Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:49 am Post subject: Our KC Gold Has Been Postponed Until April
I have just had a TC from our trainer to say that our gold has been postponed until April due to numbers
Not sure what to do, as I really want to avoid Mia regressing
Should I
A. Ask to re-join the silver (as a refresher)
B. Find a causal training club & see how things go
C. Continue training at home (do a homemade gold)
D. CRY
The time will fly and by the time April comes round doing her Gold will be a piece of cake!
On the other hand, can you not ring around other local training clubs and find out when they have their Gold tests? I know some of the clubs around here will allow someone who has not trained with them to come in and take a test if they have the examiner there for a small fee
Def B or C and no D
The 'life skills' tested at gold can be trained and reinforced whenever and wherever. If you take each exercise and train above and beyond it (eg. down stay for 3or 4 minutes with you out of sight for 1 minute) - your test will be easier for you both.
Also, if you don't usually walk where the outdoor section of the test will be held, try to go there and practice your emergency stop and off lead stuff. I didn't get to do this with Bosun and wished I had, cos I let him off the lead and he went 'Ooh, yay, haven't been here before!'. Had to do some particularly theatrical stuff to keep his attention .
Good luck in April x
Can i ask with the off lead stuff how long (approx) and what is involved, as where we do it, is on a really busy main road (and it scares the hell out of me). Mia's off lead is good, but i am not sure it's that good.
I`d go for B or C to Karen, I`d also hope that your club has somewhere safe to be able to let dogs off lead, bearing mind that they may just do a bunk if something interesting gets their attention over yours.
Karen, they would not ask you to work off lead in any place where it may put you, your pooch or the public in danger. Have you checked out the KC website? http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/410
Karen, as Maddie says, check out the exercises on the Kennel Club website.
I expect all clubs do it a bit differently, but for ours we did our on lead road walk down to the local park then found a quiet corner to do the off lead exercises.
The first exercise was recall to heel. Dogs were left in a sit or stand 10 paces away (not that far) and recalled to heel, you then carry on walking with your dog loosely at heel (ie. not competition heelwork!!) for 10 paces.
Then our club had some other members walk their dogs on lead in a small circle, then we had to take our dogs off lead and walk around the circle in the opposite direction with our dogs loosely at heel and not leaping on their friends (tricky one!!).
For the emergency stop we left our dogs in a stand or sit, left to 10 paces, called them and then stopped them. You don't have to get them in a down, as the test just asks that you are able to stop the dog quickly. Bosun hates lying down in long wet grass (wimplet!) so I was planning to stop him in a stand, which he's good at. I was so desperate that we didn't mess this bit up however, that I yelled 'WAIT' and he hit the deck! Bless him. I don't really like doing emergency stops after a recall as it can mess up your recall, and some clubs will get you to play with your dog for a bit and let the dog wander off to sniff before you stop them.
You're not supposed to use treats, but I had some really smelly liver cake in my pocket and made sure my hand smelt of liver cake. He had the lot once we'd finished!
Apart from the relaxed isolation we did all other exercises indoors and the examiner was lovely, telling us not to be nervous etc etc. I don't know about you, and I know it's no big deal or anything, but I get SOOOO nervous! I have to start again now with Rosie and we've got Bronze in February.
Hope this helps, maybe you could find a local club that trains towards these exams and ask the trainer to take you through each exercise. The people running your test shouldn't expect you to have your dog off lead near a road and the examiner certainly shouldn't allow it - check that out with the organisers.
When i try with Mia, all she does is run at me full steam, what am i doing wrong ???????????????????
It's not a disaster that Mia wants to come to you, she just needs the confidence that if she lies down on the spot, you will come to her and reward her.
OK here we go Karen, I learnt this at our club, where we teach basic obedience for family dogs, it may be that competition obedience peeps do it a different way and may give you other ideas.
Presuming Mia already does a decent 'down' on verbal command, first step is to practice at home with getting her in a down in front of you, beside you on both sides, behind you and then out of sight. Practice a consistent tone and way of saying 'down' so Mia clocks it straight away. I use a deep tone and quite a punchy 'down' without yelling. When you ask Mia for an down in an emergency, eg she's running after another dog but towards a road, there's every chance she won't be able to see you or hear you very well, so you need to teach her to recognise the sound without being ready for it, or being able to see your face or hand signals. Progress gradually from her being with you, to slightly to the side/behind, to behind, to with you half behind the door, to you out of sight. Once Mia is down, return to her calmly and make sure you praise her while she is still in the down then give her a good play session with a fav toy or a bumper handful of tasty treats for a particularly quick down.
Next move these exercises to the garden and eventually out to a walk.
Next stage, in the garden, is to have Mia walking to heel off lead, and ask for the down whilst you are on the move. Progress to asking her when you are walking fast and then jogging a bit, so she gets used to putting the brakes on when she is trotting.
Whilst teaching it, and still now it's learnt, I get Bosun to do a few emergency downs or stops on each off lead walk. I wait until he's been off lead for a while, to give us the best chance of success. Wait til Mia is sniffing around a few paces away and give it a go. If she doesn't lie down immediately, stand stock still and repeat your command firmly until she does, go to her and reward enthustiastically!! Don't worry if she creeps towards you to start with, it's completely normal. You can refine her performance by extra special reward and praise for improvement. Progress little by little until you can try a down when she is setting off after a squirrel or take a friend and dog to approach in the other direction, that way if it doesn't work Mia won't be in danger and you can reward her beautiful emergency down with a play session with her friend.
Sorry this has turned into an essay, and there is more but I would recommend trying a local club as you get to teach your dog with the added bonus of a room full of other dogs which helps them learn to concentrate on you.
I taught this before I learnt to clicker train, so I'm sure someone can give you an idea how to clicker train an emergency down.
Hope this helps, do let me know how you get on.
Helen x
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(and it scares the hell out of me). Mia's off lead is good, but i am not sure it's that good.
