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Can you sit a bit closer so that you are able to place the treats on the mat instead of tossing/dropping them onto the mat? When you place a treat, that is less arousing and will facilitate getting Mali to relax more quickly. When tossing or dropping treats, the motion of the treats can be stimulating.
Also, place one treat on the mat every 2 seconds since Mali is already offering a down. She needs a higher rate of reinforcement, which is why I am suggesting placing a treat on the mat every 2 seconds. And place it in the same spot for the session you are working with Mali. This will also be less stimulating.
Haha! Good to see you in person too!
I love that you threw the ball at 21 sec in the video, when she passed the ring crew, slowing down. That was hard for her.
At 37 sec, is she trying to leave the ring? Did you throw the ball to get her back into the ring?
Instead of tossing the ball towards the ring crew, roll it in the opposite direction. This will help with possible visiting issues as well as if she feels social pressure from people sitting around the ring.
She doesn’t always bring the ball right back. Is that typical? Do you think she would respond well if you bring two balls into the ring so that you are bouncing one to lure her back to you when she has the other ball? When she brings back one, you can toss the other.
Good plan for the trial where you cannot do it as NFC.
Have you been practicing the Find My Face game? There are two parts, one of which is designed to be a Pattern Game. Once there is value for the game for Journey, you can use this game as a way to help her when she freezes. Journey is freezing because she is so overwhelmed that she shuts down, even if momentarily. It would be like if you are overwhelmed by events in your life and I told you to “leave it and move on.” That doesn’t always help because it doesn’t alleviate the emotions you are feeling about those events and that isn’t helping you learn how to better cope in those stressful situations.
I recommend using a Pattern Game to help Journey recover from those moments she freezes. But first practice them every day in different contexts, 3-4 times per day, for 1-3 min.
Solloquin is an over-the-counter supplement, but if you feel more comfortable verifying if it’s okay to give it to Avery, then please do. Especially because of the medications you are currently giving.
I see what you mean about the sit. Somewhere along the way, her feelings about agility have been conditioned into the sit at the start. The easier thing to do is to train the sit in a way where it looks different. This is how a Cato board can help, as per my previous explanation. 🙂
Fantastic job with Shadow Handling! Keep practicing this a few times per week in different environments. If you are at an agility event, practice this there too.
Good work with Find My Face! Looking forward to seeing your acting skills in a sequence! 🙂
Leo is definitely more grounded when training at home.
Let’s dive into the assignments and see how we can progress. 🙂
Haha! Jen is great!!
Would you consider working with a Veterinary Behaviorist? Medication might help Dellie with her fear. I understand that being is heat is marking it more significant. When she is not in heat, is she less skittish?
I did receive your email. I can respond tomorrow. 🙂
Great work with the Superbowls Game! Keep it up!
Are you finding that taking breaks and giving Veloz Snuffle Mat time is helping?
Is there a reason you are not moving with Veloz in the video? If you move to show him where you want to go, that will give him more information on what you want him to do.
I am glad you got a lot out of the live! Can you take video of you working with Veloz training? 30 seconds of training in a sequence, 2 min of Snuffle Mat, 30 seconds of training, 2 min of Snuffle Mat? I would like to see if it helps him.
Find My Face video-
So reinforce Callie for finding your face, then toss the treat away. When you reinforce her, make sure to praise her too–make a big deal out of the fact that she found your face. This is what you will use when you are in the ring and don’t have toys or treats.X-pen at the trial-
I’m happy to hear she was able to eventually settle!Do you have to crate her indoors? Do you have the option to crate out of your car?
Video of your run-
At this point, I see no issue in her barking as you walk into the ring. There is a shift in her arousal so she chooses to bark. There is a chance that the barking is completing the stress cycle for her (we can’t know this for sure without doing a barrage of tests in a lab). Vocalization (barking) is one of the ways to complete the stress cycle.The main reason I am not concerned is that she does exactly what you ask, even while barking. Perhaps the barking behavior has been woven into other behaviors when it comes to agility. I do understand that it was a concern for you early on. That being said, from what I see now, we should let it be. It is working for Callie.
We can keep working on building her resilience and let’s observe her barking behavior to see if anything changes over time.
Oh! I should have clarified better! I just wanted to observe Ella’s behavior in the store, not for you to give her the Snuffle Mat.
Snuffle Mat exercise in your training facility video-
What did you think? Did you see a difference in her behavior after having time with the Snuffle Mat?Whether or not, I would like for you to continue with this ritual for the next few weeks.
Also, since you do not have Ella in a class setting, going from training with just you to a trial is too much for her. There are many layers to multi-sensory processing and she needs practice to be able to eventually do this effectively at a trial. This is about her brain processing information. Does that make sense?
RC Video-
Dellie will absolutely learn to relax. Practice it daily for 10 min. I have never seen it not work, and sometimes it takes weeks. Also, relaxation will look different for each dog, so feel free to record each session and upload it so that I can give you feedback.Dellie seemed a bit skittish in the beginning of this Relaxation Conditioning video. Is that how she typically is in the home? Is it because you don’t normally train in your bathroom?
Jen Pinder Video-
Do you think Dellie feels better being able to move around freely when you are paying attention to the instructor’s feedback–whether in class or at a seminar–or is she more comfortable in a sit or a down near you?Look at her go! Running right by Jen TWICE!! And I heard what Jen said about you worrying. 🙂
Lastly, did you still want to work with me to help you work through the relationship between Dellie and your other dog? I want to make sure I didn’t miss an email from you. 🙂
Ok, I typically recommend working with a Veterinary Behaviorist if the quality the dog’s life is impacted outside of the agility ring. If the dog has a good quality of life outside of the agility ring, then we don’t need to consider medication. You could consider Solloquin. It is a natural supplement. I give it to Marvel and Topper and I have seen a difference in the ring.
Yes about the sit at the startline. Can you show me what it looks like in class? Do you have video of that?
We can use a Cato board to help build a sit-stay at the startline. I find that–regardless of the reason–if we completely change the picture when retraining a behavior, it is easier for the dog to be successful. Meaning, if we work on teaching a solid-stay on a Cato board indoors, then transfer it outdoors, practice in different environments, then bring it to agility at home, then in class, we will have a higher success rate.
Video 1-
I like that sometimes you are reinforcing Mali by walking over and giving her a treat and sometimes releasing her to get the treat. I would like for you to reinforce her more often on the table and less often by releasing her. Practice this game daily, for 2 min, in different rooms of your house. Practice this indoors and outdoors in your fenced-in yard.It’s actually a good challenge to have all three on the platform! Lol! I do want you to prioritize this behavior with Mali, however. It will teach her how to practice self-control.
