Outside Training with the Ball!

Sunny Weather – Weekend Family Time – We find ourselves out in the back yard.

I can’t help with the gardening so I am playing and working with Pippin.

Ball crazy Pippin!

We bring out the simple agility jumps and I keep them at 16”. And for each ball throw, he has to do a short series of jumps with turns either right or left, and can be a figure 8 between 2 jumps, a circular pattern, or just a pattern of sort. After a short warm-up with lots of false “runs into the ravine after the ball … that was not thrown … darn” “okay mom”, Pippin gets the message that he has to do something before I throw the ball. We end up having lots of fun on Saturday, with so many jumps and runs and such.

Then I try to do something different – I ask for a “spin – jump – spin – jump”. He does the first spin into the 1st jump nicely, but he cannot get the idea that I want to do it again! He is quite OCD in regards to the ball and it takes lots of re-tries to get that full combination. What I find fascinating is that when he is waiting for the ball to be thrown and he is not sure about the command, he performs the movement ever so slowly, as if always asking “is this right?” So, those first spins were ever so slow, then quick jump, then s_l_o_w s_p_i_n then quick jump into the ravine even as I just start to throw the ball. Yes, I did click on the second jump.

Sunday we find ourselves in the yard again (who can resist that Seattle Sun??!) and this time, I set up the weave poles and the jumps. This time, the jumps are three in a row with short platforms on each end. I have him start on the platform with both front feet on to help solidify the “wait” as he breaking that to get into the jump to get the ball. He puts his feet on the platform ever-so-slowly and then we work on the jumps. I walk to along side the jumps to just past the 2nd jump, give the command and … he runs past the first jump, does the 2nd and 3rd! NOPE! Try again. After another run-past, this time I walk over the 1st jump, past the 2nd and stand inbetween the 2nd and 3rd. Release again (yes, the platforms are helping on the Wait command), and he does all three jumps beautifully – click and ball! Happy pup. We do this a few times in both directions. I have to walk over the 1st jump several times. This surprises me. He does finally get it, and he is able to run past me to the 3rd jump (which was my original goal).

Thinking back on this, I realize that while I thought he “knew” this sequence as the only new thing I added was the platform, he copied my behavior – walking past the 1st jump. But, if that is the case, why not run past the 2nd jump as well? Was that because I was standing fairly close to it?

What I was happy about is that the platforms seemed to help him with the Wait. We did a simple “foot” command and from time to time, I would break up the jump sequences to do some pivoting or bowing which he loves. And of course, the ball would be thrown instead of the cookie.

While I like training with the ball (keeps dog fit), what I don’t like about it with Pippin, is that he is no longer the “eager-beaver” who will try anything to get the reward. He does the movement ever-so-slow as if questioning WHY must he do this to get the ball?? To get my eager-beaver, I need to bring back the cookie. Interesting. I wonder if I will ever see more eagerness to do obedience or freestyle for the ball? He does relate the agility training and ball very well as we started this at an early stage. But … we also started the other at the same early stage. Hmmmm. Have to think about this.