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Hi Tracy
>>so you might want tp show her that on the flat then add it back to the plank, especially if she had trouble turning one direction over the other. I am guessing the turning around will be easy for her as soon as she fully realizes it is about following the hand.<<
I tried a bit of this on the flat and need to do a bit more.
>>You can try raising it a bit by piling under mat on it so there is a little step up. And if that goes well, start a little further away from the mat – that will let you know if she is actually “reaching” for it or if it is incidental. Either way – we are getting backing up and that is GREAT!!<<
OK, will put something else under the foam pad I used to raise the height and see what we get.
>>So rather than “yes”, you can say your ‘get it’ marker and toss the treat out ahead. She might still look at you a little here but she will very soon begin to understand that get it means look ahead – just be a little early with the get it, you can almost anticipate that hit of the feet, picturing a jump replacing the prop so the goal is that she is looking ahead.<<
No video but did a bit of this, needs more work as still getting looking at me, might try tossing with my off hand for a bit to see if that helps and then go back to the dog side hand.
Between Beka’s in person puppy class and Rayven’s Scent class (over until the new year) I’m seriously starting to feel like I am falling behind on course work – Week 4 has started and I have only got a couple of things worked on at all in Week 3…
Today we worked on a few different things –
Week 3 – Wobble Board Noise and Movement
Have done a few sessions of this one working to removing the mats underneath. Today we tried the first time with no mats underneath. Not sure if the added noise caught her off guard (she typically likes or is at least interested in new noises, loud or not) or the extra drop with the removal of all the mats. So I put all the mats back and finished the session that way.
Thinking for the next session that I will remove only 1 of the 4 mats and see how that goes. Probably one of the mats on the side that touches the floor. Not sure that I need to replace it with a towel as an extra step but will probably have one handy in case. Then remove individual mats until they are all gone.
Week 3 – Wrap Foundation – Turn and Burn
We have done a few little sessions of this, she has been a little confused about the adding of the arm – not sure if it is a crossover from the prop comittment game or not. Sometimes she would just stop near the hand and not go around (there is an example in the video). Sometimes she couldn’t go around turning to the left (more often) and others turning to the right.
The video ended up split in 2 sessions, as one the first one my camera location meant I was blocking all the left turn reps, so I redid the them with a much better view.
Week 3 – Prop Game – Countermotion
This is my latest “feels really awkward to do” game, especially with my left hand. Dropping treats for Beka almost always gets her focused on checking the floor for treats which causes issues as it lowers her arousal, but I feel like I need the treats to toss on the bag for the time being to build more value for touching the bag. The time she takes getting the treat does let me move away but not sure that is helpful at all or not.
Week 3 – Collection Part 2
Man, I am just better doing the blind crosses off the hop when we start dog on left. Did the Baby and the Advanced versions tonight for the first time. I was concentrating on getting the sequence right and didn’t do many decent decels, will need to work on that specifically. I chose treats that I thought wouldn’t bounce too much being that they were flat, yeah, that didn’t work at all on the mats….
Baby – https://youtu.be/KD_wqcTr7lk
She doesn’t drive to the treats as well as she does to the toys (ie drive ahead game) but the treats are hard to see even with them being a fair bit larger than normal ones.
Advanced – https://youtu.be/VMfoUrrKc-U
Thanks
Lori
Hi Tracy
Okie dokie, think I have it on all your comments re treats and how to move to a stand on the wrap work.
Same with the plank stuff. She’s been on a longer plank in her puppy class so I have no worries about that, went happily along it multiple times. Harder to do different planks right now – winter!
Accidentally got some turning on the plank while setting up for a session and didn’t realize I had started taping, she offered the turns on her own.
When I did the actual session later (I screwed up videoing it) she definitely turned much easier to the right (staying on the plank easily and turning with little to no hesitation) and to the left was much like above, but I was able to get ther to do a couple of left turns on the plank.
Week 2 – Back up
Did the backup from a different chair (a stool). This works better. She can definitely get a few steps in backing up even befroe the treat gets put down for her. I started adding a ‘yes’ marker as she backed up and then putting the treat in for the reward.
