Directed Jumping (Go outs)

[Roxy's CD]

Ok, so my a year and a half year old mix, is in training for NAMBR trials. We've been working on the directed jumping just to help improve her focus and learn to respond to my signals. So, my question is this:

She goes out on her line fine, sits fine, but my problem is when I direct her to the jumps. Now, we're just starting so I'm still over exaggerating my signals, but she'll only jump the jump that I've directed her to if I point to the jump first, than signal and tell her to jump. Now I expect it's because when I point she's just sitting and watching and it gives her the chance to anticipate where I'm going to tell her to jump.

How do I get her to jump the jump I'm directing her to, as I'm giving her the signal??

 

[Snark]

I'm not sure I understand the question... Do you mean she just sits until she gets the 'second' signal? Or doesn't take the next jump without a second signal? What is your position in relation to hers? Are you leading or standing next to her? Does she move when you move?
Have you thought about setting up a jumping lane?

 

[Roxy's CD]

A jumping lane, you mean a channel to the jump? There is more than one jump set up. She is sent out away from me, I call her to sit, and than direct to either a high jump, bar or broad.

My position is about 20 feet directly in front of her. I've sent her out on her line and she's sitting and looking at me. Now I'm supposed to give her one signal to a jump (high jump, bar or broad, they're halfway between us). She won't jump the jump I've directed her too unless I give her two signals. One while she's still sitting(the cheat signal), and than the "real" one to go out and do the jump. I'm really only supposed to be giving her one signal. I think the problem is that with only one signal she doesn't really think about what she's doing because she's so excited.

So, I guess what my question is, How do I get her to respond to my one and only signal without getting excited and just running up to me and forgetting to jump because she didn't get that first signal. A way to slow her down so she actually listens and responds right as I give her the command.

 

[Snark]

It almost sounds like a Utility obedience exercise rather than agility. Is there a difference in the way you give the 'cheat' signal and the 'real' one? Are you standing still and just using a hand or arm signal or are you using your body as well to pull or push her to the correct jump?

A jumping lane is a series of jumps set in fencing (the dog can't run around the jumps) and can be used for conditioning and teaching the dog to 'find' their takeoff distance. You can keep the jump heights the same or vary them to make the dog think about what he's jumping. It also gives the handler a chance to practice sending or calling the dog over the jumps and to work on timing their 'jump' commands.

 

[Roxy's CD]

Yes it's one of the parts to a utility trial, but we've been working on it just to improve her focus and to give her a bit of a challenge.

Yes, my cheat signal is different. With my hands hanging at my sides I just point slyly at the jump (lol). But when I direct her and tell her to Jump, say to the jump on the left, Ill raise my left arm above my head in a sweeping motin down to my side.

 

[Snark]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to this thread, been working at our club's agility trial this weekend.
Soooo, it occurred to me... are we talking about the same activity? Are you asking about go-outs from an obedience trial point of view or agility? If it's obedience, then I apologize - I just automatically thought of agility with sending a dog out and I'm not familiar enough with utility work to help. Out of curiosity though, what happens if you use just one command (either the cheat or the real one)?
If you are talking agility, I would recommend using your body more (use a hand signal while turning your body away from your dog to pull her out of the sit.)

 

[Roxy's CD]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to this thread, been working at our club's agility trial this weekend.
Soooo, it occurred to me... are we talking about the same activity? Are you asking about go-outs from an obedience trial point of view or agility? If it's obedience, then I apologize - I just automatically thought of agility with sending a dog out and I'm not familiar enough with utility work to help. Out of curiosity though, what happens if you use just one command (either the cheat or the real one)?
If you are talking agility, I would recommend using your body more (use a hand signal while turning your body away from your dog to pull her out of the sit.)

How did the trial go?

If I just use the real signal, which I still exaggerate sometimes with my body or arms, she just gets so excited and runs at me! I haven't tried just using the cheat...hmmm..

 

[Snark]

It went well... the weather cooperated for a change, it wasn't too hot and the rain held off 'til afterwards. I don't have any dogs ready for competition yet, so I was just there working (the club never seems to get enough volunteers even though we have about 70 members). I was doing my usual job of timer (and sometimes filled in as scribe).

So if she gets excited by the exaggerated motions, maybe she'll do better with a low-key command...

 

[Roxy's CD]

Hmm..her next lesson is this Thursday, I'll definitely give it a try. Thanks

No dogs ready for competition?!? Who ever has dogs "ready for competition"? lol. I don't think it can ever really end. How many dogs do you have? Any near being "ready"?

