Agility vid

Criosphynx

Emma had her first agility lesson a week ago and ever since then i've been watching every agility video I can get my hands on....

this one...personally I think is the cutest thing I've ever seen..



YouTube - 3 lb agility chihuahua

pawzaddict

I love watching the bloopers

valleyjays

Great vid!

ScentHound

I have nothing to add. Except, my side hurts from laughing, that was great. I will never think about a chihuahua the same way again.

MySoulmateEmmy

omg that was the best video EVER! :P i was squealing the whole way thru the clip LOL.

~MSE

Mikey

Hahahahaha OMG too cute!!! That Chihuahua is having a BLAST!!

fawkese1

2 things...one, that was like the best chihuahua video ever! i want a chihuahua now....and two, how did emma's agility training turn out?

Criosphynx

haha....to be honest...


I felt like I knew more than the trainer. Even before we began to train I small talked training with her and got the impression that she was not up to date with the finer points of things.

That and I was a nervous wreck, everything was instantly analyzed, don't do it that way, click more, click faster....but really I was messing up because she was telling me I was messing up, and it built on itself and I became frustrated/nervous... So here Iam thinking that I know what Iam doing, Iam just a little nervous, but I don't want to be rude to this woman by telling her "hey I got it ok, can we use the equipment now"


Emma does not freeshape she has a traditional training background so she will NOT offer new behaviors...she wants direction..If you stand there she will sit and stare at you....endlessly....waiting for a command..... I TOLD the trainer this probably ten times and yet she insisted we freeshape an exercise...also she made a "wow this dog is VERY operant" comment during an exercise which kinda made me think, WTH are you talking about...this dog is barely operant...how on earth can you not see that?

after 30min of this trainer insisting we do it her way (@ a dollar a minute) , Emma stared a hole in my head (like I told the trainer she would) then finally lost interest in me and wandered away. So I paid the trainer and went home and taught it MY way and she had it in like, 2 minutes. I emailed the trainer telling her that my way worked and asking if there was a reason she insisted we free shape....she ignored my email, then had the nerve to email me asking to change my appointment time to o' dark thirty on the day before the appointment...so I fired her.

Its a shame because everyone online raved about her, but she ignored my questions, and was very hard to book in the first place (i had to call and email before she responded) but after reflecting for a few months now, I realize I wanted to use the equipment, not the trainer. :P

EllensCreatures

Most agility trainers have NO background in the "traditional" methods, so they are pretty much helpless if you ask them to try something other than clicking...one of the reasons I never tried agility with my sheltie. She absolutely wouldn't offer behaviors either. I too, have often found agility instructors lacking in basic instruction methods, for PEOPLE, and confusing, unwilling to adapt their strategies to you or the needs of your dog. I had a Belgian Sheepdog who was not at all bright, but surprisingly trainable with the clicker, and two different agility instructors (who had probably never worked with anything other than poodles, border collies and corgies) who basically wanted to kick us out of class because we couldn't keep up with the other dogs and they didn't understand that my dog just needed to go slower and get a some extra time. I don't know what it is about them...too much into the "sport"?

I loved the chi vid. I have hopes of someday doing some agility with my little guy, I think he would love it.

Criosphynx

thanks for that.... I agree...It seemed she knew "agility" and thats it...she also owned BCs and Corgis...Iam sure shes used to a faster learning curve.

I didn't traditionally train Emma...but its obvious she was corrected by her previous owners HEAVILY for offering behaviors. If she becomes confused with a command she shuts down, shes brilliant if you show her how to do it...but even now, Iam still not sure she understands what the clicker means...I'll click for a behavior and she doesn't make the connection that SHE made the click happen...she still thinks its random I think. My operant dogs will immediatly repeat the clicked behavior...she doesnt.

I was actually shocked she lost interest and walked away instead of shutting down. The whole time I was actually getting upset because I thought she was going to shut down because she didnt' know what I wanted.