# Tips needed with distractions please...........



## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Ok, in class I have pretty good attention. Sable is so busy & does ADD on me & drives me nuts, as she will do her thing & IF trainer & I are talking for a few, she will run to the training bag, back to me, back to the bag, etc ! Storm does stay with me way better & not so darn busy.

Anyway, 99% of the time we train indoors in a building. Well, I find when we go to a trial, pet fair to demo, etc I lose them, their focus is more nibbing around, air scenting, etc & this makes me so mad ! How to keep them right with you 100% ???????

~Help~ I need some steaks to tie around me or something.


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## GSDinOly (Apr 19, 2009)

You hit it right on...not neccessarily a steak, but the tastiest thing they love, and practice at home or indoors, them gradually practice with distractions. It takes time, but you'll get there







Hope that helps...


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

I have my boy's ball and that's all I need. The world could come to an end and he wouldn't care so long as he has it near.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

your lucky toys work well, that makes life alot easier! my young dog is a hard one, not interested in toys at agility, food only works so long, and i have good stuff. the other dogs are my problem, they are more interesting than toys/food. we are working on focus and have gotten somewhat better, and also working on running out during the course. you got it made if a toy works, without that things can get frustrating. we are trying a few things with the trainer, so hopefully with time it will get better.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

*Working focus in crowds....HELP!*

bump


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

*Re: Working focus in crowds....HELP!*



> Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLeebump


Thanks for the bump MLR !









I guess I need to go to many other places just me & the dogs (hard to make myself do) & work them there ! Just hard to haul dogs & equipment in my Jeep !

I have cracked out the clicker & treats, been saying *HERE* & when they come, click & many treats..............

Will take work b/c all 3 GSDs like to wonder off a bit when off lead on a agility course !

Any other suggestions, PLEASE share.........


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## Elaine (Sep 10, 2006)

*Re: Working focus in crowds....HELP!*

You need to get reliable control in distracting environments first before you can expect to get any sort of control in a highly exciting environment like agility. It's an obedience thing plain and simple.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Have we already talked about trying to get toy drive from food drive? MUCH better in the long run to get and hold attention, as well as deal with any of the 'ignoring' actually being a calming signal for the dog.

Here are a few great articles:

http://www.clickerdogs.com/createamotivatingtoy.htm

http://www.thedogathlete.com/playing-with-prey-drive/

http://www.nosetouch.com/tug_it.htm


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Thanks again MLR................









Maybe I need to go back to toys then for the reward. Just harder to hide & run the course with a toy.

I feel yes it's a obed. thing, but still tough IMO with lots of distractions UNLESS you train that way. Who trains in a trial like setting ?

I am seeking to gain their attention 100% & trying. Our dogs are pretty obed. , but just lose them with many distractions.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I always try to find a toy I can tuck in the BACK waistband of my pants. So close to grab but not a distraction, leaving my hands free.

Can you see it hanging from my pants in these shots?



















And out.......


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Yep, tried this in the past & miss Sable kept going around to my butt + it gets yucky & well putting down my butt crack............ yuck ! LOL

I have switched things up & guess I need to stay with 1 thing to keep the attention & drive ! Storm seems to go so long & loses interest or gets tired. Sable doesn't, but keeping her focus, well harder !


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> Quote: miss Sable kept going around to my butt


This goes back to the positive training for our dogs. The 'WHEN you do something great THEN I give you the reward....'. If our dogs are thinking they can get around us to reward themselves during training, then they are just missing the 'WHEN you do 'whatever' connection to the 'THEN you get the reward'.

When we reinforce this properly, their attention is back on us and not on the toy. Cause they will be trying to figure out WHAT we are wanting them to do so THEN they get the reward.

Go back to using the toy in REALLY short obedience things. Like a 'sit' click THEN play. Or a 'down' click THEN play. Initially the time between the behavior/click/reward is fast fast fast. But you gradually start increasing the timing (so with a 'sit' you don't have to say 'stay/wait' but you just hold off clicking as they continue to remain in place) Always reward after the click but you can hold off the click.... 

Always AFTER our dogs do something, then they get the reward, either food or tugging. If we are consistant, they get it. Look at the picture of Bretta on the table, she knows that toy is in my waistband and I ALWAYS rewarded her on the table after the time was over, but she's looking right at my face, not my waistband.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Ok gave in & went back to the tug toy b/c Sable is obessed with toys ! Stuck it in waist & she didn't keep going around me this time & felt we did good in class. She still needs to learn to keep the ants out of her pants & just hold still with a sit, down, etc ! Working on this. She just wants to GO all the time...........

