Edge of plank – I will try to shape him to like the edge, to really touch it deep as you told me. I will try this when I return. Also we’ll work on the slalom, shaping the shorter channel the way you told me to.

Yesterday at training i needed to do a 7-number sequence. We started with toy, he was interested and did everything great on first try, except for last jump but that was my fault. On second try, he did not want to go into the tunnel. I took some food and that got him started again, did everything fine until that tunnel and again refused to go inside. Nina then had an idea – she took him and put him inside a box in her car and left him there for a while. When she brought him back, he was happy, wanted to work, but still hesitated and did not want to go inside the tunnel. Then she took him back inside the car, and after returning he did the last run perfectly. Unfortunately, I don’t have that on video. We know that this ‘car’ thing isn’t a long-term solution. I’m not sure why he didn’t want to go to the tunnel. He just stopped at the entrance, sat down and bowed his head down. He didn’t walk away sniffing or being silly. At that moment I’m not sure what to do because it’s like he ‘zones out’, I can’t get him to play or anything. How should I react? What would you do? He usually likes tunnels, why does he sometimes choose to ‘be afraid’? 🙁

All this is very frustrating, and it should be fun. But if he’ll think of new ‘problems’ every time, I’m not really sure what to do. I guess you need some luck when choosing a dog. I loved agility with my first dog, but he is way too small and therefore not fast enough. I bought Tango specifically for agility and now I’m investing lots of effort, time, and money, and things are getting more and more complicated each day. At he same time, people around me have dogs who love to work like crazy with half the effort invested (not professional agy people, just regulars, like me).  🙁

Sorry for sounding like a crybaby, I’m not usually like that, but I feel hopeless. I’d just like a dog with whom I would enjoy and run fast.

I am sending two videos of target on the plank. Yesterday I think he did well, we added some rubber at the end of the plank. Today – everything was set up the same. Round 1: good. Round 2: he started turning at the end of the plank on his way towards the Treat&Train, like he is avoiding something. Or he would stop at the plank, which we never did before. I really don’t know what comes inside his head that he suddenly decides turning or stopping would be a good idea. 😀

Slalom: do you think I can combine 2X2 method and channel? I don’t know anything about 2×2, my older dog taught with wires (we never had any problems) and I was thinking of doing the same with Tango.

You said I should start using food in different ways. We use food throwing and food in a pocket on a leash. Is there any other way to play with food? I have a ball that can be filled with food, but he doesnt return it. He stops, takes the food from the ball and leaves it.

I’ve tried doing food/toy exchange. After I show him food, he doesn’t care about the toy.

I can see my lack of energy in some of the videos, but even when I am crazy excited, if there is food, no toy will work.

Should I continue to work on it or work with food one day, toy the next. Without combining them?

Throwing food on grass is a disaster. He can’t find it. When on concrete, everything is OK.

Yes, you are right, we haven’t been working outside our home enough. If I knew there would be problems with that, I would change this. I will change it now and try to do more work outside our garden.

Of course! ? Just stop thinking about what he should do… think about what you can do… How to improve your training and make rewards better, more interesting! ?

I am aware of that, it’s just that I don’t have much experince and imagination and I quickly run out of ideas. That’s why I love hearing your ideas 🙂

Everyone around me are mostly focused on obstacles and handling, less on motivation. You’ve really helped me a lot, and gave me a different view on agility!

Regarding your comparison with your dogs vs. mine – it’s a similar story. My older dog had huge issues with socializaton, we had many different problems to solve (I bought him at 7 months old with those problems). Tango is an entirely different beast 🙂 🙂

Question:

On the start, I tell him to sit&wait, he knows that. But, I’ve noticed he hates that and it brings down his drive/motivation. Do you have any advice on that?

I’ve got the slalom! Here is our first training with it! Next time we will start working on entry from different angles. The wires are coming soon, after EO!

Serpentine – still working on it :).

Here’s a short video from today – we visited Željko and had some fun on his course.

Besides all of the above haha, what else can I work on? I will be going to vacation next wednesday, and after that we’re done with this class.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Emina Trivanovic.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Emina Trivanovic.

Huge post alert! Grab a cup of coffee 🙂

I am sending you a video of target which we haven’t been working on for a while. Do you still think the problem is the edge? One video is from home, the other is at the club – you can see how he lacks concentration.

Serpentine – this is how “sharp” we can work. If I go tighter, he makes mistakes.

A video from yesterday’s training in the club- he did very well and was quite focused.

Generally, I’ve noticed that he looses motivation very quickly (gets bored) and refuses to work. And he has these weird ideas in his head. One day he constantly jumps left after the target. Next day on training he refuses to go into the tunnel. Then enters the tunnel with no problem after a short pause. Then one day he did a few jumps and after that refused to walk on grass?!

Is that normal? Every few weeks a new imaginary problem. Mad dog this little guy! 🙂

Toy and food exchange: after the toy, when I show him food, the toy no longer exists for him.

Sorry for not replying earlier, I was very very busy :/

In the meantime, I’ve been to two different agy playgrounds with Tango. First training was great, but second one – not so much. 🙂 We needed to repeat a jump a few times and he didn’t wanna work. So I recieved an opinion saying he is a stubborn and spoiled pup who works only when he wants to. 😀

Then, after a break, we worked with food and everything was OK.

Should I try to be more fun or strict when he refuses to work? Should I be persistant when he doesn’t want to work? Or change from toy to food?

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Regarding the new homework – I only have 1 tunnel and 4 jumps. Can I do something similar? Can you make a sketch for me?

Thank you so much for all the advices. I will try working more outside of our lawn as much as I can.

Seesaw – I will try to improvise and do what you wrote in lesson 3.

I am sending you videos from today’s target practice. He is slower when the plank is not straight and sometimes he does a silly thing: as he taps the target he doesn’t run straight to the treat&train, but he decides to jump cca 25cm to the left and then towards the T&T.

Last video was taken three months ago. He was running much faster towards the toy but I’m not sure he was aware of the target. That’s why we now work only with T&T

Thank you for all advices. We will work on it. 🙂

I am sending an excercise you told me to work, regarding understanding. We have problems because he loves the tunnel way too much 😀 (video1). Sometimes he does it well (video2). In video3 I tried without luring like you told me. It also sometimes works, and sometimes doesn’t.