Post by Aussienot on Apr 9, 2004 20:46:45 GMT -5
Twice in training at the club, Finn has pulled the chute from the barrel and gotten tangled. Both times he was on my right. The first time, we attributed it to equipment failure, but I've read that a repeated problem is due to the dog's performance.
Yesterday I saw quite clearly that when he's on my left he drives through straight, and when he enters on my right, he pulls strongly to his left. My home chute is one piece, so he can't detach it, but it would pull away if it were a two piece.
He doesn't pull on the open tunnel, and I can send him in with equal ease for either side. If I am at the end of the chute and call him through he doesn't pull.
It's only when I run along side, as you would on a course. It's like he's trying to find heel position even though he's blind in the chute. This leads to tangling, and will slow him down.
The only way I can think of to train a straight through in the chute is to run a long line through the chute and have someone pull to keep him straight while I run along the left side of the tunnel. I've also thought about putting boards as a baracade on the left of the chute so that he can't move it to the left as he runs.
When he is on my right, he tends to be more mouthy, a frustration mouthy, not an excited mouthy (yes, there are degrees . . . .) I've taught him "side" meaning on my right, and he understands that and will come to side from any position. And I work a lot of right side work into my practice.
Other than working him on the right a lot, any ideas? I'm wondering if there are any tips from training field dogs or herding dogs that I could steal from.
Yesterday I saw quite clearly that when he's on my left he drives through straight, and when he enters on my right, he pulls strongly to his left. My home chute is one piece, so he can't detach it, but it would pull away if it were a two piece.
He doesn't pull on the open tunnel, and I can send him in with equal ease for either side. If I am at the end of the chute and call him through he doesn't pull.
It's only when I run along side, as you would on a course. It's like he's trying to find heel position even though he's blind in the chute. This leads to tangling, and will slow him down.
The only way I can think of to train a straight through in the chute is to run a long line through the chute and have someone pull to keep him straight while I run along the left side of the tunnel. I've also thought about putting boards as a baracade on the left of the chute so that he can't move it to the left as he runs.
When he is on my right, he tends to be more mouthy, a frustration mouthy, not an excited mouthy (yes, there are degrees . . . .) I've taught him "side" meaning on my right, and he understands that and will come to side from any position. And I work a lot of right side work into my practice.
Other than working him on the right a lot, any ideas? I'm wondering if there are any tips from training field dogs or herding dogs that I could steal from.