# Finally......"Who wants to PLAY"



## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

After last fall getting a flat area ready & all summer building........ finally have an agility course ! WOO HOO :happyboogie::groovy::happyboogie:


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## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

Wow, that is impressive! And that's Shadow doing the weave poles, right?

He looks like a pro!


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

That is so cool! How much space does it take up in your yard?

My husband wants a sport court, but I think this would be a lot more fun!


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

BowWowMeow said:


> Wow, that is impressive! And that's Shadow doing the weave poles, right?
> 
> He looks like a pro!


 
Hey there Ruth !  Haven't seen ya post in awhile + I haven't been on much either. You got it, Mr. Shad doin his thing. I hope to show him soon, he does so good ! Working on staying with me issue & not running over to another dog on side lines or out of ring. Since rescue, not sure what he will do, does fine around dogs, but can be in your face & pushy. 

The house from 2nd pic, would be up in left corner way up the hill ! Slight tan showing through woods. This area is down the hill in our backyard & then a slight right walk to the field area I call it. It's maybe 20 some feet x 30 some, hubby is asleep right now & I don't remember right off hand. Need bigger........ LOL

We are going to build yet a wing jump or 2, broad jump, & panel jump. Also a A-Frame, but winter project because I want a aluminium framed one & hubby can do for winter project.  Oh, also need another set of metal base weaves so I have 12 ! They are in building process also.... 

This is it for now & I'm floored ! Taping & building is kind of a pain because wanted it all glued & taped matching. Double & triple took forever !

Now I need training help on slowing down to hit contacts correct on walk, they want to dash right across & off almost before I get to end ! Sable knows it the best & I say, wait & she slows or stops.... Need help in this dept ! 

Thanks for comments !


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## AvaLaRue (Apr 4, 2010)

WOW!!!!!! awesome!!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

WOW, impressive! You are probably able to be a plumber with your PVC skills at this point.

For the contacts, I'd break it down and JUST work on the bottom like this:





 
My current instructor prefers actually dropping the treats on the ground after clicking. Takes focus off our hands and onto the ground..... course if you work in a sandy horse barn this may not work so well.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Thanks MRL for the links, keep tips coming.  Can or should you go back to this method if the know the walk already ? Not sure if I should train with a target & then move to contacts ? Just not 100% sure how I want to go about it ?

Well.............. with the building, was more hubby's co-worker (love him... LOL) & hubby when he had time. They did this durning business hrs at the shop. I just told them & showed pics how I would love built, with specs & all. Oh, I did help paint & sand the boards !!! Taping, all me.......

Training area you are at looks awesome !


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## bianca (Mar 28, 2010)

WOW!!!! How cool is that at home?!!!!!!


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## Marissa (Dec 31, 2009)

Very impressive, are you for hire hehe


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Marissa said:


> Very impressive, are you for hire hehe


He He, has been fun & EXCITING to build ! I just keep adding & hubby getting a tad p'd ! LOL 

Too bad some OH agility GSD folk wasn't close to come play ! 

MRL, Do your dogs stop at contacts while in a full run ? What do you say or do to slow or stop them ? How did you train for that ?

Most of the time mine do continue straight off because *mom* is babysitting their side so off forward they do go, but not slowing down unless I say *wait* or something & only 1 out of the 3 are doing.  I don't want them to start jumping off the sides either !


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## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

Very nice!! I want to come play!


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

GSDBESTK9 said:


> Very nice!! I want to come play!


Ok, you bring me a bk puppy :wub: & you are more then welcome anytime you wish ! LOL  You like NADAC or AKC ?


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

GF's (Bucksmom~Sherri) Sable boy got to come try out over the wkend !










And Birthday boy (Aug. 29th - 4 yrs old now) Storm even got to play ! Ok freaky, middle jump right by teeter, WHAT are them green things sitting on the top bar ! LMAO :wild: 










If I were to buy 1 great agility book to read up on beg agility training new dogs, contact training, handling- rear & front crosses, etc......... which to buy ??? Ok, can be 2 if need be, but BAD about sitting & reading !


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

LuvourGSDs said:


> MRL, Do your dogs stop at contacts while in a full run ? What do you say or do to slow or stop them ? How did you train for that ?
> 
> Most of the time mine do continue straight off because *mom* is babysitting their side so off forward they do go, but not slowing down unless I say *wait* or something & only 1 out of the 3 are doing.  I don't want them to start jumping off the sides either !


I really train the way the video shows. TONS of treats only at the bottom 100% of the time for a long long time. So the contacts end up being ALL about the 2on/2off and not really about the rest of the teeter/dogwalk/aframe. They have to get thru the teeter/dogwalk/aframe beginnings to get to the end for the jackpots!

If you have an aframe, it's easy to backchain and have them get back up and turn and down to get into the position.

I really can't state enough, unless you are really teaching a deliberate running contact, your dog will start blowing them. Cause the better they get, and more they love it, if they don't 'know' they have to do something at the bottom (if they think they can run on) then they WILL start jumping over the contacts or off the sides. Specially when you aren't in position to be near the bottom.

And the begging and blocking and yelling (WAIT WAIT WAIT) that people try to do to manage is painful to watch and doesn't work consistantly. 

