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Rally Obedience and Agility - many setters having a go?
Cherry is 21 weeks and we have recently started Rally Obedience training and also foundation agility (ie no jumps (just jump wings) no A-Frame and just planks on ground to get used to contact equipment.
I am tired of everyone we meet telling me how 'loopy' setters are and 'will never train on' or won't concentrate so don't bother training' etc. Cherry won a minor 'have a go' obedience class at a show at 16 weeks and it included a 30 second sit/stay. She was the only one to complete the class, faultlessly and off the lead (the other 13 competitors were on leash. I'm not saying she's perfect, far from it, but she loves to train, is very clicker/treat savvy (she's anybodys for a frankfurter slice) and is learning and progressing every day and loving the challenge.
I don't lure her with treats but she has learnt that she gets clicked and rewarded when I wait and she works things out for herself, no matter how small the progressive step that she takes. She appears to be able to do that pretty well so far, so I sincerely believe that Cherry will learn loads and will go on to enjoy Rally and agility and whilst perhaps not be massively successful, (who knows?) she will at least compete or level terms and not disgrace herself by any means. I am not looking for a final at Crufts, simply for us both to enjoy what we do together at local level having fun and bonding more and more as a team etc.
Rally obedience is new here in the UK so possibly not many in the UK will be into that yet but agility is certainly well established. I would love to hear how others are getting on.
Incidentally, if anyone is looking for good clicker books on Rally O and agility to supplement classes, I can thoroughly recommend "Agility right from the start" by Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh and also "Click your way to Rally Obedience" by Pam Dennison.
best wishes Dennis and Cherry
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