I apologize for not getting those videos up. We had our greyhound picnic last weekend and everyone was just so tired from all the sun and festivities that I didn't end up getting around to it. Summit got lots of new things... which means I spent a lot of money that I really shouldn't be spending... oh well. He got 2 new martingales, 2 new muzzles, a new blanket, and lots of treats. His old kennel muzzle is just a mess, so we bought him a new one of those. We also decided to try out the Australian Nylon muzzle. We'll see how that goes at our next run (whenever that might be).
We found an agility trainer, but unfortunately they have no classes running right now. They do have higher obedience though, so we're taking level 2. Summit took a level 2 back home already, but this one sounded a little more intense so we signed up. And boy was I right. It certainly was more intense than back home. This guy trains Shepherds for all sorts of obedience and dog sports. For example, when we took level 2 originally in the winter the down/stay was just for maximum 2 minutes and with basically no distractions. This time we were asked to put them in a down (well, the other 2 dogs did a sit the first time) and then he went around bouncing balls, throwing toys, turning on drills, dragging planks of wood, walking behind the dogs, knocking on the walls, stepping over the dogs.... The room lighting was a little dim and I think that made Summit a little nervous as he was definitely off. At the end we went outside to try the A-frame and he was amazing. He had the benefit of having seen an A-frame before, but he'd never done one this high (it was about 3 feet tall). But he was super excited and ran up and down, stopped and waited in the contact zone. He was great. Made me sad we couldn't be doing agility. The class did make me realize that I really need to work on his sits though. I've largely ignored them because I rarely use the sit command in day-to-day life and I have no intention of pursuing competitive obedience any time soon. However, it might be good just for something to do. He likes to back up several steps before he sits so in heel position he always ends up behind me, and when he fronts he ends up 2 feet in front of me. He also never holds his sit for more than a few seconds.
2 comments:
Just discovered your blog browsing the web. I have had an adopted racer myself for just over a year now and haven't technically taught him any real 'tricks,' and I'm astonished at how quickly he picked up the command words I use for him. He probably understands nearly fifty words that I've never tried to teach him (including 'stop being a jerk' for when he steals my side of the bed), and his call-back is 100% without having ever trained for it.
If that's what I can get without training (I've trained dalmatians and pits, but they really NEEDED it), reading your blog and the resources you used can probably get me really excellent results.
And Summit is soooo delicious.
Greyhounds are wonderful aren't they? I would say most people never really train their greys, especially in recall, but it's super important that every dog learns how to stay and come. And it doesn't have to be done in a formal class, but it's definitely good to be conscious of continually working on those important commands.
Beyond that though, I think every dog benefits from training. It really helps to build a strong bond, and it makes life so much easier when you can ask your dog to do almost anything you might require of it. :)
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