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Kerry, I am so sorry for missing this post!
You said, “Car crating was not a viable option. I wanted him to experience the trial environment anyway.”
>> I understand when car crating is not viable. Regarding experiencing the trial environment- Robbie IS experiencing the trial environment every time you bring him into the ring. And you can bring him in for 20-30 at a time. But for most dogs, remaining in the building the entire costs mental and emotional bandwidth. Being exposed to stress for long periods of time will result in a breakdown in performance over time. For many dogs, being crated in the building during an agility trial is prolonged stress. These are things you will have to consider and do what you think is right for Robbie.
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He looks fantastic in this video! He is engaged and focused! Brilliant!Hi Ginger!
Again, I am so sorry for missing this post!
I copied your questions and responded to each one below..
We tried impulse control/arousal layering at the agility field. Sprite did well. Do you allow a slightly lowering criteria for the touch accuracy at first? A drive by wouldn’t count, but if the touch is lighter or off center? I am asking more for Gemma. However, I thought they would be fine to start.
>> Absolutely! I reward for effort. As the dog gains understanding, because you are rewarding effort, value for the behavior will build and so will accuracy.
If they can’t do it you just back the distance from the distraction, correct? We also started with treat pattern, but you don’t need to see that.
>> Yes, if the dog is unable to perform the behavior, then you are too close to the distraction, trigger, or activity.
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This is BRILLIANT!! Really great application of the Superbowls Game! She is practicing emotional regulation, stimulus control, engagement, focus, and so much more!!Play the Pressure exercise in different environments to help her generalize this skill.
Please feel free to email me to work with Gemma: Bobbie@BehaviorVets.com. 🙂
Tracy and I have a plan for a continuation of this course! Stay tuned!
Hi Beverly! Can you email me at Bobbie@BehaviorVets.com? I can see if that is possible.
I don’t know the whole process of when you trained with targets and then fading it out, so it’s difficult for me to advise. I could guess that perhaps, you didn’t generalize the behavior with the target. I have had a lot of success using targets, but I leave it up to you if you are not comfortable trying it again.
Thank you so much for your acknowledgment!!! I feel so grateful that you all embraced the journey with me! I know I asked you all to do some things that might have felt uncomfortable or counter-intuitive.
I agree! Tracy IS awesome!! I am lucky to have known her since 2003.
Regarding eating even when the dog is worried-
Body language to look for:
– Observe the ears- are they pinned?
– Observe the mouth- are the lips stretched back?
– Is the dog able to focus on you by choice or are they focused on something else while taking the food?
– Are they whining and/or pacing?Kristina Spaulding’s new book is a great book to support your journey!
If you feel like you have a decent relationship with someone, then yes, especially if you are helping out in a class she is attending.
Thank you for coming back to work with me! I am honored! I also enjoyed this class and learned from each and every one of you! 🙂
Hi Helen!
It takes time to build a dog’s ability to feel more comfortable–it will get better each month, but it can take months and months and months. I recommend playing the games outside of the ring for now.
Also Tracy and I will be sharing information soon on ways that we can continue working together. 🙂
I am so glad to have been able to help you! And well done!! Your plan going forward is a solid one.
Tracy and I will be sharing next steps soon! 🙂
