally that he was supposed to auto sit when I stopped.

Before the group stay exercises, the final exercise is the recall.   He recalls nicely, but sits front crooked.   That is just points off, but we will be working on it because you only can loose so many points before you point out.   Then in the finish, he goes around but is then crooked again.   And again, just points off for this.

The group stay exercises Magoo did well, although you can clearly see he is so interested in his surroundings.   Very proud of him that he stayed in a sit when other dogs moved toward their owners.   One thing with the sit stay is that he scooches back, and you can see before we start the down that I walk him forward a little again so I can circle around.

***Oh, just remembered, it's not in the video but Magoo gets confused when heeling in back of a dog, and he wants to catch up to them and say hello.   So we will have to work on some heeling following after another dog between now and the next match.

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Match Tomorrow/Training Schedule Today

Jack, Brie, and I are getting ready for a match tomorrow. This whole week has been basically firming up these basic skill sets. Devon is on vaca until we go to Trial basically (Feb 29th).

****Note to self, do a lot of food training (that is to refuse food, not to treat) with Jack tonight. Treating at these things is obnoxious, even though you can't bring them into the ring, and it will take an unprepared dog and make them a total spaz.

****Should also remember to see if husband can fix portable crate for Jack somehow.

Jack first half (a bit tired so I am going to do some more later on tonight or early am tomorrow):

Finish, did about 50 reps with e-collar instead of treats or chain collar. Didn't do bad, was sometimes crooked because he was staring at Brie and wanting to go play.

Worked a lot on myself walking with Jack and not walking into him when stopping for an autosit. Jack did pretty good sits at the end, now that he is beginning to believe that he doesn't have to worry about me flying into him. Also practiced off leash with hand on belly (left) and right hand swinging by my sid. He did really excellent as I practiced my T step for about turns. Left, he sometimes still crowds me a bit.

Brie's Schedule:

Still teaching finish, hopes she starts doing it today right from heel, so I don't need to make any movements (that would NQ me in the Trial).

Practice sit and down stay.

Practice heel on and off leash. See if it can feasible be done without any corrections or much coercion. No treats for practice today.