Training a show puppy

[Oscar]

Ok so as you may have read my other post about my little puppy Piper, I also decided that I would show her for 4-h but the problem is I don't know how to train her for the agility part, so if anyone who has ever trained a dog for show help me please?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

You will want to start clicker training her- dogs learn very quickly with this method because it is all about positive reinforcement, so she will be a willing partner in training and will love to learn,

The text below is information on training that I give to people who buy our Aussie pups, but the information will apply equally well to your puppy. The books I mention are great resources on the basics of clicker training, but there are probably others geared specifically to agility. However, once you have the concept of clicker training down you can easily figure out how to teach any behavior you wish.

With the more complex behaviors, you sometimes have to start with "baby steps"- in other words, you start shaping the behavior by giving a reward for them just starting to do what you want.

For instance, a lot of dogs have trouble with "down" at first, so you would click and treat just for her lowering her head toward the floor to sniff the treat in your hand, slowly building to where she needs to move at least one paw forward so her body is a bit lower, until eventually she lays down completely. This should only take a minute or two, it isn't as time consuming as it sounds.

TRAINING:

Clicker training is a great way to work with your puppy, and will make training something that your pup really looks forward to. I firmly believe that early training actually teaches your puppy how to think and use its brain, and you will be surprised at how quickly your dog learns new behaviors when mature.

Aussies are sensitive dogs, and do not do well with harsh training methods. Yelling at or striking an Aussie will be very upsetting to them, so keeping training upbeat and positive is your best option. Focus on training positive behaviors to avoid problems rather than having to correct bad behavior.

The books "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor and "Doctor Dunbar's Good Little Dog Book" by Dr. Ian Dunbar are must haves to add to your library.

I highly recommend training "sit as a "default behavior". It translates to the dog as "If I sit, good things will happen!" This means that any time your dog is unsure of what to do, it will sit and look at you. It is also the way they can "ask" you for something. It makes for a very polite dog, and is probably the best foundation for a well trained dog.

We train our dogs to sit before getting fed. They are required to make eye contact and wait until permission is given to get up and go to their bowl. When you first attempt this with your puppy, it will probably take 10 to 15 minutes before the puppy will remain sitting when you put the bowl down and stand back up. As you lower the bowl to the floor and the pup stands up, simply say "Oops!" in a cheery voice and stand back upright yourself. Repeat until you can get the bowl to the ground. The puppy will undoubtedly look at the bowl of food, and then will hopefully look at your face. Say "Okay!" in a cheery voice and allow the pup to eat.

We also ask our puppies to sit and wait before entering or exiting the house. Sitting at the door can also become a signal that your puppy wants to go out and potty. Once they are older and polite about doorways, we just ask that our dogs wait for permission to come in or go out, and we no longer require a sit.

If you live in the city or suburbs, I would highly recommend training your pup to respect the curb as a barrier that cannot be crossed without permission, just like a doorway. Have your puppy sit and wait until you tell it "okay" before stepping into the street. You should also step into the street yourself and have the puppy wait until you tell it okay and then call it off of the curb to you.

Once the pup understands that it is not allowed to step off of the curb without permission, challenge it further by putting a treat or favorite toy in the gutter and block any attempt to get it. Ask for a sit again, and then give the treat or toy to the puppy.

Keeping a clicker and treats in your pocket is a great idea, since you can train for a couple minutes here and there throughout the day. It will also ensure that your puppy is very focused on you, since it never knows when it might get to play the "click and treat" game!

 

[Oscar]

So I don't exactly know how to clicker train but all of our dogs we always use string cheese and get a little pinch off of it at a time and it works perfectly. My short 10-15 minuet training sessions go like this: we start with making her sit and then we work on come, then we work on "lay down" and she has got sit and come and pretty good sit. What I don't understand is how a click makes your dog feel rewarded?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

The click just "marks" the behavior you want at the exact moment they do it. Since they get a treat following the click, they soon realize that the click means they did the right thing.

It sounds like you have made a good start on training already. Keep up the good work!

 

[Oscar]

Thanks I will!
Oh but my question still is how do I train for agility, and how old should I start?

 

[Deer Heart]

you can start immediately once puppy is home. Just don't do any hard core runs until they are older - what breed is she? Certain ones you need to be more careful about joints and hips with puppies but there's no reason you can't start the weave poles. I suggest googling agility trainers in your area. Sometimes it's best to work with someone who already has all of the equipment, at least to start.

 

[Oscar]

She is a Bichon Frisée, Yorkie, Poodle, Maltese x, and she is about, 10 weeks born on 10/27/15

 

[FourRingCircus]

Clicker Training is amazing - I read about it on MSD's facebook page just a few weeks ago... we just started it with our 9 month old pup and she's is learning so fast (even with the few short sessions we have done). YouTube might be a good place - that's where I was able to see it in action. The book we got mentions using it in the show ring, so it's definitely possible. Maybe with some more specific searching you can find it for agility training? That's what I am hoping ODS will start doing with his pup - she's all muscle, and can surely jump! I would love for it to be an energy outlet for both of them :lol: .

 

[JessicaR]

first and most important thing.... obedience training! I highly recommend the book The Beginners Guide To Agility by Laurie Leach. No jumping with puppies under 12 months, I know you have a small breed puppy, but you don't want to risk hip, elbow or knee problems. The rule of thumb is no jumping higher than the dogs elbow.

I would begin with tunnels, you can usually find cheap children's tunnels at a toy store. Also you can start teaching contacts with boards that are set on the ground or at the highest with a brick underneath. Wobble boards are great for getting them ready for the teeter. In case you don't know what a wobble board is, it is a piece of plywood or particle board with a tennis ball in a sock stapled to the middle of the board.

Most importantly have fun!