[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

Skizzle and I had a spring camping trip that coincided with your break week. We had a great time hiking, but did more than we’re used to. I’m going to give him another day or two off before getting back to things.

Here’s a cute pic of Skizzle from our trip – a southern Utah slot canyon sized for him.

I hope you’re having a good week!

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

I tried the serps again – a little less angled than before. It bothered me that I had used the wrong word, so I corrected that piece of it. Skizzle went between the jumps once – where I stepped into his line. And he went beyond the 2nd jump once – not sure what I may have done to cause that one (?).

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

>An example is at 1:34 were you were standing on his line to the front side and then stepped directly into the gap between jumps, which put him on the backside.
Ah – so that’s what I did to cause that!

>Ideally, the serp position (arm back, shoulders rotated to him, feet moving parallel to his line) remains visible until he turns his head to the 2nd jump – that is the cue to both come in and go back out.
This helps. And no extraneous verbals! (not so many words?) 😉

Rainy day today – we played with the teeter bang and 4-on with a target. We’ve used this target previously as a foot target. Here, he offers some nose-bopping or chin on target as well. Still very pleased he’s so comfortable on the teeter so far.

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

>The questions I saw where when he didn’t commit to the wing at :44 & :54 – you turned a little too early so he came with you.
Thanks for pointing these out – I see that’s Skizzle’s view is a lot of my backside.

We tried the serps – the pieces before adding the tunnel. I was so excited to use my serp verbal – from long ago – except I was exactly wrong – because “flick” is what I intend to use for a jump threadle slice – and for this exercise, I just needed to give a release word. So please ignore the word. Skizzle asks me what that word means many times – by not moving 😉
Do you use any specific verbal cues for this?

I also forgot to angle the jumps – but paused an watched your video again after a couple unsuccessful reps with the jumps straight – and then angled them. He did great after that.
So next time, I plan to use the correct verbals, maybe angle the jumps a little less – and/or add a tunnel for added challenge.

[Amy Sannes]

>Good morning! I somehow missed this yesterday – sorry!!!!
NP!

We finished out our first attempts of the Wingin’ It series (Double Cross) – though I only do a single BC here. In the beginning is our morning session (Skizzle in a jacket) – then our afternoon session. It’s almost 2 different dogs with the speed difference. (Hmmm – I could consider using this to help my handling – first run in the morning, later ones in the afternoon). 😉
This one was fun, because I couldn’t reconcile how you were moving and how your dog was moving (why didn’t the dog end up between you and the tunnel?) – but then I tried it, and Skizzle also ended up in the right place…like magic!
In the afternoon session, my focus was on keeping my arms at my sides – and I think this went better. There were still questions when I decelerated too early before the wing, but when I continued closer to it, Skizzle read it well.

[Amy Sannes]

>So you can stuff the toy in a pocket for now 🙂
I tried this today – and think it lasted one rep. Fortunately, the toy wasn’t as magnetizing as the one from yesterday.

>On the lines where you kept moving forward and decelerated facing forward, he was committing really well! … So as you decelerate, be sure to step forward with your dog-side leg and he will commit closer to 100% of the time.
On replay, I can see this. Now to put it into practice!

We continued on the Wingin’ It series – to #4: BC + wrap
Most of the BC I was moving “big picture” in the correct direction. A couple were not (oh well). There’s a few where he runs through the tunnel when I broke connection for too long, and my position was very close to the tunnel. This was a nice lesson in BC for both of us!
A positive is that he made all the wraps when I was making the BC. And like yesterday’s effort, I need to continue moving forward during the decel so he commits.

[Amy Sannes]

Thank you for breaking this down and highlighting the important pieces of my handling that help Skizzle most. Visible hands (both) – deceleration – SLow turn away – reward placed well.

On a FB post today, a dog-sport friend posted a video highlighting working her young BC on threadle wraps, something she didn’t feel she’d seen much of yet in NADAC. It caught my attention – as well as reinforced my trying to learn this. 🙂

Today, we went back to Wingin’ It.

First, we did a couple short sessions with one wing. These were great. Skizzle is teaching me about connection and timing of the blind cross 😉 I was so excited to get the spin move that I didn’t notice his shortcuts at the time. It looks like my hands/toy transfer are drawing his attention to my hands – and maybe I’m early to break connection?

We then tried Wingin’ It with 2 wings. This has been a process: watch the video – visualize – walk through – dang it, that’s not it! – watch the video – walk again. So I was pleased to finally be moving myself kind-of to the right place related to the wings. This one, I think I could try again without pointing with my hands – or at least pointing to Skizzle, not the wings (brain understands, but in the moment “try harder = point at the jump” for some reason).

