tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post115221034088609963..comments2023-12-31T17:47:27.217-08:00Comments on Taj MuttHall Dog Diary: More Boost TrainingElfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01827436807468320435noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post-1152722517431193062006-07-12T09:41:00.000-07:002006-07-12T09:41:00.000-07:00Boost will be 18 months on July 31, which would ma...Boost will be 18 months on July 31, which would make her legal to compete in USDAA. I've been telling myself that there's no rush, I can take my time, it's OK if she doesn't start competing until she's 2 or whenever. BUT--she's so much fun! And I have only one dog competing most of the time now and it feels weird!<BR/><BR/>I hate training contacts. I thought I did really well with Tika and she did great until about our 3rd competition when she discovered that she could take a flying leap with impunity, and it took us many months to get the beautiful contacts back and even now I have to watch it--we actually got faulted in the most recent Steeplechase for a down contact, and it has been a very very long time, but we push the limits all the time in competition because I'm always trying to gain that extra few seconds by not holding her on the contacts.<BR/><BR/>Anyway--I haven't trained a really small dog--my Jake is 17 3/4 inches--but I've found so far that if the dog is thinking nose touch and if I have the treat in my hand before they start, I have no trouble getting it to them right on or near the target, and since that's ground level, I don't think that it would matter if it were a big dog or a small dog.<BR/><BR/>I've been thinking all along that I want a running Aframe with my Boostie BC, but I dunno--risky--<BR/><BR/>Good luck with your wee one!<BR/><BR/>-ellenElfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01827436807468320435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3730801.post-1152713371508492522006-07-12T07:09:00.000-07:002006-07-12T07:09:00.000-07:00Hello again. I'm enjoying catching up on your blog...Hello again. I'm enjoying catching up on your blog.<BR/><BR/>How old is your Boostie? I have a 2 year old PRT/JRT and I'm avoiding training his contacts. I think it's because my 8 year old BC has such beautiful contacts but I can't remember how I taught them! :-)<BR/>I thought I'd train a 2on2off again but with a nose touch this time. I taught the nose touch to a plexiglass target and it was pretty good but when I took it to a board it quickly degenerated to a chin dip. But I decided I was OK with that and went on to backchain the board.<BR/>Now I can't seem to get a fast board w/o losing the 2o2o. If I get the 2o2o I lose the speed.<BR/>I'm planning on a running A-frame for the first time since I started agility (but I'll go back to a 2o2o if it doesn't work out) and have no clear idea of what I'll do for the teeter--probably try to train him to run to the end, ride it down and stop in a 2o2o.<BR/>This is the first small dog I've ever had or trained so lots of things are different. For one thing it's hard to get the reward delivered quickly and before he's already jumped up toward me.<BR/>His jumping and handling training is coming along although we still have a long way to go, I'm happy with what we've done so far.<BR/>I was thinking of entering PI Jumpers at my next trial (Labor Day) just to get him in the ring and find out what happens.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com