On Friday we had another private! This time we worked on lateral distance.
The first thing that the instructor had us do was working on distance with one 10" high jump. She told me to Mika in a Sit Stay, and I'd walk away from her laterally so that I was about ten feet away from her, and then direct her over the jump. We did just that, and Mika was perfecto.
Then, the same thing except with two 10" jumps. Mika was perfect again! She soared over the jumps with no difficulty.
Still, the instructor said that my handling would be clearer if my body (including shoulders and feet) faced the spot in between where Mika was jumping and the next jump I wanted her to go too. My hand and arm should be making a pushing motion towards Mika. After she told me, I tried it. It was awkward, but it could work!
I was delighted and suprised that Mika was having no trouble with the ten foot distance. Now we can compete in Starters Gamblers! :D
My instructor decided to try something harder. Mika would go through a tunnel that was underneath the A-frame. Then, she would keep going ahead to the next curved tunnel while I stayed by the first tunnel. She would then keep going straight and take a jump as stayed by the first tunnel and layered another jump.
Wow.
First time: Mika went through the first tunnel and started going to the correct entrance of the second tunnel, but came back to me because I drew in my arm too quickly.
Second time: Mika went through the first tunnel and then went around the the opposite entrance of the tunnel. Crazy dog! The instructor said that I should take little tiny steps towards the correct entrance.
Third time: I did what she told me, but same result.
Fourth time: This time the instructor handled Mika. Mika went through the first tunnel, but then started to go over the A-frame. Ha!
Fifth time: I handled Mika again, and I was told to pretty much forget about the distance and just let Mika succeed, but Mika still went into the opposite entrance! :)
Sixth time: Handled her even closer this time, and...she got it!! Yay Mika! Par-tyyy! She lot a whole lot of treats for that!
The instructor told me to practice one of Susan Garrett's Success With One Jump exercises at home -- gradually increasing lateral distance with a single jump.
We then went into the indoor arena to work the teeter a bit, and then time to leave! I'll hopefully have another private this week, focusing on either weave entries or the A-frame.
~Nat
Showing posts with label lesson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lesson. Show all posts
Monday, August 25, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Awesome private lesson!!
Today we had a private lesson! and it was amazing! :D It was just perfect and I got so much out of it!!
The private was supposed to be a half hour, but it ended up being an hour. The instructor didn't charge extra either! So we talked for the first half hour about what Mika needed to improve on, the definition of drive, rewards, how to use the rewards, etc. etc. I found out that Mika REALLY LOVES liver! The instructor was tested out a whole bunch of rewards with her and once she gave her the liver, Mika couldn't stop staring at her! That dog just wanted more and more! She even jumped up on her and BARKED, three times! (she never does that!) Wow, guess I got to start using more of that stuff.
She said that instead of ignoring Mika when she makes a mistake, I should still praise her like crazy like I always do, just don't give her food or throw the food tube. That's because Mika is a sensitive dog. I think it'll work out great!
Then we went into one of the rings (we were in the indoor arena/building) and I got Mika to do the dog walk, it was probably about 3 feet high. The first three times she trotted over it, but then we practiced on it a lot more and she was galloping! and she hit ALL of her contacts! Perfect running contacts man!
Then we went into the other, bigger ring (used for trials) and practiced the normal height dog walk in there. She only trotted over the first two times, and then she was FLYING! and again, hit all her contacts! In under 2.5 seconds! EXACTLY what I want! :D
The instructor said that Mika needs to practice on all different dog walks so that eventually she'll realized that a dog walk is just a dog walk, and that her performance on it is the same. Good thing we have the fun match on Sunday! :)
Then...the instructor unexpectedly said "now let's go work on the teeter" or something like that. I was surprised! It was a full height teeter too, and indoors! I almost asked her if she was sure that we should do that, but I trusted her judgment and let Mika follow her over to the teeter.
