Prepping for the CGCA and proofing general obedience

about 90% positive only, frowning at the prong and clutching pearls at the e-collar. :facepalm::lmao:
This is a great thread, and amazing that Rip is heeling on a flat collar with distractions on a loose leash! Very Nice! She looks great in the store settings...congrats. So important to train those things, even if never stepping into an obedience ring...as you said: Great Ambassador for the breed!!!
 
This is a great thread, and amazing that Rip is heeling on a flat collar with distractions on a loose leash! Very Nice! She looks great in the store settings...congrats. So important to train those things, even if never stepping into an obedience ring...as you said: Great Ambassador for the breed!!!
Thank you for the compliments! It will always be a work in progress and hard work, that's for sure! And it isn't perfect. While she may be proofed in this type of environment with these levels of distractions, at dog shows she reminded me today that she needs the prong for guidance. Way too exciting and advanced for her just yet. 😁 But there were little glimmers with her walking beside me, while not at a heel (or asked) but on a loose leash while I had my hands full. Man, that makes life so much easier! Heeling I think will be a for life training (as a lot of dog training is) and the most difficult to master, so I welcome any and all advice or tips from those that have them!
 
Yesterday I hit a jackpot at a public park. The Montessori school had about 20 kids, 2 adults and one dog in a group sitting on the grass, and a young man was practicing basketball on the court. So I helped myself to a section of grass to work on general heeling, sits and down-stays. Didn't want to do a front recall with the phone in hand so I put her tug on the grass behind me for her target. Here's a clip.

 
Woo hoo!! Good girl Asha! She didn't even care, just wanted that tug and look at her lightning speed haha. Seeing that opportunity I would be eager to train too. 😁
 
LOL, she's fine as long as everyone minds their own business. It's invading her space that makes her react. I did heeling up toward the kiddos, but their dog was staring pretty hard at us, so I did an about turn before Asha caught that. I try hard to prevent escalations and not tempt them and then have to correct! So proud of her yesterday. Zero staring, growling or barking, even though when we entered the park she was on high alert taking it all in - took a while to get her down to loose leash, but she came into herself after a bit.
 
Anyone else try to go out the past few weeks in public to work on training?
Not in the past several weeks. Plan to resume more of that when weather lightens up. I sort of avoid stores right now because of all the salt on the parking lots.

Once in a while we meet up with Bedja's trainer at a public place, me volunteering to use Bedja as a distraction for other dogs in training. So far I have to say Bedja has been exemplary at each of these occasions, and it's a great opportunity for him/us too:). Even though some of these dogs have reactivity issues they have never yet acted out when we were together. I think Bedja might be having a positive influence on them. Probably the combination of the calm presence of the trainer and her skill as well, creating a safe environment. I do know Bedja much dislikes when other dogs are out of control, as happens now and then when we are out on our own. If other dogs are ok, so is Bedja, otherwise he will want to let them know🤬, and talks back.
I sure want to work more on loose lead for those times where it is not loose enough, lol.
 
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Weather here has been in the low 20's in the am when I usually walk; so took Clarke & Glory to Tractor Supply to heel around there (one at a time)
Clarke kept arching his head to see the toys behind him, but he stayed like a good boy :woot2:. Glory gets a little panicky in stores when I "leave her" so we have been working on that. Considering trying for that last CD leg this spring....it's the distractions off leash that turn her into "Gladys Kravitz" as one judge told me! :rofl:IMG_9197.jpegIMG_9199.jpeg
 
Yesterday I went to a public park for obedience, then to Tractor Supply. Asha didn't grumble at ANYone. At All. It was amazing. Of course that could change any time, but she pretty much acted "normal" yesterday! She wasn't about to enjoy the sit-stay at a distance, but she didn't whine (at least not loud enough that I could hear) - and she sticks wherever I leave her, although I haven't proofed this with hard distractions. IMG_1097.JPGfullsizeoutput_4fd.jpeg
 
I think we're going to bring Phoebe to Lowes this week on one of my days off, weather allowing.

Total side note but I need to check out the Tractor Supply in a neighboring town since it opened a few years ago and I've never been there yet. I didn't realize they had that many dog supplies.
 
I think we're going to bring Phoebe to Lowes this week on one of my days off, weather allowing.

Total side note but I need to check out the Tractor Supply in a neighboring town since it opened a few years ago and I've never been there yet. I didn't realize they had that many dog supplies.
Yeah!! Looking forward to hearing about it, pics would be great too!! 😁
 
Ugh, You guys are so on top of things!

