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ah ok thanks! for some reason i was thinking there was only 5 weeks of lessons.
and good point, previously i don’t think i drove to toy on ground with her that much or with that much excitement. I’ll continue to mix things up! I did a training session with her yesterday and worked on short sequences with having the toy in all stations and she worked nicely through all of it. We also did some weaves and she’s still a bit hesitant about the entry, so we went down to 4 poles (instead of 6) and she seemed to do better. I’ll need to get into a weave class this summer to help troubleshoot. Thanks!Hi Kim! Just a couple quick questions. When is the last day we can post video/questions? I was thinking of running a few obstacles at a time tomorrow and recording it to see how it looks. I may or may not post it depends how it looks. But I definitely understand your previous feedback on running more aggressively with clearly showing take off point.
Going forward with Pru, do you think it’s a good idea to not ever run with toy in my hand? Always have toy either at startline, outside of ring, or some place on course. I will sometimes have a toy hidden on me and surprise her with it. But due to previous issues of her slowing down with no toy in hand, wanted to know your thoughts.I worked a bit on weaves today, and had toy at side of ring and also then placed it in middle of ring and she did pretty well! Not as fast when I have a toy in my hand, but thinking speed will come. Let me know your thoughts on this too.
Thanks again!Hi Kim! I trained weaves with channel, and worked all entrances. And then worked on 4 poles when proofing entrances further. Let me know your thoughts on if and how I should revisit weaves? When channels were open all the way I’d have a dead toy at the end that I’d send her to and she did really great.
I also am pretty sure I broke her confidence in weaves as once she ‘knew’ them, I’d do harder and harder entrances and she’d have more failures than successes. Where I should’ve been rewarding the tries since she’s such a thinker. So that was my fault. Since then i retrained with 2×2’s, with only 2 of them, so 4 poles, and worked all entrances little by little each day. That took a week. She did really great with that. When I was training channels it took a few months for me to close all the way since when I started training them it was just before it snowed a year ago, so couldn’t visit them as often as I liked. Picked up more regular weave training that following spring and she seemed to get them. But then I smooshed her confidence, ugh. So was thinking to open channels up again and revisit but I’d be smarter with rewarding.
Another way I smooshed her confidence in weaves is that I started letting her weave in her own, or tried to, I’d just stay back (more than usual) and not move….where after reading through your wk 4, I should’ve kept my energy up the whole time which she likes best, and go with her. Thought If I held back she’d have more independent weaves.
Another issue we had with weaves is that she was doing 6 weaves great, but then whenever she saw 12 it was weird…it was like the whole row of 12 confused her and she’d skip over the first 3 poles! Very odd. But then when we went back to 6 or 8, she’d get the entrance every time. …hmm.? So then I started adding 2 weaves at a time and seemed to help but not 100% yet.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on that!Not entered in any more comps for a while. Baby is due end of Feb, so will probably not be until later spring or summer before I’m ready to enter her again. If there’s a local Uki trial in April or May i will plan to enter that.
Thanks!
Hi Kim!
Possibly about putting less energy into last half of course…and right now I can’t run full courses anyway with putting the energy I need into all of it, ha, so looking forward to working on it this spring and summer. For now I’ll stick to shorter with adding just a couple technical pieces in. And yes I do need to add more speed circles into our training. I was very focused on technical for a while.
After reading through wk 4, I see myself doing a lot of the don’ts… value of reinforcement – I’d use treats that she liked but not LOVE. She’d love a cheeseburger or she loves chicken sandwiches from Culver’s …and have ever used this in training? Nope. Also her toys, she loves her frisbee!! She also loves her holee roller and to play tug. However she has even higher drive for frisbee. Do I use her frisbee much in agility? Nope…it’s just harder to hold onto and put in pocket. Sometimes I use it in my backyard where easier to throw, she’s amazing at weaves when I use a frisbee! I’ll have to see if she has same strong drive for it when placed on floor vs in my hand. I do have a floppy frisbee but she prefers the regular plastic.
I tried this today and did weaves at the school with her holee roller, and then weaves with frisbee. She drove much better to weaves when I had frisbee in my hand. She was still pretty good with holee roller. But better with frisbee. I changed to frisbee at :15 in this video. So I’ll need to backchain this with setting her frisbee on floor and moving it further away, to see if I can get this same enthusiasm and speed. When she thinks less she’s better, ha.
FYI- I only used 8 weaves.
I also did the LBG as part of her warmup today. Here’s video of that. I’m curious if this is ok to use as warmup and/or cool down exercise?
I also did some running starts again today, but didn’t put it on video since it’s similar to my previous video and I have a good understanding on how to do this and vary the rewards now.
