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THANK YOU so much for the video!
Definitely clarified a lot of questions I had for motivation/driving into a 2o2o position.Please teach another class again soon!
Thank you for everything!Thanks Kim, we had a lot of fun working with you as well!
Wondering if you had time to find/make the video for helping dogs drive to the bottom of contacts? I think we discussed it in an earlier post on Jan 13. Thanks again!
Your last post made me tear up a bit.
Tails has definitely been my roller coaster, but I do have to finally trust that he will pull through and that all our hard work will pay off. We need to roll with it. I love the idea of treating each course like it is the first run of the day, great mind set.
Here is our last video of the class
He saw 2 sets of weaves poles back to back for the first time. He was a star. I remembered to always reward ahead of the weaves. I’m also starting to proof contact work again. Looking forward to seeing the video of your drill in helping dogs drive to the bottom of contacts. I’m still having problems getting him to really run to the bottom of any contact independently. He will if I’m right next to him.
I’m so sad that this course is almost at it’s end. These 6 weeks went by FAST! 😉
You have been the one of the most supportive, empathetic, informative and kindest coaches I have ever met (and I haven’t even met you in person yet!). I hope one day that will get to meet Tails and see all the good things/skills you have imparted on him.
On to a video!
Here is his Novice STD run from today. I unfortunately did not get his JWW run on video, but from what I felt at that time – he was happy as well.
I do get a stress response when he makes a mistake into the weaves. I did not show him the weaves/drive him into the weaves well after the table (bad mom!). He sniffs at 0:33 in the weaves, but I was able to get him back and he completed the weaves! I felt that I was very upbeat during it (you have to listen to the audio closely, and I did tell him he was a good boy with a “yes” when he did it correctly).
The fact that he did show a stress response, do you think it was still appropriate that I asked him to repeat the weaves? I’m so hypersensitive about making him stress again that I always second guess if I should keep going after he offers me a stress response.
Two other scenarios (that did not happen) but I have questions about:
1) Lets say he showed a second stress response later in the course. Since that was his second stress response in the course would I try to end it there and leave?
2) What happens if the second stress response happens on another course later in the day? Would I end the course early then too?In reality, he ended the course happily, even after missing the jump after the A-frame. Right at the end of the video, you can see him dragging me out of the ring to his reinforcement station – he loves and understand that concept so well now. Makes me happy that he knows reinforcement is waiting for him!!
I do want to get one more video tomorrow with him attempting a weave speed circle, but we’ll see how he feels.
You’ve been awesome, thanks again!
Hmm, will stick with 2o2o unless I get an A-frame. Problem with the A-frame is having a place to store it, and my husband is very picky about “putting stuff away”, lol.
I totally notice that he did a little head check there at the end of the weaves. Okay, will throw toy out to reward and start rewarding after the obstacle of the weaves. How about having a reinforcement station/tug/bowl at the end of the weaves, is that still okay to do?
Thanks as always!
Ohh yay, A-frame help in video form will be much appreciated!! I’ll remind you if need be.
Also, since we are on the topic of A-frames. I’ve been doing some reading and now understand that running A-frames is the easiest on a dog’s body. Is it possible to teaching a running A-frame with out actually having an A-frame easily accessible for practice? I have seen various methods (ie. box method, stride regulators, etc..), but it would seem difficult to proof any of these without access to a frame regularly. I may be able to get my husband to build a small A-frame, but not sure if that would be helpful.
A video of today’s very short weave practice. Made sure we did some obstacles before and after the weaves. He was fast and happy. He also made one mistake (1:00), I asked for a trick before feeding him.
We worked on some contact work too – no video. I tried to stress back feet low on board.
Thank you!
One question: The other students and I were talking about 2o2o contacts among ourselves and things we need to work on. We were also reviewing our videos together and someone mentioned that all our 2o2o dogs were taking too many strides before making it to the bottom of the A-frame. I forgot to follow up with Melissa later that day (after all the excitement of all our dogs being awesome!).
So how do I get him to take less strides on the down side of the A-frame? Tails does a great example of it in the first video around 0:22 where he stutter steps to the bottom pretty much.
BRAG POST!
Tails was super fast and awesome at the seminar! And I took your advice and went with the flow. We did repeat a few sections (even when he did get it right) and he still ran fast! Melissa was also very aware of not repeating too many things, keeping reps short and she was all about lots and lots or reward. She was also super supportive like you are! It was a really great experience!
