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Hi Tracy,
We had some rain and so the field is a bit sticky/clay-like. We just did a quick session of 3 jump zig zag going to the 135 angle like you recommended. I immediately had about 2 inches of clay/mud on my shoes and right after that Rip started to get it between his toes and was uncomfortable so we ended quickly.
So, last session of 3 jump zig zag I had him start from each end of the 3 jump pattern. This session it dawned on me that if I’m having him jump into the V of the first 2 jumps he’s always doing the same first side even if I start him on the opposite end. So first jump on his right both directions the way I set this up. Took me a sec to realize I needed to invert the zig zag if I wanted him to start with first wing on his left. 🤣
We just did Manners Minder reinforcer since I could really run in the mud and wanted him able to think a bit more this first session with the flatter angle.
Also, I think if you put the video link in its own line (hit return, paste it, hit return) so it has a blank line before and after the video link in your post when you submit the post it embeds the actual video in your post (vs a link someone has to click to go to YouTube to watch it). If you type text, paste the link without space around it folks have to leave AU and go to YouTube to see it. Hope that makes sense.
Hi Tracy,
Loved the live session for your 2 week Course Trends on Saturday (highly recommend it for others with the great exercises you set up).
Took yesterday “off” from online work for an IRL fun match.
Starting on 3 jump zig zag exercise. Stationary toy in this session. Added a little chill motion after the first couple of reps. Jumps are about 90 degrees here.
Also a short session of organizer frontside slice.
Okay. Will keep working on the arousal level stuff. It’s a lot of fine-tuning and titratng of the arousal levels which for me is MUCH better than trying to convince a dog that agility is fun. It’s a “high-class problem” to have in my mind, so will be fun to work through it and see how I can support him.
We did some Zig Zag with drag toy today. Also mixed in some leash tug, leash on/off and some aroused fun lie-downs to start building that skill with a +CER.
He does like to tug on anything, including the leash. I haven’t used that in the ring after some kind of scary moments when leash runners did a zombie walk towards him with the leash held out in front of them looking a look like an invitation to tug at the end of his runs and I slow mo watched in horror as he relatively gently (for him) launched toward them to try to tug (inclduing some pretty old not so sturdy looking folks). I now check the leash holding setup at trials and tell folks inclined to carry it to us not to, but still. He is super good about not targeting his leash or toy on the ground (even if I leave it at the end of a course where he has to do a pass by during the course). Let me contemplate and test some stuff out.
He has a class tonight that he tends to be super amped at (and it’s a frequent trial site) so I’ll test some stuff out and up arousal at home too.
So we’re in brain camp now and will hopefully get some more ideas there – but at shows coming in the ring he kind of tunnel visions on the obstacles and is no longer able to respond to most cues. He’s sweet about it and gently wagging his tail but can’t really be bothered to do things like hand touches, chin rests, sits, etc. He’s not barking or bouncing, just VERY focused. And, at the end of the run he needs to express his opinions on it (good or bad) and launch toward me (like the “arousal error” launch at my face I slow mo’ed for you during Argus). I’ve started making moving downs more fun and reinforced and asking for a running down after the last obstacle and then asking him to go find his leash or leaving him in the down if it’s a jump height change after us and I hold the leash open for him to leave the down and try to get his head in (like I did a few times during our training session).
Lots to think about now that I’m seeing what his trial MO is.
Today is running contacts and threadle basics review day so we’ll revisit zig zags and organizers in the next few days.
We’re back from another fun UKI show (I really do wish there was more UKI in my area, he just loves being able to run in extension vs constant collection the other venues end up asking him for) and a couple of days off.
We went back to organizers – to the jump/front side wrap and then back to Zig Zag working on flattening 2 jump angle.
I used the Manners Minder since I forgot his toy this session – but he needed some calmer mind thoughts anyway for this stuff for now.
We’re also trying to work in some startline leash on/off and end of run leash on here and there since we currently get very excited before our run and very aroused at the end of it. We’ll hopefully see you in virtual brain camp.
Organizer to the Jump/Front Side Wrap
2 Jump Zig Zag
We worked a bit on zig zag with flattening and a bit on organizer/to the wing (after doing the to the plank with a wing wrap first).
Zig Zag – I pulled out his old floofy puppy drag toy. I think it made it a little hard for him to think but also think he was just having a hard time (especially with first wing on his right) getting the bounce as the angle flattened. I tried some different things (made notes on the video). Interested to get your take. It was more reps than I had planned but I was really trying to figure out which variable was causing him to 1 stride (angle, distance, toy, left/right side start) At the end I even reversed the angle of the exercise so that he was jumping from screen right to screen left with first bar on his right (vs screen left to screen right) – just in case there was something about the ring layout that was discouraging the extended bounce on the 1 side. Didn’t seem likely since on screen left we are pretty close to our property line fence and on screen right we have more free space and then the dog walk a ways away.
Plank Organizer we finished the “to the plank” exercise by adding a wing wrap to it, then went on to “to the wing”.
We worked on “Organizers – to the Plank” and “Zig Zag Jumps”. I didn’t quite do “to the Plank” the way the instructions said (I thought I was but re-read the instructions after and didn’t quite do it right since I had him moving with me to it a lot of the time, not always behind me to a cookie toss).