Thanks!Thanks! Yeah she’s pretty good at leaving the toy, however the issue I had run into is that after a certain # of obstacles she’ll slow down (when I don’t have toy in hand), and will start thinking about toy, etc. Doing 4 or 5 as shown in this video she is good and stays fast. Is this process just baby steps and adding an obstacle at each training session until we get to about 15..? I’ll still make sure to reinforce the startline and will send randomly to toy on course. I wouldn’t always do all 15 and then reward. I want to make sure I’m not missing any steps when working through this with her again.
Thank you!Hi Kim! Yes that makes sense. Here’s a video today of a few running starts. She was a good girl and stayed for all of them!! She has a good understanding and I think much better than before. I’m working this in many different places.
I started with just her leash at gate for the first few and sent her ‘get it’ and tugged with her (which I think I cut out in the video). Then grabbed her toy and placed in middle of course and sent her to it. I think it’s important that she sees where I place the toy..? Or should I do some hidden toy placement too? I also need a smaller toy that I can hide in my pocket easily and throw back at her. I did hide a holee roller a couple times and threw back to her as soon as I released her but had stopped recording. Let me know how this looks! Thanks!
Awesome thanks! Yes the running start would work much better with her. I will do it every once in a while but I was thinking I really needed to work more on her start when I lead out walking since it’s not as enticing for her to get up. But I should start working on this more now?
Love your runs!!! Wow so fun and fast and you get so far ahead of her! She loves it! That’s exactly what Pru would like. When you leave her at the start, are you saying ‘wait’ or sit? Or saying anything to her?And i do usually say ‘get it’, and she’ll run to her toy, do u think I should make her interact with me first at end of run before I say ‘get it’?
And yes I did reinforce a couple times at startline which I didn’t have on video. I’ll lead out, say her release word ‘free’ and then throw toy back to her before she takes the jump. I’ll plan to do this more. Also you’re saying I should have the toy on floor somewhere and lead out and release and send to toy? Usually I like to say just 1 word, instead of ‘free, get it’, I’ll just say ‘get it’. I did teach her a lot of verbals. Which she’s used to a lot of direction on course and I had found if I didn’t say anything, she’d overthink and slow down, so I’m trying to say jump, go, good girl, etc for most of course when I don’t have a specific command like for a tight wrap, backside, tunnel, go straight, etc.
And you’re right, I didn’t do any 1 jumps with her before to let her know were changing to 20”, she’s such a great jumper, I was thinking 2 jumps at this height would be fine. I’ll remember for next time. And if for some reason she crashes again In future I’ll know to do the opposition reflex with her on that 1 jump.
Thank you so much!
Hi Kim! Here’s a couple more videos from today.
More startline work. I also recorded some of what I do before going into the ring. You can hear Pru barking. Video doesn’t show her that much since she’s off to the side. Didn’t use a toy either..just her leash. Tried to think of something for end routine, but she really just likes running to her leash. The 2nd time I do startline in video, I run past the last jump to make her chase me at the end but then she ends up taking a couple more jumps.
I have a Question about fading her toy since I would like to start working on this. Would it be best to make sequence longer and longer with toy nearby? And then move toy further and further away? Or should I keep working on short sequences with moving toy further away and eventually on other side of gate (on a chair) before I add in more and more obstacles?
Here’s drill 2 from the wk3 homework. This was a fun sequence! She was faster her 2nd time doing this.
I also did a few jumps at 20” at the end..and ran into an issue. At 1:09 is when I switch to 20”, just had her do 2 jumps and she crashes the 2nd jump. When I set her up again to lead out, she has a hard time staying. I’m guessing it’s becuz she was either worried about crashing that jump or I just did too many startlines this training session. I reset her 3x…let me know your thoughts if I did this ok, or if I shouldn’t have gone back to her.
I do a few more short sequences at 20” and she did those fine. Thanks!
Hi Kim! I did not do any jumps at her normal height, but will plan to do that for future sessions. Today went great! No video. But similar to the previous videos I posted. We had 2 runs and she was enthusiastic and happy. For the first run I hid the toy and walked in with just her leash. Left her leash at gate as soon as I walked in, we then walked near the first jump I asked her to do her action tricks. She barked, worked with me, and super happy, I then led out and released her and toy appeared and we tugged. Since she then knew I had the toy, I did a couple other lead outs, and then had her run speed circle. All with same startline. I also remembered to throw the toy back at her a couple times as soon as she was released.
I was super happy she did great in this environment! There are a couple other open ring times coming up at other locations so I’ll plan to work this same setup there as well.
I do need to start working on stationing with her toy. And also her ending routine. Will an ending routine be covered in this class at all? Previously our ending routine would be for her to jump up at me after the last jump (I’d ask her to), and then I’d send her to her leash. I’d put it on and then we tug out of the ring. Let me know your thoughts if something else would be better and more clear. If there’s a way to get her to chase me more after that last jump without me having a toy.
