[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Tracy,

Yay! I got a chance to work on week 5!

Here is the first one: https://youtu.be/OEnQYSC0hfY
I looked at the dropped bar in slow-mo and zoom and I suppose it could be a connection thing. At any rate, he got over it in one try. Otherwise I was happy with this setup. I left in the middle section where he was moving his feet around too much and I had to go back to reset. I wanted to practice the “no leadout” on this setup and I thought he handled it well.

The next one is here: https://youtu.be/7rwL-MUrJT4
On paper, I wondered why you went around 4 the way you did; then I tried it both ways. I left in the first and last runs (with the Whiskey rear) because this is something I tend to do: chicken out on my handling and insert a rear. I really do need to do it enough so that it will be successful. 😉 Looking at the video, I am out of position both times: Enzo cannot see the jump because I am blocking the wing. Will have to rework it later…

Thanks,
Barb

Ps: Did you decide to do the discrimination class for the winter?

[Barb VanEseltine]

Thanks; I’m very happy with him. He looks like his mother! Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Amy,

Thanks for asking about Enzo. He is from Julie Oakes (Grand Oaks BC’s).
https://www.grandoakesbordercollies.com/
Enzo is from Laurie Thal’s Jo (MACH Grand Oake’s Power Surge)
and Marco Giavoni’s Fetch (Fetch Granting Pleasures)- brought from Europe; very much used sire.

Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Tracy,

Just a bit here about your last comments. On the second set, yes, the threadle/Japanese might potentially be faster, but it is too much twirling for me. I did a LOT of Japanese’s with Patt, but he is a bit slower and I never felt so “out of position” as I did with Enzo. It doesn’t look awful in the video, but I can tell you that it felt awful. <grin>

As the video was already running long, I didn’t include everything…! I can tell you that there was at least one wrap attempt where I got to the wing but my motion pushed him into the slice. I figured I would stop sooner and then get the wrap with backwards motion. 😉

Well, here is my attempt at the Deliberate Disconnection part 1. I’m assuming you used a wrap at 4:17 for pedagogical reasons; seems like a slice line would be better…( So, of course, I included the slice line.).

I did a remarkably poor job of dropping the toy on the line. I knew it at the time but the video makes it crystal! Enzo is very Unused to doing a circle wrap; I generally use “push” for “go out, wrap and come back”, since we tend to avoid “go out 360 circle and continue”. Needs some work.

The group that starts at 1:02 completely amazed me. I did not expect Enzo to stay out for the backside (Patt wouldn’t have done that in a million years with me at that distance). So, I showed him the nearside, just to make sure he knew that option. Then he still stayed out! Both ways!!

At 1:36 you see the full circle left with 2 jumps. I thought it went well. Then the rest was pretty straight-forward.

Thanks,
Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Tracy,

That was fun and a great analysis! I’m a bit surprised at being behind (haven’t finished week 3 and here is week 4!) but I have been pretty busy. I hope to have more time after the election on Tuesday! 😊

At any rate, I was able to finish up week 3. The last sequence was lots of fun! I did it using:
– Whiskey
– Serp (running the dog’s line)
– German
– Threadle
– Wrap
I didn’t intend to do the Serp but I was late on the German and that’s what I got!

Just a couple of notes:
– On the first rep, I used the verbal “around” which is Enzo’s slice verbal. Granted, his backside wraps are quite poor, but he does better when he knows to expect them!
– So, at :38, he did a better wrap (and I was in a better position to help)
– On all reps of the last sequence, I would have been better off it I didn’t need to babysit the #5 backside as much.
– While I did pull off the German, I wasn’t very well positioned.
– I think a spin would have helped the threadle one but it is so far from my first handling choice that I didn’t bother to perfect it. 😉
– I don’t love the wrap but based on my possible positioning and motion, it was pretty good.

Thanks,
Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

HI Tracy,

Here is today’s training video. We did about half of the longer sequences (more tomorrow, I hope).

