Great fun to train!
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Sunday, 23 November 2008
Scrummy dog!!
I just LOVE this dog! He is yum! Shame he is in America hehe!
Contact Points Simply Ama"Zing" from Gabrielle Blackburn on Vimeo.
Contact Points Simply Ama"Zing" from Gabrielle Blackburn on Vimeo.
Sunday, 16 November 2008
Progress
We seem to go round in a little circle every month or every couple of months where we make several steps forward and I can see light at the end of the tunnel, and then have a time of very bad stuff where it seems like the world is falling down.
Anyway this weekend was thankfully one of the good ones, Friday Jess had a lesson with Copper and we did set points and he really got the idea, superb take off points and really shaping over the jump (perhaps that's taught him not to land on any more poles and snap my jump cups!!)
Saturday, after watching several hours of Susan Salo's DVD which I fell asleep watching on Friday night, I decided to put the jumping work in to practice. We did set-point, and then started to angle where the toy was, so she was taking off in a straight line but turning after. I gradually moved the toy to the left inch by inch and Tia was great. There was a bit of "head turning, throwing bum out" but in general she was doing the 'comma' shape that Susan talks about. We got to the end and Tia was jumping a fairly sharp left turn really well, with NO tucking up!! I simply can't believe that she is in pain if she can jump this perfectly when we give it to her on a plate. I think she just needs to be taught how to take off, how to compress her strides or how to extend them so her take off point is correct.
Today I went all the way to West Sussex (I am so tired!) for an obedience training day, it was brilliant, I am so glad I went, a place only became available a couple of days ago. Tia's done virtually no training so I was a bit worried we'd look like a pair of wallies. Tia was fab however, and I have lots of things to work on. Lyn said Tia has a tendancy to drive forwards rather than upwards, and it's the upwards drive that is preferable. Some judges mark Tia for forward working and so we worked on follows (ie hand outstretched, not close heelwork) and after stopping every time she went forward, she got the idea. We then worked on teaching the dog heelwork and 'stretching' to get into the correct position (again, drive upwards) and then how to build on this. I also did DC with Tia and now have a much better idea of why she shuts down and refuses to do the first position way too often! SO MUCH TO WORK ON!!! I don't know how I will fit it in. Plus I have 2 more DVDs of Susans to watch, and 3000 words of my dissertation to write. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
It's now day 5 of aframe reps and today we got 100% success so we'll be raising it by one brick tomorrow, exciting times...
Anyway this weekend was thankfully one of the good ones, Friday Jess had a lesson with Copper and we did set points and he really got the idea, superb take off points and really shaping over the jump (perhaps that's taught him not to land on any more poles and snap my jump cups!!)
Saturday, after watching several hours of Susan Salo's DVD which I fell asleep watching on Friday night, I decided to put the jumping work in to practice. We did set-point, and then started to angle where the toy was, so she was taking off in a straight line but turning after. I gradually moved the toy to the left inch by inch and Tia was great. There was a bit of "head turning, throwing bum out" but in general she was doing the 'comma' shape that Susan talks about. We got to the end and Tia was jumping a fairly sharp left turn really well, with NO tucking up!! I simply can't believe that she is in pain if she can jump this perfectly when we give it to her on a plate. I think she just needs to be taught how to take off, how to compress her strides or how to extend them so her take off point is correct.
Today I went all the way to West Sussex (I am so tired!) for an obedience training day, it was brilliant, I am so glad I went, a place only became available a couple of days ago. Tia's done virtually no training so I was a bit worried we'd look like a pair of wallies. Tia was fab however, and I have lots of things to work on. Lyn said Tia has a tendancy to drive forwards rather than upwards, and it's the upwards drive that is preferable. Some judges mark Tia for forward working and so we worked on follows (ie hand outstretched, not close heelwork) and after stopping every time she went forward, she got the idea. We then worked on teaching the dog heelwork and 'stretching' to get into the correct position (again, drive upwards) and then how to build on this. I also did DC with Tia and now have a much better idea of why she shuts down and refuses to do the first position way too often! SO MUCH TO WORK ON!!! I don't know how I will fit it in. Plus I have 2 more DVDs of Susans to watch, and 3000 words of my dissertation to write. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
It's now day 5 of aframe reps and today we got 100% success so we'll be raising it by one brick tomorrow, exciting times...
