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Here is more backing up, this time with a larger low foot target (backside of a scrap of carpet) and a taller target (chair cushion). We tugged after this, but my camera stopped videoing. I also ordered some more tugs from Clean Run (been putting it off for 2 months probably because of my mental block against toys lol).
Here is a recent session with the prop send…still looking at my hand but maybe some improvement:
And here is a session with the 2 bowls. We also did this with the big box and she did just the same as with the upright, but my phone stopped videoing so I don’t have it to show.
We’ve also been working on backing up. Rolling the treat under her seemed to confuse her. It was like I’d done a magic trick and made the treat disappear every time. So i switched to using a foot target. The last rep she was off the target but she did back up, which I thought was cool! I think she was catching on.
I did a little more experimenting with her sitting and laying on the plank. It seems to be a surface preference…I put blanket on it and she was happy to sit and down.
I elevated the plank just a bit. No issue getting on or turning around, but she absolutely did not want to sit or down. I tried using her cues, but she didn’t respond so I tried luring and that was also a no go. A bit later I had her sit and down next to the plank but she still didn’t want to do it on the plank.
I did another session with the prop with her on the right and she was still very much looking at my hands. We’ll keep at it for another session or two and then show you how it’s looking.
Here is the wing wrap moving the bowls towards me. I think she’s doing well!
Also added in me standing:
And we tried it with a big box in place of an upright:
Lastly, here is our toy race. I’m not sure I dif it right…but she seemed to love it lol!
I am using the toy as a reward for her “out” sometimes and am also weaving in her “chase” (chase and grab the toy I drag on the ground) and “bite” (grab the toy in my hand) cues.
Tried the plank game today and I think she did well! She does a nice job of getting her rear end up there and has some nice turns too. I can elevate it but wanted to keep it super easy and avoid any scary feelings if she did slip while turning. I have done this exercise with low benches, bleachers and retaining walls since she came home 🙂 Lazlo is on the sidelines because he has a possible injury and is feeling very left out with the lack of activity. Observing Vesper’s training is better than nothing.
And here are sideways and backwards sends to the prop. She’s still watching my hands quite a bit, but maybe that’s because we are so close to it? Not much need to look ahead when it’s right there?
Here is our wing wrap practice today. One moment of confusion, but overall good, I think!
We also tried the forward focus game with more distance and motion. First I tried with an inflation toy on a bungee, but after the first rep, she wasn’t picking up the toy. I wasn’t sure if it was the toy or maybe my motion overriding her desire to get the toy. Switched toys and then she was grabbing it consistently!
Ventured to the baseball field to train with more space. We practiced the turns/decel game. I was really happy with how engaged she was in a brand new location with lots of wide open space. Stuck with me the whole time.
Prop Game went really well today. I think I’ll move to trying sideways and backwards sends next.
I’m still getting very little pulling on her part when we tug. Will that come with time?
Tried sitting for the bowl game and she said no problem so I did move the wing out a little. Maybe too much. I think she will catch on though. I will give a couple days off before I try again.
For the decel game, I added in my motion (starting closer to her) and that was super fun!
Prop Game- I switched the treat placement like you suggested and that seemed to help a lot! Then I went back to rewarding from my hand away from the Prop. Should I spend more time reinforcing on the prop? It definitely felt like I was sending her from further away but the video shows in pretty dang close lol. Should I increase the distance?
And I finally tried the forward focus game, which I was avoiding because it’s a toy game lol. But I think it went okay!
I’ve been tugging in all sessions, but didn’t include that for time’s sake.
Another wing wrap session, added the jump stand:
Worked on the prop game again, adding a bit more space between her and the prop like you suggested. My dogside hand is empty for every rep, but she initially was leaping into the air. I showed a couple reps but it went on for longer than I liked so I stopped and pivoted. First I put the prop ahead of us and let her offer the foot target. Then I placed a treat on the prop and added in my sending motion. Then stopped placing a treat on the prop and just tried the send. It seems like she’s catching on now, but let me know if I should try a different strategy.
Thank you for the feedback!
So one thing I’ve noticed with tugging is that if I don’t move the toy much, she will either let go or just hold on stationary (often plopping into a sploot). Maybe this is an issue I created, I’m not sure. This is also the issue I had with Lazlo’s tugging, so very likely it’s me. I could never get him to pull back on the toy, but he loves being dragged around while holding the toy.
But you’re saying I can move it a little, but not as much as in the video, so I will definitely try that.
If she does let go or lose grip, what should I do?
I’m very low confidence in using toys, and worried I will mess things up, but I’m going to really try to improve my abilities!
Here is our prop work from today (with some tugging – I don’t really know what I’m doing regarding tugging, since I’ve never had a real good tugger, so open to your feedback). I kept us pretty close to the prop since this is her first time doing it.
Decel/Turns. This seemed pretty easy for her.
Blind Cross. I understand the “reward across the body” thing, but it feels so funny to me. I remember struggling with it with Lazlo too. I tried the first couple reps, but then switched to rewarding with the hand on the side she ended up on. Watching my video, I do think I can hold my arm further back to open my chest up more. And I know that’s the point of rewarding with the other hand, but my brain gets confused because you’re rewarding with the arm they start on even though they switch sides! Argh!
Food reinforcement is my comfort zone. I worked really hard to build toys as reinforcement with Lazlo but was not successful. So if you think I should try an exercise with toys as reinforcement, let me know. I do tend to just stick with food by default.
Okay, maybe something like cheese will require less chewing. I was using Vital Essentials Mini Nibs which are crunchy. And oh yes, she did a little air chomp lol. She can be sassy! Sometimes she barks at me – I’m sure we’ll get some instances of it in this class, so I’ll be curious what you advise when that happens. I’m not sure if it’s frustration or just personality.
We went back to work on the diamond game today. Overall I think he did well. The final rep, I can see i had more of an airplane arm than a connection arm and he went between the wing and me. I find it so hard to stay connected to him and see where I’m going. i cut it out of the video, but there were a few reps where I was totally on the wrong line to the middle wing and ao I just stopped and rewarded him. I dont know why I struggle so much with this with him!
I do think we did pretty well with the tight blind crosses. I love blind crosses and use them as much as I can with my Ridgeback, even for really tight turns. It’s my favorite cross by far! Let me know what you think 🙂
I finally caught up on watching the Week 6 videos and we worked on the “Get Out” game. My cue is “away.” He did well, I think! We continued to use the “away” cue with the prop even after the summer class ended and he transferred it to the jump really easily. I do think my arm is too high, I tell myself to keep it lower, like more at belly button level, but then I watch the video and it’s very high lol. The one rep where he didn’t go to the jump…I forgot to put a target for myself to walk to, so I placed something and he was distracted by that and wanted to go see it. Obviously having more space would be nice. I’ll try to train outside soon – it’s just hard with rain and wind.
Thanks for tbe feedback and help!
We got to train outside today, yay! Worked on send and serp. Which was perfect since we were having issues with serps. Last time we did this, he was struggling to go to the correct side, just like in my basement. I used your angl idea and that helped a TON! I got a little greedy when we switched sides and didn’t angle it at first. He got one rep right and then I needed to angle it for him again. But by rhe end he was getting both sides with the jump straight.
Finally did the 3 jump grid too! I did lots of “catch” rewards, but cut most out for time.
And then we tried the rear cross again, but it didn’t go too well. We got one correct rep in, just barely lol. And then I felt bad and was rewarding him for trying, which maybe wasn’t the best choice. He just doesn’t understand to drive to the jump.