I like the Cato Plank width, stability and surface for him for these exercises, but it does have a deep reinforcement history for 2o2o training. So, I started out with a wing at the front edge of it to help him realize I wasn’t asking for 2 front feet off. Once we got going and he was getting the concept I faded it by moving it farther away. We’re also working on his running dog walk and a-frame these days so I’m not particularly worried about this breaking his dog walk 2o2o that we’re getting rid of anyway.
We did Zig Zag (7 reps total). My wings are separate from the jumps and so there was an extra support PVC foot in his way on the 1st rep that I pushed out of the way after that. He does still have to deal with the jump’s foot (which he’ll see in regular tight slices) but I felt like 2 feet slightly apart wasn’t totally fair.
A little bit of jump proofing and then the first exercise of zig zag.
Jump proofing just cut out some toy play between reps, so all reps shown (about 1 minute of toy play between reps cut out since I feel like you’ve seen plenty of Rip’s toy play and general attitude). Working mostly on calling over the jump after he’s committed and also starting front cross with verbal while he’s taking off or in the air (something I might “hypothetically” do).
First exercise of Zig Zag stuff. Started with about 9 feet between the wings and closed down to about 3-4 feet over the session (doing both sides). Just cut out a bit of setup time but this shows all reps. About a 4-minute session overall. He did see some of this in MaxPup a ways back and do practice this kind of isolated slice work over jumps but we haven’t really revisited the flatwork part.
Pup’s forced day off after a 3 day show so just a few minutes of platform organizer.
I don’t have a square his size (just for Mighty Mouse) so using our Cato plank. Worked best tucked under the seat to leave a square. We’ve used it most for 2o2o but also for some conditioning and other stuff.
Going from kibble to cheeseballs made it harder for him to think. He’s a clown. 🤡
Yes, he hadn’t seen that long toy in a while and definitely was thinking of grabbing my handle, not the fluffy or hollee roller part.
Today we worked on jump distractions and then motion over-ride a bit (my field developed some small sinkholes during the last rain so avoiding jump sequences until I know that’s not a safety hazard).
Jump Proofing
Motion Over-Ride
Great webinar session last night. Thank goodness for class. I love having some specific skills to work on that are built up incrementally. Left to my own devices I tend to just start running around doing little sequences without a ton of specific skill focus.
We did head turn and moving target from the Foundations set of exercises. I do think he’s seen both of these in MaxPup but it has been a while now.
Here’s head turn (this is about the full session just a bit cut out of treat/clicker/indicating hand sorting out and prop trade out):
Here’s moving target (this is the full session, just cut out setting up the little jump bump):
Yes, I am learning that he can be very precise. Means I kind of need to get and keep my shit together even on crazy fast, long technical courses. 🤞
Got a hypothetical question. Say someone and their hypothetical dog do a USDAA or UKI show and are running in a class not declared FEO or NFC. If the hypothetical dog breaks their start line and the hypothetical handler wants to treat it the way they would at home or class and cheerfully reset him and either run with him or re-attempt the lead out. What would the judge do?
Call it a refusal and team eliminated but can still attempt the rest of the course, call it training in the ring and team eliminated but can continue to attempt the course or get really mad and tell them to get off the course?
Asking for a friend. 🤣
Cindi
Okay, we’re back from our big trip/camp experience, the weather has finally cooled off (we could do some training the past week but not a lot with it being 110-116 so I mostly did some jump grid stuff to get him comfortable at 22″) and the smoke from wildfires is minimal in our area today.
We worked on some Decel exercise from the Week 9 content (I think it was Week 9) using just position and lack of motion as the cue, no verbal. I think he did well. Looks to me like he’s wrapping a little tighter to the left than the right. We started at 16″ and ended with a few reps at 22″ since he’s got his first USDAA trial coming up next weekend. Hoping he doesn’t stand on his tiptoes when he gets measured so that he measures as 21″ or under.
One weird rep where it was a send but I didn’t step to the jump at all and he opted for a rear cross wrap on his own (wrapped left when I was on his right). I tried to remember to step to the jump after that to be less ambiguous.
We have had an issue at a couple of shows last month where the jump standards are super light-weight and not winged PVC where as he jumps and is turning in the air his tail is wrapping sideways horizontally and hitting the flimsy wing and knocking it over or just enough to drop the bar. No idea if there’s anything to do about that, other than avoid venues with the super flimsy uprights/standards (and maybe tell them their standards suck). It doesn’t happen in this session but just remembering it from a few shows (NADAC and CPE where fewer or no jumps have wings).
First of all, you are a beast. I can’t believe how hard you work and how much of yourself you put into everything you do. I feel so lucky to get to do both online and IRL training with you.
Rip had another great day yesterday and I’m finally getting a little more comfortable with blinds. So much of it goes back to the baby dog skills you broke down for us in this MaxPup series. So often when the camp instructors say “who has worked on this skill” – verbals, wraps, commitment, connection, etc. I can raise my hand and remember a game you had us do (sometimes in our living rooms) that worked on exactly that skill.
I’m hugely appreciative. 💗
Here are an Ashley and then Desiree sequence from yesterday, both of which have deep roots in our baby games. 😁