Thanks!Hi Kim! I decided to work on toy stationing to make it more of a structured set of steps when we compete which I’m thinking should help her. She will sometimes tug her leash even with her favorite holee roller nearby so I could send her to her leash at end of run, she tugs leash while we’re heading out, and then we find her fav toy on a chair outside of ring.
I’m still working on getting her to speak on cue. When she’s fresh at beginning of training session she easily barks. And I try my best to separate it out from sits and downs which she seems to understand. About midway thru or towards end of training session she won’t bark anymore when I ask her to speak. But she happily does all her other tricks. This is shown towards the end of this video. Maybe it was just too long of training session..? I did work some startlines and a couple sets of 6weave poles before I did this sequence. She did get a 10-15min break before we started this sequence. And she does bark in the beginning of the sequence. There’s another dog barking in the back of building as well.
Here’s drill 1. I start out with toy in my hand. 2nd time I leave toy at start with her leash, and then send her to toy after the tunnel. 3rd time I did the whole sequence with her toy at start and then sent to toy at end. She was super happy and fast all 3 times! Jumps are set at 10”. I then worked a couple startlines with me leading/creeping out. And when I ask her to speak, she just downs and backs up and sits instead. So either I need to work on this trick more with her, or maybe my training session was too long.
Let me know your thoughts how this looks and if I should not be doing anything, start, etc. I felt more aggressive in my handling as well with showing her take off points clearly (or so I think I am!) 🙂 thanks!
FYI- tomorrow I have Pru entered in a mock trial at 12” and plan to work startlines and short sequences.
Thanks! I’ve had a couple more startline stay sessions with Pru, also worked her in the practice area this past wkd and I made sure to be lower and sneak away more in a play stance, she liked that!
Quick question about toys vs leash…I do need to think a bit more about getting her to RUN with me when i don’t have a toy on me, she runs so much faster when she knows i have a toy, so i know i need to work this in steps…and slowly with her. In my video above we had switched from food to her leash. She does like her leash to tug, and can get revved up plenty with just that, but sometimes the leash isn’t enough and i need her holee roller to get her more amped, depends on her mood and situation.
So I’m curious if it’s best to use her favorite toy and teach her stationing with it (like you show with a food station), start with it close, and then move to chair, and move chair out of ring… or since she does like her leash, do I continue building on playing with the leash. Or both…if that makes sense. Thanks!Yes I can take Neo with me, just unsure I want to do it this wkd, as I have plenty of other things to work on. But could have him there just in case…not sure who could hold him and Pru, and they’re both super loud barkers when working side by side, ha, and the trial is indoors…uhhh. But yes I definitely do need to take Neo with and work on this.
And yes makes sense about Pru just hanging out with me and a kong or bully stick is a good idea.Here are a couple videos for week 2. This first one is showing us working on our startline routine and working on waits. It’s kind of long so here are some callouts.
Start out with a mat to make sure she knows what we’re working on. I ask her to wait, lead out lateral, and then run forward. this is the structure I think I want my startline to look like. However I would like to add barking once she becomes more solid with her stay.At :41 I move her behind a jump. Didn’t realize she’s out of the camera shot here! Sorry!
At :55 she decides after I treat her to play with her leash. She does love to tug her leash so I use it often. So I switch to her leash reward after this. However not sure I should be using a ‘station’ for this leash? Or should I forget about the leash and use her fav toy on a station? Similar to your food station. Let me know your thoughts on this as I know I need to be very clear with her and work in small steps.
At 1:29 I start adding excitement into the beginning routine and then lead out. And after watching the video I realized I forgot to do my lateral lead out first! The lateral is in place so I can use it when I start trialing her again to gauge her confidence and if she’s worried…my plan is if I lead out lateral and she gets up, then she’s worried and I need to run with her and not lead out. It’s kind of like a start button.
At 1:42 I move to a different jump and add in more fun active tricks like down sit backup , etc.
At 2:24 I work a bit on asking her to speak and back up and working on distance with it. She still needs a better understanding of speak.
Let me know your thoughts on what you think I should change or tweak or keep the same going forward. I know I need to be clear with her or she’ll over think (like me..ha)
Here’s drill 2 with agility. I kept the jumps low. First time thru she went around a couple jumps and I’m pretty sure it’s becuz I wasn’t aggressive enough in cueing the take off. Also added in speed at end of run, having her chase me and tug. Did this a couple times both ways. Did not do any startlines since we had worked on them prior. I did add in weaves once too.
Thank you!
Hi Kim!
Things that puts Pru over the top – she loves her frisbee, she goes over the top with jealousy when i work and play with her doberman brother Neo, he’s very exciting and barky when he plays….that’s how i was able to work through her whistle and metal crate noise sensitivities, she does like steak and chicken, she really likes her holey roller.
