One useful part of trialing is you really see where you need to fix the training on the dog since it becomes really obvious when your dog won't do something that he supposedly knew. I do wish I could go and train other places more often, so I'll try to make that a goal when the snow melts.
Hank completely did not do "out" when we were trying to pen the sheep at the trial. He just went side to side, or stood behind the pen, not taking off pressure at all. The sheep were not going to be penned that way.
So we've been working on a refresher of "out" in the last few sessions. It has to be built up in little steps and it seems like I do the first steps pretty well, then skip over the last few steps and expect him to do it in a high pressure situation like a trial. You can probably guess that doesn't work.
Where we are now: he will do out if I am between him and the sheep and the sheep are still. He will kind of do an out if the sheep are against a fence and I am on the other side of the sheep. He won't do out if the sheep are moving, not against a fence, and I am on the opposite side of the sheep from him. He also won't do out if I just say it and don't put any energy/body language into it.
From there I have to build up some steps in a training plan so the out will work in every situation.
As you know I'm a HUGE fan of the out! I always wish I had taught Hoss, especially when we're doing a chore and I tell him out, and then realize he never learned it! I'm so glad I've taught it to the other two.
ReplyDeleteA big tip that helped me to get my dogs to take the out when they were away from me, is to look where you want the dog to go out to. Sounds crazy, but it always works!
I'll try that- it is really useful when they will do it.
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