Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Multi-sport training.

I gave up working Zodiac in tracking and Legend in obedience because I had too many dogs in too many sports.  Among other reasons.  It was not my intention, but now I seem to have the same problem.

Legend started a tracking class last night.  I liked it.  She liked it.  It's a very intensive class with lots of homework.  The idea is to get you ready for the TD test by the end of the 8 weeks.  That's great, but it's terrible timing for me right now!  I'm in the last stages of half-marathon training, have a very full work schedule and am getting ready to take both girls to NADAC champs and keep Legend tuned up enough in Chances to finish that darn NATCH.  But, having money invested in all of these things I'm commited to getting it all done!  Oh, and Lyric is working to get ready for the CGC so she can get on the list for the spring therapy dog test.  And I'm trying to work Cade.  I think that is all.

So how is it going?  The girls finally worked some agility this weekend.  They were a little rusty but not too bad.  Lyric of course was terrible on discriminations.  I might have to resort to the "tunnel is always wrong" training theory and hope that she will then still do the tunnel when it is the correct choice at at a trial.  What have we got to lose right?  As far as her AKC training we continue to use our teeter but have not yet gotten around to others yet.  I have time for that later.  Other priorities right now.  And she's doing well with her basic obedience stuff.  Stays are hard-she gets very excited about the treats.

Legend struggled a little with discriminations but did fine when I gave her a better angle.  Distance work was a little off.  She seems to like tracking.  She did well in the first class and on her first track tonight but the second one she seemed to drift to the right a lot (we were tracking near the pasture and maybe there were better smells in that direction).  It's so hard in the beginning to tell if they are actually working or just walking on the leash.  Also, she doesn't seem that motivated by animal crackers.

Cade added the tire and a tunnel with a curve to his skills.  In fact he was offering to do the tunnel without being asked.  He's also working on better manners in the house and coming along ok.  And we throw in some basic obedience too.

Zodiac is excelling at being the resident old dog.

1 comment:

Diana said...

I cant find it right now, but Syliva Trkman has how she trains teeters on her website. Im not sure it will help but couldnt hurt. (Im sorry, I cant remember what Lyric's problem was with the teeter). Anyway, S.T. always trains teeter by holding the end up and having the dog run to the end. never let the board start to drop and then hold it back up. Make sure you have good hold of the board while dog is running to the end. Then she will start lowing her it. This teaches the dog to always run to the end and not worry about the tip point. She explains it better than I did here.