Week 3 – Prop Parallel Path
Did a bit of the parallel path work with the prop. Only thing is she is checking in with me for the treat when she touches the bag. Should I drop the ‘yes’ and just toss the treat?
Week 3 – Backing Up 2
Did a session adding in the mat to have her start on and then back up to it. Look at her using her back feet to back up several steps. Doubt she has any idea that touching the mat is what is getting rewarded yet.
Thanks
Lori
Hi Tracy
Unfortuantely the boxes in container searches vary a lot in size, type of material, etc. Holding the box off the ground is definitely an idea to try for her. I am using something about the size of a shoe box so not too hard to hold it high enough to discourage the feet. Thanks!
More class videos from the last couple/few days.
Wrap Foundation with Pole (Week 1) –
Realized I never videod this using the post. My timing with treat placement in all of these videos is crappy, and I am thinking about it so much that I go a little too long before playing tug.
Wrap Foundation – Next Steps (Week 2) –
I did a few sessions with other objects for her to go around (a narrow toy box, a cushion, a smaller flip top box, tried my pop up kennel but it didn’t work well and hence purchase of pop up hamper). Still crappy timing for treat placement and I had the treats between my knees but not hidden enough even after the tug session in the middle so she kept looking at them. Think I will have to go to wearing my hoodie for this one so I can have them in the pocket and out of sight.
Question – the description talks about working to standing up – what do we do for treat placement at that point? I couldn’t find a reference for that – probably missed it.
Week 2 – Plankrobatics
Have done a few sessions on this, not all videoed. Here are a couple of the sessions adding height in – 6ish”, 9ish”, 12ish”.
After the 6″ I switched to treats for rewarding as I didn’t want her jumping off too quickly or too hard for a tug toy. I don’t expect I will do much at the higher heights for a bit given she is only 19 weeks old and I don’t really want much repetitive jumping off the plank. She is pretty good at turning on the plank in both directions, hasn’t come off the plank except once when it was on the floor.
Finally think I found a chair that might work better for the backing up so going to try it tomorrow.
Thanks
Lori
HI Tracy
Sounds good on everything you mention.
Tug isn’t really a word I have used for anything specific, it’s more chatter then anything. I am deciding on what additional words I might need to use for both food and toys depending on the situation and ideally same word regardless of whether it is food or a toy. Rayven and Ziva have a number that I have added ove the years:
– ‘get it’ for tossed to the floor/ground treats and toys.
– ‘take it’ for from my hand for food. Have never decided on a toy one as a toy could be a tug or some other non-tug toy (like a tennis ball) so take it doesn’t really match and neither does tug, unless I separate toys I expect her to tug from those she just takes from me.
– ‘catch’ for treats and toys tossed to her (haven’t done this at all yet though)
– ‘Snack’ is a treat on the floor/ground that I pick up and give to them. Have never used with a toy.I have a question that is not strictly about the course but I wanted to see if you have any ideas. I am doing a scent detection class with Rayven, on the side I am starting to teach Beka also as it’s such a low impact, natural thing to do so perfect for a puppy.
Second step is putting the scent in a box and rewarding them for putting their nose to a hole we cut in the top of the box, we give them the reward at the hole to encourage them keeping their nose there. We don’t want feet on the box. For MaxPup we are getting the pups to put feet on a box or box-like object and rewarding it.
You can probably guess my question – Any thoughts on how can I make the games look different to Beka? I’m standing in both situations. In scent I would be using a clear plastic box for her work, eventually it’ll be opaque. I wouldn’t be using a box for her to get on in agility but it’s not really that different than a pivot stand, fitbone, etc. so I am not sure how to differentiate for her. Rayven has MOSTLY figured out the difference but she is much older and more experienced doing different things, but she still puts a foot up on the scent box at times if she is excited or frustrated.
Thanks!
Lori
HI Tracy
I tried a bit of ‘get the toy’ in the bathroom this afternoon. Not sure this is how you were thinking totally? The orange/yellow tug seemed to be less likely to get picked up at all, but generally she seemed mostly interested in chewing on the tug toy (lack of moverment of toy or teething maybe?). Wanted to see if this is on the right track at all. I’m blocking a lot of it but hopefully you get the idea of what is happening.
