UTILITY DOG LARS!!!!!

- LARS EARNS HIS AKC UTILITY DOG TITLE (UD!) He finishes up his title with a first place and then picks up a spare UD leg with another first place at the second trial of the day!!! WHOO HOO LARS!!!!! 

URO2 UCD UCH Deerwood's Larson Bravo Zulu UD GN RAE NJP NAP NFP OCC OJC TG-E EAC O-WV-E S-TN-E APDT RL2 AOE-L1, L2 HIC TT CGC TDI

(All Breed Obedience High in Trial Winner - 2010 American Rottweiler Club Agility Top 10  - 2011 Colonial Rottweiler Club Agility Top 10 - 2012 American Rottweiler Club  Open Obedience Top 10 2013 - American Rottweiler Club Final Rally Top Ten - NADAC Novice/Open Versatility - 2012, 2013 NADAC Judge's Choice Award - 2012, 2013 NADAC #1 Rottweiler.)

Why are there no exercise descriptions on task cards...

That is a very common question that we get from customers...or the derivative question: "Are there descriptions on the task cards?" There are no descriptions or tips or anything like that on the task cards. (The prep packs and full sized rally signs are a different creature and they do have information featured on them. ) The task cards are blank on the back by design.

Here is a perfect example of why there are no exercise descriptions on the back of the task cards. Recently, "Scent Articles" from my AKC Utility Obedience task pack was pulled. Lars worked on his turn and sits sends mostly and worked the scent pile like we normally do.

But, Ocean needed something else when it comes to scent articles which I have never had to do before with a dog. He got to play the "shell game" for his scent article task. He doesn't understand this is a job where he uses his nose...find the food under the right cup = "search" which is my article command. He's starting to get it and I think I can start moving this game to two articles soon. (Ocean thinks he needs to bring me all of the articles!)

Then fast forward a couple of weeks of slowly transitioning from the red dixie cups to actual metal scent articles. We slowly increased the number of metal articles so Ocean could be right more than he could be wrong. But now, he understands and really likes this "search game!" He cheats and watches me where I put the article...that's why he has to hide in the bathroom. I had dropped a piece of food under the article by accident when I placed it...I was pleased that he wasn't distracted by it and took the article instead of the food first.

 

This is why I don't spell out how to do stuff on the backs of the cards. The what you choose to do with the task has to fit where you dog is that day. The task cards are there to start the gears turning in your head...and not train by flow chart. Do you need the full exercise that day? Do you need a game derived from that task? Or, do you need a small part of that exercise to be more polished? This is how the task cards work...to guide you and to get you to really think and focus what you will work on that day.

Lars' grand return to the Utility A show ring - so, so, so close!!!

Lars and I went back to the Utility A show ring for the first time after his 7 month shoulder soft tissue injury rehab stint this past weekend. Both days were so, so close with us NQing on the very last jump of directed jumping. He worked so incredibly (this video is from Sunday and was a 197 before directed jumping) and I'm beyond thrilled with him.

Here was the score break down for us: 1.5 points off in signals, 0 off 1st scent article, .5 point off second scent article, 1 point off directed retrieve, 0 off moving stand, NQ Directed jumping.

For those of you guys who aren't familiar with Utility. What should have happened with that directed jumping is Lars should have run away from me in a straight line and turned and sat directly opposite of me on the other side of the ring. The judge tells you which jump to go over. Then you repeat the exercise and the judge tells you to send the dog over the other jump. Lars is going to the place where he picked up the glove. Saturday, we had Glove 1 which lives in the opposite corner of the ring....and Lars went there instead of straight. No biggie...he needs some more go out mileage and proofing with directed retrieve versus go outs. It's really only been about 7 or 8 weeks since he's been back to work after all of that rehab.

We have two legs from this spring...just need one more!! There are a lot of shows coming up this winter...so we are going to get that last Q and soon. I just know it! Go Lars!!!!!

Goofing around with Go Outs

So I pulled "Go Outs" as one of Lars' obedience tasks earlier last week. My husband is up on the deck with O so I'm not talking to myself. LOL I use a target box at the top end of the ring for Lars' (and Ocean's go outs.) I didn't want the food on the ring gate to be the sole reason Lars is running away from me. I wanted to teach the go out as a position (like I do with front.) I could totally see him charge out there and wipe out the entire back ring gate searching for food that he is certain is there. With his drive, he won't stop looking for it until he finds the food. With running out to the position where the box is, I wanted Lars to know he has to run straight out away from me and get into the position the box is marking. In run thrus and practice, the box is always there...it's only gone in trials. Just like that plunger for the Broad Jump that's always there, it's there to build muscle memory to run straight and do a tight turn and sit. 

The way Lars thinks is the other reason I used this method over food...he understands that he must run away from me and get into this position in order to run back to me and take a jump. Running and jumping is one of Lars' most favorite things to do. Lars didn't "get" go outs until it started to get paired with Directed Jumping...and then it all made sense to Lars and why running to the opposite ring meant something. I actually use the directed jumping as a reward sometimes for a good go out. He only gets to jump if he is in the position I want. If he gives me a crap go out, he doesn't get to jump...and I have to become more of a stickler of that in run thrus. Ocean doesn't think like Lars does...and I'll probably have to adjust some of this when it's his turn to really learn this go outs and directed jumping. But, so far, it's working for Lars.