tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post4607270950312760094..comments2023-12-31T17:47:27.217-08:00Comments on Taj MuttHall Dog Diary: Fun Match GotchasElfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827436807468320435noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post-44207890289679702432007-07-09T14:55:00.000-07:002007-07-09T14:55:00.000-07:00What I've always found effective for fixing this p...What I've always found effective for fixing this problem in training is to do recalls through the weavepoles. And always reward ahead of the end of the poles. I know you've probably done this, but the recalls really make the dog 100% responsible for completing the poles and put you in the perfect position to reward. <BR/><BR/>/amyAmy Siegelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08243610775853872002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post-19812815640725424392007-07-09T14:38:00.000-07:002007-07-09T14:38:00.000-07:00Well, that is the thing. If I'm doing everything I...Well, that is the thing. If I'm doing everything I can think of that *I* can do to keep her in the poles (all the things you're mentioning) and she still pops out over & over, then I'm not being productive, so I need to do something different. Can't reward something that's always wrong, so want to give minor reward for partial success, and in training we can backchain weaves by starting at last, next to last, etc. and rewarding when they blast out the end, so I see it as the same thing here.<BR/><BR/>-ellenElfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01827436807468320435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post-91420052045274043692007-07-09T14:21:00.000-07:002007-07-09T14:21:00.000-07:00Weavepole corrections - I am of several minds abou...Weavepole corrections - I am of several minds about this. In training, I try not to practice what I am not going to do in a trial. <BR/><BR/>If Flirt pops out or skips a pole somewhere after the correct entry she's usually going so fast and thinking so little, that getting her back in where she came out is neigh impossible. So I have to choose whether to mark the error in some way and go on or mark the error and go back and finish, because either way we've NQ'd except in team. <BR/><BR/>Either way, I wouldn't want to put her back in where she popped out because she would be getting rewarded (continuing on in the poles) for her failure. <BR/><BR/>I usually go back to the beginning, but I also try to get her to collect her brain before trying to start them up again, because I don't want her to fail again. <BR/><BR/>In training, I always go back to the obstacle before and I change my handling to insure that she stay in (less lateral distance or not running as far ahead in the poles) and then stop and reward success. I then go back to the obstacle before again and handle the weavepoles the way I want to and stop and reward. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, that's the thoughts from this peanut gallery.Amy Siegelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08243610775853872002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post-73001730797251666402007-07-09T12:15:00.000-07:002007-07-09T12:15:00.000-07:00For many years I've not put them back into the pol...For many years I've not put them back into the poles when they've popped out because I'd never be able to do it right! In fact it's been quite a challenge for me with Boost to figure out how to put her back in about where she popped, and I still don't know whether I'm getting it right. My goal is to make her come out the correct way, so if I don't get her into the exact spot she came out, that's OK. In competition, this wouldn't work for me because I *can't* figure out where or how to get the dog back in the right place! (Although the other thing is that, for my first 3 dogs, they virtually never popped out early, so I never had to think about it much.)<BR/><BR/>-ellenElfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01827436807468320435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post-40389170084744975012007-07-09T12:09:00.000-07:002007-07-09T12:09:00.000-07:00Ah, someone else who has had reservations about pu...Ah, someone else who has had reservations about putting the dog back in the poles after popping! I feel the same way you do about it. Just started trialing earlier this year and have done it once so far -- I felt crummy about it, like I had cheated, but at least it got the job done without demotivating my non-weave-crazy dog.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I'm really enjoying your blog! It's fun to read about your successes but also the little "challenges" along the way. :-)fredewanuickfanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16074663495185818460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post-65250315452504195092007-07-09T11:51:00.000-07:002007-07-09T11:51:00.000-07:00I'm borrowing your observation for a new post beca...I'm borrowing your observation for a new post because we had a discussion about this very thing yesterday at the fun match.<BR/><BR/>-ellenElfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01827436807468320435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post-48084495533617473582007-07-09T11:21:00.000-07:002007-07-09T11:21:00.000-07:00I always think fun matches are kind of a weird atm...I always think fun matches are kind of a weird atmosphere, in a way almost more challenging than a real trial. Things are typically more loosely organized and people don't seem to watch their dogs as closely plus all the nervous energy of both the green dogs and the green and/or experienced handlers nervous about their green dogs. I sometimes get weird behavior from the dogs that I normally wouldn't get at a trial too.<BR/><BR/>The last fun match I was at there were a bunch of people I didn't recognize (they either do only AKC or were new people starting out) and they were being so harsh with their dogs, yelling when the dog did something wrong and not taking time to stop during the run to reward when the dog did something well. Experienced handlers were letting their dogs break the start line and get off with it rather than using the opportunity to train. It was like they were all treating it like a real competition instead of a training opportunity and it made for a very strange, tense atmosphere, worse than what I see at most trials and both my dogs ended up running a bit 'high' which was good because it was a great training opportunity for me but lots of dogs there were showing a lot of stress behaviors and many seemed to be dragging around the ring like they'd rather have been just about anywhere else.Elaynehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02734583197185810124noreply@blogger.com