I do feel like we took a step or two back starting in March 2020 when everything shut down and the dogs didn't get to do much patio or public space practice. It's been harder for Moo since he was just shy of two and still learning. He has become more leash reactive in that he want's to try and make friends with every other doggo we see (leash proactive? hahaha) :facepalm:Luckily he's pretty easy to reel in; doesn't get too fixated.

I've mentioned in other threads but a nearby mall opens at 9am for walkers and allows dogs (stores open at 10 or 11 and even a lot of them are dog friendly!). A lot of other people have the same idea so it's been a great way to practice walking by dogs, kids, strollers, janitor carts, mall security (with all their accoutrement), and, no doubt, popular pee spots. The first lap is always the hardest but then he settles and we chug along so Mom can get her steps :rolleyes:

Rubie is a champ at ignoring stuff which means Moo gets to go more often for practice but she's still in hibernation mode this time of year, anyway :D
 
I do feel like we took a step or two back starting in March 2020 when everything shut down and the dogs didn't get to do much patio or public space practice.
That's definitely the case with Phoebe when she wasn't able to go anywhere during that important time as a pup. You can really see her confidence level isn't nearly what it would have been if things would have been normal.
I'm certainly not the only one since almost everyone with pups Phoebe's age pulled them from the Sunday shows last fall because it was getting too overwhelming for them. Phoebe and I just sat off to the side so she could relax in the show environment without actually have the pressure of going out there.
 
So now I can eat my words. Asha totally wigged out today over a drone. She loves barking at the ravens and looks to the sky every time she sees one, chases it (and the local ones do tease her by flying low) and loves the interaction. Today we were training at a park in town and a drone comes over - a big one, at least 2 feet across, if not more, sounded like a muffled helicopter. Asha absolutely recognized it as a UFO. She was transfixed, and would not re-focus on me for anything, not even a ball. It hovered and turned and left and came back and Asha could not quit looking for it when it left. There were 4 other dogs there training and they don't even look up, much less care. Is it her or are all Dobermans just too smart for their own good? I went to there to train obedience with the other class dogs as distractions (they were doing Rally) and had it been a trial, I would have been dismissed. Total fail. :sob: Classic example of 2 steps forward and 3 steps back.
 
These dobermans keep us humble ;) And you have the most intelligent breed, and that is why she was concerned about "helicopters" flying overheard :rolleyes:. You will get there....I know how frustrating it is when you feel you have moved forward successfully; only to have an incident like that show you otherwise :banghead:
 
Well I don't know how often a drone will fly over at a trial but finding areas needing improvement in training is part of the fun of proofing! More time spent training with your best friend. If she likes birds at home I can see how a drone will be even more distracting!
 
These dobermans keep us humble
That's the truth!!!

finding areas needing improvement in training is part of the fun of proofing! More time spent training with your best friend. If she likes birds at home I can see how a drone will be even more distracting!
It's definitely good to know what needs proofing, but this really was crazy. It wasn't just not listening, she was totally uncomfortable. Not freaking out, but teetering on the edge, and I really didn't like seeing that. I've never seen her like that and I was trying all the distractions I could think of. She wanted to go back to the truck, but I wasn't going to let her do that. I kept trying to do familiar things: sit, down, front just to keep her busy, but she just kept looking up all over the sky & the trees. She didn't like it, unlike chasing the ravens. I swear all I can think to describe it is if one of us saw a UFO in broad daylight, we'd be terrified but at the same time mesmerized and at the same time want to hide but not lose sight of it.

She did eventually quit looking for it after it didn't come back for a while, and did some quiet heeling exercises with the group, so alls well that ends well.
 
It's definitely good to know what needs proofing, but this really was crazy. It wasn't just not listening, she was totally uncomfortable. Not freaking out, but teetering on the edge, and I really didn't like seeing that. I've never seen her like that and I was trying all the distractions I could think of. She wanted to go back to the truck, but I wasn't going to let her do that. I kept trying to do familiar things: sit, down, front just to keep her busy, but she just kept looking up all over the sky & the trees. She didn't like it, unlike chasing the ravens. I swear all I can think to describe it is if one of us saw a UFO in broad daylight, we'd be terrified but at the same time mesmerized and at the same time want to hide but not lose sight of it.

She did eventually quit looking for it after it didn't come back for a while, and did some quiet heeling exercises with the group, so alls well that ends well.
I can definitely understand your discomfort seeing Asha experiencing the drone the way she did. But apart from that, I think it is in fact a healthy sign, yes, she is clearly extremely smart.
I'd want to teach my Dobe to catch and destroy.:devil:
 
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