Heeling for CD test?

[heather pluciennik]

So Morgan and I have mastered (I guess?) all the CD test but healing on or off leash. So what am I doing wrong and how do I keep her attention while at our test. She lags or looses interest at times but does follow me.

She does awesome at classes with a few corrections and around our house, neighborhood, etc with treats.
Need ideas on where to go and what to do to KEEP her attention on me without holding treats out all the time in front of her nose.

I know it will happen but have a few months to work it out while she'll be on rest til her heat is over mid June.
Any ideas appreciated! Guess that will be our next goal is teaching her to watch me instead of the things going all around us.

So glad that's all of our problems!! Jugde warned everyone that not all the pups would do well with the stay exercises and Morgan passed both sit and downs with flying colors. Yeah!!

At least were close to getting the Rally title. But the next step to that is off leash so will help here too for sure!!!!

 

[wrknnwf]

It helps if you walk really briskly and with purpose. The faster you can walk, the faster she will probably walk. But when you halt, take two or three slightly slower steps to let her know that you are stopping. You do not have to immediately come to a screeching halt when the judge commands. Try not to keep looking at her or it may "push" her back some. You can keep her in your peripheral vision instead. Also, don't let your left arm or hand dangle in her face. That may push her back as well.

Also, try spitting treats at her when you are asking for attention or out in front of her when you are heeling. Let her go ahead of you to get them. If she thinks you keep a supply in your mouth, you may get better attention from her and she may try to stay closer to you in case one comes flying out.

Also, work on turns. Try to keep her guessing all the time.

Most important of all...Make sessions short and wildly fun. Don't practice heeling for long periods of time. 10 to 15 steps is all you need to do. Then do something else before heeling again. Otherwise, most dogs get bored with it.

Remember to smile and be somewhat animated yourself. Occasionally while you are practicing heeling, break into exhuberant play. Suddenly run backwards or jump up and down. Be silly. This will help keep her guessing and interested.

Good luck and remember this is fun, fun, fun.

 

[heather pluciennik]

Yep been doing the fun run, slow crawl, or turn arounds at different times in between the heal walk.
Never thought of spitting treats in the front of us. That would defiantly get her to watch me.
She loves practicing but loses interest at the shows because of all the activities around us.
Very interesting on the treats so I'll have to try that tonight. Thanks!

 

[R Taft]

Listen to Jane (WRKNFW)...Annabelle has her titles because of her tricks :lol:

I also had a go slow newfie (Annabelle)....Jane helped us and she is a great Heeler now. I also think that we get nervous in front of the Judges and that also does not help

Katy I taught completely different..I taught her touch, touch is a reward to her. So she is ready for touch and follows my left hand..Where it is her face is close. I can also use touch as a reward in the ring. And she just loves it. Touch does not work with Annabelle, she cannot get it.
Tessa is different again...She is a jackpot girl. She knows if she does a good heeling pattern she gets a jackpot out of the ring or a tug with her toy. She also knows if i say "rubbish" we have to do it again...So three different dogs, three different methods

Good luck

 

[CMDRTED]

Heather, spitting treats is a pretty good training technique. I noticed she does not look at you when healing. I have some suggestions, and we can talk offline, that might help with the heeling and the Figure 8. The recall looked pretty good, I saw a couple of things you could try, and if she picks up on them and you're consistant in training, she'll get her CD in no time.

 

[heather pluciennik]

Spitting treats only works if they didn't fall on the ground. She was looking at the ground more than me. So I learned to spit them at her so she could catch them. That she took fast. She still looked around but not as much when I told her to watch me.
Ted let me know when your not busy and maybe we could work together some weekend.
I know we'll have this licked if we could work out this heeling thing. Its the next rally step anyways to work off leash so may help me continue with that too.
Had to rest tonight because she hurt her back leg playing with her neighbor Newf buddy Rocky. Just playing and jumping around like kids and she got rolled on by him. She is using it now but don't want to push it. So don't want any problems with her.

 

[CMDRTED]

Sure no problem, we can do that. Let me know when she is better.

 

[heather pluciennik]

Did pretty good tonight. Walked with her buddy Murphy and had a wrestling match after wards. So all seems well. Let me know when your not busy Ted.....

 

[JPerrelli]

I'm working on Murphy's heeling too. I love the idea of spitting treats to get him to look at you. So I bought some cheese, and I spit a piece at him. He missed, found it on the floor a minute later, and we tried again. Spit a treat, he missed, spent a minute or so looking for it. Spit another treat, surprise, he missed, and can't find it anywhere. I can't find it either, and my kitchen isn't that big. Then I notice yellow smudges on the floor. He stepped on it with his big clod hopper feet, and can't find it because it's stuck to the bottom of his foot. Not he's frantic cuz he can't find the cheese. Now I have a 160 lb dog tearing through my little kitchen trying to find this stupid piece of cheese. I'm trying to show him I have more, but he insists on finding that one little cube of cheese.
Guess I need to work on my spitting technique.
Wine and cheese go together, right ????

 

[wrknnwf]

I should have said that accuracy counts. LOL. If you're having trouble, try just letting the treat fall from your mouth at first, until he gets the hang of it.

Oh yeah, don't try spitting chunks of chicken. I did that once in front of a bunch of our students and the chicken exploded into tiny shreds that went everywhere. At least I got a laugh.

 

[R Taft]

And you get to look like your newf (droolz cool)

 

[Ivoryudx]

If it hits the floor, they are not allowed to have it. You can either pick it up and ask them to do something else THEN give it to them. OR, get their attention back on you and spit another one. The key to spitting treats is for them to become attentive on your face, not scrambling to find the treat on the floor. Keep them on a leash and stop them from going after it on the floor if they miss it. Do it outside until you get the timing down so you don't have to pick up as many pieces.

 

[JPerrelli]

Thanks Susan. It never occured to me that I shouldn't let him have it if it hits the floor. I can see how it defeats the purpose of the training session if he spends most of the session with his nose plastered on the floor trying to find the treat.

 

[heather pluciennik]

Yep Morgans always looking for loose food. Janet knows that because of our walks.
I noticed right away if it fell on the ground she was looking every where but me.
Stopped as soon as she noticed they weren't falling on the ground.
Now if I could get her to watch me all the time and not when she feels like it?
Gonna be a long summer if we wanna be ready by the WD test!