Sport people how often do you train your dogs. I train at least once daily twice if possible. I sometimes wonder if I'm doing too much. Like maybe an every other day may be more productive. With off days being walks and play.
Once the initial training--usually about a year of solid training for each I back off. By back off it doesn't mean training ends, it becomes a routine everyday thing. Sit for treats, fronts from across the yard, downs, etc are incorporated into daily life. Treats aren't used and they are expected to make the right choices and they do.
Depends on the stage, with my IPO puppy I train for maybe 5 minutes a few times a day. My older dogs, not in sport, I don't do much training except for making sure the recall is always sharp. It's more about quality than quantity.
I train for a few minutes every day or for an hour or more...depending on what we are working on. When I was actively training Karlo, we trained almost daily, I went to private training, or club several times a week.
Less is more with him though, so changing up the training game was key. Because IPO is 3 phases, it wasn't hard to work different things to keep him engaged. Send out, directionals, retrieves and then basic position obedience kept him from getting bored.
Tracking is my favorite phase, so we do that as much as possible.
Now with Gambit, I am not as busy training with him, and it shows in our obedience. He isn't huge in prey drive so I have to work to keep his engagement. Thank God for food drive!
Every dog is different, and each learning phase can change up the game so I don't stay to a regimented goal plan. The journey for me is what it is about, not the trials or titles. Of course we do have goals for trialing, but I am not about trophies.
I want my dog to live a long happy healthy life and stay structurally sound.
Too many seem to push dogs to achieve goals and the dog ends up with life altering changes health-wise.
Injury can occur regardless, but I look at that long term view on what my dogs limits are.
Ugh. Tracking. Let me go on the record here--I HATE tracking. With the white hot hate of a thousand suns. I would gladly pay people to lay my tracks.
Of course, the dogs just love tracking. It's all fun and games for them.
Honestly, I'm not putting as much time into Raff's training as I should. We train in the afternoons when he doesn't see his trainer or go to the club. Very short, very active and animated sessions. He's such a quick study.
Training is a constant daily thing for us. I don't mean strict rigid training all day long but everything I do with my dog I try to have a purpose in mind. Sometimes that purpose can just be goofing off at the playground or playing hide and seek in the house to build a bond and have fun.
As far as the strict training goes, we track at least 3 times a week, do short obedience sessions almost daily, and go to club every Sunday and most Saturdays too. Lately I have been doing a BH routine after laying a track to age it, makes for good use of time. Other than that obedience is short sessions tied into playing fetch or tug.
We train for about 30 minutes a day and immediately after training he plays two ball or does other dog stuff where he can run flat out (he loves that...).
As you can see, it definitely depends on the dog. I trained quite a bit in the beginning because I was just learning the routines myself.
I will go on record saying I LOVE tracking! The peace and quiet of making a puzzle for her and then watching her work it out. thrilling!
But with her, I need to motivate and really have fun with OB. So now that we know the routines, I make games out of many of the exercises. She retains stuff very well and I am in a phase to really observe what turns her on. For her less is more.
Now days maybe once a month. I have club at least once a week, but am usually busy with everyone else's dogs. So by the time my turn comes around I'm tired and not in the right mind to work my own dog. They do a little ob or focus work with the puppy for their meals, but that's it.
I LOVE tracking, can't imagine hating it! The very first few steps he ever took actually on a track was the biggest rush! I love laying tracks, love running them, I think I am hooked for life. I think my dog is cool with that. But I also have absolutely breathtaking picturesque places to track, I have videoed as many of his tracks as I can as sort of a training log. I was looking back at them the other day thinking, wow, just wow, how lucky am I? It looks like heaven.
I train most days. If I had to guess probably five days a week. But lots of different things because we all get bored. Yesterday I went out and practiced article indications for 10 minutes and that was it.