Some observations:
At :18 I forgot which side I wanted to be on, then
At :22 Enzo considered taking a side trip to the toy

I was pleased with the rep starting at :30

The first run of the second course (:42) was clean but I thought he was lacking in confidence on the run across the barn, so I did a few isolated tries at the piece from #2 to #4. The repeat run at 1:009 went well.

Then I thought as long as I was “there”, I might as well try this same sequence with a backside at #4. I warmed it up a bit and ran it twice.

The run at 1:37 included his banking off my legs (not exactly legal, though I’ve rarely been called for it). Then the last run he made the turn without my “help”. I could probably have left sooner… 😊

Thanks,
Barb

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by Barb VanEseltine.

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Tracy,

Independent backside serpentine lines – YES! That is exactly what we need to work on. I LOVE when a question goes to an instructor and they totally get it. Thank you! I get a kick out of how hard you are “selling” this on the video. I get it! I get it!

So, working on the serp line is the backside slice (“around” in Enzo’s case). But I would also want to have this with a wrap, so I guess I’ll have to work both (“push” is the backside wrap). Granted, his backside wrap performance isn’t fabulous, but he clearly demonstrates that he understands that he will be going in different directions depending on the verbal.

Well – I have to say that your baby introduction to backsides really caused something to go “click” in Enzo’s head. I worked on that for a while, did contrasts with the threadle IN and then put it back to the side. He was almost perfect on “around” versus “get out” but still a bit harder to do “nothing” versus “get out”. Here is a sampling of that, just fyi.

Then I did a bit of the jump/tunnel discrimination. That was fun, especially with a whole jump, since you have both a front side and backside. Here is a smattering of that:

Hurray – what fun!!

Thanks,
Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Tracy,

Thank you – that was wonderful. Love the tunnel/wrap proofing game!

Derrett people are using blinds? The world is coming to an end! <snicker>

I am hoping that the backside send in this way will help me with the backside slice/serp as shown in the attached picture. The difficulty is keeping him “out” on the line to #12 – as you can guess, he wants to come in to the frontside.
(I can’t figure out how to attach an image from my desktop, so I made a short video of the image:
https://youtu.be/qkrBsdXrMJM)

Here is the training video. https://youtu.be/4xYNnlH9VAI

I missed videoing the first session – it was just working on the straight lines. I included some in this video. I was not surprised that Enzo was more-than-happy to ping out to the jump; it was more difficult to keep strong enough connection to keep him with me. After a bit of practice, that became pretty smooth.

The first half of the tape is “get out” and it became pretty nice. However, it was much more difficult to get him to the backside. As you will see, we struggled with that. Ideas welcome!

As I stare at this video, it seems that he is willing to move away from me (sideways) and take the front side of a jump but moving away and taking the backside WHILE I KEEP FACING forward (with feet) is too weird/difficult for him. I’m thinking I should go back and break this into even smaller pieces:
– Stand still, feet forward, send out to backside from various positions along the line using extreme connection
– Very slow walk starting various places along the line
– Gradually add speed
What do you think?

Thanks,
Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

Oh my!

I prepared this entry a few days ago but (somehow) didn’t get it up. So, now I have this entry and a question about this week’s work.

Question first:
I have tried quite hard to not teach a “get out”. Well, that’s not exactly correct — better to say I have taught it only a little bit and try like crazy never to use it. It has always seemed to me that “get out” does not fit into either of the motion based handling systems I have used (now mostly Mecklenburg melting into One Mind).

So anyway, this is making me nervous, I guess is all I can say. So maybe you can send me some more reassurance…?

AND the CRCD code for these setups…?

Here is the entry I wrote 2 days ago:

First (before I forget), YES, I would love to see the proofing game video.

Second, this video is too long, especially for the second time on this setup. So, please, just watch it go by and let me know if there is something particularly egregious you want to bring to my attention. I think I worked through some stuff and it went reasonably well. (At around 3:30 my editing skills went to sleep, too…).

I read your notes carefully, studied and considered them, and then, immediately ran my dog exactly the same way I did before. Good grief! ***sigh*** (The course was dismantled and rebuilt but I think it is very, very close to how it was before.)

