In thinking about low-impact energy draining exercises for Vince I was thinking about teaching him to run the blinds, sort of, so to speak.

Vince will never be trained in bite work and will never be trained to independently bark at a human, but I really like watching this exercise in the Schutzhund videos.

It's so cool to see them send the dog out and circle the blinds all the way up the field. However, I wouldn't be at all disappointed if there wasn't all the barking at the end.

I've got quite a large yard; it wouldn't be a problem setting up a pattern like this.

Does anybody have any ideas how I could go about properly training something like this without all the barking and bite work involved?

I;ve got kind of a basic idea of how it works, training one at a time, but I need to get creative with what to use for blinds or bases or boxes, what the reward will look like and the timing of it.

Any insight would be appreciated.

I'm curious to hear your idea. Are you planning on training it like an agility drill?

In schutzhund, they aren't just running the blinds; they are searching for the guy they want to bite. That is the motivation used in the training, and the reward is the bite.
It is taught by setting up a blind near another structure. The handler walks the dog toward the blind, where a decoy is hiding and agitating. The handler then redirects the dog momentarily and the decoy leaves the blind to hide behind another structure. The handler then sends the dog to the blind. Just as the dog circles the blind, the handler recalls him and sends him to another blind, where a second decoy is waiting to give the dog a bite.
In competition, experienced dogs know the pattern and know which blinds the decoy will be in, hence the speed with which they search, or "run the blinds", if you will.

 Quote: Duane Hull

I'm curious to hear your idea. Are you planning on training it like an agility drill?

Yes, yes, this. Like an agility drill. And more than likely I'll be training it solo. I can recruit hubby if needed but he much prefers just playing with them when the moves have been trained.

And yes, I kind of understand the actual Schutzhund training (thank you for spelling it out so succinctly).

I'm just wondering if there's another way I can get the same action/moves without the decoy type motivators and maybe even have him circle back thru the same pattern.

I made a couple of blinds out of conduit and tarps with zip ties and a little duct tape, but you can use anything CJ. A tree, a chair, whatever you have.Doing it this way, you'll want a sit/stay, a recall, and somewhat of a retrieve with him.

I tied a long clothes line to a tug and sat my dog facing the blind,about 10' from it. I walked to the blind and dropped the tug at the left corner of it,in sight, and continued around it with the line. I came back to position with him and sent him to the toy, when he gets to it I use the line to guide him around the blind and calling him to me.Everytime he gets to the toy it becomes a recall.
After a few reps he starts to understand the pattern and then I start moving the toy behind the blind little by little, then into the blind.

Then when you see he's going into the blind as soon as he rounds it, I took the line off the toy and used the recall only.If he doesnt continue around the blind the right direction, put the line back on the toy.

I know there are videos on youtube of different ways to do it, with food and keeping it tighter, one was posted by a USCA judge, Frank Phillips, but I can't find his youtube channel right now.

Here ya go CJ:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ0Rh4OVQsw&feature=plcp

Wow Steve. That sounds like a great way to start!!

I kind of understand the concept you're getting at. So I've read it three times now and I'm not quite sure about this initial left corner.

He's in a sit/stay 10 feet back, I have an orbee on a rope that I could easily attach to a cloths line type rope. I walk out, place the ball on the left side and just pull it straight back to start? Or try and maneuver it around to the left, around the blind with him following and then the call back/retrieve?

Love the idea for the blinds too! I can so do that (well Bob - he doesn't mind making me stuff). Do you think it would be better for him to have something to "go into". Is that what brings up the desire or speed? Or like you say, maybe just use a tree or pole or something.

I can just see a tangled orbee and a confused Vince. I'm going to look for that man you mentioned. Some kind of video would be great.

Sorry, around the blind. You want to time it right so that your not tugging with him at the blind, so you pull it around the blind itself but as soon as he's heading that direction at all, quit pulling.

It reads tougher then it is.

Oops, I hit submit by accident. The speed comes from how bad he wants the toy and how bad he wants to get back to you after you have the pattern established, to play with it when it isnt in the blind anymore, or at least everytime.

Looking into the blind is mostly for Sch, but it will help you when you add blinds, to keep him guessing and going to each blind.

Nice video, Steve. I'd never seen blinds taught without a helper.

 Quote: Duane Hull

Nice video, Steve.

Wow, nice video is right. With all the stuff Steve's provided I almost missed this.

Three days huh... we’ll see . It'll take hubby that long to make me some mini blinds. Love those blinds!! Exactly what I need.

Along with all the stuff I got behind the scenes, there’s some really good stuff to get us started. Thanks so much Steve and ANA!!!