polonabonac » Topic: Elena & Indie, Miniature Schnauzer, 7 months old

This topic has 104 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 2 months ago by Elena Gasparaki.

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December 19, 2018 at 8:12 pm #8943
Elena Gasparaki
Participant
yes i know i am clumpsy, i have to train too 🙂

not much to show you, Indie was a little unwell in the weekend (not something serious but i let her rest) and i am a bit busy with work (last days before Christmas and everything is crrrraaazzzzy) but we had some fun at home today and thought i could film it and send it to you to see how all 3 of us play – i also thought it would be a great opurtunity to introduce Eric to you. maybe you cannot tell who is who (he is the bigger one and his beard and brows are whiter).
soooo here is how we play 🙂 but i think their favourite game is to tug each others beard 😀
December 20, 2018 at 5:35 pm #8950
Polona Bonač
Keymaster
No worries, breaks are good :), neccessary part of training. 🙂 Especially if either you or the dog is off a bit. And nothing beats family play. 🙂 Eric is a handsome dude with his white beard! Like Santa! 😉
Really nice family play. 🙂 If I am being a very picky teacher – in the beginning you were pushing the toy a bit too much into them to get them to bite. I would just move it a little and whoever bites first gets that one, while the second one gets another one you wiggle around while tugging with the first one on a different toy. 🙂 But all and all nice and enjoyable for all. 🙂
December 20, 2018 at 5:44 pm #8954
Elena Gasparaki
Participant
If only Eric could bring gifts like Santa! 😛 😛 😛
yes, i noticed that too when watching the video – so i would make the same comments to myself 😛 😛
December 20, 2018 at 5:53 pm #8956
Polona Bonač
Keymaster
😀 That would be cool! 🙂
December 21, 2018 at 12:09 am #8957
Elena Gasparaki
Participant
Today my honey bunny (‘santa’ was with us too but we will talk about him after he brings some presents :p) went in another field to train and finally we got a helper 🙂 sooo here is indie trying to eat me after running through some jumps.
I still say no cue, I hope I am correct in this and I still go through the jump (and not from the side)
December 21, 2018 at 12:50 pm #8960
Elena Gasparaki
Participant
And today morning’s target session 🙂
December 21, 2018 at 7:39 pm #8963
Polona Bonač
Keymaster
Well she has some good drives! 🙂 Great running after a toy! She can’t really focus on the jumps with the toy right in front of her, so yes, you either run in the middle of the jump, or like the first time – being so much in front, that you can actually show her the toy through the jumps, so she continues straight. When you are alone you can get big pieces of sausage or something and just walk next to the two jumps, throwing treats in each direction if she walks in the middle and takes the jump. No throw if she avoids them. It is some kind of shaping, teaching her that going in between the jumps brings the good stuff and running next to it doesn’t. 🙂

Target – good, now slowly add more and more of your movement, but she always needs to keep the focus on the target. If she starts to look at you/jump at you, slow down, become more passive until her focus is on the target again.
December 21, 2018 at 10:46 pm #8964
Elena Gasparaki
Participant
for the jumps, can i continue to do it with the balls like in the previous sessions we had? i think it is working better than the tug right now (because she is so crazy with the tug and all-little piranhas that’s how they called her last night when we were playing). and the food ofcourse, but with the balls i can also restrain her and throw it away. in general, since she likes playing more than food, i usually start the session with food and finish it with balls so that she has in mind both that she will play after getting some treats and that we always finish the training playing.
also, i forgot to comment how much faster she eats! i know i have said it again, but it keeps getting better and better! last week when she was ill (she had some vomit and diarrhea) she ate very little rice and a little dog food for one day and since then it seems like she is cosidering more seriously the whole “food” and “must eat when i can” concept, so maybe this has added up to all our efforts. on the other hand , maybe the little piranhas bunny has just grown up 😛
December 22, 2018 at 9:01 pm #8966
Polona Bonač
Keymaster
Yes, you still work with the balls! Mixture of everything. Slower and more rational with food, a bit faster with balls – and sometimes when you have a helper, some fun time with restrain&tug toy. Also I would use it for wraps – but she needs to offer it first, than you come alive. And keep the toy hidden while she offers it. Otherwise she will just jump all over you and try to steal the toy.
And great, yes, considering how she was as a pup, her food drive got 100% better! 🙂 Good job! 🙂
December 30, 2018 at 4:00 pm #9014
Elena Gasparaki
Participant
hi Polona!