Send and Commitment (Toy Only):
I did another session of the send and commit from week 1 using treats and a toy with your suggestions, but Beka was paying too much attention to the hand as the treat was there. Decided to do a session with just a toy today and that worked much better. At one point she was heading back to the bag on her own. Used the wrong word once when she touched the bag and she visited the camera (LOL!)
Re the blind cross game from live class tonigh:
Is tossing the toy ok on this game given toy races are off limits for now with Beka? A long toy might be hard to manage when we get to try the full game. try tossing treats instead (i wouldn’t use a bowl to target in case it puts her off)
Thanks
Lori
HI Tracy
The hallway is only ~3′ wide and it’s unlikely she could get by me based on our first try at this but will try our other bathroom, the bathroom I have set up for training in is way too big.
>>I think Rayven was an unusual case in terms of arousal and environmental sensitivity, wouldn’t you agree? Unless Beka is a really close relative or a genetic repeat, I don’t think you need to worry as much.<<
Rayven is that, such differences between home (where she is quite chill and a lovely girl happy to play frisbee and go for walks) and doing the things she loves! Rayven is Beka’s aunt, from a half sister of both Rayven and Ziva (so Ziva is also an aunt), so pretty closely related but not full sisters or anything like that.
Ok, will just keep watch for any signs that she is concerned about the movement, etc.
Thanks!
Lori
HI Tracy
Back up –
>>Take a peek a StrykR and Kirstie’s threade, she is using a chair and having the pup come pretty far under it, which makes the backing up even easier to produce 🙂<<
I took a look and will see if I have a chair that would work to let her get farther under it, I can totally see how that would help her automatically back up. Should I try marking the back feet moving too? You had me stop that, well switch to saying ‘get it’, but that isn’t a marker for telling her she is doing the right thing and I sort of feel that is something that is missing now since there doesn’s seem to be much telling her what is right as the tossed treat seems more of a lure than a reward.
>>I still think you should aim the toss between her front feet rather than putting it in past her shoulder because it causes her to turn around – your right hand tosses were past her and I think you left hand did a better job of getting the cookies under her. So work for dropping the cookies in under her chest, even if the hand comes in from the side.<<
That is going to be tough, she really doesn’t have much space between her front legs yet being not quite 19 weeks yet but we will try.
>>Now – let it percolate. This should not be trained every day but rather every couple of days at most, to allow for some cementing and latent learning (no puppy exercise should be done every ay, except maybe recalls).<<
Generally I try to do different things on different days, or nothing much on some, and she is still figuring out life in the house and still sleeping a fair bit, learning to live with her aunts (Ziva needs to tell Beka off more than she does when Beka is being annoying, and Rayven and her both need to learn it isn’t all about PLAY, they can settle without needing to interact – LOL!)
Wing Wraps –
>>One more step before adding the upright – you can do the stealth placement of the food by quickly and quietly putting the treat down while she is eating the previous one, so she is not relying on your hand movement – so you can encourage her to offer going back and forth on her own. She is seeing/waiting for hand movement so we want to be sure she is doing this on her own before you add the upright. So one cookie goes to the lid and while she is moving to it and eating it, the other cookie goes to the other lid and ideally she does not see that happening. And if she looks at you: do not move your hands. Let her make a decision to offer going to the next lid, then reward with the treat.<<
Ah, ok, missed that step, will do that one next then.
Drive to toy –
>>Yup. So…. this game goes on the shelf for now in a big space. The get it on toys game now moves to the smallest possible space (bathroom with the door closed or a big closet) so you can sit on the floor and play with her bringing the toy to you and not running off. Short get it toss will start the game, then when she grabs it and *does not try to move away* (or move away too far) you can reward that by having her tug with something in your hand, then let her have that toy, and repeat. She doesn’t have to bring it to you yet, she just needs to not try to leave with it (being in a tiny space will help that :))<<
I can use our hallway for this. I had this idea too after the last drive to toy video session but think I did it a bit wrong based on your desciption so I have some questions based on that attempt:
– Ttwo toys that are long enough to tug on?