As the tape goes along, I think you can see that we get better at it. 😊

You can also see my use of “if I want THIS I’ll do THAT but if I want this other thing, I’ll do a different thing”. As an x-obedience trainer, this is a very appealing way to think about a problem. In no case did he go off course, although some turns were a bit wide. 😉

One thing I notice, he is very confident of where he is going from 9 to the weaves and goes very, very fast. I’d like that speed in other places. 😊

At one point, I address the camera about wanting more drive out to #4. The first time I tried by shouting louder (really, Barb?) but the next time I added motion and got a better result (but not back to 5 nicely enough).

Then I sent out to the weaves…. Then I put it all together.
Then I played a bit…

Verbal cues:
Easy – general collection cue
Dig – wrap right
Check – wrap left
Right – 90-degree right turn
Left – 90-degree left turn

Thanks,
Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Tracy,

I left my weave poles where they were and created a nice distraction to capture careless handling. 😊

He read 1-2-3 right off the bat and made a beautiful jumping effort on #1 every time.

After the initial run with weaves, I gave it some more thought and decided that I could get to 5 for a FC/BC. Still not the turn I wanted.

There was some bad-dog behavior around the toy, so I put it in the middle and then I put it at #4. That was a good reminder to leave the toys until allowed.

At the end of the session, I still don’t have a nice turn at #5, so advice there is welcome. At the very end, I did a zoom on that turn. I am thinking the issue might be training, not handling. He isn’t reading all those collection cues as true collection. I could put him in a sit, put the toy on the exit line and work it like that. Agree?

Thanks,
Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Tracy,

It was a REALLY good thing you sent the CRCD – I would never have built it so big!

Here is the first part of week 2 longer sequences. I had a lot of happiness with Enzo on these; his response to the verbals was lovely, especially his clear understanding of the difference between “check” (wrap left) and “left” (turn left).

Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Stacy,

Great review – thanks!

Regarding not going backwards – apparently that is an issue I really need to work on. It came up in the Zoom and again here. When I look at the video, especially the FC, I want to scream “Stop bending over!”.

Thanks for the hints about training the lap turn. My Belgians just didn’t have this much trouble with it.

I’m not in full agreement with the wideness of the turns at 1:40 and 1:55. Any tighter and the wing would be down. (??) Now, a better exit from the tunnel would be very helpful.

I can certainly do the blinds sooner on the last sequence.

Thanks! I hope to be able to work on the longer sequences on Thursday. 😊 Maybe you could just put the CRCD code for that in your reply. <grin>

Thanks,
Barb

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Tracy,

I couldn’t find a “maximum minutes of video” guidance so I just sent all that I would if there weren’t any. This is the week 2 short sequences

Set up 1: Front Cross
For the first rep, I used the in-your-face connection and got a nice turn. Then I tried it with less and got a wider turn. For rep 3 I went back to the stronger connection for a lovely turn.

Set up 2: Lap Turn
As I said, I had to teach it. I still don’t like that he won’t come in close to me and turn more tightly – advice welcome.

Set up 3: Slice
Well, this is exactly what he wouldn’t do on the lap turn – it was easy. 😉 I did include a lap turn to make sure we were straight on the difference.

Set up 4: Blind/wrap
I thought this one went well; did 2 reps.

Thanks,
Barb

ps: PLEASE include CRCD codes for your courses. 🙂

[Barb VanEseltine]

WOW, just WOW! The seminar by ZOOM was amazing! I had no idea it would work so well. Actually, I had no idea what it would be like but I didn’t expect it to work that well. It was amazing. And — you are wise to keep it to 4 hours. By the end my head was ready to explode and Enzo was snoring! 😊

Congrats!!

[Barb VanEseltine]

Hi Tracy,

We are off restriction!

I didn’t get video but I did work on the jump before tunnel exercise. I’ve had dogs who really struggled with this but Enzo isn’t one. With jumps at 20” I moved it forward from 15 feet to 10 feet and he never came close to dropping the bar. And we were going FAST. I didn’t go any closer because
(1) I think 10 feet is plenty close enough and
(2) I hate “testing to destruction”.

Thanks,
Barb

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