i hope you had a merry christmas and some well deserved rest yourself 🙂

well, we did not do much those days. we were just resting and also Indie got her first period. she was a bit off the first couple of days but seeing she is her usual self (she just wants more hugs) we went for training today 🙂

i did some target with more movement by me, a bit of jumps and some tunnel.

also, here is a video while another dog is training in the field (remember Maria and Blink the Kelpie? she told me to say hello-Maria is the one that suggested to work with you). Indie just barked at the beginning and was like “let me go let me go” but when i got the tug out, she did not care at all 😛 you may hear her growl when she bites the tug, later on she also barked when she already had it in her mouth.. crazy little (killer) bunny.
- This reply was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by Elena Gasparaki.
December 31, 2018 at 6:45 pm #9022
Polona Bonač
Keymaster
Crazy little thing. 🙂 She really has A LOT of drive, which will surely make her a great sport dog! 🙂 Now try to work on “you start I follow” as much as possible with the toy, so she becomes a bit more independent and starts searching for wings/comes to wrap around. Gradually you can combine 2 or 3 together – let her offer you the first one and than send her to the other one or two.

Like what you see on this video, only not neccessary with multi-wraps at first.

Another exercise you can do is with just one DW plank. Set one end up on something like a car tire or just a box. Teach Indie to run up to the edge independently. You can place a treat on the supporting object right where the plank ends, so she knows something is there. Start from the plank, so she needs to only make a step or two to get there and than gradually back-chain until you eventually start from the ground. She always needs to get there first, you follow and add additional treats in position. It is preparation for see-saw – running to the end of the plank and stopping there. 🙂

Also read my discussion with Kristina – in the last post I told her about a little upgrade of the target game. You can do that as well. 🙂
December 31, 2018 at 6:59 pm #9023
Elena Gasparaki
Participant
so a couple of questions!

1) about the wraps, may i ask how we will switch from cone to wings or is it too soon?
2) regarding the plank, where i go for training a training see saw is available – i can fix the height of it so it is low and stabilize it. can i use that or should it be a simple plank? also, should i put the target at the end of it or just maybe a bowl? or no bowl at all and just have treats at the end of it?

i have already read what you wrote to Kristina and i was expecting this to be our next step too 🙂

so have a nice new years eve tonight 🙂 and may the new year be EXTRAORDINARY and WONDERFUL for you 🙂 🙂
December 31, 2018 at 7:46 pm #9026
Polona Bonač
Keymaster
1. Usually it is not so difficult to switch from object to object once you have it on cue and the dog is able to offer it independently from some distance as well. When you can send her to the cone from couple of steps away you can just do the same with a wing/tree/post lamp/… the more the better. 🙂

2. Yes, low see-saw could also work, but it had to be really low and really stable. You can use a target, but a different one that you also teach differently. You can use a slightly thicker target and she has to learn to step on it with front feet and wait there. Not run over like she does with the other target. If you use the plank on the tire/box you can place it on that object right where the plank ends (behind the “edge”), so it is not on the plank but the dog can reach it when standing on the very end.

Have a nice new years eve as well! And let the 2019 be magical! 🙂
January 1, 2019 at 10:10 pm #9029
Elena Gasparaki
Participant
happy new year from crazy rabbit (Indie), doggy Santa (Eric) and me 🙂

here is our first video for the year 🙂 i think it went well 🙂
January 2, 2019 at 9:43 am #9032
Polona Bonač
Keymaster
Thank you! My gang and I wish you all a very happy, healthy and successful New Year as well!

Crazy rabbit doing well! 🙂 When she makes a mistake, just freeze and let her think about what went wrong and offer the target again on her own. Pointing and telling her what to do is stealing some of her attention.
I would stick with the mild C you had in the beginning of the session and focus on how good she hits – if she is very sloppy, and just walks on the very edge of the carpet while looking at you or the bowl, do not reward. You need to see she is really focused on what she is doing.
If everything goes well, you can move this game outside or somwhere non slippery and start moving faster and faster. Also, turn the C around (put the bowls on the other side of the target) in the middle of the session, so she is not always turning in one direction.
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