– Toys about the same value?
– Hpw much distance do you think I should give her to get the toy and come back? I didn’t give her much and I am thinking that may have been wrong?
– if she doesn’t bring it towards me at all what then? Go in and play tug with the one she has?
– If she doesn’t pick up the toy just redo? no playing with either tug for that one?Wobble board:
>>I don’t see any signs of over-stimulation. Great! Just playing with a toy on a floor that happens to move a little.<<
It’s not that I am thinkng the toy would cause over-stimulation. It’s more that I don’t want to rely on getting her to a high enough arousal level that it overrides any concern she might have that isn’t really noticed becasue of the arousal and there could come a point where I can’t get her arousal high enough to overcome the concern. That is pretty much what happened with Rayven and it took over a year to fix trying many different things and then finally using Amy Cook’s play way information which just got her super comfortable with minimal arousal being involved at each stage until she was comfortable.
>>Neither – she is a baby pup and it makes sense that she would want to sort out how to weight shift in tug on a stable surface rather than a moving surface. She did well! At this stage, there is no need for her to have to stay on the board to weight shift, that all gets added in later when the pup is more experienced and more developed.<<
Sounds good!
Blinds –
>>It was hard to see your upper body on this one, and it is an upper body cue – my guess is that she could not really see the new connection so if we make that clearer, the side change will be easier.
I think your timing is generally fine (yes a little late at :56 but also your were a little over-rotated on that one) – try making more eye contact down to her, or dip your shoulder down to make that eye contact, rather than presenting the toy. She might not see the eye contact enough so she is following your feet. The recall element of it looks great so now we need to show her the side change element 🙂<<Ok, will try again in a couple of days and see about finding a better place for the camera to record from too. And this is definitely one where I find twisting my tors0 is more comfortable in one direction than the other, so that is going to affect things.
Thanks!
Lori
HI Tracy
Back up –
Played with a couple of options for this. I thought the bed as a target would be perfect – not so much – she kept laying down on it since that is what I have been rewarding – LOL! Tried sitting on the floor like I did with Rayven, didn’t really like that one for me this time. Grabbed a small stool and tried using it and think I like that one the best overall.
Here’s the video, a few issues on my part with treat placement but this seemed to go MUCH better overall.
Wrap foundations update from Week 1:
Tried this again with margarine lids to drop the cheese on, went pretty well and she is turning on her own pretty much, a couple of times the cheese got stuck against the edge of the lid slowing her down. going to try adding in an upright next time.
We played on a couple of things in the basement. I need to figure out teaching her stairs (a full flight, she does three steps in the house all the time) as she is getting heavy to carry down and especially up.
Drive 2 Toy Redo:
Used two of my longest toys and tied them together for this one. I am pretty sure she is going to be a runner if she gets the toy before I can get there – drat. I realized i didn’t swap sides either.
GOAT 2 – Wobble Board with Toy
Then we did the wobble board again just using a toy. I think this is what you are thinking for use her. We did some tugging both on and off the board. It struck me that she was shifting off the board on some of the tugging but not all? Not quite enough room on the board or a bit worried?
Blind Cross Foundation Redo
Finished with trying the blind crosses with more room – also means more room for treats to go awry – LOL! Still not turning as early as I should be on these. I should have moved the camera position too.
Thanks
Lori
Hi Tracy
Thanks so much for the additional options for this, sitting will be a lot easier on my back and hip, especially since a puppy requires a lot of bending overall. My back and hip don’t seem to mind movement but being stationary in odd positions tends to be a problem.
>>So you can reach your reward hand forward and place it to where you want the cookie to be – this will help her back up and NOT turn around. I would place it just behind her front feet.<<
OK, so basically trying to get her to see the second treat under her between her front legs should get her to move backwards without turning.
I think I like using a bed as a target idea for her too. Will try that option for sure.
Thanks again!
Lori
HI Tracy
OK, will try with toy as the reward. This isn’t the actual teeter so there shouldn’t be a cross association in any case.
