Need Help With Training!

[Ripleygirl]

Well, ncsugrad54, I have one aussie that doesn't bark at all and one that barks when she plays, as in agility. She could have been a huge barker, but I did a lot of selfcontrol training.
I know some borders that bark like mad.
I think it is a training issue. Difficult to solve, but it can be done.
I really don't like the barkers outside the agility course. I did not want my dog to do that, so I worked very hard to keep her from doing that.
Jinx does bark in the course of a run, but I don't mind that. She is allowed to express herself, just not like a mad dog

Very well said, I think, Anneke!!!

 

[ncsugrad54]

Ok another question about frisbee training
So how do I get my BC to play frisbee longer? She seems to get tired out pretty quick...panting a lot. She's not overweight. It seems like a lot of ppl play for long periods of time with their BCs, but mine isn't that way (which is also a blessing most of the time).

 

[running_dog]

Ok another question about frisbee training
So how do I get my BC to play frisbee longer? She seems to get tired out pretty quick...panting a lot. She's not overweight. It seems like a lot of ppl play for long periods of time with their BCs, but mine isn't that way (which is also a blessing most of the time).

Some dogs are not as energetic as others and you just have to accept that, it does not sound like it is boredom if she is not as energetic in her whole life style, it might be that she just needs time to increase her fitness.

Another thing to consider is that if you are building drive against your dog's natural character it is important to rule out health problems first - things like undiagnosed joint or gut pain and thyroid imbalances can cause a dog to be less active than it's peers. Maybe I am being over cautious, it is just that my own recent experiences with my dogs say if a dog wants to take a break and is panting a lot it might have a good reason.

 

[Anneke]

Frisbee is not a sport to play for a long time. It is like a sprint sport. Everytime you throw the frisbee, they have to chase it in a burst of energy. I never play frisbee for more than a few minutes. That is, when I throw the distance.
When I do freestyle, my throws aren't far away, so I can play longer.
Freestyle is all about keeping the dog close and mixing up all kinds of throws, flips and vaults.
When I train frisbee, I start out with a few distance throws, about 5 minutes. Then I let my dog take a break and practise my throws on my own.
I usually train with a friend and her two dogs. Most of our training is about throwingtechnique.
In the two hours of training, I think maybe 20 minutes are spend playing frisbee with my dog, 10 minutes are for new tricks and proofing tricks, like vaults and flips. Getting her used to different throws. And the other 10 are spend on distance work and our frisbee routine.
I do maybe 10 distance throws, depending on how succesfull she is in catching ( I always end with her catching a frisbee, even if I have to do a short throw to make her succeed) then let her rest for a while.

And like running dog said, some dogs have more energy and will go on forever(so you have to be the one to stop before they get tired).
My girl isn't a high energy dog, so I adjust my training to that.
But even with my friends high energy bearded collie, we don't do more than ten throws in a row.
Jinx pants a lot too, when paying frisbee. It is because she gets sooo excited about it and she will give everything she's got to catch the frisbee. That's why she gets to take a lot of breaks.

 

[kassidybc]

Frisbee definitely wears out dogs quickly. Chloe could play fetch with a tennis ball for quite a while before stopping, but when we play frisbee, she tells me that she's done after only a few throws. And she loves frisbee, so it has nothing to do with being bored.Though I'm lucky I got a border collie who actually tells me when she's tired!