Did you ever dream that you were a dog agility super champ except then it switched and you were at some germy, grungy, derelict seaside park in the dark and the carnies were actually drug addled zombies that were shambling after you with hammers and their big teeth? And then as you're trying to escape your way out from under their oily, horrible claws by clambering up a rat infested palm tree, you're all, this is about dog agility like, how?
09 May 2009
An update from Gustavo's rehab.
Gustavo may be in agility rehab, but he still gets to go practice. I would have to say he's never done better, or been happier. Consistent poles! Super great teeter! Hitting all those contacts! Flying around and holding his startlines. So how do I know when he's ready to move to the halfway house and leave the detox center? I'm gonna say it's up to Big Pink.
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5 comments:
Woo hoo! The Goo looks great! Very nice (and tough!) weave pole entry. And Big Pink...you worked it little buddy! Keep up the good work.
Does Gustavo run just as well when you don't hold a toy or treat?
He has not been anywhere near a teeter without a toy or a treat for 2 weeks.
But yes, aside Project Teeter Rehab, when we practice nowhere near a teeter, sometimes his toy waits for him at the start, sometimes I have a treat in my pocket, sometimes I bring it out a frisbee or his best toy (furry thing tied to a leash), hidden or not. He's pretty consistent whichever.
I like having something available to reward him randomly, but I also like to run out to where his leash is to get it. We mix it up.
My PRT, Devon, had(has?) teeter issues for awhile. Whenever he'd get on a new teeter he'd bail or just not get on at all. And I brought him up right, mind you. Did all the bang games, all the teeters on tables, etc, etc, etc. I went to show and gos everywhere, the whole nine yards (what the heck does that mean anyway?). Eventually I entered him in Gamblers where I could spend the entire time trying to get him onto that teeter if I needed to (and I did need the entire class). But once he got on it and over it I ran out and jackpotted him. After that it was easier to get him on a teeter but I would leave immediately after he did the teeter and jackpot the hell out of him. I did that about 6 times over about 3 or 4 trials and then he was much better. But then I went to a new venue and he bailed off the teeter before it even began to tip so I walked him off the course and put him in his crate. He's never refused another teeter and I don't even think about teeters anymore when I run him but I won't be too surprised if teeter fear returns from time to time.
That's a good story to hear. That's about how I dealt with Otterpop's teeter issues. It was the whole reason we started CPE, because I felt no pressure to finish those runs so we did a bunch of trials where I hid her frisbee outside the ring by the teeter and would run out and go play frisbee.
She still won't go up on a teeter in a gambler. Those are a wash.
I hope Gustavo's fixes up. His seems so different. Otterpop seemed kind of scared but not panicky. Gustavo now goes into a complete panic after one time on a new teeter, even though he loves his familiar ones, and even getting jackpotted for one time on.
It's sad. He had such a strong, happy teeter on new teeters until this one incident. Amazing how unglued one slammy ass teeter caused. I get the feeling it's going to be a long, slow road with him.
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