>>Feel free to cheat and distract her with a cookie throw (or a fake cookie throw LOL!)<<
Can do that in the basement at least, not in the snow or the arena.
>>I bet if you used a 5 lbs toy (it was just a bunch tied together) then she would not be as quick to run off with it, buying you tie to get into the tugging 🙂<<
hmm, yes maybe if it a few toys tied together she wouldn’t be able to grab it and run away (which hopefully she won’t try to do).
Back Up Again –
Sooo, I tried to make the adjustments you suggested, tried a few times today for that matter, and I am finding it incredibly frustrating.
It’s hard on my back and one hip because I have to bend over much more than with tugging and hold the position for a longer period without moving. If my legs aren’t the right distance apart it’s really easy for her to simply turn around rather than back up. If the treat bounces when I drop it between my legs depending on where it ends up she either doesn’t have to back up to get out or she just walks right through my legs to get the treat. I can’t toss a treat through her legs as she doesn’t really move from between my legs until after I toss it and I can’t really do it while she is still between my legs (plus the whole she has no chest yet – LOL!) and once she takes a step back out from between my legs she simply turns around to go find the treat so I don’t think she has backed up more than one or two steps at most.
This video is probably the best I have gotten. I started putting the treat between my legs while she was getting the one I tossed as otherwise the toss had to happen way too soon after dropping the treat and there was too much happenign in a small area. Saying ‘get it’ she seems to turn away as soon as she backs out from under my legs. I am having trouble trying to imagine this turning into backing up more than a step or two right now.
Thanks
Lori
Hi Tracy
>>Perfect, couch cushions work<<
>>I think the balance discs and fitbones require a core strength and balance that a 16 week old puppy does not yet have, so do this with stable surfaces for another month or so with more limited interaction with unstable surfaces.<<Couch cushions it is then for now.
Goat game wobble board:
>>This is a good set up! Get it for tossed treats and also having her go back and forth for the toy is fun for her too. Do you have a marker for when you want her back on the toy? I add in a “bite” marker. You can wait for her to offer getting back on the thing after the get it cookie rather than just smack the toy, so the toy is ,ore of a reinforcement of what she offers and less of a lure for this.
And, bear in mind that you can shape the whole session with the toy!<<Haven’t decided on all my words for getting food and toys/tugs. Some are in place but mostly for food situations. I have to look back at the reinforcemtn course for some ideas.
2nd session:
>>My general rule with puppies is to get at least 2 sessions in a row of super high rate of success (90% or better of high level confident offering) before I change anything. She was starting to offer by the end here, but really only front feet because there was more motion. So don’t change anything on the next session, or you risk her beginning to overthink it. Instead, just do another couple of sessions like this til she is slamming it all around, then change something a tiny tiny bit. I think using toys only for this will be better than food- it is just more exciting and action-packed for her, so she moves more and thinks less 🙂<<OK, will leave it where it is for a few sessions. My concern with only using the toy is that I don’t want to rely on using a higher arousal level to override any concerns she has with the motion. Have had too many BC’s go through teeter issues of various severity (Rayven being the worst) and taking a lot of time to work through them, when it would have been better for them to be comfortable with the motion without their arousal overriding any concerns until it doesn’t anymore.
Driving ahead session:
>>She did great with the driving ahead! Nice job being connected to her, releasing her when she was looking ahead, and she was great about driving ahead without any worry about your motion. SUPER!!!! Add more distance whenever you get a moment and have space to do it.<<I thought she did great too. 🙂 For much farther will have to switch toys as this one doesn’t toss great. Outdoors will work for now, we don’t have a lot of snow so far, but probably will have trouble beating her even with a push back unless the toy is close to us. We’ll be in the arena in the new year once a week (Ray is taking a break for a bit) so will be able to do there also.