She had these big chunks of dehydrated liver with her, and she told Mika to do the teeter. Then when Mika got to the pivot point, she held onto the end of the teeter and slowly laid it to the ground so it wouldn't bang. I told her that I'd taught Mika to run right to the end of the teeter, but she said that Mika should work her way up so we could make sure she was confident on the teeter.
She had Mika do the teeter again a few more times, and by the third time Mika was going right to the end of the teeter!
I got to do the same with Mika after that. After holding the end a couple times, I had Mika just do the teeter ON HER OWN...and she DID IT!! YAY MIKA! She was SO AWESOME!! She raced RIGHT to the end before she stopped to wait for it to end the ground, and then she leaped off right away! I was SO SO SO proud of her!! GO MIKA! She got big hunks of yummy liver for that! She did the teeter again three more times and then that was it for the lesson! Awesome dogger!
We'll be having another private next week, working on lateral distance. So now it's the all clear for entering a Novice Standard run for the CKC trial in October! It'll be at the same place we had the private today, so no worries! They might be having some fun runs in the fall so I'll go and practice the teeter on the fun run before the trial.
No photos this time, got to get off the computer!
I'm ELATED! :D First time I've used that word!
~Nat
The private was supposed to be a half hour, but it ended up being an hour. The instructor didn't charge extra either! So we talked for the first half hour about what Mika needed to improve on, the definition of drive, rewards, how to use the rewards, etc. etc. I found out that Mika REALLY LOVES liver! The instructor was tested out a whole bunch of rewards with her and once she gave her the liver, Mika couldn't stop staring at her! That dog just wanted more and more! She even jumped up on her and BARKED, three times! (she never does that!) Wow, guess I got to start using more of that stuff.
She said that instead of ignoring Mika when she makes a mistake, I should still praise her like crazy like I always do, just don't give her food or throw the food tube. That's because Mika is a sensitive dog. I think it'll work out great!
Then we went into one of the rings (we were in the indoor arena/building) and I got Mika to do the dog walk, it was probably about 3 feet high. The first three times she trotted over it, but then we practiced on it a lot more and she was galloping! and she hit ALL of her contacts! Perfect running contacts man!
Then we went into the other, bigger ring (used for trials) and practiced the normal height dog walk in there. She only trotted over the first two times, and then she was FLYING! and again, hit all her contacts! In under 2.5 seconds! EXACTLY what I want! :D
The instructor said that Mika needs to practice on all different dog walks so that eventually she'll realized that a dog walk is just a dog walk, and that her performance on it is the same. Good thing we have the fun match on Sunday! :)
Then...the instructor unexpectedly said "now let's go work on the teeter" or something like that. I was surprised! It was a full height teeter too, and indoors! I almost asked her if she was sure that we should do that, but I trusted her judgment and let Mika follow her over to the teeter.
She had these big chunks of dehydrated liver with her, and she told Mika to do the teeter. Then when Mika got to the pivot point, she held onto the end of the teeter and slowly laid it to the ground so it wouldn't bang. I told her that I'd taught Mika to run right to the end of the teeter, but she said that Mika should work her way up so we could make sure she was confident on the teeter.
She had Mika do the teeter again a few more times, and by the third time Mika was going right to the end of the teeter!
I got to do the same with Mika after that. After holding the end a couple times, I had Mika just do the teeter ON HER OWN...and she DID IT!! YAY MIKA! She was SO AWESOME!! She raced RIGHT to the end before she stopped to wait for it to end the ground, and then she leaped off right away! I was SO SO SO proud of her!! GO MIKA! She got big hunks of yummy liver for that! She did the teeter again three more times and then that was it for the lesson! Awesome dogger!
We'll be having another private next week, working on lateral distance. So now it's the all clear for entering a Novice Standard run for the CKC trial in October! It'll be at the same place we had the private today, so no worries! They might be having some fun runs in the fall so I'll go and practice the teeter on the fun run before the trial.
No photos this time, got to get off the computer!
I'm ELATED! :D First time I've used that word!
~Nat
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