[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

I’m back home after a fantastic week with Skizzle in Colorado, including 3 days at the Danish Swedish Farmdog national specialty. We tried lots of things new to both of us. Best laid plans – I thought we’d practice and video some pre-trial activities – but, I didn’t. Good news is that we used some of the pattern games with food before some events. Skizzle handled the environment well, and was engaged with me. We even played often in wet grass, since afternoon thunderstorms were a daily event…he did better there than our home attempt last week.

I haven’t caught up on lessons or the webinar I still need to watch…but I intend to do so this week. We re-started our agility practice with tunnel discrimination. I think Skizzle did great! When I started “thinking ahead” to cue the tunnel threadle – but actually changed how I moved – he came right with me 😉

[Amy Sannes]

Thanks for the feedback.

I don’t know that I’ve understood it before, that staying upright decreases the pressure I’m putting on Skizzle for play…with the long toy.

I have some not-agility trials coming up, including later this week. These will be great opportunities to practice outside the ring engagement and pre-trial readiness. I also sometimes attend a local agility class, and can more deliberately practice there.

We tried tunnel discriminations. Here’s a short snippet from the beginning. Skizzle acted a bit like he does for post-bath zoomies. I’m pretty sure the tall and wet grass led to this. I tried these a couple more times, with much less success, so stopped. Lots of rewards for effort.

We’ll save the next attempt for better conditions…from Skizzle’s point of view.

[Amy Sannes]

Tracy –

Thanks for your feedback!

>You can also experiment with what works best: it can be asking for the cookie-free patterns with hand touches, or a ready-set-go start (no stay) or a short stay. Try different things and see what works best!
I need to learn about and try the cookie-free patterns and experiment with the ready-set-go-start. I appreciate the suggestion to see what might work best for us.

>This is where you can also give him the full length of the toy, especially at the start, to let him chase it and engage with it.
I was so proud that I brought a really-long toy! 😉 Yes – if I remember and get coordinated, I can try leaving him a much longer piece of the toy to play chase with! Pretty sure he will still bite it close to my hands – but I haven’t experimented with this lately, so will try and see.

>When is the next FEO planned?
I’m not 100% sure when it will be. Possibly early October – probably not before then, unfortunately.

>Have you had a chance to look at the Launch webinar? There are some games in there we can add in and see what he likes 🙂
I haven’t looked at this, yet. I have some time off soon, so hopefully I can look at that in my free time.

> And a few more reps of doing the FEO in the ‘just like home’ mode with the visible toy is good – and at home you can be doing the ‘empty hands’ mode with the reward in your pocket while separately working on the remote reinforcement games.
I like this. I think Skizzle is making good progression with these…just need to work towards that eventual understanding that rewards are outside the ring at the end. Fortunately, I think he really enjoys the agility game, so the work itself is reinforcing. I’ve also been thinking that I need to train the leash off – and tugging the leash after it’s picked up to exit.

Thanks again, Tracy!

-Amy

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

Big day, today – our first FEO agility run! I’m thrilled with how Skizzle did! Special thanks to you for helping me re-frame my thoughts on these runs. Changing the goals from something like “seeing how we do” to doing everything I can to help Skizzle have a party in the environment and in the ring – helped make this adventure a success.

I have 3 videos to show – 1) outside the ring before the trial started, 2) outside the ring right before our turn, and 3) our FEO run. Enjoy one of Arizona’s “rugged” trial sites. Fortunately, the cows cleared out of the adjacent field before the start.

Here’s our pattern + tricks outside the ring. New (yummy baked chicken) treats for the occasion. Excited at how quickly he could get into the game, and clearly had the brain left to also do tricks.

We did play the pattern game a couple more times in slightly different locations – similar success both of those times. He really likes the new treats! (yay). The second time was about 3-5 minutes before our outside-the-ring play. I left my treats on a table, but was a little worried he may not engage with me with the toy because we had just had the treats. Fortunately, he was able to engage with me pretty well.

That brings us to our FEO run. I forgot to NOT ask for a start-line stay (even after our pre-planning and even after he broke the first one). He broke the second one, too. 🙂 I almost forgot to declare my toy…glad I remembered before we started. I can see that I was almost frantic trying to get in and get started. It’s me 😉 I know I told myself to take a breath and stop rushing (good job, me) – though you can’t tell from watching this.
Skizzle is way better than he should’ve been with me rushing and him being in his first agility trial ring. Thank you, Skizzle! Excited for how well he played in the ring – and he was with me and responded to clear cues. I can see he was a little distracted at the start line – I should maybe aim for taking 2 deep breaths to give him time to check things out and then check in with me…instead of rushing him. At 1:00, I had planned to have him wrap that jump before the tunnel. My handling wasn’t great for that (plus, why was I making it anything mildly complicated?) – Skizzle took the backside instead.
Would love to hear your feedback and thoughts for planning for the next FEO run based on this one.