>>About the running off with the toy.. Bearing in mind that this is a drive ahead game and not a retrieve game: You don’t have to ask her to retrieve it, you can just get in there and play play play. You got to the toy with her then turned and ran away. By running away, you asked her for a skill she does not have and added failure to an otherwise great session on the skill you wanted to train. So when she arrives at the toy, reach in and play with her rather than ask for a retrieve. You were close enough to be able to do that here, she only ran off when you asked for the retrieve. If in the past she has taken off with the toy when you reached for it, then yes – make it a REALLY big toy by tying a bunch of toys together so she gets one end and you get the other. But even with a really huge toy or a toy on a line… don’t ask for a retrieve with this game, just play. The retrieve can be trained separately and that way you can build up both skills.<<
Got it! Separate drive ahead from retrieve. I may need to make the toy a fair bit longer to make sure I can get it when she beats me.
Thanks
Lori
Hi Tracy!
Great re the videos, I wasn’t sure from the course description.
GOAT –
>>The disc is rather tall for a 16 week old pup to easily get her back feet on and then she doesn’t quite have the core strength to stay on it long (she is a baby dog) – do you have something flatter/easier so you can mark & isolate the back feet? I love that she offered her whole body on it, and we can keep looking at ways to make it easier and fun!<<
Hmm, about the only thing I have available is one of the cushions (about 2’x2′ and 4″ high) from an old couch that I use for some conditioning work at times. Other than that it would be a fit bone or use a couple of my smaller balance disks.
Any Toy –
I just pulled a variety of different things together in the bucket to see what she would do. She actually likes tugging on the leash and tugs pretty hard on it, but it’s always been done when she is wearing it so not so it’s not bunched up. Don’t have many long toys at the moment. I still don’t have a great idea of what types of tugs are more or less fun for her. Will try to build an order that offers more fun after less fun.
Backing Up –
Sound goods on all the suggestions. I think tossing the treat between her legs will be a challenge – she has no chest yet (LOL!) – we’ll see if I can manage that one.
I did a couple more sessions today:
GOAT 2 – Wobble Board –
Did 2 short sessions in the basement of this separated by the Drive to Toy session below. First session had 3 layers of pads under the board, second I had 2. The first time in the second she noticed the extra drop but seems to have adapted after a couple of times on it. Next time I’ll start with the 2 layers and then go down to one.
Wobble A –
Wobble B –
Drive to Toy –
Did this between the two wobble board sessions above.
She drove out to the toy pretty well, and didn’t seem bothered by me running up behind her. Will be using a toy on a rope next time to prevent the running off with the toy.
Thanks
Lori
Hi Tracy
All your comments make sense and will apply them, timing might be a bit off with a few of the videos posted below for Week 2.
Have another question re video posts – we are past week 1 but there are a couple of week 1 things I haven’t had a chance to apply your suggestions (like the Send & Committment and wrap foundations in particular) and video tape. Can I still post short vids of those for feedback?
Onto some week 2 videos.
GOAT 2 – Movement and Noise:
Used one of my large balance disks for this session. She has seen this disk before but not in isolation. I had it surrounded by a bunch of my other disks and fit bones to just get her on them as she has a definite tendency only put her front feet up on them and then stretch across them rather them put her back feet up on them.
Next we’ll try the wobble board, think I will try it with towels to reduce the amount of drop mine has to it.
GOAT 3 – Plankrobatics:
She has seen and been on a raised plank at her puppy class a couple of times. There she was on leash and happily bounced on and off it, trotting along the length of it. A bit more exciting environment with the other puppies doing things too than shaping at home is.
Any toy, anywhere, anytime:
We have done some tugging on a variety of toys in different places already, including puppy class and a pet store and tha agil-tracks building. The red rubber hollee roller-style bone was the hardest to get her tugging on, might be a function of her teething right now as she has tugged on milkers which are also rubber.
Hind end Awareness:
Not sure about this one. I had to adjust how far apart my feet were or she could sort of just turn around more than back up. I found it hard to pick up on back feet movement for some reason so wasn’t sure how it was going. She is alo not much into using her back feet independantly yet, one of the reasons we have some issues with getting on things and especially doing the getting into boxes games.
Thanks!
Lori
Hi Tracy
Think I get all your comments.
Here are a couple more of the week 1 games:
Blind Cross Foundation –
I was late doing the Blind on the first rep of each side, not quite so late on the next rep. Pulled out a new tug that she seems to like, although I think she was hinting that the freeze dried beef liver that I was using for the toss was better based on her not grabbing the tug a couple of times.
