We had a really good class last night. Our instructor asked me to bring a spray bottle to work on Watson's tendency to run off and do zoomies or play with other dogs (he started doing it every single time he was off leash). I've used it successfully at home when he got over the top with the rabbits, so I was willing to try it in agility. Success! The first little sequence we did he rocketed out of the tunnel and ran around like a loon. The instructor walked towards him and sprayed the bottle a couple times (I don't think she was even close enough to get him wet), I called, and he zoomed back to me so fast he almost knocked me over. The whole rest of the class he was attentive, fairly calm, and focused on everything we did, but still fast and enthusiastic. No more running away during off leash activites!
I'm generally not one to jump to aversives, but I have to admit that the spray bottle is pretty magical for him. It just stops him in his tracks and makes him actually think through what he's doing, and choose something else. Once is enough.
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You should really consider taking an Agility-U course. We just finished "Building Drive, Focus, and Teamwork in the Performance Dog" with Tracy Sklenar and it was amazing. Kili is very distracted by everything in the environment. She loves people and other dogs and is a complete social butterfly. She would also get super excited partway through a sequence... do an obstacle and take off around the ring. Tracy's course showed me how to focus her attention on me through positive methods.
Take this for what it's worth since I am by no means a trainer. I'm simply someone who trains my dogs. And I've only had dogs for 3 years now. However, I am a huge proponent of positive methods only, especially in sport dogs. Here's the thing. When they do the big "WHOO HOOO!" they aren't being bad. They do it for all sorts of reasons including stress and excitement. If they are blowing off stress we need to not punish that and find a better way for the dog to relieve stress and pressure. If the dog is doing it for pure excitement and happiness... that's so good! It's the wrong manifestation but we want our dogs to enjoy agility. A dog who is told "no" all the time in the agility arena is going to lose drive and enthusiasm.
Kili's focus and performance have improved so much over the 6 week course we were taking. On Monday I had her at our arena and she was able to work off leash with a kitten running around in the arena. She still was checking that kitten out and thinking about whether she wanted to work, but she stayed with me and performed the behaviours I asked for (a little slower but she did them). No way she could have done that 6 weeks ago. She would have been gone, and if I kept her on leash she wouldn't have been able to take her eyes off the kitten. So distraction and "social butterfly" tendencies can totally be worked through without aversive techniques. I know a spray bottle doesn't hurt the dog, but it can hurt drive.
Just my two cents. As I said, take it for what it's worth... probably literally two cents! :rofl1:
I'm generally not one to jump to aversives, but I have to admit that the spray bottle is pretty magical for him. It just stops him in his tracks and makes him actually think through what he's doing, and choose something else. Once is enough.
QUOTE]
You should really consider taking an Agility-U course. We just finished "Building Drive, Focus, and Teamwork in the Performance Dog" with Tracy Sklenar and it was amazing. Kili is very distracted by everything in the environment. She loves people and other dogs and is a complete social butterfly. She would also get super excited partway through a sequence... do an obstacle and take off around the ring. Tracy's course showed me how to focus her attention on me through positive methods.
Take this for what it's worth since I am by no means a trainer. I'm simply someone who trains my dogs. And I've only had dogs for 3 years now. However, I am a huge proponent of positive methods only, especially in sport dogs. Here's the thing. When they do the big "WHOO HOOO!" they aren't being bad. They do it for all sorts of reasons including stress and excitement. If they are blowing off stress we need to not punish that and find a better way for the dog to relieve stress and pressure. If the dog is doing it for pure excitement and happiness... that's so good! It's the wrong manifestation but we want our dogs to enjoy agility. A dog who is told "no" all the time in the agility arena is going to lose drive and enthusiasm.
Kili's focus and performance have improved so much over the 6 week course we were taking. On Monday I had her at our arena and she was able to work off leash with a kitten running around in the arena. She still was checking that kitten out and thinking about whether she wanted to work, but she stayed with me and performed the behaviours I asked for (a little slower but she did them). No way she could have done that 6 weeks ago. She would have been gone, and if I kept her on leash she wouldn't have been able to take her eyes off the kitten. So distraction and "social butterfly" tendencies can totally be worked through without aversive techniques. I know a spray bottle doesn't hurt the dog, but it can hurt drive.
Just my two cents. As I said, take it for what it's worth... probably literally two cents! :rofl1: