Crazymaesy Agility Training Notes
Contacts
If you're happy with your contacts then don't mess with them. If you're
not then you'll probably have to completely retrain them. There are as many
contact methods as there are trainers and most have their merits. Following the
principles below has a great success rate for achieving consistent speed and accuracy.
The aim should
be that when a dog is commanded to do an obstacle it performs that obstacle
completely and correctly then looks for the next command.
For contacts,
that means run quickly to the end point and pause until released. No matter
where you are. For dog-walk and A-frame the end point is usually two feet on
the contact and two feet on the ground. For the seesaw it is usually all four
feet on the contact at the end of the plank.
However you have to look at the build of your dog and understand what
she is comfortable with.
You can
produce running contacts when you need them in competition with an early
release. But be consistent in training and remember that not every competition
run needs the fastest release.
Commands or
physical cues (such as a sudden stop) to get the down contact shouldn't be
necessary. And they tend to be mistimed when you are under pressure or get out
of position.
Training the
dog to wait above the contact until you get into position is almost guaranteed
to produce slow and / or unreliable contacts.
A verbal
release is usually more reliable than a physical signal. It should work whether
you are stationary, running, ahead, behind or off to one side.
Praise,
treats, toys and clickers are all fine as rewards for a successful performance
but not as lures, except in initial training. Toys are great for increasing
speed and motivation and for making the dog focus on the obstacle rather than
the handler. A Tug N Treat or similar (see the Power Paws web site on our links
page for details) will help food oriented dogs to work with toys.
If the
performance isn't what you want (e.g. the dog gets the contact but comes off it
before release) then calmly but firmly put the dog back on. Then it can be
praised again.
Don't repeat
mistakes. But be clear whether you are training for speed and confidence or
accuracy. Don't end up associating the contact area with lots of stress and
worry!
To get a fast seesaw
performance with a light dog (including many collies), first train it to run to
the end before letting the seesaw tip. A super tasty treat helps here!
Make sure
contacts are solid before including them in courses, otherwise the dog just
learns how to miss them in competition.
Some dogs that
know very well what performance is required also know that the object is to get
round the course quickly and it is quicker to jump off. They don't have a way
of knowing which is more important. When this happens (perhaps especially in
competition), put the dog in a down for a few seconds and consider whether you
are making the contact performance interesting enough in training.
The most
widely accepted technique for teaching reliable contacts is a backchaining
method which starts by teaching a release from the end position on the contact
then a step into that position, then two steps into that position and so on,
always to a reward on the contact. This
usually works but sometimes you end up with a slower performance than you’d
like. We have developed an alternative
technique based on speed over the contacts and a reward on release which has
proven incredibly successful in competition.
Contact Jo for details.
© 2003, 2004, 2005 by Crazymaesy Agility Tel +44 (0) 1367 240489 Mob +44 (0) 7967 967456 email jo@crazymaesy.co.uk
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