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I taped yesterday (before reading your response) so I will not ask her to lay down. We will practice mat work more to build that automatic relaxed down position.
Should we be giving multiple treats during the Relaxation Protocol exercises? I started with just 1 treat at end of each section but thinking I should be rewarding more frequently when she is laying down.
Happy she is sticking to the table – no attempts to leave even when I had to leave the room to remind my family I was video taping my homework.
Day 3 Relaxation Protocol exercise
Got it – will bring laptop into living room to play recording.
I didn’t realize you wanted dogs laying down so I didn’t ask her for any specific position. I will start her in a down going forward and place treat between her front legs. How about I use a low agility table so I can still move around her? That will make it easier for placement of reward and still make it possible for her to move (even though we are working on a stay in down position.)
I use tiny cut-up bits of cheese, Wellness Natural Wellbites in duck and turkey (1 square is cut into about 12 pieces) and Vital Essentials freeze-dried salmon and duck. I place freeze-dried treats in a baggie and use rolling pin to crush them. Because of the texture it looks like shredded dry treat which I sprinkle on snuffle mat. This way I’m not adding too many calories to her diet.
At our training center dogs are crated until their turn but we also have plenty of room to warm then up, sit on our laps, etc. Lit’l Bit went back to her crate after snuffle mat exercise and she was content. Next time I’ll watch more closely for her behavior. She was not anxious at all during the 2 hr practice.
Snuffle Mat work during agility practice – she did great on focusing during distractions. iMovie cut off the bottom of screen so the mat is not visible but you can see Lit’l Bit.
Relaxation Protocol – Day 2 Sunday 12/1/19
I can’t video and listen to Relaxation file at the same time on my iPhone (any suggestions?), so I listed to relaxation instructions then switched to video taping to work on several steps. Seems to have worked OK for now.
Several topics in this post
Mat work – Lit’l Bit stays on the mat in a stand, sit or down. I can’t get on the floor with her so we did exercises on the bed with me sitting on chair next to bed. Will post a video of mat work later.Snuffle Mat – we have been using a snuffle mat for about 8 months. Bit was very happy and eager to work the mat, there was a bit of growling off-camera which is her verbal for showing excitement.
Weather permitting, we are attending a 2 hr open practice session on Sunday and I planned to take the snuffle mat with me. Do you feel she looks confident enough to take it on the road? This is the facility where we have agility classes and local trials. Planned to move her to a far corner to block most of her view of other dogs.
Relaxation Protocol- worked through session 1 this morning. I used Bit’s mat for the exercise and stood in front of her. She offered stands, sits and downs but never left the mat. She did not move a foot when I moved back, left and right. The only time she moved was during the “wait” periods and if a treat rolled slightly on the mat when I was placing it between her front legs. Should we be taping all of these sessions?
thank you, Denise
Good morning,
are we to video tape each step of Relaxation Protocol assignment?
I completed step 1 this morning but did not tape it.
Posting further comments under my thread.
thank you,Yes I did read the Mental Resilience article over the weekend and looking at her behavior I agree with you.
CPE offers training in the ring now so I can use her favorite fur tug toy and run her. I plan to try just the first run of the trial, then try 1 or 2 more where I go in with toy, do a short sequence and head out of the ring. Will journal and video her behavior.thanks for the suggestions.
Snuffle mat question – Lit’l Bit has gained weight since spay surgery and we were already trying to reduce her weight (doctor’s orders.)
I can change up treats to some veggies and fruits as she enjoys eating everything, but what about using a plastic licky mats with frozen yogurt? Can I achieve the same effect?Are we to work on the relaxation mat exercise on the same days as the snuffle mat?
thank you, Denise
We have a large fenced back yard surrounded by trees. The dogs are allowed multiple trips outside each day to just run, play and of course sniff (under the trees is their favorite places to sniff.) Is this as effective as walking them?
My husband is retired and home with them all day so they have many outside sessions.These videos were taken in July (where she loses focus) and in August (focus was improving.) Spay surgery beginning of September so no new trial videos since that time.
We attended a trial this past weekend – she was stellar on the first run; very fast and focus. Next run she was so slow we went over time in the class and she didn’t want to weave. Next class she didn’t want to run so we left the ring and while going back to the crate area the next dog running left the ring to come after her. Fortunately no attacks – just an overly curious young dog wanted to be near my dog.
Back in the crate area he dog’s owner and I encouraged our pups to share some treats and just sniff each other so I believe this was not such a negative experience.
Next morning she gave me another stellar run and I didn’t ask for anything else from her – wanted to leave on a positive note.Relaxation conditioning – we have been working on this but so far she is not offering to sit or lay down. In last night’s session I patted the mat (no verbal encouragement) and she quickly laid down and stayed in a down the remaining time.
I wasn’t going to video her until she offered a down on her own.
Thank you for any suggestions,
