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Good evening,
I am glad the opposition reflex games are helping. I would interject them into every day life (like feeding time for her bowl, depending on Emma’s door behaviors in and out of the door). You’re right, I think there is more speed to be given. Will she use a lotus ball so that you don’t have to reward from your body. I know sometimes it can get stuck in their fur, but I would like to see the use of a reward station (maybe an ice chest) rather than the food be on you. Often when we reward the dog from us, they only drive as fast as we drive. I would like to see more rewards placed on course or thrown for her. Does that make sense?Can you take a couple of old socks out there with some yummy stinky treats and have her chase you around for those? I say a couple, because if you have her chase you for one, then she takes it, you can get her to reengage with you for the second one. Or you can take your cooler out there and just you and her race to it. If you have a second cooler, you can go back and forth between the two. Does that make sense?
Hi Laura,
My suggestion would be to space training out with shorter sessions. I have been known to do 2-3 sessions a day for 2-3 minutes each! Our climate in the summer is super hot, so it is hard to train through the summer for any length of time. You can easily set a timer and just stop when it goes off. The hard thing is if I do more static behaviors, I am rewarding “calm and slow”. Of course that is dog dependent. If I have an over aroused dog, I would do more static behaviors and my sessions might last a little longer. Does that make sense?
Video- She LOVES the more active/running starts! WOW!!! This was really nice! For the LBG, I would like for you to move a little faster. Also, if she is having a hard time finding her treats, you can put them in a lotus ball or maybe some bigger treats that she can see? She really starts to figure it out though!!! The drills look really really good! She is fast and happy! Very nice work here. You were a tad late on the ver first blind cross, but often I am looking to see how the dog responds to this and she seems fine with it. I would also be sure that you are putting some drills in at her actual jump height when she is moving nice and fast.
Great work here! Your technique was very good and she was nice and happy!!! Super job!Hi Susan,
Great to hear! Did you want a video of how to teach back up? Just so I am sure to send the correct one.Video 1 – This looked really good!!! GOOD FOR YOU for recognizing that the speed circle was a good idea before you added in the handling. Yep, a big party whenever you get nice speed!
Video 2 – This was good too! How did you feel about it? Do you think he was comfortable? Some dogs are okay with the collar grab and release, some dogs prefer to have your hand on their chest. I like your idea of doing the wrap and running back to the tunnel! Nice job here! I would love to see an even BIGGER party at the end!
Video 3 – Yes! He loves to chase! When you finish your runs and go to reward, I would like to see more of this! Have him chase you for the reward! Then when he gets to you, you can roll the lotus ball. The other thing you can do is to interject an obstacle (kind lof like he does with the teeter 😉 )!!! But you can play, get that nice play bow that he does and run to the tunnel! Try that and see how nicely he gets into “play mode”!
Let me know if you have any questions.Hi Ellen,
I am so glad to hear that!!!I would walk so close to the jump at first that the dog has no choice but to go over the jump. If this does not work, work on your dog getting the reward for simply LOOKING at the jump or towards the jump. Does that make sense?
Hi Laura,
Interesting that he is so distracted around the crating space and I am glad you sent me video! Where do you crate him at trials? I would tend to work more on finding that perfect threshold where he can focus on you and still be around the stimulus. This was very hard for him. You did a super job getting him back a couple times, and you worked hard to reward those. I forget what is his feeling with food? My very first bc had a VERY hard time around the ring itself and was not a foodie at all. I finally found these amazing liver treats, worked at finding her threshold and after some work could be ringside with her. Do you have him out much during the day at a trial?
Regarding the neutering, all of my males are neutered. I personally (and professionally) feel it helps their brain. I have never actually heard that it makes them MORE aggressive, but quite the opposite. My boys have seemed to get a brain once they have been neutered.
Your speed circle was EXCELLENT!!! Much of this course focuses on them and doing exactly what you did! This was a great choice on your end. He didn’t seem to mind the lateness of the cross, but continued to be nice and fast! Very nice work here!!!Hi Sherry,
I would interject it into your every day life. Meaning have it in the house somewhere where it is present. I would also put a cue for the cooler. Meaning that if I say “treat” I will go over and open it. So, you would start with it in your living room and if I don’t say anything, nothing happens, but if I say “treat” (or whatever you wish to use), that means it is going to open. Does that make sense?Hi Amy,
Thank you for sending me those videos. Your drill was VERY nice and fast!