We have been finally working her on the dog walk & teter, she is doing good. She was scared of the walk for along time b/c she fell off of it pretty good a few times. I dread running her up it b/c afraid she will fall again. It has been going good TG.

I will try the click/tug short in periods, thanks !

I just want the 100% attention all the time no matter where we are at & hard to do. Storm zones at times during rally trials.







Why did I let you talk me into doing rally nationals ! LOL We are RA & trying to earn our 1st leg, but at a national....... EEK !


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> Quote: We have been finally working her on the dog walk & teter, she is doing good. She was scared of the walk for along time b/c she fell off of it pretty good a few times. I dread running her up it b/c afraid she will fall again. It has been going good TG.


You need to BOTH work on the 'fear' issue with this. LOWER the dogwalk and teach your dog to come off. On the on ramp. On the off ramp. On the cross piece.

Don't give a treat when they come off. You don't want to 'reward' the coming off. But you do want your dog (AND YOU ) to learn falling off isn't the end of the world, cause they have LEARNED to come off the side and get right back on!

I've had Bretta really fall right off the top of the dogwalk at a trial (she was distracted by a very friendly Golden walking past the ring and was watching him not where she was going.). She slipped and fell right off the side! The crowds gasped................ I just looked at her quickly as she ran to me to catch up, quickly asked the judge to watch her run and stop us if she looked like she was limping, and we went right on with the rest of the course and an otherwise beautiful run.

If we keep our dogs lean and fit, chances are they will be agile enough to fall well and not get injured. Teaching Bretta that coming off the sides of the equipment is a NORMAL thing means they have no fear of the equipment and the falling.

So lower the dogwalk (2' ???) initially and just have them get comfortable getting up and down and off and turning and on and off and turning................... Did you want Glory's video and her NOT wanting to be on it cause it shakes? It's just a month later and I currently have trouble getting her off of it and it's now about 4' off the ground.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

Glory's video ? 

I NEED to get a board to have at home, not too sure how I want to set up ? Place on table & have them go up & then down ?

At class it's mainly up (3 to 4 feet high) & just have been baiting it. Trainier says I turn white at the thought of running her up it, but she says, do it & I do. Sable is getting better, but the starting is bad, she doesn't want to go right up, this is where she has fallen. She bolts up like with fear & then loses footing........ boom ! It's concrete flooring below with 1 thin rubber mat for slipping.

She is doing fine on the teter, I thought that would freak her. We don't do it full size yet with it hitting the floor. Have 2 sm tables on each end.

I just dread the walk b/c high , they can fall easy, & probably get real hurt. I don't baby her when she falls, act like it didn't happen, but inside I do feel so bad.









A-frame is easy, but feel having a walk & teter at home would be nice, just room in yard to have such items & building them !


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## mygsds (Jan 7, 2007)

You don't need to start with it high at all. You want to mainly work on her knowing where her body is on the board so height isn;t that important at this stage,

Kahlua learned on a board only a few inches elevated on one end. I gradually raised it so the slope was increased but I did it inside (winter) on the stairs.

To get her used to it moving you can place it on a brick or something that size so it wobbles and just let her learn that it can be safe on a moving board. Again its the movement not the height that they learn. Its amazing how they can transfer this to the larger teeter or dogwalk. 

Same with dogwalk - just have the board on two blocks and teach her to walk along it. Less risk of falling off when she has been trained to know where her body and feet are.
I didn't use my teeter or dog walk at all when Kahlua was little.
Pat


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> Quote: Glory's video?


Opps, here it is at 5 months..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kro4NqlaA24 the contact is toward the end... you should find it interesting to see my Miss Glory B does NOT like the dogwalk and bails off! Cause the cross plank shakes (scary mommy......). The instructor sits on it at the end to stabilize it, and that helps. But the MAIN thing is we don't push it, it's absolutely ok that she comes off. So if you look at her a month later....

And here's an unedited version of her a month later.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3JW_Gz_8CY

If your instructor is 'forcing' her to do this before she's ready, you need to refuse to go with that program. The great thing about having it low to start, using the clicker and TONS of treats, is it's up to THE DOG if she wants to go on and earn the click/treat or bail.

