Michael Ellis sure sounds like an incredible trainer! I'd love to attend one of his seminars someday.

I have a question about some of the items he used during the recent seminar (from viewing the pictures). Of course, you can't tell a lot from static pictures, unless you know how the items are being used.

In a few pictures, I saw a line of wading pools full of empty water bottles as a dog was being worked in the area.

A few other shots showed a bulky item (empty plastic gas container?) upon which a dog would have placed a foot (or two) and was barking. (This seemed similar to a pad that Michael Ellis was using with Cindy and Rush from her 4 mos video. From the video, I'd guess that the pad was simply an item used in a shaping exercise, but not sure.)

What was the purpose for each of these obstacles/items? How were they used/useful in training?

Thanks,
leih merigian

The wading pools were a distraction, to see if the dog was apprehensive about/thrown off by them.
Also used a few times to get young dogs (and some puppies) exposed to a strange item.
The tide container (looked like a gas can apparently?) was a guard item - the dog was on command to protect that item, and prevent the helper from getting to it. Thus the barking.
Touch pads are similar, but used to give the dog a "place" to go - good for teaching the sendaway, as well as the hurdles.

 Quote: leih merigian

What was the purpose for each of these obstacles/items?

Good response Cameron...right on in your description. I must add, the other purpose is simply proof that mondio is a bit more, letsay, colorful (in more ways then one) than some other sports out there.

Yes, that's why I decided to try Mondio with my puppy - lots more fun and colorful (IMHO) than some of the other sports. Your dog has to be prepared for just about anything. There were also a couple white bags on the field at the seminar, filled with empty pop cans. I had a 3 month old puppy there, and we're both new to Mondio (or any PS). At our last Obedience session, Michael had me leading Koby up to unusual things like that - things that would make noise, would move, etc.... - and rewarding him when he touched it. I was very happy that Koby didn't seem phased by any of it (my two year old male would have jumped out of his skin.....which is one reason he's not a PS dog<g>. Koby put both legs into the bottle-filled pool with nary a thought, put a foot or two right onto the noisy and wiggly bag of cans, etc.... For the advanced dogs, in the protection portion Michael would stand in or near the pool, requiring the dog to wade into the pool filled with bottles in order to make contact with him. At the Mondio Championships in April, one exercise had the decoy flinging strings of empty water bottles toward the dogs as they got close to him, to try to throw the dog off (the decoy didn't really "throw" the bottles, but held onto them and moved and wiggled them at the dog to try to avoid being bit. Most dogs that I saw hardly even noticed the bottles).

Last weekend Michael also had the advanced dogs retrieving unusual items, since the retrieve item in Mondio can be pretty unusual. Most of the items last weekend were things that would hang from the dog's mouth, and most of the dogs did have a little more trouble trying to retrieve an object that was dangling from their mouth (sometimes trailing on the ground so the dog would step on it as they tried to retrieve it).

I don't think these unusual things are done in Schutzhund, but it's gotta be good proofing no matter what sport you're in (even something as "normal" as AKC obedience<g>.

Karin and the Belgian Sheepdogs in MN

 Quote: Karin Andreen

Yes, that's why I decided to try Mondio with my puppy - lots more fun and colorful (IMHO)

Also makes a great excuse to frequent yard sales. Since my visit to Donna Matey's in February, I have collected all kinds of large yard decorations from Christmas to Valentines day to Halloween and St Patricks Day as well as asked people to save their plastic bottle, milk jugs and laundry soap containers.
Also found one of the toddler, young child playground sets (hard plastic in primary colors) for $12....It was great!!!

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Very interesting stuff.

leih merigian