Heeling, Focus & Stamina

[Zephir]

Need suggestions, please:

Zephir tends to become worn out sooner than I think he should while heeling. Tongue comes out, and he begins to lag (after say 5-10 minutes-will time at next training session). He seems to poop out rather quickly. While observing the other dogs I train with (Rotties, GSDs, Mals), they seem to maintain focus/ heeling a lot longer. It can be very hot and humid here, but we don't start training until 7:30/ 8:00 at night or early in the morning, and all dogs are under the same conditons. He's much better during the colder months. I'm not sure whether to attribute this to lack of stamina, conditioning, or something else. I do not believe it is lack of training or understanding of the excercises (heeling & focus). Could just be the way he is programmed. I've thought of supplements, but not real sure of what to give him. I have Peak Workout that I use when it gets really hot, but have not used it this spring. Any ideas?

[lblax]

heeling is a very stressful excersize and all dogs differ having never seen your dog i cant say for sure but lots of dogs tend to give up on it when conditions are hot or not to there liking. i think what you need to do is look at the dogs that are training in the same conditions and compare there overall drives with the drives of yuour dog i think you will find your answer here.... but dont worry i cant think of a trial or competition that involves focus healing for as long as he already maintains it....

[BostonRott]

Is he going straight from cool AC to the heat for working?

[RottiMomCT]

Even in class we don't demand attention for 5-10 minutes - hell, I don't even pay attention that long! Heeling is BORING for a dog....parading around in circles, passing the same sights and smells...looking at the butt of the dog in front of you...boring!!!!!

We break the training into 5-10 minute incerments, but during that time, the instructor is working with other people (there are a total of 4 people in my class) and we can either take a break or work on our own. I usually do both. A few minutes working on whatever we are working on, then a little play break or a quick trip outside for fresh air...

Once I know Ben truly does 'get it' we stop working on it until the next day...we always end with something I know he really does understand...

[poohbearsmom]

If you're going through the whole routine in training, don't.

Make sure dog has a good 'eye contact' command; "look" or "me"... whatever... I use the heel, or fuss command 'separately', and it all comes together... So, if dog looks away, I can simply say 'me' while dog is in good heel position... dog will put 2 and 2 together.

When I'm training, heeling is for very short spurts with much reward of ball/tugging each time I see 'perfection'.... then I'll mix it up with some static exercises, and usually finish with a LOOOOOONG recall, with much fanfare, reward, a tease, then up we go. Keep his motivation up, and end with it UP... that way you're ending on GOOD, instead of mediocre.... remember... the dog NEVER forgets what he learns, so it's up to you to end it before he poops out.

I don't ever ask for a REALLY long heel in training - that's only for the performance at the trial. It's never been more than a minute or so at the longest stretch during training...

Larry's right.. an attentive heel is very tiring, as it takes A LOT of the dog to maintain that concentration.

Make sure your boy's in shape, and since you live in the deep south, like me, watch the HEAT. Our dogs have to be acclimated to this heat... and remember... it's not just the heat, it's the HUMIDITY. Killer on these dogs.

Short training sessions, and rest in between should help you.

Good luck.

[Zephir]

The other dogs I train with have much higher drives that Zephir so that could explain the big gap. I am going from AC to training. Never really thought about that before. I'll start putting him outside about 15 minutes before we leave to try to acclimate him, and increase his outside time gradually. I don't work on the "routine", but vary the components at each session (heeling & focus are always included). The reason I have started asking for so much heeling and focus is b/c he "melted" during our off leash heeling in the BH (he did pass). Of course that was the first sunny day of spring, yrrrgghh. Anyway, I want/ need to build up his stamina/ endurance in heeling/ focus b/c I plan to compete with him in OB 1-3. I feel like I need to work harder on his stamina/ endurance b/c I know he poops out. Oh, focus and heeling were taught independantly so I can correct for one or the other.

Thanks for the ideas!!!

[Judi W]

I would caution that you very well might create more of what you are trying to change. More is not always better and you very well might end up teaching him that heeling is a drugery to be hated. I would be inclined to do a lot less and make that best and snappy and move on to other things than to drill until the dog really hates the idea.

[Storm]

Genetics is the core, if the dog doesn't have what is needed to develop then you will never have a level that is desired. What is the motivation used, so many people will never grasp the concept that for focused heeling the dog needs to have formed short intense associations of drive exercises where the dog targets and gets success continuesly, in the foundation, then you have formed an association of activating and driving with an area, field etc. Then you can take it one step and ask for position and attention in the static for instance, reinforce the behavior and release so the dog learns come out activate and drive then position and focus as a "behaviour" which is the desired behaviour required to get what ever is the motivation food etc. If you take the dog out for very short sessions and say food is your motivation, you get onto the field and let the dog drive directly into the food for 0ne minute, then put the dog away later bring it out again and do it again and slowly over a period of time repeat this slowly increasing the time then you will have a dog on a field and you will have created an association of dog comes out onto field, activates you, drives for food etc. Eventually the dog will come out and this will be the learnt association and his way of "routine". With a dog consistency of a set pattern forms an association and how you do it is what the dog becomes accustomed to. So form the scenario in very short sessions of what you want it to be ideally when extended and work on that gradually. If some one brings a dog out and faffs around for an hour yawn etc. within foundation stages of association then this becomes the dog's routine and then one tries to form required training association as an extension of this unfavourable "beginning" You are able to imprint intensity and association to the utmost within the dog's parameters/genetics.

[Storm]

......................also once a dog has learnt activation and drive concept HE prompts the behaviour not where the initial foundation has been a "walk in the park" where the owner now has to walk next to the dog, here doggy, whistle whistle, look look look here doggy waving food trying to get attention. Eventually dog learns association and learns how to activate to prompt the motivation for the exercise. In addition to bad development dog learns he does less and by doing so you become more active so to activate you he does less then he probably gets success and you cement the low behaviour even more.