Bailing is just fine. Absolutely 100% fine and dandy. But it doesn't get the click and no treat. Only staying on and moving forward get the click treats. So the dog learn with it low that it's not really that scary. Coming off isn't that scary or painful. And getting back on gets more of the chicken/liver/cheese....

Only when the pup is ok at the lower levels (frankly Glory B will drag me over to the contacts, and get up on them on her own at this point) do you raise it.


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

K thanks ! I have just started using a clicker when it comes to Agility. Never have used a clicker.

I need help with the contact hitting dept also. How do you all work with this ? Clicker or not & how ?

Thanks


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

For contacts, my current instructor had us start on the aframe. See how most of the time (on the 5 m video) we aren't really doing the entire up and over and down??? Instead we go up to the top and back down the same side?

Do this but when the dog comes down, stand in front of them (facing the aframe) and kind of block them from coming off. The importance of the clicker is we are NOT supposed to be talking, just clicking/treating when the OFFER something we want. This means when the pup's second FRONT foot hits the ground (both rear feet still up) we click/treat TREAT ON THE GROUND. Do NOT treat from your hand. Want that puppies head down and low and focused on the ground. 

Initially stay close and click/treat fast. The release is just getting out of the way and tossing a treat way ahead at this point. Then just get them up and back down again. Gradually increase the distance from the pup, and try to keep moving/clicking/treating/moving/clicking/treating with the dog staying on all by itself until you throw the treat way off on the ground.

Then go to the dogwalk/teeter after they seem to get if on the aframe.

Here's another way to teach it that's similiar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnLXtbcpgfw


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

COOL videos & Glory is very pretty !









Does the dogwalk become the piece of equipment most feared ? Say this b/c of height & balance + having a big GSD ! 

Storm has this down & does good on it, but tonight he fell off 2 times ! One time he bailed on up board near top & he pushed the whole dogwalk over............







He went 1 way & it went another ! Then it happened again in the same spot, but dogwalk stayed put. Not sure what's was up with that as he has been up/down many times with this being his first issue.

I fear this piece of equipment the most ! I send them right back up & over, but think at times, that could really injure my dog.









Thanks again for the tips & help here, I'm just getting my feet wet when it comes to Agility. This was my first yr to ever trial & did mainly NADAC. 

I need an AKC rule book (pocket size to put in training bag).............. haven't broke down & bought one yet !









Keep the videos, tips, pointers, help, etc coming ! MACH gal, WOW !!!!!!!!


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

I can't say enough, if your dog is healthy and fit, and falls off for real (or jumps off) they will be just fine unless it's a really freakish awkward thing.

The 'real' hard part is the MENTAL issues that may arise when a dog falls off. And not just for the dog, but the handler. If I'm freaking out and in a panic if Glory tumbled off, she may have initally been fine and shaken if off, but not if I am going crazy! So it's important for me to be calm and normal even if inside I'm thinking 'wow that may have hurt'. If my dog is hurt then I need to deal with it, otherwise we just have a 'good girl' moment and move on.

This is why you MUST start and stay low so BOTH you and the dog get confidence in the equipment, ability to do the equipment, and that IF the dog falls off it is truly truly NO BIG DEAL. Like jumping off the bed and, trust me, my girl dogs do that all the time!

So you need to talk your instructor into having it low. So you AND your dog will be comfortable getting on, getting off, getting on, getting off, going across, getting off.............. When both you and your dog are comfortable, only then do you raise it. But you need to start slow with tons and tons of treats. Your pup gets the click/treat ONLY when they move forward, heck you can click treat every step if you need to. Then every other step, every third step, finally it's only at the contacts. So they race to the contacts cause that's where the reward is. And they are racing cause they have confidence and know if they do fall off they can just try again!


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## LuvourGSDs (Jan 14, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLeeI can't say enough, if your dog is healthy and fit, and falls off for real (or jumps off) they will be just fine unless it's a really freakish awkward thing.
> 
> The 'real' hard part is the MENTAL issues that may arise when a dog falls off. And not just for the dog, but the handler. If I'm freaking out and in a panic if Glory tumbled off, she may have initally been fine and shaken if off, but not if I am going crazy! So it's important for me to be calm and normal even if inside I'm thinking 'wow that may have hurt'. If my dog is hurt then I need to deal with it, otherwise we just have a 'good girl' moment and move on.
> 
> ...



K.............. thanks !







Mom just always worries about them GSD hips !


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