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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!
Today was a 2O/2O day using the travel plank. After watching the video, I will definitely need to work on my mechanics. I thought I was closer to the end of the plank than I actually was. I also need to watch where Cowboy’s feet are! 🙂
Video: 2O/2O Travel Plank
So this video is a bit on the longish side (3 min 37 sec) because it contains two back to back training sessions.
On Saturday we headed outdoors to a different location. It’s a relatively quiet area without any major distractions (or so I thought!)
When we first started, Cowboy made a beeline directly to the Treat n’ Train and totally ignored the poles. This happened repeatedly so I finally removed it and used a toy instead (not shown on video in the interest of time). The session went much better after that. Although, there were still more errors than usual.
On Sunday I headed indoors. I wanted to know whether the errors I saw on Saturday were largely due to the new environment or to a lack of understanding, I am sure it is both but I was curious to see which one had the greater impact.
The session went really well. I started with the poles open (offline) and then immediately closed them. There were still mistakes but very few and he looked a bit more confident than he did on Saturday.
I will continue to try outdoor training sessions and also look for different places to practice so Cowboy has the opportunity to generalize agility behaviors.
Video: Weave Pole Practice with Wings
Excellent! Thanks Tracy! I will give this a go.
Out of curiosity, would it be an issue if I use a short training tab (assuming I can remember where I stored it!)? Cowboy has a lot of coat around his neck and I sometimes struggle to find his collar through all that hair (he’s very polite about the process but doesn’t appear to enjoy it). Alternatively, I can use a harness. I have a Curli Belka Comfort harness. It supposedly does not interfere with shoulder movement.
Hi Tracy!
I did some “offline” nose target practice with Cowboy and then added in the travel plank and the teeter. For the most part, he was happy to target the plate with his nose. However, as he became more excited, he would also throw in a few foot targets.
Overall, I thought there was improvement in his understanding of the 2O/2O position. A few times one of his hind feet touched the floor and he corrected it on his own without much prompting from me.
Video: Teeter Bang Game
