So, my friend that I train with calls it doodling when you work on the little bits and pieces of heeling position and obedience exercises. I find doodling to be a really useful tool in not only teaching and reinforcing heel position, but also in giving you something that you can use for a quick little warm-up routine for obedience before you go in the ring. I use it for keeping my dogs connected before we go in the agility ring too.
Anyway, today I took Dare out and we worked on the “finish” part of the recall in obedience. I want her to be able to “finish” from both sides. Right now, I’m still using both a verbal and a hand signal. I will have to fade out one or the other before the skill is ready for the obedience ring. We also are working on an “in” which means that she needs to be aware of her rear end and move it as much as needed to keep her body in heel position. We are also working on reinforcing heel position by just taking one or two steps forward with her in position. For agility we are working on directionals, though I have serious doubts that I’ll be quick enough to use them when I really running a course. LOL So today we worked on “right”, “left”, and “back”
I think it was Diana that mentioned that it was recommended that she have Miley weave around her legs for a part of an agility warm-up routine. It sounds like a great idea, so I think I’ll be searching for videos to help me figure out a plan on how to teach Dare to do that next. Anyway, here’s a short clip from our training today. 
I love your doodling video! Dare’s attention is so good!!! How did you get her to look up at you all the time?
I think weaving through your legs comes easily to dogs that already know how to do weave poles. Here’s one tutorial from YouTube (not sure if you are training this kind of weaving or not):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mua6TSnEz8Q
Thanks for making the video – it was fun to watch!
Thanks Ricky! That video link was just what I needed. I’ll try to get some video of us working on that trick.
As for her attention…we work on just that at first. I like to teach a “watch” for when she is in front of me to make eye contact. Here’s a video of Dare working on that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF4EIQbiodM I’ll take treats in one or both hands and move them around and do whatever I like, but when she at first just looks at my face instead of the hand I’ll give her the treat. Then I ask for longer and longer stretches of “watching” and you can add more distractions.
You can do the same thing with whatever you want their focal point to be in heel position. For my Shelties, my left hand is their focal point. I start out with a treat in that hand and she can have it for varying periods of “looking” at it. I hope that makes sense. So, when she gets into heel position, ideally, (which isn’t always the case yet), she should look for that focal point and not get distracted.
I guess basically, I could just wrap it up that long explanation by saying that she’s staring at either my face or my hand hoping for a treat. How about that? LOL
Thanks Marie, this has been really helpful. I have a hard time with keeping Katie in the right spot. And I’ve never trained “in” before, so if you have any video of that it would help. I have to watch this again because right now Katie is trying to climb into my lap. It’s lunch time here. Sigh.
Thanks Marie! I am not surprised, of course, that there is food involved in getting a Sheltie’s attention! LOL! I just watched your video of the watch me game with Dare – it’s great! It was hard for me to focus on the game though because I kept getting distracted by how cute Dare was/is! But we’ll work on that game a little. For heeling, we’ll try the treat in mom’s left hand thing and see how it goes.
You know the move where Dare backs into heel position with a little hop back? I forget what that is called in rally. How did you get her to do that? I know get in or get over, but if I try to get back I always turn it into a swing finish.
wow, very impressive video. Youve done a great job with Dare. Diana
Diana´s last blog ..Hotel life
Dawn,
I didn’t have any video of Dare starting the “in”. But I did find a really good video on youtube of someone else teaching it when Ricky sent me the link for weaving through my legs. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsvNvK8T1z8
I did it a little differently, not using a book or perch box for the front feet, but instead using a dowel as a guide for her to remember to move the rear. If I get a chance…I’ll get a little clip of what I mean. Writing it out isn’t working well. LOL In the meantime I think this video by Kikopup is great because sometimes dogs that are a little softer or timid don’t like a dowel near them at all. The perch box or book idea would alleviate that problem.
Ricky,
Isn’t food the key to getting a Sheltie to do just about anything? LOL Glad you liked Dare’s watching game. I just think she was such an adorable bundle of fur.
When you work on heeling, I’ve found that using a hand touch is a way to fade out the treats. If you ask for a hand touch before they get the treat, then you can still ask for a hand touch without the treat in the hand and then you can run and get the treat bag, or you can get it out of your pocket or whatever. At least the hand touch is an immediate kind of a marker for them that the treat is coming, even if it’s not right there. Hope that makes sense.
Ok, for the finish. Do you mean the finish to the left? Rather than the finish where she goes all the way around? If that’s the one then I teach it using a hand touch and treats as well. I start by telling the dog to “get it” which is their cue to get a treat. As I say it I move my hand backwards. I will treat them when they pass my body and then I will move my hand back up into heel position and it’s usually enough of a lure to get themgive them to turn back and get into heel position (the “ready” part of the skill). Pretty soon, I combine it to “get ready”. and wait to reward until both parts are finished. A lot of times I work on this next to a wall, so that they give me a quick tight turn.
I wasn’t sure if that was the one you were talking about or if you were talking about the pivot where you do a quarter turn and the dog adjusts to get back into heel position. If it’s the pivot, I still use the “in” anytime I want them to think about having to use their rear to stay in position.
I hope I haven’t just confused you more. LOL I am not really skilled at putting down in writing what’s running through my head. Sorry!
Thanks Diana,
Dare is so much fun to work with. I’m just thrilled with her.
Nice job Marie. Rift has a youtube video of him doing some of the same things. Doodling is a lot of fun.
Julie Stokes´s last blog ..Decisions!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9G6V57mlmo
Here is the link if you want to see it
Julie Stokes´s last blog ..Decisions!
Thanks Julie!
I just watched Rift’s video. He looks great. Thanks for sharing it with me.
Thanks for writing out all that advice! You have tons of obedience training knowledge (and agility too) and I could ask you questions about “how to” for days! LOL! I think I actually meant the pivot backwards? I’m not sure – but I know I can do the finish on the left side but can’t get the other move so I know they are two different things. Any way – thanks!
Thanks Marie, I’ll go watch the “in” video!
Ok, Ricky and Dawn…
I’ll go out and get some video showing how I taught that pivoting thing. I don’t guarantee that it’s the best way to do it, but it works for us.
Dare’s looking amazing! And growing up so much! Love your ‘last month’ pictures, and Twist distracted?? NEVER! lol. The dogs all look great, really brightened my day…as for weaving through legs that is Shawna’s favorite trick right next to playing dead.
You’ll have to let me know how the trial goes. I keep saying I’m going to enter Shawna in another Obedience trial to finish her title (need one more leg) but I’ve yet to do it. sigh. Started taking her to her ‘physical therapy’ for LS disease a few weeks a go. Seems to help some but than wears off, hope the results keep getting better as we go, I’d love to get her back into Agility. Anyway I’ll stop rambling on your page for now. Just wanted to tell you I loved watching the clip of Dare and the pics are awesome!
Amanda!!!
Nice to hear from you. Glad you like the video and the pictures. I hope Shawna keeps making progress with the PT. It’d be great to have her finish that CD and be able to do agility again.