Friday, 14 November 2008
We've had fun...
practising running contacts!! I've been figuring for some time, that if shes never going to be very good jumping, we may as well be good at something, she does a kind of running aframe but doesnt really understand it, so I thought well we have the winter to train it so why not, we can always go back to 4off. I like trying out new trainings, and running contacts are sooooo much more interesting than 2o2o. No way would I try the dog walk (I will be watching Toni and Beep as if anyone can do it Toni can!!) but the aframe I think could be slightly easier, and of course less stress on Tia's shoulders.
Tia LOVES it!!
Tia LOVES it!!
It's on bricks in the first few goes as I put bricks under it to stop it killing the grass but forgot to take them out whoops. She jumped on the first one and ran nicely on the rest, missed one near the end but the vid cam got to tape end on the last 2 goes.
The DVD arrived today and the Back on Track coat arrived yesterday so I am part way through the first DVD, it's great so far. Tia's not too sure about the coat but I think she looks dead cute hehe. Hopefully at least one will make a difference!!
Tuesday, 11 November 2008
DVD
Firstly I'd like to thank Leanne for sending me all those articles which I have read and hope to do soon! And also the article on iliopsoas lameness which I have printed out and will take to Lowri's tomorrow.
I have now ordered Susan Salos DVD as I found it for £39 which seems cheap compared to the £54 it would have cost elsewhere! Someone did say they could let me borrow it (thx Jane!) but I decided that since I will hopefully use it for the pup it would be better if I have a copy of it permanently. Plus I have a really short concentration span and to plough through 4 DVDs in one week would be fairly epic.
I have decided to order a Back on Track coat for Tia (that was the one I was thinking about thx Jenni!) as I can have it as a Christmas present :) everyone I know who has one says they are really good, who knows, it may perform a miracle!! The Obtrack one can be a present for my next doggie lol Nancy! I still want one now though!!
Here is the lovely Be (Min x Jaff) at 7 months old. Shes such a cool pup :)
I have now ordered Susan Salos DVD as I found it for £39 which seems cheap compared to the £54 it would have cost elsewhere! Someone did say they could let me borrow it (thx Jane!) but I decided that since I will hopefully use it for the pup it would be better if I have a copy of it permanently. Plus I have a really short concentration span and to plough through 4 DVDs in one week would be fairly epic.
I have decided to order a Back on Track coat for Tia (that was the one I was thinking about thx Jenni!) as I can have it as a Christmas present :) everyone I know who has one says they are really good, who knows, it may perform a miracle!! The Obtrack one can be a present for my next doggie lol Nancy! I still want one now though!!
Here is the lovely Be (Min x Jaff) at 7 months old. Shes such a cool pup :)
Monday, 10 November 2008
Susan Salo Foundation Jumping DVD Wanted!
This is a plea if anyone has the above DVD set that they dont mind lending me for a week or so it would be very gratefully received! I really don't want to spend £50 on a new set as I am saving up for a new coat for Tia, and as it's either or, the coat for Tia would be better I think! I am quite happy to pay postage and a small fee for your kindness.
After reading Leanne and Mands comments, and some other comments on the youtube vid it now does look like it's a take off issue. Why Tia can't sort it out I dunnoo, I thought dogs were meant to teach it to themselves... lol. Any way I would really like to try and work on this so, if anyone would like to donate...... :)
After reading Leanne and Mands comments, and some other comments on the youtube vid it now does look like it's a take off issue. Why Tia can't sort it out I dunnoo, I thought dogs were meant to teach it to themselves... lol. Any way I would really like to try and work on this so, if anyone would like to donate...... :)
Sunday, 9 November 2008
Going backwards
I'm so miffed!
A couple of weeks ago we were having such a fab training session and yet this weeks and last weeks training was hopeless.
I think (and this is totally my own opinion so could probs be wrong) that the reason we are having such trouble with the left turns is Tia still is not weight bearing properly on her left back leg. Therefore when she is taking off for a jump (particularly on a left turn) she is not pushing off properly on this leg, and this unbalances her, causing her to do the horrible action that she was doing back in April........ if anyone has any ideas it would be sooo appreciated!
A couple of weeks ago we were having such a fab training session and yet this weeks and last weeks training was hopeless.
I think (and this is totally my own opinion so could probs be wrong) that the reason we are having such trouble with the left turns is Tia still is not weight bearing properly on her left back leg. Therefore when she is taking off for a jump (particularly on a left turn) she is not pushing off properly on this leg, and this unbalances her, causing her to do the horrible action that she was doing back in April........ if anyone has any ideas it would be sooo appreciated!
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