There was also 2 other students at the seminar that were in a previous seminar with me over a year ago. At that seminar I could not get Tails to stop sniffing or run at all. He actually left the field several times and I couldn’t even get him to come back. They were amazed at how different he was!
I’m so happy with him and with all your added guidance he just keeps improving 🙂 Thank you!!
Now some short clips of the last 2 sessions of the seminar. He was already tired and it had already been 3 hrs in, but look at him run!
It’s difficult to not be hard on oneself. I’ve re-started my agility-thought diary, same idea as you recommended to Fei, except for every negative thought: I have to write 2-3 positive thoughts. It was taught to me previously and I think it will help get me out of this phase (again!).
In regards to your previous comment about handling more to the weaves, can you clarify that. Does that mean practice more crosses before and after the weaves?
Thanks again!
I unfortunately have a narrow yard, but could probably do 3 straight jump before the weaves or add a tunnel in there somewhere. What do you mean by handling? I do understand the speed part, but do you mean handling like practicing doing crosses with him before and after the weaves?
And you’re right, I did too many weaves. Which of course I didn’t realize until I watched the video. He seemed pretty happy, and I had only brought a certain number of treats out for him, but still it was too many. I hardly ever practice the weaves with him, which I guess is good I haven’t stressed him out with them yet, but bad since he is still unsure about them.
I have partly generalized his 2o2o behaviour. Random steps, curbs, the scale at work (lol!)… But will keep working on it. Do you recommend putting a verbal on it?
Again, thank you for explaining everything clearly and such an upbeat manner 🙂
I would love it if he surprises me with resilience one day!This week Tails and I are going to focus on just some proofing stuff rather than drills. Some homework from this weekend’s trial.
We are attempting to proof the weaves
1:18 he bonks his nose on the poles, I still reward which I think is appropriate.
2:08 he seems not engaged, not sure why, but he does engage pretty quickly after.
3:15 he make an error, I do a trick (hand touch) reward and then tried again. He seemed happy still.
3:23 attempted a FC (ran into the poor guy!)
4:05 confused him and gave him the wrong cue
At the end of the video, showed him a double and the table once, just cause we never do them – he was happy! I missed that he did not get the weave poles correct on this last pass. I didn’t even realize it until after I watch the video, I assume it’s because there was another obstacle after the weaves so that’s why he popped out.
A short video on proofing 2o2o contacts. Sorry he was almost out of the shot there for the incline proofing, didn’t realize it until later. Also, last part of the video I’m demonstrating how we stretch our hip flexors. Is this an okay method of doing it? I’ve tried to teach him to “frog” before (like Pepper – awesome warm up video by the way!), but he does not like touching his belly to the ground (sensitive guy!).Kim, thank you again for all the awesome insight.
Follow up questions/thoughts/answers:1) In the Novice JWW for 1/4/2020 run, I did go deep to #5 and he also dropped that bar? Why do you think he dropped the bar – because I was too deep? And blind was my first choice initially before the poles, but decided to do a FC instead as I thought it would force him to collect in front of the poles and therefore get a better entry… I have to admit my FC skills are lacking, with my other pup all I do is run blinds. Will focus on being smoother and faster with my FC.
2) I trained his weave poles with both methods. Channels for speed and 2×2 for entry. You’re right, I think I need to do more proofing. I get so excited when he gets such a good entry at speed that I yell out “YES” a lot and I think it is taking his attention away. Need to may be focus on marking after he has completed the poles.
3) I know it’s hard to tell in the videos, but even in my training sessions I have posted, do you think I call his name too much?
4) His contact criteria should be 2o2o, I have definitely been very lax with it, because if he is showing speed I let him just “do what he wants” – I’m so afraid to slow him down. I think I need to be better with his criteria in training so it transfers to trialing, and therefore I don’t have to correct him at trial. Again, more proofing.
5) Okay so if handler error, let him keep running. If dog error, get him to fix it. I can do that. Luckily for him right now, its all handler error right now! LOL
6) My next trial with him is Sat 1/18/2020. Next weekend though, 1/11/2020, I have a 1/2 day seminar with Melissa Henning. At seminars, what should I tell the seminar presenter about him. For example like you recommended – I do not ever repeat anything with him if he gets it right the first time. So should I explain these things, or just go with the flow, etc… I never know how much to divulge.
Thanks again!
Update: Tails was happy and fast for his Novice debut this weekend! He was an awesome boy. He also wasn’t very stressy at all until the last run on Sunday (we did 2 runs each day). Most of our mistakes were obstacle performance things. There was no sniffing or distraction or running off.