[Amy Sannes]

>Yes, (hands) are ideally low but also a little back towards the dog
For the threadle wrap – thanks.

I played the same game again – since I’d spelled out what I hoped to do different. TBH – it went better the first time.
I think I did a better job of presenting both hands low – but my hand movement was maybe late and a little too fast. A lot of miscues happening – spinning before wrapping, stalling out after the wing (probably a late cue). Some Skizzle with eyes laser-focused on the toy – trying make it get thrown. When we were on the right side (from camera view) – seemed kinda like he thought the grass was yucky (where a dog had pooped recently) – so we moved to the left side (where we got the “I want the toy” behaviors). Made me grateful for how many sessions are going smoother than this!

[Amy Sannes]

>Yes! So many words. LOL!!
My thoughts, exactly. 😉 I have come to understand the difference between a wrap and a L/R turn (and Skizzle seems to hear some words) – so I trust I’ll come to really understand “in” and “dig” as well.

>So I think of it as which wing the dog enters on and which wing they exit on…
Thank you for the explanation of all 4 verbals. I had to read these a couple times a piece for it to click, and I’m sure I’ll refer to these explanations again!

>The goal is to get him locked onto your hands so he knows which side of the wing to go to: no hands? Other side of the wing. Yes hands? Threadle side of the wing.
This makes sense! (light bulb) – the hands in the threadle wrap video seem like two parallel hands pointing at the ground (not that I did very well at copying that).

We tried threadle wraps today. I had to look up the words I decided to use – I think they match yours for these two – “in in” (threadle wrap) and “dig dig”(backside wrap). At any rate – Skizzle hasn’t heard these words from me much previously (:
So – my position for the threadle wrap should be adjacent to the wing – because if I haven’t yet reached the wing, then really it would be a backside wrap.(?)
Reviewing the video after the session – I feel like I rotate towards the jump a lot more than you were doing in the example video. Seems like the idea is to toss the treat back there (close to the wing), but for the handler to stay moving in the direction of moving past the jump. Next time! I improved through the session of giving him instruction before he enters the tunnel – of how to wrap the wing.
This exercise is one I should try again – to continue facing forward, use both hands, and arrive adjacent to the wing at least before the dog finishes wrapping.

[Amy Sannes]

>And sometimes, even with perfectly secured tunnels, the dogs slip and fall when going fast. Keep an eye on how he is moving…
Thank you for your feedback on slipping and being careful to avoid catastrophic injury! Skizzle seems uninjured at this point. I have no good reason to push him, and we have a scent work trial this weekend, so he’ll get a few days off of speedy agility moves.

Today, we tried the threadle turns. This was more difficult than it looked when I watched the video (and/or my handling needs some help). Is there (another) verbal for this?
The dog makes the same move they would for a backside, but instead of the handler “pushing” the dog to the backside, the handler is outside of the dog. (Assuming this is the point of the exercise).
Also re verbals – in general – does the wrap cue mean at least a U-turn around a wing, if not a full circle; and the L/R verbals more of an L-turn (around a wing)? (I’m trying to sort things out).

[Amy Sannes]

> Lots of running around the field, saying the verbals. My neighbors think I am a nut haha!
🙂 Lol

We started with the Wingin’ It Tunnel to Wing.
I left in some of me walking the course…still a few disconnects with Skizzle, but a very decent session. [Good thing I’m ignoring Skizzle – he gives me some very judgy looks ;)]
He stumbles out of the tunnel at 00:30. From slo-mo, it looks like he’s fallen onto his right front shoulder close to the exit. I didn’t think he was particularly concerned about it. And I’ll keep an eye on his movement in case anything seems amiss in the next day or so. Is this a puppy move? Anything I should be particularly attuned to when setting the tunnel to avoid potential issues? It was pretty stretched out and nothing looked off when I peeked in after that to see what was up.
In hindsight – maybe I should try something with a little less motion after I want to see if he’s injured – like a hand touch – then tug.

[Amy Sannes]

Thank you for sharing the advice on verbals with tight turns, soft turns, extension lines. I have more experience with obedience – so similarly use how I say words – esp. for position changes (“down” is baritone and long, sit is upper-range, stand “pose” is middle-range) – when you can only say it once, you stack the deck as much as possible (:

There’s still “so many words,” but they are starting to require a little less brain space. Working on the verbals sounds is another good reason to practice agility without the dog 😉

>On both of the backside commitments, you can keep your arms back behind you more and use direct eye contact as the primary cue along with your motion.
Yes – still less arms, more eye contact. I can see in the video how he’s responding according to this…now, to do it.