Working in thresholds makes sense and will plan to start doing this at trials. That’s how i got her over her teeter noise issue, I exposed her a little bit at a time, would tug with her at a distance, etc, and now she’s completely fine walking by the teeter when anther dog does it.
When she used to hear a whistle it would completely shut her down and nothing would work, not her frisbee, not chicken/steak, not holee roller….only thing that worked was her jealousy of Neo out-weighed her fear of the whistle. And little by little i was able to overcome her whistle fear in my backyard and also the park.I don’t ever have her ringside just hanging out with me…i’m usually always working with her, dropping treats, hand touches, etc. I can do this a couple times at the trial this wkd! Should i throw treats here and there for her? Or should this be strictly hanging out and no treats/play? I can sit in a chair and she can lay down, sit in my lap, etc…for only 2-3 dogs, and then back out in her crate? I crate her in the car since she relaxes much better…. when inside in a crate room, there’s a large possibility she’ll go over threshold (completely shut down) with people setting up and tearing down metal crates around her.
How i react to noises – i try very hard to not show any reaction. I’m very neutral, and sometimes will look the other way when/if she hears something…which usually works. Or if i know a judge is about to blow whistle, i’ll get her engaged and have a tug session. For noises that she hears that i have no idea what…i can tell she heard something, but i act very neutral like nothing happened. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Kim,
thank you! I was able to enter the 3 classes next Sunday in UKI at 16″. So i can send you video throughout the day if you’ll be around on Sunday. I’ll focus on fast and fun, and will find a speed circle to do a couple times in each class.
Thanks for the video! That does help. What are your thoughts about matching the dog’s energy/excitement level? If i’m unable to get Pru excited and amp’d up…not sure if i should handle aggressively? or maybe that just means i shouldn’t ask her to run since something else is obviously bothering her. I love Pepper’s barking start line! Need to get Pru to do that…need to work on getting her to “hold” her startline! I am working on it, baby steps….she’s much better at holding it at class vs trials….at trials she gets so worried.
I had a chance to quickly review week 2 and have a question about acclimation…. i do bring Pru out to sniff and check everything out about an hour or more before her run. But i don’t let her hang out by or near the ring for very long. Right before she’s up to run, i warm her up outside, and like to bring her in just a few dogs before, work on a couple practice jumps, and then sits/downs/backup/barking/etc…i tend to not bring her in much before her run, as she can have odd noise issues so i’m worried about some kind of random noise spooking her. But maybe this is something i just need to work through with her? the earlier i bring her in and the longer i let her hang out, the more of a chance she’ll “hear” something that will shut her down. So due to this, I will limit her exposure in the trial environment. I do work with her in the back warmup area, but feel like i constantly have to be interacting with her, or she’ll hear something and will shut her down. Which i’m fine with constantly interacting with her, however do not want to wear her (or myself) out either, ha. Let me know your thoughts on this. She was also very whistle sensitive, so the more she hangs out, the more she may hear the whistle…she is getting better as i’ve been working on it, and when distracted (playing) at a trial and the whistle goes off, she’s recently been fine, however if she’s just hanging out and the whistle blows, she’ll have more time to think about it and hear it, which i’m guessing will shut her down.
I worked on putting her barking on cue the other day, she liked it, and then wanted to interject a bark with all other tricks i asked her to do! Uhhh…sit (bark!), down (bark!)…she’s cute, but didn’t get rewarded for those, need to be careful to separate the 2, ha…as we were just sitting in my living room, not much excitement around. At a trial or doing agility, i will not care how much she wants to bark :). I’ll continue to work on this and also gradually building distance away from her.
Thanks for the post on perfection! I can see myself doing this, so a great reminder. I also saw this blog post today which resignates highly. Should start doing this more with a toy.
https://blog.oneminddogs.com/agility/stormy-from-a-stressed-out-dog-to-state-champion-in-agility?utm_campaign=Agility&utm_content=108423327&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&hss_channel=fbp-448842975173114Ok no problem, not a rush as i’m pretty sure i know what you’re saying. Also for UKI this coming wkd, i’m only planning to enter 1 DOS on Sunday, as there are 2 speedstakes and 1 jumpers, so it should be easy to find a speed circle in all 3 of those runs. Do you think it’s best to enter as 16″? does it matter? or should i enter her as normal jump height 20″? Pru is 20.5″ tall…she’s a tall girl, so 20 is usually easy for her, however i know lower jump heights should help think less. I’m doing all 3 runs as NFC…not sure if i should use 1 to practice her startline or not (will start not being in front of a jump)..or just focus on making it fast and fun with a toy.
Thanks!