Good to read everyone's posts. I was hoping that I wasn't over doing it. It seems like I am constantly working on something or teaching something or thinking about how to teach something. Doesn't help that I have three dogs. Even though Athena is my main focus as far as titles the other two are just as excited to go out for our one on one time. But it does make me think a lot more. They all learn at different rates and different ways. If I could combine all of their best talents into one dog I would have the ultimate dog. Lol.
How do they act when you head out for training? During? How do they act comparitively on a day you don't train?
I do a lot of obedience in my basement. If I even go anywhere near the basement door my dogs are pushing to come with me. If I don't train them at all they might be restless and bored.
If your dogs are happy and enthusiastic and progressing then I'd assume everything is great.
And I totally know what you mean, if i could melt my last 3 shepherds and make them into one I would, too!
We have a trial in June. The big snow storm has melted and starting this week, I'll be tracking in the morning and obedience at night. Daily. He'll get a day off if I see his intensity dropping or if I have to work. But overall, it will be daily. Sendouts, retrieves, jumping, heeling, out of motion. Soooooo much to do.
I love tracking. I hate laying puppy tracks, but once they are past puppy tracks, I love it. For me, it is the one phase where my dog can work entirely independently within the structure of the rules. I think once people understand tracking it becomes more enjoyable. Having exceptionally good tracking dogs helps a too.
We track 3-4 times a week, and do obedience every other day, so 15-20 min sessions a day, with a cool down. The pup works on the kinetics of his sits, stands, and downs every other day. I'm also working on getting him barking for the toy, and introducing the clicker, though we don't do all of this the same day, I'll pick 2 or 3 things to work on daily. The pup gets short 3-5 min sessions 2 or 3 times a day.
My dogs have always did well with tracking but I hated it until I started working with my current club. I think I understand more and know how to work my dog better (she is fast and i was causing hectic behavior which was frustrating). Now that I know better it's more enjoyable for us both. I still think obedience is my favorite phase but tracking is a close second. Protection is most definitely Zefra's phase which means more real work for me so it can be overwhelming (I need to be a stronger handler).
And today I gave LB a day off from tracking, did 2 sessions of obedience and then did a round of protection, working on secondary, in the pouring rain. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. LOL
My guy is 26 mo I train about 4 times per day at 15 min each session...mostly all prey with food/tug. I also do two outside classes...both IPO, one group and one individual. Tracking and OB on our outings and protection training will be travelling to do monthly. Plus workshops etc
I do scent boxes, but then go back to making trench tracks to start like I did with my original dogs, then close together steps and finally to regular walking. Massive amounts of bait at first then eventually not as much as the dog gets to foot step tracking. This has worked well for me and when I tried other ideas, I wasn't happy with the results. Funny, the only thing I have really changed lately, was adding a pinch collar to LB to control speed as suggested by our TD. Also, in 25 years, I have only had one dog that tracked for her meals. The rest would track on a full meal or a partial meal.
I've gotten good over the years at accurately dropping the bait in my foot steps as I walk, no bending over for me. That would be too much work and I'd probably hate tracking then. You just lift the heel on your back foot, pause on the toe and drop the bait in, easy day. Bending over is way to much work. No need for PVC poles either, just walk, pause slightly, drop and keep going.
Funny, tracking is the ONLY part of the sport of Schutzhund my dog is suited to. So to continue learning and staying in the game, I got to really enjoy it.
I admit, in the beginning, it seemed incredibly difficult. I was using all kinds of aids to help me remember turns and articles. But now I can use natural markers. Plus my dog has become very reliable and much fun to work with. I kept forcing myself out there in the AM before "interference" and as time went by, I got hooked!
Looking forward to my next dog being good at all 3 phases!
First is Apollo very little tracking experience. See indeed is Rosko also very little tracking. Last is Athena. Mostly scent pads and a couple straight line tracks.
Sorry, I couldn't find a YT video of IPO circle tracking. I'll see if I can get one at the club next w/e.
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