Dog Club

So, back in the summer Cassie and I did a 4 week session of Dog Club at our wonderful local dog training school. I can't speak highly enough of them, they really are so good! We did scent club with them back last winter and while very good I felt we couldn't take it any further -- for one Cass wants to bring something back not just indicate the scent, and for another she actually got over stimulated by it I think, crying and whining in the car on the way home (not normal behaviour for her) and being like a coiled spring and not being able to settle down once we got home. I'm pleased we did it because now I have additional games to play in the house on short winter days.

Dog Club suits us really well, mental stimulation without overload. The idea is that half the class we do "life skills" and the other half consists of "tricks" or a basic introduction to dog sports manouvres :giggl:. For instance today we were brushing up on heel position by learning to pivot -- absolutely new to me and Cass , we had no idea! Also going round a cone and snapping into heel position and using a placeboard, which Cass is quite familiar with. We started off with 30 seconds of high arousal games immediately followed by 30 seconds of stillness -- challenging!

I really love our walks, but she honestly doesn't need the physical exercise these days and in fact in the very wet weather we.ve had over recent months I really got the feeling she'd rather be at home! Now that it's gone drier and colder she seems to get more out her time outside.

So this really fits the bill for us, plus it is in the daytime which is good. We've been home an hour, not yet teatime, I gave her an oxtail chew, lit the fire and she's curled up contentedly - all the while with one eye on me, should I get up to get her tea :rofl:
 

Atemas

UK Tour Guide
What a super thing to do

I really love our walks, but she honestly doesn't need the physical exercise these days
I can identify with this. Red and I don’t do the walk we used to at lunchtime anymore as she was definitely finding the latter part of the walk (after we had played ball) harder. Now I take her to the park which is nearer and we just play ball for a little bit
 
@Selina27, I do envy you having such a great club and a dog young enough to enjoy it. I so miss those days when I could do things with Rourke, can't even do retrieving with him now because of his arthritis. However, he is always up for a walk even though a quarter to a half of it is on an extended lead, normally have an hour out in the afternoon and 15 mins in the morning. Good to have a good dog club, they are in short supply in this area now.
 
I do envy you having such a great club
Yes, I do feel really lucky. They didn't start up until Cass was almost 2, I only wish they were here when she was a puppy!
They are lovely, they genuinely love all the dogs and are so friendly and very knowlegeable. It is run by a husband and wife and I think they now employ 3 other trainers/behaviourists. It's all +R of course.
 
I often wish I could just take Cass out for a bimble, but I am constantly on guard for scavenging. Due to this, I find that 10 minutes or so of "training" games is much more beneficial for us.!
What is it with these Labs that they have to scavenge! Rourke is getting worse as he gets older and even if he is on an extended lead down my lane he can snatch a dog poo in a nano of a second! Wretched people do not clean up after their dog poos :(
 

Atemas

UK Tour Guide
Wretched people do not clean up after their dog poos :(
It’s shocking isn’t it? One of the ways of getting to the park is down a narrow alleyway. The other day as Red and me were walking up there going home, we came upon the biggest dog poo 💩 ever. It had only just happened as it wasn’t there on the way. We managed to ‘skirt’ around it but I was both amazed at the size of it (think Cumberland sausage!) and the sheer fact that the owner could not have failed to see their dog do it! I’ve avoided the alleyway since. Truly disgusting 🤮
 

Joy

Location
East Sussex
This sounds great! If you are learning to pivot you should look at some Rally exercises as pivots are a feature in many of them. (e.g. a left turn is a essentially a 90 degree pivot) There are descriptions of the exercises here - just pick the more interesting ones to focus on - Resources
It took me ages to train Molly to pivot, but I seem to have got the hang of it as Rajah and Tess have learnt it very quickly. However Molly seems to like the engagement it gives as often on a walk she will come to heel position and nudge my hand for a pivot. (Chuckling to myself that these days she's the one who cues me to do things!)
 
Chuckling to myself that these days she's the one who cues me to do things!)
Haha, that's so lovely!

Thank you, yes, I will have a look at the link. The first thing for me to do is find a low object for her to be comfortable putting her front feet on!

This sounds great! I
Yes it is! I never enjoyed "conventional" training classes with her - we were always in the naughty corner. It's great that now she's 7 and a half we can go out and enjoy ourselves together.
 

Joy

Location
East Sussex
The first thing for me to do is find a low object for her to be comfortable putting her front feet on!
I used an upturned (circular) washing up bowl for Molly. I've used a bread board too. Using the bowl was the turning point for Molly - having something really raised seemed to clarify the issue for her. However Rajah wouldn't entertain the idea but was happy with the low breadboard. Clever Tess just quickly understood what 'close' means and maintains it whatever I do - I think it's the Collie half of her brain.
 
It’s shocking isn’t it? One of the ways of getting to the park is down a narrow alleyway. The other day as Red and me were walking up there going home, we came upon the biggest dog poo 💩 ever. It had only just happened as it wasn’t there on the way. We managed to ‘skirt’ around it but I was both amazed at the size of it (think Cumberland sausage!) and the sheer fact that the owner could not have failed to see their dog do it! I’ve avoided the alleyway since. Truly disgusting 🤮
Could it have been human poo! We have that down the lane as well :( A few days ago there was a blue rubber glove and toilet paper as well! I live well out in the country!
 
I must say, it was great to have Dog Club to go to today - such a dreary December day here today.

We are working on improving heelwork/ loose lead walking, whatever we want to call it to suit our purpose. This is something I certainly didn't get right with Cass as a puppy, while I knew that I didn't want to use "aversives" I wasn't well versed in force free methods at that time so it never really happened.

We started with some focus games, and learning to understand when our dogs are ready to engage in training. This is something I am comfortable with, Cass gives me a lot of eye contact and I can read her body language pretty well.

Then we did "loop" to come round the back and into heel position , this was new but Cass grasped it quickly and enjoyed that game. After that we did exercises to get them comfortable around our feet and being steady while waiting for us to walk on., learning to wait until we transfer our weight to go forwards before they follow us, so that we get a better loose lead walk from the beginning. This probably sounds all very intense, but it wasn't really

Then we did some fun stuff - going under a chair , which she soon learnt and absolutely loved. We also did "over" but I sat that out, as it involved her jumping over my legs -- I don't really want her doing that with my gammy knee. We are not going to do agility, and anyway she can still jump 3 ft if she's a mind.

We practised "2 up" ( Kipper style :)) all last week -- outside on our walks on natural obstacles such as logs and stones this is no problem. Inside seems to be more difficult -- I tried an up turned frisbee but she'll have none of it, she hates plastic I think. A pile of blankets worked though.

I shall have to buy a bread board specially I think!
 

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
This sounds fantastic @Selina27 , I love hearing about your and Cassie’s adventures at Dog Club! A bread board sounds good, or our (dog) physio uses two yoga blocks fixed together. Depends on the height you’re aiming for I guess…
 
Depends on the height you’re aiming for I guess…
Well, I thought I would start low with those obstacles she's not happy to put in feet on. Logs and rocks are ok whatever height. Today I found some paraphernalia from the shoot which they had in our woods last year. (a thing of the past now thankfully) a five gallon drum cut in half length ways, she would have none of that, but the lower plastic lid off a feeder was ok -- after a few goes! So that was fun
 

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
Well, I thought I would start low with those obstacles she's not happy to put in feet on. Logs and rocks are ok whatever height. Today I found some paraphernalia from the shoot which they had in our woods last year. (a thing of the past now thankfully) a five gallon drum cut in half length ways, she would have none of that, but the lower plastic lid off a feeder was ok -- after a few goes! So that was fun
It’s funny isn’t it? I remember hearing from some expert that sometimes they prefer something with a bit of height to start with because it’s easier to ‘get’. I guess like everything it depends on the individual!
 
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