04/15/11

Puppy Agility Training Part 2

Nov 3, 2007

   The puppies are now 5 months old. I have continued to do most of my training in a group play session. Gabe started formal agility classes at Pawsitive Impact Agility at 4 months of age. I teach agility class on Monday nights at For Dogs Only Agility Center and usually take a puppy with me for individual work. Last week it was Geena and week before I took Garnette.  During this past month I started introducing the chute and the tire. The tire is at its lowest level. I am starting work with bars on the ground, teaching them to go through the uprights. I have also started letting them on my see-saw. Its very floppy and doesn't bang when it goes down.

   On October 28 I filmed the puppies again doing 1) mini-dog walk, 2) tugging, 3)chute, 4)see-saw, 5) tire, 6)tunnel. If a puppy doesn't want to do an obstacle (for example Mitch didn't do the chute when I was filming but does it at other times) I don't force them. We just try again another day.

   When I went to get Gabe,  I ended up with both Gabe and Garnette. 

        The puppies were  5 months old on October 14 .  Here are the videos:

                  Wizard   -  Wizard link                         

                  Mitch     -  Mitch link  

                  Geena    -    Geena  link

                  Gabe & Garnette  -   Gabe/Garnette link

                                                                           Dec 14, 2007

   Today the puppies are 7 months old.  During the last month I have done more work with jumps. The bars are either on the ground or 6-8 inches. I started doing short sequences such as tunnel, tire, jump.  About 2 weeks ago I started teaching 3 jump serpentine.  Last week I added a pinwheel at the end of the tunnel-tire-jump sequence. I also added a box of 4 jumps.

    December 9 I filmed the puppies again. Unfortunately the support boards under the mini-dog walk broke and thus making it very wobbly. This made some of the puppies less sure of it. As they have gotten bigger its harder for them to stay on and they are still learning where their hind feet are. The see-saw is also wobblier since the weight on one end has come off.

     Here are the videos

            Wizard   -  Wizard link    

             Geena -   Geena link  

             Gabe -    Gabe link

             Garnette - Garnette link

                                                               March 24, 2008

    The puppies were 10 months on March 14. Since December we have worked when we can but it was a very wet winter with lots of mud. Last Sunday March 23  I was able to film the puppies again. During the last couple of weeks the Gabe, Geena and Garnette have started doing the dog walk and A-frame. Wizard does the dog walk but not the A-Frame.  On Sunday I moved 5 jumps to another area to create a jumpers circle.

     Here are the videos:

              Wizard   -  Wizard link    

             Geena  -     Geena link  

             Gabe  -       Gabe link

             Garnette -  Garnette link

June 22, 2008

    The puppies were 13 months old on June 14.  I started working them on the weave poles there weeks ago. I use the channel  method with gates. The channel is set wide enough that they just run down the center. I use both treats and balls to encourage them.  At this point I am wanting them to run fast, get into the weaves on their own and complete them.  On Sunday June 22 I video taped each of them.

     Here are the videos:

             Wizard   -  Wizard link    

             Geena  -     Geena link  

             Gabe  -       Gabe link

             Garnette -  Garnette link