 

[Snark]

I've got four dogs. Holly, my 12 year old chow mix, has never been interested in agility - she likes to go for her walks and wallow in the neighbor's lake. Abby (a who-knows-what mix) was doing agility and we had been in a few competitions until she blew out her knee. It's healed but she's lost her enthusiasm (which was never very high) and will only do the obstacles because I ask her. (I lost my original agility dog, Patch, this past January - she was nearly eighteen, had competed up until she was thirteen and still participated in our club's 'fun' events 'til she was fifteen. I took her to one of the club's trials when she was seventeen and she had a great time visiting all of her old friends - she loved to schmooze.)

The boys, Murphy (looks like a GSD mix) and Michaleen (might have some BC in him), are relatively new. They wandered into my life last summer but I didn't take them in until Nov. I thought they were strays, since they were pretty skinny and I couldn't get near either one at first. It took almost a month of putting food out and sweet talk to get a hand on Murphy, took another month to get a hand on Michaleen. They'd hang around for awhile, then they disappear for awhile. Finally, they parked themselves by our front gate and wouldn't leave.

Well, it turns out they lived a mile down the road but I don't think the people paid much attention to them except to try to pen them up (they climbed out), or chain them (they got loose anyway) because THEIR neighbors threatened to shoot the dogs for harassing livestock. The owners finally discovered the dogs had been camping out by my front gate for a solid month and told me to keep them. I did find out they are brothers and are about two years old.

Right now, I'm working on getting that solid obedience base and starting them on a few obstacles. Michaleen is the more enthusiastic of the two regarding agility although his obedience needs more work (his stays aren't nearly as solid as they could be). Murphy seems to like the structured format of competitive obedience but will do the agility obstacles. (He still thinks it's silly to go over a jump when you can just run right by it.)

Probably more than you wanted to know, huh? How many dogs do you have and where are you competition-wise?

 

[Roxy's CD]

^ No! Not at all, I think that's great that you've taken in needy animals!!! And not only that you've taken them in but your investing time and energy into training them. The latter most don't do.

Threatened to shoot them?!?!?! That must be illegal, but they sound like nice neighbors.j/k lol

4 dogs! I've got 2 and I'm looking into getting a third but I just can't decide what I want. The one the threads about, is Roxy, a dobe/rott mix she's a year and a half, and my other little baby is Hades a pitt. I rescued them both and just recently got involved with formal training with both of them. Roxy is just excelling so quickly sometimes I just can't keep up with her! She's so hard working and eager to learn. We've completed the novice obedience trials at NAMBR and she starts her private agility lessons this Thursday. (She gets bored in privates and talks the whole time disrupting the class, lol) I've been having some trouble though finding agility trials that she can compete in, in my area though. Most of them have to be purebred animals I'm hoping we might be able to just go out and have fun in the ring by summer time though. Most of the people where I train all show confirmation and obedience so I really don't have anyone to go with either..

My little pitty (8months) is just a big sucky ham! lol, He took 8 weeks of privates and he starts his first batch of group lessons next Tuesday. It should be very interesting...lol I'm just going to get basic obedience downpat with him before I even think about agility. One little correction and the little guy lies down and gives you the "I'm sorry, just love me please" look..lol

 

[Snark]

Nope, it's not illegal to shoot dogs harassing livestock in most rural counties.

That's great that Roxy and Hades found a home with you! They both sound like wonderful dogs and Hades sounds like an absolute cutie. I had a Rott/Shepherd mix - Emily looked like a Dobe on steriods (stood about 27 inches tall and weighed 120 lbs.). She didn't care for agility but she loved tracking.

That's too bad there aren't any agility venues nearby where you can compete. I'm lucky in that our club is sanctioned by a couple of different agility organizations (NADAC, USDAA) that allow any dog to compete, regardless of breeding. (We also have AKC, Teacup and they're looking at Canine Performance Events as another venue.) The Australian Shepherd Club also allows mixed breeds to compete in their performance events providing the dog is registered with another organization (agility or a mixed breed registry). Other than that, you could try agility show 'n go's put on by any breed club...

 

[Roxy's CD]

Oh, so the boys were causing some trouble in the pastures! lol.. How is that going? Do they still try to get out and round up the heard? lol. Do the neighbors that you got them from even visit or ask how they're doing??

As I mentioned in my area confirmation showing is "the thing". The have those Rally O's, but I'm not quite sure if that's what I'm looking to get into.