Start Line Stay

[corbinam]

Not sure if it's a Derrett thing, but I was taught to never turn your back to your dog (unless your head is turned to look at the dog, over your shoulder). It's basically blind crossing your dog. I've seen elite dogs break stays because the handlers are walking away w/o a glance back. So, I'm good with looking back. But I do need to work on his stays in more distracting places.

I think this stuff is so interesting! I've always worked stays (both obedience and agility) with me turning my back to the dog. In agility, I will lead all the way out several obstacles without looking back, come back and reward. Then I'll go out again, without looking, and then look back and "OK!"

I'm sure there's no right or wrong way, which is why I find different training styles to be interesting

 

[Ania]

Interesting reading everyone's responses. I have never trialed yet, so I am not sure what I would do. But, I would probably go back, set her up and then run, even though it would be a DQ. In pracitce, and in the seminars that I've been to, we do NOT let the dogs run the course if the dogs break their stays. If the dog stays, then the handler goes back to the dog and rewards it, then tries again. If the dog keeps breaking the stay, even though it was corrected a few times, then they put the dog away for a 'time out' and actually have the owner play tug or something fun with another dogs, infront of the first dog, ignoring him/her. It was amazing to see how fast the dog that broke it's stay, started to pay attention to 'mama' and stay after seeing mama play with another dog!

 

[Caro]

Interesting reading everyone's responses. I have never trialed yet, so I am not sure what I would do. But, I would probably go back, set her up and then run, even though it would be a DQ. In pracitce, and in the seminars that I've been to, we do NOT let the dogs run the course if the dogs break their stays. If the dog stays, then the handler goes back to the dog and rewards it, then tries again. If the dog keeps breaking the stay, even though it was corrected a few times, then they put the dog away for a 'time out' and actually have the owner play tug or something fun with another dogs, infront of the first dog, ignoring him/her. It was amazing to see how fast the dog that broke it's stay, started to pay attention to 'mama' and stay after seeing mama play with another dog!

Ooh, I got a lecture doing that at a trial (going back and setting her up again). So not again, it wasnt just the judge, a number of competitors I didnt even know, plus the trainers from my club said something.

I have found I need to keep my palm held out toward them in either a wait or stay signal if I want to walk away. As soon as I drop that arm they see it as a signal to move.

 

[Ania]

So in that case, the dog has learned that the hand signal is a cue, a release, so then you cannot fault the dog for it, as it did what it thought you wanted. It's us handlers that have to pay more attention it seems to what we do. I'm learning that there is so much that the dogs pay attention to that we don't even realize! They are so observant and so smart. At seminars, we see this all the time - it's not the dog that screws up, it's the handler! The handler is the one that usually with body language was telling the dog mixed signals, or was no in the right place etc. (I just got the Greg Derrett DVD: Great Dog, Shame about the Handler and the title makes me laugh, but is so true so many times! )

 

[Sharon]

Both my dogs have great start line stays.Ania I also teach what your instructors teach if the dog breaks the stay it is a time out and it does wonders.I think you do should at least try a jumpers course in July so your breeder gets to see your dog.

 

[Ania]

That's what I am going to strive for. I have some jumps at home, so I can shape them, and I rent a building my self every Tuesday for an hour, so I can train her there on my own. I'm also going to be building 6 more jumps, three with wings so I can bring those along to train. I have a few agility DVD's so will be going off of those. Do you think Tunnelers is too hard? I was thinking Jumpers too myself.

 

[Sharon]

Agility

I think Tunnelers woud be easy.Would you want to see the NADAC 2009 Nationals

 

[Ania]

Yes, how? Are they on YouTube? Did Shadow compete?

 

[Sharon]

Agility

No, they are not on Youtube. It is on Agility Vision and no Shadow did not compete. He really only does AKC and some USDAA tho we have some legs in NADAC.Do a google for dog agility videos and it will bring up agility vision and the NADAC nationals will be on there.My trainer erin Schaefer and her husbands and their dogs competed there.

 

[k9kreationz]

Ooh, I got a lecture doing that at a trial (going back and setting her up again). So not again, it wasnt just the judge, a number of competitors I didnt even know, plus the trainers from my club said something.

I'm curious, what did they lecture you about? The fact that you went back to fix the stay? Or the fact that you DQ'd?