Question for Agility Peeps

**3TailsWaggin** · 03-09-2010, 09:49 PM

Do you run quiet or do you run loud?

I am trying hard in my training now to run very quietly because I've been noticing that Remington actually pays MORE attention to me if my voice is very low. When I get loud, like trying to bribe him out of a tunnel, etc.. he tends to shut me off.

I am finding it very hard to run quiet. I normally am a constant chatterer and cheerleader with my dogs, at home, at play, at shows.

Curious if you run quiet or loud, why and why not, what works for you etc...

**ZRL** · 03-09-2010, 10:09 PM

I run quiet because that's just how I naturally am. Apparently this is problematic with Zeke because I'm not exciting....he's retired now anyway though, so it doesn't matter. It's not like being exciting ever worked either.

**3TailsWaggin** · 03-09-2010, 10:49 PM

Magnum and Ruger always love the interaction with my and my constant voice.

Remington seems to really focus when I give him very quiet commands. Go figure. But it's hard to keep quiet when I'm used to using my voice a lot.

I'm finding it's also a LOT easier to run quiet because you breathe much better!! I have much more oxygen left after running quietly.

**debjen** · 03-10-2010, 12:36 AM

Depends on the dog and the circumstance..my dogs actually tend to run better when I am quieter..unless Robbie's ADD kicks in...then I tend to get loud excited anything to get the attention back on me..LOL

**3TailsWaggin** · 03-10-2010, 12:39 AM

Deb, that is what I do as well, but I'm beginning to find with Remington that if I'm quieter he listens better. Instead of cheering at the end of the tunnel to get him out, I now kinda wait there and when he scoots (on his back) toward my end I tell him very quietly, "Leave it," and he seems to listen better than me cheering "Cookie! Come get a Cookie! Let's Go!"

**Milesmom** · 03-10-2010, 05:08 AM

I am still trying to figure this out. My instructor advocates for running quiet and saving your voice cues for when you really need them. He says when we chatter too much or use their name too much they tune us out. Like kids do. 'bla, bla, bla, bla, bla, whatever!" My obedience instructor said the same thing. One of my friends who does rally, where you can talk all you want, was told the same thing. We were doing a heeling pattern and she was saying "sophie, watch, watch, watch, right here, watch" the whole way. She was told that she should cut back because Sophie was completely blowing her off. The voice cues just didn't mean anything anymore. Of course, how do you change a habit when you are running agility and things are happening so fast?

**agilitymom** · 03-10-2010, 06:40 AM

Both of my dogs get stressed easily. I have been known to yell out "Maddie this is my favorite part". I am sure the judge thinks I am a nut. Also when they achieve something in a trial that we have been working on at home. I will cheer for them. When Maddie hit a difficult weave entry this last weekend I told her "you rock girlie". I mark correct performance with a yes. Otherwise I am pretty quiet

I work hard on having as much fun as I can to relieve my stress and my dog's stress. That is my primary goal. If I can answer that we both have had fun...successful run.

**Deanna1002** · 03-10-2010, 10:24 AM

for the past two months now i run and keep quiet!!! apple is very intune with my body, and she seems to block everything when i say too much as i run her. Only thing you'll hear from me is switch, in, out and go.

**Amber The Duck Dawg** · 03-10-2010, 12:12 PM

I used to say "hup" for every jump and here and Amber and a whole bunch of other comands. My timing was so bad I was distracting Amber so much she ran slower and worse. I was told if I couldn't get the timing right for comands to just shut up and run. I quickly found Amber could pay more and better attention to me and she was alot faster and more accurate. I no longer tell her to jump any jump, and I do not tell her any obstacle name except for tunnel or table. I find I can run faster and am not gasping for breath so much at the end of a course. I train the same way I run courses. So a run from me might sound like this from start to finish....Heel, Stay, OK, Table, Sit, OK,Tunnel, Here, Good Girl!!! (after we finish). OK release for Start and from table. Heel into ring with a stay. Here after the last jump. Praise after the leash is back on. The less comands I give the less I screw up...lol

**3TailsWaggin** · 03-10-2010, 12:33 PM

Sounds like a quiet run is the preferred for most. I do give him "Good Boy!" and Yes! when we nail something like his weaves, or coming out of the tunnel

Other than that I am making a real effort to run quietly. I may not run silently... because I still like to talk to him but I do it very quietly.

The first time I noticed this was at a run thru I went to. I didn't want to go to the run thru because I was more than a bit pi$$ed off at the folks there for something they had done to me, but my dog needed to go, so I went. I pretty much kept to myself and kept quiet... and that's when I noticed how well Remington ran the course (and the other folks noticed it too because we got a nice cheer at the end of our run).

So for me, I will strive to run quietly with my dog, and of course have fun with him too!