GOAT tricks –
Tried to be cognizent of my reinforcement rate with her. I should have played tug with her more often after treating her.
Re the notes on this and getting the puppy into a higher arousal state, I definitely don’t feel like I am really getting her into a state of arousal that is conducive to shaping. She is naturally at a much lower arousal and intensity level then Rayven (understatement of the year!), and probably also than Ziva (harder to say that was 13 years ago now and she was miss perfect).
I have been casually tossing treats and pairing with a game of tug and she seems to like that game, she is running out to get them faster it seems to me.
Send And Commitment –
I had done one other foot to target session before I thought I would give this a try. I thought Beka did awesome, even left the tug to go to the target on her own once. I accidentally rewarded her at the target on the send a couple of times.
Thanks
Lori
Hi Tracy
>>What does she naturally do with the toy? You might not need the toy on a leash, maybe just a really long toy, or work in a smaller enclosed space like a long hallway so she doesn’t have far to go<<
Well, we haven’t really played any games enough to figure that out, but when she is just out with toys on the floor and she grabs one she will often run around with it, squeak it, or chew on it, just generally play with it. don’t think there is a built in retrieve with this one.
Can definitely play in the hallway behind us in the video, it’s just not a place that I can really do a video in as it’s much too short.
>>On this game, you can drop the toy to the ground sooner after you get it back, almost immediately – holding it in the air is not exciting and she is not likely to focus on it but dropping it is very exciting and will draw her focus to it. <<
Even if I don’t really have her by her collar or chest yet? She doesn’t really understand the set up part yet since this was our first time on the game. I would think she would just take off for the toy right away if I drop it sooner and not be focused on it. Not a big deal right now?
>>For this game, I would have you sit down so you are not bending over. And as soon as she drives to it, you can get in and get it moving (you don’t need to wait for her to grab it – she is really young and needs the toy to be moving for now). She was getting really good at driving to it!!!<<
Hmm, sitting and getting in to move the toy aren’t really compatible??? Ahh, so ok if I grab the toy and make it move before she grabs it, I thought she needed to grab it before I get in there.
45 sec? That is likely only going to be about 1 – 2 reps given starting the time, getting her engaged, doing a rep and playing in between and setting up again…
>>I like chatter and all but you can pick and choose when to use it (especially her name) so that it adds value and doesn’t fade into the background. I think you were calling her name to keep her attention – you can make the transition faster by having the treats in your pocket so that it is almost immediate <<
I get the chatter part, I can be so bad with that at times, will try to remember to keep it down. So are you saying use food instead of tugging to get engagement when we start a game so we can transistion into the game faster? Not positive if that is what you mean?>>
>>nice shirt!<<
isn’t it awesome!
>>You can cover the other toy a little more with your hand, and make the new toy that you are banging more visible. It was hidden behind you so she was ignoring the noise because she didn’t see the toy moving. So move the toy forward so she sees it.<<
Ok, that is an easy adjustment to make.
>>She had barely gotten her mouth on the toy when the other one was already banging – be less quick so she can engage with the toy for a couple of seconds. Count to 3 in your head before banging the other toy<<
Ahh, so it is ok for her to play a bit with the toy before I start with the other toy. Got it.
Question – with a toy being used would you expect her to turn away from the toy she is at and head back to the other toy if the other toy isn’t being banged? I am not sure I would expect that even if I stop moving the toy she is at or cover it up more. Using treats the treat is gone after she eats it so there is nothing on that side to keep her there anymore.
EEK!!! No IYC?!? NOOOO!!!! LOL!! We have been doing all the IYC stuff I’ve done with Rayven and Ziva in the past, so for food bowls, treats in bowls on the ground when we are training, placed/tossed on the ground, etc. So none of that for her for now sounds like?
So if I try this game with treats again I should probably toss it to the side rather than into a plate? Sort of like I was describing we did in puppy class on Wednesday night, toss to one side and as she turns back toss to the other side, then as she starts to pattern that delay the toss to the other direction?
thanks
Lori
