Running Contacts

stormi

Well-Known Member
I think running contacts have come up a couple of times here, so if the answer is on the site already please direct me to it as I've missed it :dogph34r: .

Lily had her first agility session recently and took to it really well. I was delighted when the trainer suggested running contacts for her :dogbiggrin:

Well I've been practising a little and she's got the idea that when her feet touch her 'mat' she gets click and toy thrown. She's now started to (bless her) put so much effort into touching the 'mat' that she is jumping onto it and 'pressing' it. Have any of you encountered this and how did you 'fix' it?
 

xena98

Experienced Member
Hi Stormi
Try looking up Sylvia Trkman she is one of the best that taught her dog the running contact and in one of her pages she has done up a write up and has videod her new dog teaching the running contact. It's absolutely brilliant so check up on that
cheers
Danni and the girls
 

stormi

Well-Known Member
Thank you Danni,

I'll have a look for the video...thanks for the recommendation :dogbiggrin:
 

snooks

Experienced Member
You could also try training with two on two off (paws) the contact or mat with a different cue and reset the entire process. Like a target with both paws but no food ON the mat/target just a click and treat. Just an idea. Sometimes I have to reinvent the wheel to get a really imprinted behavior to change.
 

stormi

Well-Known Member
Thanks snooks.

I think that is some of the trouble; she very quickly understood that her feet hitting the mat triggered 'click and toy'. That's why she is now 'jumping' onto the mat to 'press' it with her feet.

I got her running along a board and only rewarding a fast run along it, then put her mat back at the end of it and she seems to have stopped wanted to 'pounce' on the mat quite so much!
 

xena98

Experienced Member
Hi Stormi
What I done with my young girl as I have problems with my others it was just the done thing in those days 9 years ago you use to grab the dog on top of the a frame and help them down. there was no clicker we didnt really use food I did and I got laughed at LOL When I got Inka I actually had a golf ball on a stick and taught her to touch which she did but in hind sight I got rid of it too quick (what happens when you only train at dog school once a week) Now with Gabby I actually taught her 4 on the floor with Ann Croft. I actually got these electrical sticks thing dont know if that its what its called (dont worry no electricity goes through it though LOL) its a stick down the bottom there is an upside down u shaped thing which is easy to put into ground in any direction and the top has a loop thingy but I just cross the two together so that the dog has to tuck and I actually got her to drop on a piece of carpet. a) the dog knows where it has to go b) it has to learn to duck - it cant jump off or it would be in trouble LOL c) cause it knows that it has to drop as its coming down the walk its already crouching - cant jump off when you are in a crouch LOL

She is already going very quick runs all the way down and into a drop without missing a colour and eventually she will be released sometimes especially in big competitions but the criteria is there.

I just find that people make a huge drama about the contact colour that the dogs think they have to miss it for some reason.

The only command I give to Gabby is dogwalk touch it and that is it and my touch it is way back where the up dog walk is.

probably the next dog I will train differently dont know have to wait and see what happens with this one it just has to be better than what I have taught previously oh and that is training at a dog club once a week

hope you could understand what i was saying
cheers
Danni and the girls
 

xena98

Experienced Member
stormi;15187 said:
Thanks snooks.

I think that is some of the trouble; she very quickly understood that her feet hitting the mat triggered 'click and toy'. That's why she is now 'jumping' onto the mat to 'press' it with her feet.

I got her running along a board and only rewarding a fast run along it, then put her mat back at the end of it and she seems to have stopped wanted to 'pounce' on the mat quite so much!
You could also have clicked while the dog was in the air so that is what she thinks she has to do. When I was watching and reading Sylvia Trkman my eyes werent going fast enough so I dont think I would ever be able to click for the running and not leaping. She did show in one of her videos the dog leaping and when its not that's why I didnt do that and was doing what I did in the other posts LOL
cheers
Danni and the girls
 

stormi

Well-Known Member
Thank you for your replies Danni.

Yes, it is possible I mistimed a click, but I think its more that Lily is just trying too hard.

Some of the others at club use a nose target and it works well, but as I also train my dogs for working trials I encourage them to pick up anything that might be an article and bring it to me and so nose targeting something could confuse them.

It sounds like you have a great way of teaching Gabby and it sounds like it's really successful :dogbiggrin: . Storm also waits at the bottom of the contact, but she is in the stand with front feet off, back feet on. It's something I will think about with Lily if I cant get the running contact method to work for her :dogwink: .
 
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