I haven't known many dogs who could learn so easily just by watching other dogs, but this is what P does. He watches B do agility, and then he runs out and copies her. I feel like a bit of a fraud... P has perfect 2-on/2-off contacts, and I never spent a second of time training them. He watched me work on B's contacts one day, and then he just did it. And did it again. And again. I would be doing yard work and realize I hadn't seen P in a while, and there he would be, stuck on the A-frame in 2-on/2-off position, waiting patiently for me to notice and release him.
And so started P's agility career. He won't be old enough to trial for nearly 6 months still, but he thinks he's ready for prime time already. And once we get his jump bars up to full height, I think he will be.
I made a decision to start training weave poles a little earlier than I usually would, because P was watching B and trying to copy her on his own, and I didn't want him to think that he had them figured out.
9 comments:
Ha! The Piglet has a plan and you're along for the ride! He's headed for the top! I hope you're not afraid of heights! What fun!
Love hearing from you!
Happy, Waggin' Tails, FUREVER!
Stumpy and me
Hi there, I loved seeing these pics because I love agility. When I was a teen, I trained my terrier mix to jump fences,climb ladders etc because it was before agility was a sport. I've never had another dog that would willingly participate in it, so I am content to watch others. Loved seeing the pups play together too.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Noreen & Reggie-dog
CONGRATS--you got a new agility boy. Isn't it wonderful how animals tell us what THEY want to do.
It's so cool that Piglet is learning by watching. The last time that I researched it (years ago), most people claimed that dogs couldn't learn by imitation. I laughed and thought to myself that they'd never observed my dogs! It seems that Piglet is another perfect example!
I love how our dogs surprise us! And, I love the story of Piglet stuck in place in a 2X2 contact waiting for you to notice and release him!
I just love the last picture
No longer a piglet, P is a very handsome young man! And self-taught as well. Great photos. I think you hit the jackpot with this guy!
Hello
I am a dog lover and filmmaker at Columbia University in NYC and recently made a short romantic comedy about a guy who thinks his dog can talk. It is called, "Dear Dog, I Love You", and it stars a very special rescued dog.
Because of your interest in the dog community, I wondered if you might do a post to your readers about my film? We've already shot the short, but need some assistance with the post-production and therefore have started a kickstarter campaign to raise funds There are awesome rewards for donating!
Please check out the trailer and campaign here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/895820041/dear-dog-i-love-you-an-awkward-love-comedy?ref=live
This is a special film because it stars the up and coming dog actor Paul Newman. A few short years ago, Paul Newman was found tied and starved in an abandoned garage. He was rescued by Suzanne Fitch of Mid-Atlantic Basset Hound Rescue, where he was matched with his wonderful trainer and caretaker, Karen. Now Paul Newman is one of the smartest and most talented dogs I know.
Because of his amazing story, we think this is a great opportunity to draw attention to the animal rescue community. Once we finish our film, we hope to share it with shelters and the rescue community in hopes that some of the proceeds made from the actual film can help support the rescue process.
I understand if you don't do these sorts of things on your blog but would appreciate any little shout out you could give. Let me know either way!
Thanks!
Jed
Please feel free to contact me at deardogiloveyou (at) gmail dot com.
Aww, he's one talented pooch! He sounds like he's found his passion in life and is making no bones about it. Wow. Such a smart boy!
great training program for dog.thanks for sharing.
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