Advanced Novice Week 3

This week continue with heeling, first on leash, then with the leash draped over your neck. If your dog is heeling nicely while doing zig zags, spirals, about and u turns, fasts and slows, then you can try some off leash work. Now would be the time to make a tab. You can pick up a nylon leash at honks, cut it down and burn the end or use nylon clothesline and put a snap on it. Having a tab will help with our off leash work in obedience, rally and agility. Don’t forget to work with the here command. In order for you to start your agility off leash, you must have your dog coming to you. We don’t want any dogs running away, getting hit by cars, or starting any fights with other dogs. So make sure your dog comes when he hears that command!

Swing and Finish:

Continue to work on both, taking fewer steps. On the swing take one step forward and have your dog sit in proper position. For the go around finish, you should be able to take only one step back and one step forward. If you have not had time to practice and they are not getting it yet, stay at step one. You will not get good results if you just drag your dog into position. You need forward motion from the dog, just small short pops to put him into position.

Stand Stay:

With the dog sitting in heel position take the leash in your left hand pull forward, and put your right hand under the tuck up (belly) and lift dog up while saying “stand”. Remember on this exercise you never jerk on the collar and correct them harshly. They will sit back down. This exercise must be taught verbally, the dog needs confidence to stand and stay. Depending on how solid your dog was last year, you can go out to the end of the leash and have him stand there for 30 seconds or so. If they sit or move (more than one step) say no, go back and gently put them back in position.

Sits and downs:

Your dog should be able to stay for at least 3 minutes on a sit and 5 on the down. If they can do this every time with no distractions it is time to add some craziness. Get imaginative, if you dog likes a ball or a toy; toss it up and down in your hand, put food out a few feet in front of him, jump up and down, run around him… The important part of getting a good solid stay is to make sure they will only get up with an “OK” release. You can talk to your dog, and say most anything and they should stay. If another dog walks past them or comes over and sniffs them they should stay. The only way to achieve this is with lots of practice. Remember if they break and you are 20 feet away, yell “NO” immediately and go back as soon as possible. If they have moved forward take them back to the original position.

Come:

Your dogs will have to come to you from the other side of the ring with no leash on in this year’s competition. The best way to get them solid in this is calling them with a long line on. Get a 25 ft long line, the best to use is a soft clothesline with a small snap put on. Not the plastic coated kind they are too stiff. For the larger dogs a horse lunge line will work. After calling the dog you need to have some coordination and reel the line in as fast as your dog can come! If your dog is doing this exercise properly, this should be hard! If you dog is sluggish coming in run back, make them chase you, have a treat ready, and if you need to don’t even make them sit in front, release with an OK when they get close.