Puppy Training?

[Achielles UD]

Ok I am working on Axel and Jinx for competition. Axel has his CD, Jinx just turned 1 and I really did not do much with him when he was a puppy. Mostly socializing because ya'll know how shelties can be. Their training is going ok (will post something for them later). No major complaints.

Moxie is what this post is about. She is doing great! Reliable sit from just about anywhere (in leash length) and I am a heeling fanatic so constant heeling and halts and attention is what I tend to focus on with all of my dogs. I love heeling. I think it is a blast and my dogs seem to think so too. Her attention is great and her focus is fabulous. So what's the problem you ask?

Well, I do some drive building because my goals with her are SchH 1 (at least) UD (at least) RA (At least) and NA (at least). Lofty goals I know but I want to have a ton of fun showing and training her. I have just started encouraging her over low jumps (mainly bar jump) and we go to the park to play on the equipment and to socialize. She has great drive and focus. She does not have an iron grip right now on toys and I think that is just because she is starting to teethe. So holding off on that because when she was younger she had a great grip.

How much should I let her be carrying the toy around? With the puppy schH stuff she gets to keep it alot and run in a circle at the end of the leash. I want more of a retrieve started though. Currently if she has a toy she'll stay further from me and not come towards me. I do not take the toy from her very often at all and she wins more often than not. I want some suggestions about what to do differently. I did this stuff with Axel as a puppy and even though his personality is of being independant, he had this issue when younger too... so it must be something I am doing.

Also, I have really just started working on platz. She has no clue lol She thinks that focus and attention work (and they do lol so how do I tell her not now?) and will stare until she figures the treat isn't forthcoming and then she'll go sniff the ground etc. I do use a clicker and have not done any corrections with her. Do I just keep luring until she gets it? Run some ideas at me please

What else should I be doing? I am also starting to think I am giving her too much "other dog" time. So I think I'll cut back on that.

Sorry this is so long. Maybe after suggestions or with them, you can describe to me what your typical day or week is like when you are working on/with your new performance puppy who is about 5 months old Thanks!

[Superpup]

Hi Moxie!!! (says her sister)..
sounds like she is doing awesome (like her sister)... what I did/have done/am doing with Brandie about bringing the ball or toy back is that I always have a second toy in my hand... I throw the ball, show her the second ball, she runs to me and as soon as she drops the first ball, I tell her "aus" and I throw the second ball. I never take anything out of her mouth nor do I ever win the game (although I sort of do, because she gives up the one ball)..
I would lure her with a treat to platz... it has taken me a while to get Brandie to platz, she would always pop right back up to sit and stare... they have SUCH nice focus, they just wanna sit there and watch...
Where are her training pics?!?!?!

[Superpup]

Oh I also wanted to add that I do let BRandie carry her ball in a rope in her mouth, BUT only when we are training, she has NO toys around any other time. I train her a couple of times a day, 10-15 minutes at a time, during the weekends more. I throw her ball and have her do quick sits inbetween.
If she is carryign a toy and not wanting to come to you, encourage her to come by calling and clapping your hands, when she does come to you, tug a little and let her take it.. I know she is not really tugging right now, neither is Brandie, but they will again after teething. Brandie had such a nice bite too, but now she is more cautious because of teething.

[TRITON]

Quote:Currently if she has a toy she'll stay further from me and not come towards me. I do not take the toy from her very often at all and she wins more often than not. I want some suggestions about what to do differently.

Paivi beat me to it..try 2 ball, I think that's a great game and gets them bringing the ball back to you quickly-focus on is back on you, has to bring the first ball back to get the second one.

Lure for the platz, she just doesn't understand yet.

Puppy teething, sounds like they are all toothless right now Just wait, let her teeth start to come in and she should be less sore

Ok, where are the pics?!

[Achielles UD]

Thanks guys The two ball game had crossed my mind I just do everything on leash right now and was concerned I'd throw to far lol. Guess I'll just switch to a long line.

I have a full ring set up and just getting her used to having fun in the ring. I plan on taking her to a couple of show n gos just to go, have fun, get treated for letting a judge pet/come up to her, playing a bit and just having fun overall.

The focus on these puppies is amazing! I can't wait for her to get just a little taller lol

Ok ok.. training pics would be wonderful I agree! However, it is hard to train and take pictures lol Since I find myself training alone these days, I guess I'll just have to bribe DH to take a few sometime when the twins are napping. Though he is not the worlds best photographer. I tried having him take pictures Tuesday and he couldn't manage to get a single dog in the frame lol I guess I just move too fast and the camera isn't that great.

I haven't made it back up to SchH training lately Darn gas prices are about to break the bank!

I know my biggest problem I have in training is that I love heeling and tend to work on that more than anything else. I need to branch out more with the exercises. I have tons of books, just can't seem to bring myself to do everything. Really, my favorite at this point is Connie Cleveland. The problem is though, that she teaches a correction for inattention and I am not ready to start corrections with her.

I forgot how tough it was to work with puppies. My energy level has to be high to keep hers high. I also get into a mode where I want more lol Thankfully Moxie puts up with me very well lol Her focus is fabulous and that is 80% of the battle IMO.

Oh and I have another GSD puppy in my pet obedience class. A little black bi. She was born on the same day as Moxie so it is fun to see how she compares to another puppy same age. The other puppy is doing well, but doesn't have near the focus or drive or confidence that Moxie has

I don't want to overload her. But, darn it! She is just so fun to work with lol

[IliamnasQuest]

I do the "2 ball/toy" training too, and then once the pup is coming to me on a regular basis I will occasionally trade for a treat and then throw the toy again. I want my dogs to understand that giving it up to me is okay, and that coming all the way to me is important. The one problem I see with the 2-ball game is that they often learn to drop the one at a bit of a distance and it can develop into a difficulty in getting them to bring an object all the way to you. So I tend to mix it up a bit even when they're young.

I teach the platz from a stand - always keeping in mind that I want a "sphinx" down for the drop on recall in open and the drop in utility. So "platz" to my dogs means to fold back onto the belly, and I teach that with a lure between the front legs and a gently pressure on the withers to help them fold at first. As the pup learns it, I go to a touch stick or a treat stick (which has an alligator clip at the end where I can put a treat) and that allows me to stand up more straight and still use a bit of a lure if necessary.

Tazer learned a "platz" before she learned to sit and now will throw herself down onto her belly but is having a hard time with the sit now that I'm teaching it to her. She sits automatically when she comes to me (without command) and when we do attention training but the actual "sit" command is hard for her still. I guess that's what I get for waiting until she was 10 months old before teaching the command! She'll do it with no distractions but add in something distracting and she looks at me as if she's never heard "sit" before. But a "platz" works pretty much every time.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska