Finishing up last Saturday’s training was a single mark. (You can read more about last Saturday’s training Part 1, here and Part 2, here.) We usually finish training days this way. It is something fun for the dogs and they can run through the series quickly. The trainer sets it up, dogs are lined up, and off they go. Sometimes a dog will practice honoring another dog, (as you can see in the videos).
First up was Storm.
I don’t know what drew Storm off line, but Thunder was drawn off line at the same spot. The way he veered makes me think he scented something. He gave up soon enough and got his bumper. He was the last dog to run for the day and it seems that one of the other handlers couldn’t resist telling a bad joke while Thunder was running. 😆
Finishing up this week, I thought I would answer some of questions asked over the last week. I love answering questions even though I am no expert. 😛
On the post Sloppy Training, AdventureJess asked why we use black and white bumpers instead of just one color? Great question.
Different colors are used for different training based on the level of the dog and where you are training. White bumpers are easiest for the dog to see if you are training in a field, except when there is snow. White bumpers on a white field would be very difficult for a dog to see, so we use colored bumpers. In this case black and white because they are being thrown against a tree line (which is dark), so you need a flash of white, and then the flash of black helps the dog see them on the snowy field.
Jodi Stone wanted to know how we trained the dogs to look at their handler when they are stopped with a whistle.
This is difficult for me to explain in a post because we followed a training program which was a progression. First we taught the whistle sit next to us, then started to move away from the dog, then worked on getting the dog to stop and look at us. This is not the method we used, but it may give you some ideas on how it is trained (different trainers have different ways).
Here is a link to a video demonstrating a way to teach remote sit. As you can see the dog is always looking at the handler. It may give you a starting place. As I said, there are a lot of different methods depending on what you want your dog to ultimately do. Another thing you may try is to teach the dog to sit on a whistle, and then incorporate it as the dog is coming toward you. Eventually the dog should understand that it should sit and look at you. Once that is solid, you can try as the dog is going away. Toward the end of this video, the dogs are sitting on the whistle coming toward their handler. This was not training, but was just during a walk in the park Christmas 2010.
Jodi Stone also wanted to know whether the short repetitive blasts at the end mean the dog has achieved its goal and should return? Yes and no. That is a recall whistle. The dog may or may not have a bumper or bird to bring back. It just means come back.
lexy3587 asked about Freighter’s training. She wanted to know whether this training was to get him excited about retrieving? Yes, that is part of it. He was a bit sleepy when we took him out to work with him and it was a new place with new people, so the idea was just to have fun. lexy3587 also commented that it looked like we were throwing the bumper a little bit and then pulling Freighter to bring it back to us. Yes, that is what the trainer was doing. Freighter loves to fetch, but he doesn’t always like to bring it back so we have already started working on that.
Thanks for all of the questions. Keep them coming. I hope I have not missed any and if I have, please ask again. 🙂
We are going to pass on training this weekend because unfortunately it looks like the weather will be bad tomorrow with snow and high winds. Hope you have a nice weekend. Best of luck to all of the doggies entered in the big Detroit Kennel Club Dog Show this weekend!
You’re right – bad joke….but good videos! 🙂
Loved the videos. It was fun seeing them in action. That last video was really cool. What sweet and obedient dogs they are. Not to mention how beautiful they are and their great form. Thanks so much for sharing the videos. Hugs and nose kisses
It still amazes me to watch Thunder and Storm do what is asked of them. Fred’s attitude is pretty much, “bite me!” lol! But you’ve put a lot of work into your dogs and should be proud. Nice answers to the questions too. I had to laugh at the joke in the background though. Have a great weekend!
Great post, we love reading all about Thunder and Storm’s training! Harley loved the videos (as did I)! He wanted to hop in the computer screen and join them LOL 🙂 I’m sure I’ve said it before but Storm and Thunder always amaze me! What beautiful, disciplined dogs!!!
I love the videos! It’s so cool to see them in action!
Also, the joke in the second video made me laugh – and the timing of the telling was so perfect (and ironic) for Thunder’s run.
Thanks for answering the questions. I tried to listen to the bad joke but I couldn’t quite hear it. Tomorrow I will put on my head phones and try to hear it. 🙂
I will check out that other video, I think having Delilah stop whatever she is doing, sit and look at me would be fantastic.
I am very impressed that your dogs do that. Honestly sometimes I am very naive about what dogs can achieve and I am very grateful to have you, Thunder, Storm and Freighter here teaching me.
Stay warm this weekend. 🙂
I really enjoyed your videos, and they sure seem to love training.
Loved the videos! You have such beautiful puppies.
I really enjoyed watching the vid from Christmas 2010. I actually have specific whistles for Kyuss too. The quick chirping one at the end is the type of whistle I use for Kyuss to stop and look at me, and a long drawn out whistle it what I use to get him to return haha. I guess I’m a bit backwards.
He’s nowhere near as well trained as yours though!
Hi Y’all,
When I arrived to live with my Human I was 14 months old and thought the name of the game was “keep away”. My Human taught me on the check cord in the long hall. With the aid of some yummy treats I learned quickly.
Y’all come back now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
It’s so much fun to see them in action (even though it makes me feel bad that my dogs can only do the basics like “sit”). 🙂
These videos are gorgeous, gorgeous!! LOVE IT. I want your dog!! So beautiful. Blessed dogs.
Just wanted to stop back and let you know I started working with them on the whistle. I’ll probably write a blog post about it. 😉
You guys still have snow? That’s crazy!!! Nashville has gotten really warm. 🙂 I can see that Freighter has started to really enjoy training! I love the videos. It really shows that your dogs have been trained for a LONG time (have they?) and that they are very well behaved and obedient. 🙂 They do EVERYTHING that you ask them to do! Ahh don’t show these to my humans, they might try to put an end to my ridiculousness.
Sigh. We’re behind and catching up again – but really enjoying all the posts we’ve missed! And so glad that people have asked all these interesting questions coz we just love reading your answers.
Oh! And that video of Storm & Thunder doing the remote sit…Wow! Am so impressed! I want to teach that to Honey now! Although I don’t know if a Dane will ever sit that quickly. She can do a remote Down at a run…but we have never tried Sit. Although I don’t know how Storm & Thunder keep up the enthusiasm for a recall when they are stopped in the middle – I find with Honey that if I start dropping her in a run, she starts recalling slower & slower…coz she is anticipating being dropped any minute, which is really frustrating!!
Hsin-Yi