Bella needs to be worked...

AgilityPup

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#1
Bella drastically needs to be worked - everyday. But the problem is, I worry about her getting bored. As it is now, we work on Obedience, Attention Walking (Don't know if anyone has heard of this - but it's helped Bella a lot with keeping her attention on me in new places, and a little bit of Agility.

As it is now, she's going to an obedience class once every two weeks. She already knows everything, but it's a good shot to have her around other dogs, to work on her dog issues. Soon she'll be going to agility at least once a week, where she probably wont be around other dogs, since it's training in an indoors riding ring (which we do all winter, every winter).

I'd stick with just the things listed, but I worry about her getting bored. I'd like to do herding with her, but I need to do a lot of research on it first (Any one have any tips, ideas, info?), and couldn't start until spring - I hate winter!

Also, I thought about teaching her to pull a sled. I think it'd be good for her, and would help with a lot of her extra energy. But I need some info on that, and since we'll have snow soon, I figure now would be the time to teach her how to go without anything behind her - I just don't know how to do it. Help?

Probably this summer she'll work on tracking, but I'm not sure if we'll do that or not... It's just not something I'm interested in...

I know I have a lot picked out that I'd like to do with her, but her energy has been driving me crazy, and since she doesn't fetch, I can't think of any way to get all that extra out, other than training - plus, she's way better behaved in the house when she's being worked constantly.

So, please, feel free to give ideas on what I could do with her, advice on how to do it, or whatever. Thanks in advance!
 

lizzybeth727

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#3
So, please, feel free to give ideas on what I could do with her, advice on how to do it, or whatever. Thanks in advance!
Red just posted a nice article about how to teach retrieve, I think you can train that with any dog, whether they're a natural retriever or not, and it takes a lot of thinking on the part of the dog to figure it out. Good mental exercise!

As far as activities, that's really just going to depend on what you WANT to do, what seems interesting to you. You're lucky in that your dog is flexible enough to do just about any sport or activity, so it's up to what you would enjoy. If you don't like it, or are not interested in it, your dog won't be either. Like me with flyball - my agility teacher used to also teach flyball, which I think my dog would've liked to do, but to ME, it seems boring. I'm not saying anything's wrong with it, but just personally, it doesn't seem that interesting. So I'm not doing it. Same with you and tracking, if it's not interesting to you, don't do it.

I don't know anything about pulling a sled, and I know almost nothing about hearding, so I really can't help you there.
 

Catsi

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Sorry, I don't know a lot about other sports, just a little about agility and obedience (well, at least the informal kind).

I tend to teach my dog tricks. You may already. I just slowly add a tricks as she improves on the ones she already knows and I try and mix it up so she doesn't get bored. I find that her knowing tricks is great because I can use them in a situation that I need to distract her and keep her focus on me. (I am also working on our focus).

Maybe some games for mental stimulation as well, like hiding treats and item discrimination. We already to hiding treats, but item discrimination is on my list to do. Sorry my suggestions are based on mental stimulation rather than physical, but I am currently trying to teach retrieve for something really physical my dog can do that isn't agility training or 'zoomies'. So I agree with Lizzybeth - Red did post a great article in my 'Training Snags' thread.

Btw, herding sounds like fun, I'd love to do that oneday - with a suitable dog! :D
 

AgilityPup

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#5
Bella learned her retreive command today... That's the problem - she catches on to things like that REALLY quick...

I should be teaching her tricks, but I just don't know how to train any of them! :p
 

Catsi

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Wow, I'm impressed with how quick Bella picked up retrieve! :D

Abby only has a very basic trick repetoire at the moment, but we are slowly trying to expand it. She knows:
Shake
High Five
Touch
Look away - she knows to look the other way if I hold out a treat or a treat is on the ground, she only takes it from my fingertips. Except sometimes you can see the poor dear is just so tempted. :p
Sneeze - I just did this by marking her sneeze with a clicker and I am still polishing the trick off so she can do it on command. She quite likes this one.
Shaping exercises such as getting into boxes of different shapes and sizes when I look at them.
Back-end awareness - with front legs a box, she goes around both ways on her hind legs - she LOVES this one.
'Go around' - she goes around an object on command (left or right) and I am slowly (very slowly) working up the distance.
Ok, those last three may not be really classed as tricks, I'm not sure but they are pretty fun.

There are some great ideas in this thread that I was just reading...

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=87599

Currently we are learning roll over, I'd love to teach speak, taking a sock off on command, spin. Heaps really! :D
 

lizzybeth727

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My favorite tricks book is "Idiots' guide to dog tricks," it's very easy to find at bookstores and gives really good training procedures for teaching dozens and dozens of tricks. It's a great place to get some ideas.
 

AgilityPup

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Yeah, Bella caught onto retreiving REALLY quick. When she understands what you want, she's VERY quick to catch on, other times, it feels like you're doing the same thing over and over...

I'll have to look into trick books and such, and check out that link... I'd love to do freestyle dancing with her, and I've been told that's just a lot of tricks! :p
 

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