Training? - Page 2

Actually I think your suggestions meld right in with what realcold and GARD are saying. I too usually start most anything with food, then once down switch to higher drive items. I understand exactly what you are saying and I think between food motivation to start, then incorporating the pivot & appropriately timed corrections, and gradually increasing the distances, I'll be in like flynn!! I too have been taught focus is a key element of foundation work.

Oh jeeeeez, I forgot to say THANK YOU for all the great suggestions. To me, this is the board at it's best.

Nicely done! Good ideas without drama. What is this world coming to? For those that don't do the flip finish, don't think that you have to change your finish of your dog. You wont lose points or be looked down upon for not doing the flip. Sometimes changing the gameplan in the ninth inning is not a good thing to do. Sometimes it is just better to improve upon the foundation already laid. So what is the next training topic?

I think you have raised a very important issue. Sometimes it is much better to stick with the less flashy, if the dog is very correct, rather than end up losing points.

I have never trained any finish but what you are calling the flip finish. I do it with my border collies and it is a hoot, because... well because they're border collies. It lacks a little zing when the labradors in the service center do it. It looks more like a hard lean to the left and and flop to a sit. I would say that if you are working for precision, you might be best staying with the finish behind as the nature of the twisting in air into position will always by it's very nature look somewhat less precise because there is a freeform period where the dog is turning. I teach it by first teaching the dog hand target and then jump to the target (your hand or target stick held above the dog. If you dog has learned targeting well, he will follow he target with his head and after he gets jumping for the target you gradually start to put a small spin into the jump and step forward so that when he lands he is next to you. you give sit cue and do this repetitively, fading the target when he is jumping well and then focusing on precision placement on the landing.

My vote goes to full understanding of the heel position also. The dog should be able to come to the heel position from behind, front, side, out of a sit, out of a down, while hanging out under no command at all. For really showy flip finish, the dog needs to be taught to move their back end first, so they dont just make a sloppy half circle around the handler.

I am definetely working on the pivoting this weekend, even if I never do the military/flip finish, I can see the benefits, fus means fus.