So I've started some very basic jump training, though I will take my time there to make sure she is confident with the increasing height without doing too many reps. I am a firm believer that a dog has only so many jumps in it's body over the course of it's lifetime, so I make it a point to not drill jumping too much with my dogs. I broke my very first agility dog that way, so I won't make that mistake again.
More excitedly, I started Gypsy's weave pole training! Weaves are my absolute favorite obstacle to teach!!! My goal is to have her doing 12 poles in 12 days but we'll see how it goes. She is, however, off to a brilliant start.
I am using the 2x2 method to teach her, which I've been happy with for most of the dogs I've used it with. I didn't video the first session, which was just shaping her to go through the two poles, as shown in this article by Mary Ellen Barry:
http://www.kineticdog.com/Media/Articles/2x2Article.aspx
Since she's a shaping fiend, she got it instantly. I remembered my camera for the next session. So here she is on her 2nd session shaping the poles using food. She was slightly distracted by the bunny that ran through the yard on our way out the door but was a good girlie!
Our next session I decided to use a toy, as she just gets more excited about play. This session was great. Her success rate is good, but I liked seeing her work through the failures and figure it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pPz9cPmrIc&list=UUdZ8ihnH4f6CNo8XYOECFAA
I am going to try to do two sessions a day, we'll see if the weather and my schedule cooperate. Gypsy really hates the heat, unless she's in the water anyway, so I will have to get my sessions in early or late. My next session will focus on entries from the top of the arc, which is harder to see visually for the dog.
And lastly, I have to share this video too. Just because the girl keeps me laughing all the time. I am truly afraid one day she's going to break her own neck!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pPz9cPmrIc&index=2&list=UUdZ8ihnH4f6CNo8XYOECFAA
