Finally Flippin in Puppyville
We’ve shared over and over about how Leilani is developing very slowly as a disc dog…slower than we’d like. For about 6 months, she’s been eating grass in the middle of very short sessions, even right in the beginning of sessions. She still loves the disc, but the disc practice outside has been very unproductive. We’d settled in that we’d focus on her being our “trick dog” since she loved shaping so much and didn’t seem to stress at all during long shaping sessions. We were hoping that in the next 6 months or so, she’d settle in.
Last night I figured I’d try teaching her to flip in the usual space where we do all of her shaping – inside on the carpet. She loved it! She did some little “umpa lumpas” and was very emphatic and focused. I think I’m on to something!
This morning, she was extra amped and playful in her crate so I brought her out to try some more flip practice on the shaping carpet. She was a disc monster – tugging and flipping and stretching to do more a real flip motion while coming back for more. (Most often outside during training, she’ll take a tug but doesn’t hold or really pull on the disc.)
I have a new plan. I’ll teach her to flip, catch butterflies and some short tosses on the carpet inside and when I feel she’s super confident, bring it back outside. Hopefully building her confidence in the action itself, when she goes outside to practice, the stress of the training itself will be minimized or gone altogether. Check out a quick video of this morning’s session.
We’ve also put a couple more pounds on her over the past few weeks after Jason suggested it may be better for her. She was very lean like the other girls – which is what I like to see in a disc dog. However she comes from conformation lines and it seemed she was too lanky -and floppy. She now seems much more balanced and strong and she didn’t flop at all during flip training – rather landed soundly.
I love the challenge that our girls have brought to us. They are all very different and it has motivated me to be a multi-dimensional trainer versus just doing things the one way I know how. We have one hardcore, one soft and one aloof. I’m certainly looking forward to our next hardcore!! Learning about the different personalities and training styles that are effective for each dog have taught me the value of assessing the individual dog for how they learn. There isn’t a single perfect formula. I plan to write a post soon about different training approaches. The thought came to me after a great conversation with Apryl Lea yesterday – she helped me by figuring out what type of student I am. Anyway…more on that later…
Jason
Sunday, 17th January 2010 at 7:12 pm
well said and well done my love.
Emily
Monday, 18th January 2010 at 7:54 am
Nice flippys, Leilani! And she looks so happy and eager!
Thats exactly the same thing I’m struggling with with Kirby. Inside, he will tug and flip and is just a rockstar. Outside, he will play and flip a little bit, but if he smells some sweet grass halfway back, he will drop the disc and chew on the grass. He doesn’t give me a very strong tug outside either. I wonder why that is?? Why they are more productive inside than out?
I agree, the personality differences, while for me make training a tad more frustrating, its also helping me to become better at it because now I’m having to adapt and work through two different personalities. I have one hardcore and one aloof. Lol! And their training styles couldn’t be on further ends of the spectrum!
Love the vids! And I love Aussie flips!!!
Em
Andrea Rigler
Monday, 18th January 2010 at 7:59 am
Thanks Emily. She is loving our new game!
There are more distractions outside. I got the idea from Susan Garrett’s Puppy Camp – work from a very low to no distraction zone and slowly add distractions until the dog can do the behavior anywhere. I didn’t put 2 and 2 together until this week and tried this with Lei inside. Makes sense though…
Emily
Monday, 18th January 2010 at 9:47 am
I’ve been doing a lot more with Kirby in my living room, because thats where he seems to work the best. His bite on the disc has never been great, but there have been a few times in the living room where I can swing him up and around while he’s attached to the disc. I love that, coming from my no bite disc dog. Lol!
Do you ever use treats with your disc training? I havent… But I wonder if I somehow combined them it would have a different affect?
Emily
Monday, 18th January 2010 at 9:50 am
ps~ I just saw Kai’s T&F photos.. Loved the one of her tracking at full speed! Good stuff, Kai!
Andrea Rigler
Monday, 18th January 2010 at 1:11 pm
It’s important to have balance between food and toy drive.
You could use treats to build more value for the disc if he is a food driven dog more than toy driven. Basically when he bites and tugs, you say YES and give a cookie. Rinse and repeat until the disc has equal value – aka will bit and tug without treat reward.
That’s Jason’s fav photo of Kai too. She looks like a wolf!
Jason
Monday, 18th January 2010 at 9:50 pm
Yah I know! It is my new favorite photo. She looks like a bear! all four paws in the air. Awesome.