So we all need to make our decision what kind of contacts we want, and then be clear and consistant with the criteria we decide on. In practice, at training, at seminars, AND AT TRIALS. We tend to loose our minds at trials and criteria we are 100% on the rest of the time (startline stays and contacts are the 2 big places we handlers LOSE OUR MINDS with at trials and let our dogs do whatever they want cause we don't have a plan to 'fix' it when we are full of trial freakout off our own).

Bretta had 100% contacts EVERYWHERE when we started to trial but guess what happened at our first out door trial? She tore down the dogwalk, I was there to meet her at the down contact, and it was to see her blast thru it and to the tunnel that was right in front of us (oh, my Bretta does love those tunnels!). I was standing there with my shocked mouth open to give a shocked sounding 'Bretta!' that called her off (barely) the tunnel entrance and back to me.

Because she 'knew' what me still standing at the contact must me (uh, didn't I stop there mom?) she tore back, flipped around and back onto the contact (training in the ring and an NQ there  ) for a perfect (but late :wild: ) 2on/2off. SO WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The judge was really nice though and because it was Novice, let me continue the course (don't plan on all the judges being so nice).

Watch Glory at around minute 2 on this video. Look at all the rewards only on contact and how she volunteers to just do the bottom at one point. At minute 4 you can see her teeter. This is great cause she's awful! So you can really see how it's no big deal, just no click treat and we work thru it. Clicker is so important cause it's marking it so precise.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Think I'd recommend DVD's over books, but if you got the CleanRun magazine that's worth the reading.

Susan Garrett's stuff, Linda Mecklinburg... are you on the yahoo lists? 

[email protected]

Dog Agility Forum [email protected]


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Great job you guys did! Looks wonderful ! I love Greg Derrett's DVD's..


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

GREAT video MRL........... 

You don't say any command to get them to stop at the bottom to do 2o 2o ? I noticed tonight miss Sable is starting to beat me up & over so, off the side she went a few times ! I thought about building a hoop at the end for her to go under.

I would just run her back over & only click treat when she did correct. I need to do the treat ground thing, I always do by hand. Bad thing, outside they take forever trying to find in the grass !

No frame yet, maybe by spring. I'm hoping by having my own equipment I can now work on things that you can't via class time. 

Do not belong to any groups yet, which one would be the best ???

Thanks much for all the tips, info, etc ! I need to work, work, work on things + DVD hunt now..............


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

That is awesome!!!

Did you build all of this or did you buy it and have to put it together??


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Thanks, bought all materials & built ourselves............  Still a bit more to add, trying to give hubby that last bit of push.............. Wanting to add, 2 wing jumps, another set of 6 weaves, broad jump, & my A-frame. Think will be good after that.


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## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

Wow! you guys did an excellent job! Looks like a pro course

are there instructions for building this stuff or are you guys just that good  little of both? lol


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

LuvourGSDs said:


> GREAT video MRL...........
> 
> You don't say any command to get them to stop at the bottom to do 2o 2o ? I noticed tonight miss Sable is starting to beat me up & over so, off the side she went a few times ! I thought about building a hoop at the end for her to go under.
> 
> I would just run her back over & only click treat when she did correct. I need to do the treat ground thing, I always do by hand. Bad thing, outside they take forever trying to find in the grass !


I sometimes yell 'go target' as they get on the obstacle (not as they are descending) but that is from habit cause I used to target train at the bottom. So I used to train to have a plastic lid at the bottom they knew to get into the 2on/2off and then nose touch the target for the click/treat. But I don't really need a nose touch for a behavior, and you fade the target in the end (no targets at a trial) so now just agree with training the 2on/2off.

If you look close at this photo of Bretta about 5 years ago at my old sandy/dirty/horse barn training place (also not throwing treats on the ground there  ) you can see a small plastic training target (plastic lid) at the bottom of the dogwalk.










That said, you COULD get a piece of plexi glass or other plastic target to put at the bottom of your contacts just to use so you aren't dropping the treat onto the grass (hard to find) and instead onto a harder and better surface (plastic target). You will be clicking the 2on/2off position, just them dropping the treat onto the plastic for easy pick up. 

This video shows how I started with the contact training at my current place. All about the pups getting strong going up and down and back and initially getting treats all over the place, but in the end they will only get treats when in the 2on/2off. I'm not hardly saying anything, not even a release word at this point, just tossing the treats to get her to move off.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Thank ya much ! Keep them videos/tips coming ! 

Top 3 training dvds you would suggest buying ?


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

LuvourGSDs said:


> Thank ya much ! Keep them videos/tips coming !
> 
> Top 3 training dvds you would suggest buying ?


I really like the jump DVD's cause I think we all tend to think 'all dogs can jump' and under value the difficulty for the dogs. Specially with the handler in the mix either helping or getting in the way!

Susan Garrett's 'success with one jump' has the jump and handler stuff. For just our dog's learning to jump I like the Susan Salo stuff that has jump grids and based on how horses are taught to jump (go figure a huge animal we sit on when they jump has a MUCH longer history with 'how to teach a horse to jump' :wild: )


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Knock on wood............. no probs with jumps on 2 out of the 3 dogs. Storm my biggest, longest, & tallest boy (you met a GSD Nat.) he knocks bars with rear. We need a build up muscles exercise.

Just mainly need help with weaves, getting the entry *right* each time/each working side & speed ! And slowing to HIT them contacting, need to continue with straight forward motion ! Oh also, my handling skills would help.


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