[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

I’m not sure what that circling was about. He does not have any type of cue that looks like this or mean to go behind me. But he does like to make circles as a thing. Usually it happens when he is confused and needs to just move (frustration circle). I have done this exercise with a jump and he totally understood what to do, so I’m not going to sweat it too much. I was more curious if I was doing something that caused it. I will go back to it when the yard is not a training option and use a back stop so he can’t go behind me.

That session yesterday was 15 min, including set up, play time between reps, etc. Today we did 12 minutes. He had 45 minute off leash walk today at lunch, chewed on a beef cheek for 2.5 hrs. until this training session, trained and now he is thinking about dozing off, but it’s probably too close to dinner time. So, yeah… I need to retire to entertain my dog. Thanks for the tips on extra exercise and chewing while girls are in season. Makes sense.

Today, we did some more backwards sends with me moving away.

We started the rocking horse. I moved it along given the impending snow – barrels are more than 6′ apart – he is already bigger than all of the adult female Mals that I know (and a couple of males), so we needed some room. I also added a couple of turn and burns at the end.

And a real life win – I called him off a rabbit in the yard that he was starting to chase!

I really hope I can be outside tomorrow, but the snow looks pretty certain and starting overnight. Week 6 looked like there were some basement appropriate activities we can do until I can find a place to rent with more space.

Thanks!

Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

“For indoor training, you can ue wingless uprights to give yourself more room to add lateral distance. And if the jump bump here was 4 feet, you can use a 3 foot long weave pole as the ‘bar’ (tape it to the floor) to add more room for lateral distance too.”

Haha – I was thinking that too. We brought the DW and AF in yesterday and my wingless jump got put outside, so I will bring it back in.

Nothing bums me out more than the Thursday forecast – “plowable snow”, so that motivated me to get a move on at lunch and get outside. When you’re moving, it’s not that cold.

Sorry in advance for the long video – I’m just trying to make use of the daylight and space before Thursday. I always do something with Judge at lunchtime, so today we did more strike a pose, parallel path with jump and more space, and then the rotated sends on the barrel.

I did some basic nose touches to his post-it to warm up and he was fine. He really had trouble though on one side – just circling me which was weird.

He did well on the stuff outside. I know this is a long session for an 8 month old – I could never have worked Dellin like this, but Judge is so into it and needs a lot of activity – mental and physical and that parallel path really let him move. Mal, gotta love it. And then we played fetch. So I can have peace to get back to work in the afternoon.

I had a question unrelated to the material, but maybe more of an adolescent question. Dellin just came in season. Judge is the one who figured it out first. Dellin was in season when Judge first came home at 8 weeks old, so he has experienced it, although so young. He has also had classmates in season and did not pay any attention or work differently. No contact with them, but in the same room (back room at OTR).

After that first night on Saturday, where he was a bit pesty, putting his nose where it does not belong, he has not bothered Dellin (not that she’d let him – she is not his biggest fan. He luvs her). When Dellin, Burst and Doppler were all intact, Doppler never did any of the stuff you hear about (horror stories of screaming and carrying on), so I never worried too much about it. I don’t know how Judge will start to act in the next week or 2, but am wondering if there are any strategies you would employ with your adolescent males specifically aimed at living nicely with your “sister” when she’s in season.

We are planning to sign up for MYOB too!

Thanks,

Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

Thanks for your patience and feedback while I work through the lap turn! Tonight it finally felt better and Judge was doing a good job hitting the prop.

We also did the next step of parallel path with the jump – marking early.

I did introduce him to the a frame box as well. Not on the video.

Good to know about Kirsten O’Neill – I will check out what she offers for RDW as I’ve seen her Mals do theirs and it’s impressive. Dellin learned hers with Justine Patterson.

Thanks,
Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

I was at a trial all weekend, but Judge was pretty clear that he needed some work, so we did a bunch of things when I got home. Got the prop out for the RC on the flat (lap turn felt better, tandem turn felt awkward), then we did some parallel path from week 5 with the jump, then some tunnel threadles.

For contact training, with Dellin I used a box for the a frame and mat for the RDW. I think I will do the same with Judge since I am happy with how they both worked. I will try to introduce him to the box in the next few days.

Thanks,

Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,
OMG! So sorry- when there’s no jump, I cant visualize anything and I think I’m at an age where I need to look at the lecture 100 times or I can’t remember anything either!
I’ve never actually done a lap turn on course.