Thanks again for helping me plan this. It was a confidence-booster for this trial where Skizzle’s was the only FEO run.

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

> So it can be a value scale that balances back and forth based on the environmental challenges.
This makes sense. I need to be more prepared – have multiple treats with different values ready. I don’t think Skizzle will complain 🙂

>So what you can do is a bit of a ‘get out’ cue! He knows that from previous classes: as he lands from 7, look at him, use your get out verbal, and most importantly: use your opposite arm (right arm here) to point forward to the 8 jump. That should get him to shift away to 8! Let me know how he does with that.
Good to know. I will let you know.

>And many, many fast small dogs handlers get a little low to show connection and it works out beautifully.
Thanks for letting me know what you see and that I don’t need to change anything (easier).

Today is Skizzle’s 2nd birthday! I’m as excited for our future as I was when I first brought him home. It’s been a fun journey learning to work with him, and I look forward to continuing to learn to work together as a team with him.

Today we tried remote reinforcement. Thanks to my neighbors for all the background noise. We had a busy past couple days, and Skizzle didn’t have a lot of extra energy. We have done similar work previously, and I think it was clear to him.

Thanks, Tracy!

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy!

>Think of agility as just a series of playing with you and doing tricks.
I appreciate this re-framing. I need to continue to be patient with Skizzle, and give him the opportunities and time he needs to adapt to more busy environments.

>Yes – the latency on the regular pattern game element was a little high (took a little longer) so you can keep playing the regular game until his responses are very quick in that environment. And it might also be an indication of environment versus available reward: if it is a less interesting motivator, he is likely to attend to the environment more.
I will try more of the regular pattern game, until I get more snappy responses. And I can also sometimes up the reward value, especially in novel locations. I have baggage with previous dogs – where I kept upping the ante on rewards, then overused them – and couldn’t get an engaged dog. (I might have missed part of the big picture, but this is how I think about it).
I really like that Skizzle can sometimes work for kibble at home, despite it’s downsides – takes a long time to chew and isn’t always motivating for him.

We tried the first mid-course sequence. The blind cross went great. The rear cross less so – if I connected with him so he took the jump after the tunnel (7), he didn’t take the following one (8). At 00:19, I wasn’t connected with him enough, and he turned instead of taking the tunnel. Nice to know he doesn’t have tunnel-suck – but so sensitive to my movements.
The video suggests I’m starting to handle hunched over all the time. I think it’s me trying to maintain connection – but I don’t think it’s helping…and it won’t help me move around an agility course better. I’ll try to stand taller.

[Amy Sannes]

Tracy –

Thank you for the feedback. Super-high value novel foods – I need to prepare those! And I can take the time to play before the first obstacle – to make sure we’re ready to start in the first place. Then I can split things up – do a little bit – play – a little more – play. And the obstacles might be icing on the cake in addition to the play. Thank you for helping me refocus for an emphasis on play. From other sports, my brain has a trial mode which is a bit too process oriented (enter the ring – setup – go).

Skizzle and I played the find my face game. Given Skizzle’s attention to my every move – and my human-ness with regular errors – I think this game will really help us in the sport. I will incorporate it into training more regularly. We started with the left-right pattern game, which I’m showing you the end of – then into the find my face piece. Initially he’s at my side, and then in later reps rotates so he’s facing me more. He’s not in much of a hurry to find my face, which probably reflects that this environment is interesting. Good feedback, seems like.

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

Enjoyed the chat yesterday evening! Skizzle is also uncomfortable with “middle” for setups. He’s happy to go into position, but isn’t ok staying put when I move out of the position. I still use it often and toss a toy or treat to send him away, but I have abandoned using it at all to have him hold a position.

I have an opportunity to try an FEO run with Skizzle next week…at an ASCA trial that’s close by. I am thinking about how I want to use this time. I’ve looked over the NFC videos you’ve posted – thank you! Much appreciate seeing these.

I’d love your feedback/suggestions to hopefully make it a positive experience for Skizzle. It will be his first exposure to an agility trial.

I signed up for the second trial. I plan to try pattern games and a bit of the volume dial outside the ring while the first trial is running. Then, I will try pattern games before we’re on-deck, then move into the volume dial when we’re on-deck. Then, once we enter the ring, a running start and try 3-5 obstacles – play, play, play. Then get out!
I will opt-out if Skizzle can’t give me any attention outside the ring before our turn. This is a real possibility.

Am I on the right track?

[Amy Sannes]

Appreciate the feedback, especially to use the pattern game first, then the volume dial. I know I had planned that at one pont, but clearly with these attempts did not try it. I think the pattern game first will help give Skizzle some time to acclimate.

