FLIP! Another new command for Finn

We haven't got to right and left yet, but I was playing with Finn today - throwing the ball along the passage in the house.

He can now GO on command and run right to the end of the passage without looking back.  Sometimes the ball hits something and bounces back, so he needs to turn to find it.

I thought it would be cool if I could use this to teach another word.  I decided on the word FLIP

I started to call FLIP after he'd run out on GO, and then just lob the ball near my feet.

I was totally amazed at how quickly Finn picked this up.  The first few times I let him hear the ball fall, and I called FLIP as he turned himself around.

A few more throws and I could call GO followed by FLIP and then roll the ball towards him as he came back to me to get it.

Soon I need to work on RIGHT and LEFT - but that will have to be outside.

Starting a few Jumps with Finn

This is all just a bit of fun and is intended to give Finn the idea of going on ahead of me over jumps.  This was the first time we'd tackled two jumps in a row.  I did a couple of runs by putting him in a wait, and placing myself between the two jumps to help him get the second one.  Then went back to the start and what you see is what happened.  I was delighted with this achievement.

The jumps I ask him to do are just a cross pole from the Small height, because Finn is only 8 months, and so jumping higher is not sensible yet.  

So what about Patsy?

So recently I've been talking a lot about Finn and his training, and there's been very little mention of Patsy.  The reason is rather fun.

Earlier in the autumn I loaned Patsy to Shona to run in the qualifiers for the Young Kennel Club Agility  at Crufts.   And my little black dog came up trumps and qualified both as part of a YKC team and also for the individual event with Shona.

So, recognising that my handling style must, by necessity, be quite different from Shona's, I decided to stop handling Patsy in either training or competition until Crufts is over.

This has given me time to concentrate on Finn and to teach him a variety of tricks and skills ready for doing agility once he is old enough.

Oh and I got  a fun present for Christmas this year from Tim: he bought me a GoPro.

The 1 minute clip below is the first I've managed to produce. Nothing fancy, no music or stunning effects It's just me, Patsy and Finn going out for a Boxing day "walk" to burn off dinner!  You'll be pleased to know, I did manage to edit out the boring bit in the middle where nothing seems to happen.

Some Finn Special?

I have now sent off Finn's registration papers to the Kennel Club.  After much consideration and deliberation I have asked for the name "Some Finn Special".  So, if we get it, he'll need to live up to the name!

His training continues.

In reality it's a bit like playing a few games with him one on one.  He is very ball motivated, which is great an so in addition to reinforcing the words: "Go" and "Back" when I throw the ball in those directions, I'm also starting a little bit of agility by way of small jumps and a tunnel.

For the "jumps" I'm actually making a cross pole from the small jump height, which is really just a token gesture jump, but gives him the idea.

I have also brought the tunnel out again and am sending him through it.  We started this first when he was quite little, and despite not doing much in the interval, he hasn't forgotten.

So today I set up a jump, tunnel and jump in a straight line.  I put him in a wait before jump and scooted to the tunnel entrance.  Then called him over the jump, sent him through the tunnel and when he jumped the jump on exit I called "Go" and threw the ball forwards for him as a reward.

I was very pleased he "got" this quite quickly.  Next I hope to be able to send him down the line, with me in various other positions - such as his start position, or out to the side of the tunnel.   At the moment, setting him up in a "Wait" at the start of the sequence is very useful, and his wait so far is strong.  

Anyway - no pictures today, hopefully I'll get a few more over the holiday period.

Happy Christmas peeps!

PS Finn's show name is "Some Finn Extra Special" 

Finn on Video: Wait! Go! & Back!

Just a short minute long clip of Finn.  Here he demonstrates Wait! and then Go! (and running on past the scooter).

Clip also shows him run Back! on command, and demonstrate Switch! (changing sides behind the scooter).

Finn - Scooter Training

Just a short clip to show Finn as he learns a few commands related to the Scooter.

Finn's Lessons

So Finn is doing a load of learning these days.

This picture is from the Summer when he started Puppy Class with Shona.

Recently however, my friend, Janine, has been handling him Obedience Classes and he has even been upgraded from puppy class to the Bronze Good Citizen Class!

He is growing fast and at 7months now weighs 20kg.

This does not stop him from trying out the smallest size of dog box however.

I have started training him along side my scooter and so far he (mostly) understands the following:

Close - Run on my left side
Side - Run on my right
Switch - Change sides by running behind the scooter
Go - Run forwards (and wait for ball)
Back - Run opposite direction to scooter ( and wait for ball)

We are also practicing all his other obedience words: Sit, Down, Come, Wait etc.

And I've got to say collies are might quick learners!

The last photo was taken by my daughter.  The "Sit" command came in useful to keep him in frame for this lovely photo!