Post by Aussienot on Jul 17, 2009 19:33:40 GMT -5
Does anyone know how to stop/prevent mouthing on the dumbbell? Previously Tarot got too excited when returning with the dumbbell, and would knock it out of her mouth while doing the front sit. I took Willow's advise, and stopped working on the hold. She stopped doing the paw knock.
I now have a dog who will quiver with excitement while she waits to be sent, goes out with great drive and returns like a rocket, does a perfect front sit and pushes the dumbbell into me.
But I struggle to get calm controlled hold time once she is in the front sit.
What I have been doing to gradually increase hold is to give her the dumbbell, put her in a sit stay, and walk away. Sometimes I return and take the dumbbell, other times I do a recall and take the dumbbell.
She's happy to hold it well while away from me or while moving, but as soon as she's in a front sit she starts mouthing. It's all nervous excitement, drive without control.
I've tried to ask her to watch once she's returned with the dumbbell into a front sit, which helps a bit. I've tried taking the dumbbell away and 'no rewarding' her when she mouths, but I don't want to kill the enthusiasm and drive I've built by using this frequently.
Ideas? I'd prefer not to use a correction unless there's no other option. I'm thinking about going back to the Bernard Flinks Focus and Drive that we did when she was a puppy.
There are obedience judges here who will inspect the dumbbell, and take points off if they see chew marks. And of course, mouthing is a deduction in itself.
I now have a dog who will quiver with excitement while she waits to be sent, goes out with great drive and returns like a rocket, does a perfect front sit and pushes the dumbbell into me.
But I struggle to get calm controlled hold time once she is in the front sit.
What I have been doing to gradually increase hold is to give her the dumbbell, put her in a sit stay, and walk away. Sometimes I return and take the dumbbell, other times I do a recall and take the dumbbell.
She's happy to hold it well while away from me or while moving, but as soon as she's in a front sit she starts mouthing. It's all nervous excitement, drive without control.
I've tried to ask her to watch once she's returned with the dumbbell into a front sit, which helps a bit. I've tried taking the dumbbell away and 'no rewarding' her when she mouths, but I don't want to kill the enthusiasm and drive I've built by using this frequently.
Ideas? I'd prefer not to use a correction unless there's no other option. I'm thinking about going back to the Bernard Flinks Focus and Drive that we did when she was a puppy.
There are obedience judges here who will inspect the dumbbell, and take points off if they see chew marks. And of course, mouthing is a deduction in itself.