And I can bring out the longer tug. I might learn 😉 Skizzle likes to retrieve, so has good feelings about those toys, like the one we were tugging with…more than with long, floppy tuggy toys. Like agility handling, it may reflect my toy play skills. I maybe should try the flirt pole. I can understand that it’s too hard on him physically the way I’m playing with him. Appreciate you noting it.

We tried another opening sequence. Skizzle was reading my cues…and I should have practiced more without him. Hope to try a re-do on this one soon.

[Amy Sannes]

Thanks for the feedback. I like the suggestion of playing the lazy game. I think I want him to have the confidence to keep going when I disconnect. More space will probably help, but Skizzle staying on the line will also help.

We tried a bunch of things in the past day.

Here’s the volume dial. He did great in the first video. This was away from home, but very familiar – we visit a couple times a week. And there were no distractions – no people or dogs or noises. We ended with some heelwork, which he was nicely engaged for.

Here’s the volume dial this morning. There is a conformation show this weekend very close to home. We tried this when it was busy with folks arriving, unpacking, pottying dogs, etc. Skizzle was distracted. I had to work hard for his attention and play. He wasn’t able to engage as much as I would need for a performance. LMK if you have tips beyond more practice.

Thanks for your helpful suggestions!

-Amy

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy.

From the feedback
>Trying to center and optimize arousal will be a bit experimental for a bit, as you bring him into new environments and as his body ‘learns’ to regulate arousal. It is one of those things that the answers will come over time from trying different things and letting him give us feedback 🙂
This resonates with me. I feel like I need to be a bit curious and explore his arousal response more than I tend to.

We had an evening without rain – so I set up the opening sequence course again…with the red jump moved to give me a better line past the cactus jump. Sometimes it worked well, like when I stayed connected with Skizzle at the exit of the yellow jump, didn’t have a toy in my right hand, and didn’t run at the cactus wing. 😉 I loved Skizzle’s attitude for this session – he was excited to play and connected with me all the way.

Here’s a single run through of the first sequence (minus a jump).

Here’s the second sequence.

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

From the feedback…
>Think of it more as finding ones that optimize arousal (getting him in a mental place where he can really focus, engage, and respond) versus ones that are over-arousing (he can no longer focus/engage/respond).
This makes sense. I feel like I mostly have to help Skizzle get more aroused…though I shouldn’t box him (or me) in quite yet. And I should maybe be scheming to get him over-aroused, so I push him far enough into arousal.

Here’s another short video of mostly the up-down pattern at the airport on our way home today…the airport’s tunes, not ones I added 😉 He’s doing great with this.

We had monsoon rain this afternoon, and we’re in a great pattern where it has rained nearly every day. This is great for my community and wildfire risk, but not so much for agility practice. Hopefully I’ll have some less rainy days to set up more sequences.

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

Looked at the feedback after I had a plan for this morning, but I will use a leash for some sessions…that makes a lot of sense.

Enjoy the beautiful background! We did the back and forth game in what I thought would be a more challenging environment, though Skizzle wasn’t distracted by it – good boy.

Here are some tricks. I’ve never thought about them like you suggested – trying to see which ones help the dog increase arousal – or decrease it – prior to a run. With that in mind, it seems like hand touches and maybe spins help with increasing arousal. He frequently “dances” himself to see or smell things up in the air more easily. I haven’t tried dancing before, but he was less excited to dance than I thought he’d be.

Still considering barking. It takes a lot to get him to bark, and I’m not a fan of barking. On the other hand, it would probably work really well for him – because he’s amped up when he’s barking.

Thank you.
Amy

[Amy Sannes]

Thank you for the feedback. It seems like my moving the toy around or reaching for it is very distracting for Skizzle. I’m trying to leave it in the pocket more…but that habit is taking some time to learn. I probably should also try to carry it in my hand – to proof against it.

We played the pattern games. I was pleased with how he did here. We can try it with slightly more distractions (or a different spot) to see how we do.

[Amy Sannes]

Hi Tracy –

Skizzle and I took a little agility break, and short vacation to San Diego, including sniffy games. Another gorgeous spot to visit – the endless cool breeze off the ocean is so nice!

We resumed agility play with another round of Wingin’ It Tunnel – yes, no, go. This also went well. It took me until halfway through to realize that switching the toy from one hand to the other was hard for him. Then I put it in my pocket – but then the tail started dangling – which was still hard for him (1:45). Note to self – consider using a toy that will fit in the pocket. Super nice – he nailed all the far-end tunnel entries!

We’re coming to the end of 3. Thanks so much for the great training advice and your patience and kindness! You’ve helped Skizzle and I make a lot of progress this session. I’m looking forward to Max Puppy 4! Danika suggested that 4 really helped her and Taq come together and progress towards trialing. Happy to have a little break, and excited to keep working on putting the pieces together and continuing to build our foundation.

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