I’m ready to embrace a week without jumps. We started today – though with the motion override game. I appreciate double-dipping, as working on stopping/positions out of motion is on my agenda (for rally obedience). Just barely getting started here. I was cracking up at 42-43 seconds when he was checking me up and down. Speaking of verbals – I need to narrow this to just the command (my preference).

We’ve also done some more teeter work. Super pleased with his eagerness to play on the teeter.

[Amy Sannes]

>You can slow down & elongate the soft turn verbals so they don’t sound the same as the more rapidfire go go go verbals.
Thank you for mentioning this. I’ve been deliberate in choosing words/sounds that are distinct from one another, but I haven’t thought about how I say them.

>Looking at the rear crosses:
Thank you for breaking these down. It’s timing I need to practice.

>I am not concerned about the sitting – when we add a target at the end and the board is moving, it is highly unlikely that he will sit.
Good to know. I won’t worry about it. I’m excited about nonchalant he is with the teeter height and movement and backing onto it.

Today we played the rest of the Wingin’ It game. I definitely practiced before and between reps to plan my piece. It went pretty well. A few questions at the end of the racetracks related to my change of motion, I’m sure. Also a few miscues (verbals) – though Skizzle reads the body language correctly as the salient cue.

We also tried the Straight Line – 4 ways.
Pretty good, all in all. I need more practice with timing and positioning.

[Amy Sannes]

>You can build up to doing 3 or 4 in a row and adding the race tracks around the outside too.
I will have to look this up and try it. I have a habit of focusing on the baby level and skipping the next step (see backsides question 😉 Though my focus is better this session, and we’re getting caught up on some concepts.

So today we went back to MP2 and tried the wind in my hair exercise, including the backsides (that was the advanced level!). Mostly went well – probably better than my handling deserves (thanks, Skizzle) – but a few places where my handling was unclear and he let me know. From working on this, it is clear we could benefit from trying it again – both for the directional blind crosses and for the backsides. We’d both benefit if I used the intended directional word for the blinds, and if I said it earlier, and if I moved more clearly to the middle of the jump from the wing (or some of this). The L-run definitely didn’t work, like you said it wouldn’t 😉 For the backsides, I need a better plan for myself than to stop moving, as I can see his questions about that. I think you said to keep running around the jump – not sure why I didn’t try it (next time).

We also did a little teeter work – both Mountain Climber and 4-on with backing. Trying to reward before the sit (and rewarded a down once, too). I might intermingle moving from 2-on to 4-on to see if it helps with that. I could also remain silent and wait for him to move…instead of “beep beep” for each one; I think him rhythm was better without the words.

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

Thanks again for your patience and your encouraging feedback!

I’ve put down the backsides lessons as something to review – hopefully before repeating the Straight Lines game.

>He had one question about the wrap towards you: the decel at :54…
Thanks for deconstructing this moment! I can see that I moved strangely (fumbling/hesitatingly/in-anticipation of the end ?) – and yes, he noticed. (He’s really making some speedy direction-changes!)

>I grabbed screenshots of those question moments so you can see what he was seeing.
Yes! Super helpful. I love video for demonstrating exactly what I’m doing in the moment – and hopefully I can help my brain adapt. Overall theme – is to be IN the moment (so if I’m thinking about where I’ll go after he exits the tunnel/takes the jump, I can not be moving there early).

>Space. It is a trade off – you have plenty of space for now, and at some point you can see if there are places you can rent or drop into a class? Do I remember correctly that Monica Bush isn’t too far from you?
Yes, there are in fact other people who practice agility with their dogs here 😉 …including Monica Bush. I need to reach out and bring the agility game further than my backyard. It’s my summer plan to get in plenty of agility.

Today we had an easier time of things with Wingin’ It and Looking Ahead.

Here’s our Wingin’ It. I was still a little fumbly (despite taking some time to plan my moves). I didn’t catch on, until reviewing the video, that going to 2 wings would require moving the toy from one hand to the other (or gesturing with the toy in the hand on the 1st wing). And I left you Skizzle’s bark of frustration. Bless him! That this is the first bark I’ve heard. And hopefully it’s not to continue (barking is not for me).

And Looking Ahead. Compared to the Pinwheel and Wrap Exercises, it seemed like a break (for my brain). I moved the jump – from 15′ to 18′ to 21′ and moved the wing as well.
I think maybe I was a little lazy in my movements – since it was the running parallel that was harder for Skizzle when I played the first version the second time.
Things I noticed…at 00:13 he takes off way early for the jump.
At the end, I try to get fancy w/ tunnel-wrap-tunnel-jump. But I’m not in the right place to cue to the wrap – and stepping backwards brings him to me.
On the whole – a fun, flowy session.

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