How often do you get to do the fun runs? She seems very sensitive to her enviroment? Does she spend time out at trial or a fun run when she is not running? Just to observe? She would be a dog that I would park close to the activity and let her be out just to watch what is going on and take it all in. I would allow her to be on a mat just hanging out maybe chewing on a bully stick or something. I would also make sure that she gets lots of oppertunity to walk around the rings well before her runs to sniff and take in her enviroment. I had a student in the last class that was always a worker at the trials and her dog was very similar. I know volunteers are important, but she never gave her dog the oppertunity to settle into a new enviroment before she ran her. During class, she started going to trials she wasn’t entered in just to “hang out” (I have some of my in-person students do this for other classes) and it made a HUGE difference. Let me know if you have any questions.Hi Margaret! I really like how she is seeking our the jumps! You can interject the LBG once in a while is fine, I tend to use it sometimes to warm my dog up. I like all of them! It is nice that you have different reward systems! If I had to pick one that was the strongest, I would say the thrown lotus ball? Would you agree? Let’s go ahead and start adding some handling.
So what are your thoughts on her motivation? I she is moving fast and happy and we are starting to see some good extension. You can play a bit with the MM and let me see how she responds to that as well. Let me know if you have questions.You are so welcome! In case anyone is following along, Laura and I communicated outside of the forum and talked about ways she could give Flynn information sooner for collection. A couple things that we talked about was how smaller dogs seem to pay more attention to your feet whereas larger dogs are more in-tuned to your shoulders. I recommended having Laura use a deceleration arm in her front crosses (off side arm that will become the new dog-side arm once the cross is comepleted). For some dogs this is simply a turn signal!
Here is a quick video of one of my very favorite collection exercises: https://youtu.be/GYqEfJj8UpkOkay, I was asking because I spent some time with two of my border collies from strong herding lines and went to a herding instructor and worked with sheep. It REALLY helped their confidence and I was able to work through pressure issues without causing any kind of shut down because they were always working toward the reward of herding the sheep. I had no intention of ever doing more (though we have sheep now, but that is another story), but it REALLY helped my dogs. If you have access to someone who is willing to work with Flynn, a couple sessions might really help him. Just a suggestion 🙂
Regarding the videos, please see my response to the facebook message. 😉
You can put the opposition reflex game to use with your speed circle. I would like to see both to see how she does with each one (thrown vs carried). Look forward to the videos!
Whoowheee!!! She made you WORK for that one!!! I am proud and impressed with you running your BUTT off here!!! Great effort on your part! I like the fact that you changed your handling and did the blind at the end of the tunnel. SMART on your end!!! She liked it to and almost didn’t let you get there. I could have you make modifications to make it easier, but I really liked the hustle and effort on both of your ends. I felt like she got faster too with the reps! She liked the longer lead out and having to chase you! NICE WORK!
Yes! Juat remember with dog’s like Flynn, the BEST place to look is at his line rather than looking at him (that’s added pressure). As I was watching all your videos, I was wondering if you have ever taken him herding? I will wait for your answer before I share my thoughts on that one.
I think he looks great with the drills! Your timing was good and he was fast! I would vary whether you have the toy in your hand and if it is solely on a reward station. I would like to see if he can maintain speed with the toy on a station. So do the first drill once, play, then try it again, but play, then drop the toy and take off or send around the cone and leave all while keeping your energy and “play mode” on.
For the collection games, can you share with me what you have done for foundation with him so that we can expand from there? I have some great games, but I want to see what you have already taught him. If you could send me a couple clips of what he already know as far as collection drills?Hi Margaret,
Hi there! Yes, 0:31 was perfect!!! More of this 🙂 You can also get her attention when she runs off with the toy and then reengage her by throwing the other toy the opposite direction of her. I wouldn’t do a ton of that yet, but the idea is that she reengages with you when she gets the toy.
Speed circles to the toy were perfect! I like this a lot for her. I would plan to do moving rewards for a while! But then have that second toy handy so you can reengage her. Maybe on a chair on the course or laying near a jump wing.
The speed circle at 2:26 was nice! LBG was super good! I love the fact that she is seeking out the jumps! Now you can add some distance (which is what you did towards the end). She seems to REALLY like to work for the lotus ball?
Overall, I thought the video was very good! I would like to see the difference in her speed when you run it with a toy vs running it with food in a lotus ball.
