Conner ***The agility Star***

[6dogmom]

Check out the video. He was the only one that could do the course off leash. I was so proud of my boy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtmcj9QM

[turfgirl]

:) What else would our young boy do, but excellent. Way to go Conner. Hugs and kisses from Lexcee and me too of course

[BetterDog4U]

I cant get the vid to work for me.

I get an error message: "The URL contained a malformed video ID."

[6dogmom]

Try this: I hope this one works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtmcj9QM-xY

[Shells_k]

wow!!! Good boy Connor!!! I cant believe how big he is now....... what a handsome boy !

[Shara]

Very well done! LOL at the "AMBUSED!"

Nice agility set up, wish I had a A frame and the room for the dog walk..ect :)

[6dogmom]

Very well done! LOL at the "AMBUSED!"

Nice agility set up, wish I had a A frame and the room for the dog walk..ect :)

I wish I had one in my back yard, that would be great. I loved that part too, he was a little hesitant in that tube so Sam was helping. He also didn't want to down on the table. It took about ten seconds after I asked but he got it.

[ann_hawes]

How long have you been working with him? I think he's doing pretty well!

[6dogmom]

How long have you been working with him? I think he's doing pretty well!

Only six weeks. one time a week for 45 minutes, and we missed a week cause of his rash. Thanks for the compliments.

[BetterDog4U]

He also didn't want to down on the table. It took about ten seconds after I asked but he got it.

If you continue to have trouble, try using a treat for a short time. Thats what I do and now my girls will drop as soon as they see my had puckered up!!! Even when i dont have a treat in it!!! :D

[6dogmom]

If you continue to have trouble, try using a treat for a short time. Thats what I do and now my girls will drop as soon as they see my had puckered up!!! Even when i dont have a treat in it!!! :D

He just had a problem that day. My mentor trainer doesn't use treats at all. She helps us create dogs that work for us not treats. It's neat cause she trains in a way that makes your dog a thinking dog not a pattern trained dog.
Example: when we walk at a heel, then I stop Conner sits, if I move and say nothing to conner he will just sit there cause I didn't give him a command. If I say heel no matter where I am located he will walk to me and stay on my left side, if I am walking at the time he will walk with me, if I am stopped he will come sit next to me.
If I call him to come and while he is coming to me I say down, he will down right where he's at.
She has trained countless police dogs and all that so she trains us to work our dogs the same way. It's cool.
Thanks for the advice.
I think he didn't down cause the table was wet.

[ann_hawes]

Only six weeks. one time a week for 45 minutes, and we missed a week cause of his rash. Thanks for the compliments.

It took Libby about 6 or 7 months to finally zoom through the course. We only trained once a week also, because the facility is about an hour away. I did work with her on hand signals the rest of the week.

[6dogmom]

It took Libby about 6 or 7 months to finally zoom through the course. We only trained once a week also, because the facility is about an hour away. I did work with her on hand signals the rest of the week.

Wow, so he is doing well. That's great. How long did it take for your dog to get the hand signals down well? Conner is taking forever on that part. My training area is about 45 minutes. I go there three times a week but one day I assist my trainer, one day I go to help her with her new ABC student and the other day was agility but that's done now. I can bring Conner anytime I want though, so it's very cool.
Joey is next. The rest of my guys are all being trained at home.
If Conner can ever get over this fear thing he would be a perfect demo dog, he is still so nervous. The agility has done wonders though.

[ann_hawes]

When she realized the hand signals went with the agility course THEN she really started paying attention. It was literally like turning on a light bulb with her. Probably around the 3 month mark.

[6dogmom]

When she realized the hand signals went with the agility course THEN she really started paying attention. It was literally like turning on a light bulb with her. Probably around the 3 month mark.

Oh good. Sometimes I think he will never get them. I have been working them cause I really would like him to pay attention to me more. He sometimes looses focus at the job at hand. He's just a baby, only a year and a half so not bad really.

[ann_hawes]

Age probably makes some difference. Libby was 3 or 4 when I got her and we started agility training about 8 months later. The vets best guess on her age now is 9. I get her really stretched out before the course runs...don't want to end up with her in surgery, but she still LOVES doing it.

[ann_hawes]

Rom loved agility too, but he kind of loped along through the whole thing. Never seemed interested in picking up speed. He was a funny dog. I tried herding with him and two or three of the sheep chased him all over that pasture. He made a game of it and never did get any better than that at herding.

[6dogmom]

Rom loved agility too, but he kind of loped along through the whole thing. Never seemed interested in picking up speed. He was a funny dog. I tried herding with him and two or three of the sheep chased him all over that pasture. He made a game of it and never did get any better than that at herding.

That's funny, that's exactly how I would describe Conner. When I practice the come command, he always comes and sits in front but he never gets overly quick about it. That's just his personality I guess, just a big moosh moosh.

[BetterDog4U]

... My mentor trainer doesn't use treats at all. She helps us create dogs that work for us not treats. It's neat cause she trains in a way that makes your dog a thinking dog not a pattern trained dog.

Sounds good. Maybe I need to go to a few classes and learn some stuff!!!

I have always use treats to start the training. Then I phase them out as the behavior becomes ingrained.

[6dogmom]

Sounds good. Maybe I need to go to a few classes and learn some stuff!!!

I have always use treats to start the training. Then I phase them out as the behavior becomes ingrained.

That's the method I learned through school so I know it, I think it is good for some and not others. The bullies I think are sometimes so stubborn. I think this method works great for them. I am working this method at home as well with my other guys. I have made so much progress with all of them.

[BetterDog4U]

That's the method I learned through school so I know it, I think it is good for some and not others. The bullies I think are sometimes so stubborn. I think this method works great for them. I am working this method at home as well with my other guys. I have made so much progress with all of them.

Is there any detailed info on the internet that explains this training method? Id like to read on it and then look for a local trainer. I need to know what Im talking about before I can ask the right questions. (If you read my recent post on the "domanance makes you dumb thread" you know what Im talking about). :D

[6dogmom]

Is there any detailed info on the internet that explains this training method? Id like to read on it and then look for a local trainer. I need to know what Im talking about before I can ask the right questions. (If you read my recent post on the "domanance makes you dumb thread" you know what Im talking about). :D

Let me talk to my trainer tonight and find a good description to best describe what method it is. It seems to me much like the dog whisperers methods, but with a lighter touch.
Lots of praise. I just found that with the treats they wouldn't focus on me if I didn't have a treat. They weren't working for me then, they were working more for the treat. Personally to me I don't want to be ranked under a piece of liver to my dog. I would much rather be the leader.
Using her methods I can now walk four of mine all at the same time, alone past people and strange dogs. I am proud of that. We all know that the bullies could really take me for a ride if they wanted to.
She owns a very famous cadaver dog, Ruggar. He has found bodies from hurricane Katrina, and Ike. Along with many overseas missions. He has found bodies 50ft under water without leaving the boat. Very impressive to me.
you can check out her web site: www.stillwaterdogtraining.com

[elsasmom]

Conner is so cute in your video. I've never seen a bully doing agility. Here's another way to promote your breed. They never cease to amaze me; real all-around dogs.