Tommow is our dog training class and I'm feeling a little panicky. I don't feel that we are ready. I could blame the lack of readiness on going to Colorado, but the truth is I haven't got down how to have two dogs and train. I feel so guilty locking Shiloh away while Trekker and I train. I've tried doing the training with both dogs and that doesn't seem to work. What saves me from humiliation each week is Trekker is smart and catches on fast. He makes me look like I've been really working instead of doing the bumbling job I do. As the training becomes more challenging this is going to be a real problem. We still need to get to our CGC, therapy dog test and I'd like to start agility with him. So I am really open to suggestions. How do you do it?
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3 comments:
Joy-I don't think you should feel guilty at all about putting one dog away while you train the other. This is actually one of the very techniques I use to MOTIVATE my dogs!
I have three Cardis (all of whom have titles in several sports) and one of the best ways I have found to get them to WANT to work with me, is to put them in a crate or kennel while I work another dog in front of them.
Your dogs adore you and want to be with you and want attention from you. By putting one away while you work another, you'll generally see more motivation on the part of the crated dog when you let him out for his training session.
Many training books will actually advocate crating your dog for several minutes prior to training them--for this same reason. Isolation builds desire--the desire to be with you and work with you.
My strategy goes something like this: Kennel up the two dogs I'm not working with and get the third dog out. I will work him or her for several minutes while the others watch. Then, and I think this is important--I will spend the last couple of minutes of the session with the working dog just playing with him or her. I want the session to end with play, not 'work' (although I try to make 'work' seem like play!). I will play frisbee or tug or whatever BEFORE I put the working dog into a kennel of their own (and start working a different dog).
I don't ever want a dog to think it's going into a kennel or crate as a result of doing training--that's why I try to make a distinction between the training portion of our session and a play portion of our session. I may even give the newly kenneled dog a treat toy to play with when they first get kenneled so they ALWAYS maintain a positive association with either their kennel or their crate.
I hope that all makes sense--sorry to be so long-winded. While training more than one dog at a time is time consuming, it's also very rewarding. And, as a final thought, I personally think dogs learn from watching other dogs do work. My Riley learned weave poles VERY quickly--much more quickly than Rugby (my first agility dog). I am convinced that Riley learned the general concept of weaving simply by WATCHING Rugby do the weave poles hundreds of times.
Enjoy your class! Cardis are super smart dogs!
You've given me a lot to go on. Thank you.
This is a fantastic picture of Trekker!
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