Two things that were not caught on video which also made me extremely happy was 1) He has moderate leash reactivity to other dogs, and he was not reactive at the trial 2) He totally understands his reinforcement station and always went straight to it right when we left the ring. Makes me happy that he understands where his reward is coming from.
Runs are below. I do have lots and lots of questions! (sorry in advance!)
Novice JWW 1/4/2020 https://youtu.be/Z6IiUUtSYFA
Novice JWW 1/4/2020 map in video form https://youtu.be/OJZFHKDo8L0
Novice Std 1/4/2020 https://youtu.be/1LraG08kxM8Novice JWW 1/5/2020 https://youtu.be/L7QYE6YSn6g
Novice Std 1/5/2020 https://youtu.be/f3znngiGCPU1) In my Novice JWW for 1/4/2020 run I had a tough time deciding my line/crosses for 6-7-8. The map is above. For a novice dog, is flow/speed more important or obstacle completion/ease of entry to obstacle? I felt the line where I cross after the weave poles (7) would disrupt flow a lot more (I’d have to push him to 8), but it would have given him a better chance to get a good weave pole entry. So I ended up trying to cross before the weave poles entry which lead to a harder entry, which he did not get. After I ran it though, I questioned if choosing flow over better weave pole entry for a stress dog is a good idea.
2) I usually don’t fix the weaves poles during trials, even though we are allowed 3 attempts in Novice/Open. I just want to keep him running. I do want him to see it and attempt to make the entry, so I might swing him around for that if he missed the entry, but if he misses a pole I do not go back to re-attempt, it seems demotivating (it very much is for my other dog Cricket). What do you think about that kind of plan? In both of my Std runs, we missed the last pole, but I did not reattempt them. Also, tips for practicing finishing the pole?
3) I do call his name a lot on course (I call him “pup pup” all the time, rather than Tails, he probably thinks that is his real name). Is this appropriate? Is it distracting to call their name on course? Is it distracting to talk a lot on course? At 0:21 Novice Std 1/4/2020 he looks at me and almost comes to me, but then straightens out and takes the jump. I think I was saying “over” his jump cue at the time, just curious why do you think he did that?
4) In both his Novice JWW 1/4/2020 and Std 1/5/2020 he either misses the last obstacle or does not do it correctly. Should I reattempt them? If you miss an obstacle, should you reattempt it in general or should you just keep running when you have a stressy dog? Did he miss the last jump in the JWW 1/4/2020 because I decel too much? In the std run, I sent him to the wrong end of the tunnel since I didn’t keep his contact criteria.
5) He did have some table stress which is quite visible. We don’t do much table work in general. I have a KLIMB and we work on it a lot, but not in an agility setting. Tips on how to practice table performance and not let it be stressy?
Thank you again for being so supportive!
Kim, you are absolutely right, every dog comes into our life to teach us and show us how to be better dog trainers and human beings.
My stress about Tails and his agility career stem from so many issues, but now I see that the big picture is so much more important, and your story (especially about Pepper’s sibling) is very eye opening for me. I need to focus on the positives and not the negatives. I need to be present with him now and not always dwell on the mistakes I’ve made with him in the past. I also have to be grateful for his health, and that he is able to run with me.
Thank you for sharing your story, I know it can be hard to talk about the past. You have been so supportive and upbeat with all the teams in this class, many of us need that.
We’ll be running Sat and Sun. I just want him to be happy!
Will update you for sure!Thank you for all the insightful comments Kim!
Some follow up questions:
1) My biggest concern after yesterdays training session is how much damage have I done for the future? You wrote that if this becomes the new normal, than he will become slow/thoughtful (may be even stressed). I know you can’t put a number on it, but if this happens 1x week and lets say we train 3x a week, will that become his new normal?I personally get so stressed of ruining him. I do my best to make sure I have all my bases covered, (ie. set a timer for how long we train, count out a set number of treats and once they are done we stop, only do one rep of anything, don’t over face him, reward often). But it’s always the back of my mind. Or it’s a day like yesterday where I didn’t think it would be that hot.
2) So for Tails I have always rewarded for all attempts, even if it is a fail, but you are right I was definitely more animated rewarding his fail attempt vs his correct attempt. So for next time, my thoughts for a better plan would be to say “lets try again!” in an upbeat voice, ask for a hand touch or spin – reward him, then attempt the exercise again?
This weekend I’m going to make it as upbeat as possible! He has run AKC FAST and CPE Level 1, so he understands the trial setting at least, which is half the battle 🙂