Here’s the redo- it felt quite a bit better. 😂

Thanks,
Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,
Between work and the weather, it has been a challenging week! I had a few minutes before leaving for a trial to try out the next step with the lap turns. The first 2 reps, the cookie was in my hand that was guiding him, so that threw everything off. By the end of the session, he seemed to be getting the idea.

Saving the tandem turn for later.

Thanks!
Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,
It’s below zero today, so I won’t be outside! Good day to work on the those rear crosses. It’s supposed to warm up. Hoping that doesn’t mean the snow will come.
I edited out those bad reps originally, but have dropped them into the video below.

Thanks,
Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

Maybe on the strike a pose I should only have one cookie in my hand – those were big-ish treats. He usually works ok with food distraction, but that might have been too much. Toys are harder for him and we keep plugging away at that.

Our lunch training today was the 2 RC on the flat – baby level.

Then outside to add the toy to the BC, decel, pivot. The first couple of reps he went right to the toy – not following the BC, but he improved with each rep. Toy distraction is hard and that’s the lunchtime play chase toy, so while he did play chase (and he got some tosses, tug and chase between reps), I changed up the picture on him.

Thanks,

Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

3 things on the video:

Tunnel with him in the threadle position – still using “tunnel” cue. He’s finding it pretty well.

Strike a pose – this is our second session of it. I’m trying really hard not to move the target to him. I’ve done this before with just my hand – which may have been easier for him.

Second attempt at the combo – blind, then decel. I’m trying to decel earlier, not sure if I accomplished that or not.

Thanks,
Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

Great day here for working outside – 45 degrees!

Finally got to the blind cross, decel game – baby level. And then I started adding the cue “tunnel” to the tunnel. I was going to use the Manners Minder but we had done such a good job of hiding our D batteries, that I had to use a toy instead – which he prefers anyway. After I was done, we found the batteries. lol.

Thanks,
Joan

[agilitywawa]

Right! I Knew I forgot something. I do use “go” or “go on” for straight lines where I’m left in the dust. Or go ____ (tunnel or whatever) to send. I use “jump” for extension jumping.

Dellin does not have a “get out”, I may have trained it (since she took this class), but I have not used it. I might use left and right for her in those situations (trying to think what I do…but coffee hasn’t kicked in yet).

Yay on my 4’ tunnel – I was so excited when it went on sale at Clean Run a few months ago. Good winter tool for my small space. Dellin could use more work on her tunnel threadle too.

Thanks,
Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

It has been stupid cold (-7 windchill yesterday with gale force winds), but supposed to be 40 on the weekend, so I hope to be able to use the yard for the games that need room.

Question on the starting tunnel exercises – I will work on the verbal (tunnel) – Judge has been through a tunnel before, so i don’t need to shape it from zero, but i haven’t really done much with the verbal. I got one of those 4’ tunnels for training, so I’m hoping that is ok so I can work in the basement on the tunnel exercises?

I read the material on verbals. I’m going to I use the same ones that Dellin has:

Check – left wrap
Dig – right wrap
Back – backside slice
Nana- backside wrap
In in – jump threadle
Look look – threadle wrap
Here (heeeeere) – tunnel threadle
Sprinkler sound for soft turns
Left/right – sharper turns
Swing – for rear cross (not using it with Judge yet) – I’ve really found this to be helpful for Dellin

I think that’s it. Lol. Maybe I forgot one.

Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

I tied out the moving pattern game, with leash, in the basement first to make sure we’re doing it correctly before taking it on the road (plus it’s super cold and I had a ton of work meetings). I’ve got some plans for him this week in other places where we can try this out too.

Something’s weird with YouTube- it won’t save the video with it’s title, erases it and just puts the date in its place.

Thanks,
Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

We got a dusting of snow- just enough to make working outside not a great idea. Hoping it melts- it may be above freezing this week.

So we worked on the pattern game inside instead.

Tuesday is my in person agility class with Nancy, so I can’t sit in on the live class session.

Judge did some nice backing up on the plank tonight as part of his puppy fitness routine, but I had shut the camera off already. He’s up to 1/2 the plank (6 feet) with a may to target on the plank.

Thanks,
Joan

[agilitywawa]

Hi Tracy,

We repeated these games. I could not find anything to put on the ground to mark when to go, but I need to find something. He’s pretty comfortable with me leaving when he’s about halfway, but when I tried to leave earlier, I got a mistake.

I liked varying what I was doing with the prop – it made the RC much easier.

I need to get to the other game with the BC pivot. I have not shown any baby retrieve work – he has a full retrieve. I have done A LOT of toy work with him to make sure we have good skills and communication around toys.

Thanks,
Joan

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