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Thanks Tracy! That all makes sense.
When is the last date that we can submit videos? Cowboy and I didn’t train today and I will probably not do any agility on Sunday but it would be nice to send something with 4 poles before the close of this class.
Haven’t played with the weave poles all week so I rented the agility ring for a practice session. Although I take classes here, Cowboy is enrolled in a foundation class and has not yet done weave poles at this facility.
Like all of the other places, he headed straight for the Manners Minder and ignored the weave poles. Like all of the other places, I broke down the set-up and rebuilt it as he gained confidence.
The video is on the longer side but the overall working session was very short. I spent a lot of the time tossing a ball or food between reps.In the video, there are moments when Cowboy was moving slowly and others where he is starting to get the idea of driving through. I am not sure if this is related to Cowboy sorting out his striding, me increasing my own movements (or both!) . In addition, I added wing wraps about 2/3 of the way in set at about 3:00 and 8:00 but the 3:00 wing is not in view on the video.
Right before we were about to leave, I switched out the “Manners Minder” with a “Lotus Ball” since that is what I will be using for show n’ go’s and agility workshops. It was his first time seeing one and it looks like he loves the thing!
Video: Cowboy Weave Poles 1 – 6
Thanks so much, Tracy!
We were at it again today and the red target plate made a tremendous difference. The real challenge this time was moving into place. As soon as I got within a certain distance of the teeter, Cowboy would freeze and stare (must have been talking to the Border Collie!)
Video: Bang Game 2O/2O Practice
Yay! This was a great explanation!
I noticed he didn’t appear to acknowledge the target but wasn’t sure how that and where I was located played into his finding the 2O/2O position. I will try this again.
In addition, would using the Treat n’ Train help at all? In that way, Cowboy gets rewarded without me being there or would it cause confusion when it is time to fade it out of the picture?
Thanks so much Tracy!
It doesn’t appear that Cowboy was bothered by the noise but I do wonder if I should have done that warm-up rep because it looks like he was a little surprised when the degree of tip increased within the same session.
I looked around the training center to see if I could find something that would be a little less drastic but came up empty and was very relieved when he adapted after a couple of passes.
Today, I worked on the Bang Game and also added more tip. I started with the tab leash and then did a few without it only because when I used the tab he would repeatedly do a “4 on” and I found myself asking a second time to get the 2O/2O. I also tried to remember the “Lava Zone” towards the end of the session.
Video: Bang Game with more tip
It’s been a while since I practiced the “Mountain Climbing” track so I worked on that today. I started with the amount of tip from our previous session and then increased it.
I searched around for something that would provide a slight progression but came up empty so there is more tip here than I wanted. I kept the session short and Cowboy appeared to handle it well. I also asked for a 2O/2O at the other end of the board. Without the presence of the target plate that part was hard for him. Actually, I had target plate issues both up and down! 🙂
Video: Mountain Climb with Tip
Because Cowboy is not as far along when doing weave poles outside, the video posted was taken over two indoor sessions. However, from this point on, I will be practicing outdoors.
In the early part of the video, Cowboy is able to find most of the entries but is moving slowly. His speed increases towards the end as he becomes more confident and I am hoping that it will further improve on grass.
Video: Weave poles 1-6
Lava Zone! Hahaha…epic!
I’ll have to try this one and will also have a look at some of the newer materials but I figured I would make sure this behavior is solid since it is something I am going to need for the dog-walk and A-frame (although, I would like to learn how to teach a running A-frame).
Round 2! This time, I used a training tab. However, my “steering” wasn’t too much better and I found that occasionally, I would unintentionally give a collar correction when he tried to go forward. I then tried something new. I tossed a treat in the opposite direction and then I moved into position at the end of the board. There were still mistakes but it seemed to work better.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the two approaches.
Video: The Bang Game Part 2
Today, I gave the Bang Game a try. For this session, I only used the red target plate. The mechanics weren’t perfect but I think we both had fun!
Video: The Bang Game
Today we had another go at practicing 2O/2O on the travel plank. This time I used a target plate and then switched to the Manners Minder. Cowboy’s reaction to the two treat delivery approaches are different but I couldn’t tell if one was better than the other.
Next time, I would like to try the Bang Game on the end of the teeter given that Cowboy appears to have a better understanding of how to shift his weight backwards on the board.
Video: 2O/2O on the Travel Plank
Yes! Obsessing over weather is definitely a thing in the dog sport / horse sport world!
Thanks so much, Tracy for the feedback! We will switch to teeter stuff for the time being but am having a look at the new lessons you posted yesterday.
Hi Tracy!
I checked the 5 day forecast and there looked like a lot of rain predicted for most of the week so I headed out today and did a short weave pole session with Cowboy.
I started off very easy and kept closing the angles of the poles. I was unable to get them completely closed. In the last rep they were set at 12&6 and 1&7. However, I was happy with what he did give me in this distracting environment (lots of joggers, cyclists, people walking their dogs, etc.)
Video: Outdoor Practice Poles 1 – 4
Thank you, thank you, THANK You for the comprehensive feedback!
I agree with all of your points and in the next outdoor session will consider ways to help increase the number of successful reps.
I guess the one thing I was really happy about was Cowboy’s willingness to engage with me. I was sure that being in a large open field would have tempted him to run off to parts unknown when thing got hard but that never happened. He may not have been as focused but he wasn’t tuned out either. All good stuff and a great launch point for future success!
