[EJ]

More Charley videos!

Handling Combos from games package 4.
I had difficulty with the blind cross (admittedly, I struggle with my 2 older dogs . . just don’t feel coordinated). My home isn’t big enough to get much distance, so I tried this at 2 other locations. We did manage some success at the blind, though I didn’t get a recording. There’s a little comic relief in here as Charley is distracted by the tunnel at Soccer Planet . . way more interesting than a cone.

From games package 5, parallel path commitment. I tried this just once at home in my small space and Charley seemed to ‘get it.’ I took it to the dog training club the next day and he did indeed understand. I’m a little further away from the jump standard in the second video.

We also practiced rotated sends from game package 5 at home first using a barrel. (Will we be doing much more with barrels? If so, there are some inexpensive versions online that I’ll pick up.) I used a cone at the dog training club. I had been doing cone work at home already.

The last video is wing wrap foundations from games package 6. Again, I used cones instead of barrels.

Charley continues to struggle at finding treats on the ground. It might be easiest for me to use toys whenever possible in order to avoid this. Though I did just find a light-colored rug that I’ve placed on top of my LR rug. It’s already easier for Charley to spot the treats on this new surface. Strike a Pose has been a challenge — not even any videos to send, though he seems to be getting it at last.

My instructor who recommended this course is Mary Young. She has JP, a 2 year old border collie.

[EJ]

Soooo, we played this morning after my other dog’s agility class . . . large indoor sports arena on fake grass. He did well with going around the barrel in both directions (using a mesh laundry container instead). We also started the tunnel exercise using a compressed tunnel with dishes at each opening, and he quickly caught on. It helps to have an experienced trainer around (I believe that she also took this course with her BC 2 years ago). Everyone loves Charley!!

I also did the ‘get it’ game at agility class outdoors on concrete on-leash. Maybe that’s an option at home, to use the driveway on-leash. There are still plenty of distractions (squirrels!). Funny aside about the deck . . even the string cheese was small enough to slip through the cracks.

[EJ]

This is the last of week 3 games ( a couple of trial weekends set me back).

Wing Wraps: Turn and Burn
Definitely need more room for this one! I was happy that Charley went around the barrel. Not sure exactly where he was at when I did the front cross. I tried handling him on my right side, be he scooted to the left anyway.

I did the Beginner Pattern Game on the back deck. Charley was soooo slow at finding the treats. I used string cheese to make them easier to see, but didn’t notice a change. Then I moved to the grass which was disastrous. He had difficulty finding the treats, and maybe was distracted by smells.

We play “find it” with kibble a lot. Maybe this is a skill that will come with time?? Maybe a different treat (hot dogs, etc), or if he’s hungrier. He’s very good with eye contact, just the treat throws that are a problem.

[EJ]

Thanks, Tracy. Last week I started playing some of the games at my dog club (I have the old house of many small rooms, and no hallways.) I think that Charley was distracted there with people training in the adjacent ring, but he may get used to it as we continue.

[EJ]

Teaching Collection Part 2:

Here’s Charley’s first try at this game. I only did the baby part, and was surprised at how he caught on.

[EJ]

Here is a followup to the wrapping game (bowl game). Suggestion was to try a cone (after we used a step ladder in one of the videos). We did use the cone, but no video, then continued on with a ‘barrel.’ I laughed watching this video — I don’t get to see the camera’s eye view of him.

Hind end awareness: Here is Charley backing up onto a scrap of rubber matting. We’ve done this a few times before this video. I know that the next step will be backing up onto a slanted board. Is it okay to use a small piece of plywood with this mat or a yoga mat set on top?

Prop games parallel path: This is the counter motion games and rear crosses. I ‘think’ that counter motion was okay, though my space limitations may have affected the timing of my pivot. For the rear cross, Charley consistently turns away from me, thereby spinning in the opposite direction. We’ve done this several times with the same results, so I must be making the same mistake.

[EJ]

SSC2/Folding it in:
This was Charley’s first try at a cone wrap using a bowl with treats.

Goat Part2 (movement and sound)
I started with a small nubby disc, but it seemed too small for Charley to fit both front and back feet. I switched to a jumbo nubby disc. I moved to place bubble wrap underneath (not too smoothly). I couldn’t hear any noise from the bubbles, though.

[EJ]

Charley’s first formal plank work: Plankrobatics
He’s been climbing on stuff since I brought him home (4 weeks ago). This was the first time that I asked him to circle on top of the plank. It’s a work in progress.

Wrapping Part3: We’ve been working on this since the feedback on initial wrap work. I haven’t moved the ladder very far away from me, maybe 8″.

[EJ]

Here is Charley’s first attempt at Drive to Handler. We had a few practice tries and then jumped right in. This doesn’t include the front cross. I think that my bending over for this smaller dog (my other two are standard poodles) will be something that I’ll need to work against.

Here is Goat Tricks 1. I used the tray (cookie sheet here) as shown in one of the demo videos.

I used a different treat for both of these. It took a few tries for Charley to discover that they were tastier than kibble, and then he was all in. He’s still slow to find them, and I don’t think that it’s the color of the treats. We play a lot of “scatter” with handfuls of kibble. He often seems to be ‘sniffing out’ the food rather than finding visually.

[EJ]

Here is our first attempt at the Blind Cross Foundation. I tried this initially outdoors for more space, but the treat became lost in the grass. This video looks better to me than it felt at the time.

This is our first try at Stealth Self Control. This is the longest space in my home, no long hallways. The camera is set up on the staircase landing!

I should move that grooming table to the side when we play!!

• This reply was modified 2 months ago by EJ.

[EJ]

I’ve reposted Wrap Shaping

[EJ]

Here are 3 of the week 1 games. We’ve been working on Driving Ahead since the demonstration a week ago. The only negative that I noticed while filming this video is that Charley seemed a little intimidated when I ran with him, toward the end of the clip. This may be due to him feeling crowded in the small space that we’re working in.

I tried Drive to Handler, but Charlie still isn’t seeing thrown treats well. I tried with a yoga mat last week on the foot target exercise, until he discovered that yoga mats can also be play things. I’m going to look for a piece of astro turf type matting to cover the rug.

This was the first time that we tried the Prop Send exercise, and I was really happy with the results.

The third exercise is Wrap Shaping. We’ve also been working on this for about a week. I only included the version with treats. Charley also likes toys in this game, though tended to stay longer on the toy than the bowl (once it’s emptied of a treat).

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by EJ.

[EJ]

Here is our first set of exercises, the nose touch and paw touch. The nose touch presented the least challenge. I used the plastic lid to a canning jar, and Charley “got it” right away. I rewarded him from my hand, rather than tossing, and just noticed this while viewing the video clip.

The paw touch was more challenging. I used a yoga block, which isn’t used in training. Charley has received a lot of reinforcement for looking at me since he came home 2 weeks ago. Sometimes he stalled during this exercise possibly expecting a treat to come his way for eye contact alone. The other challenge was that Charley had difficulty locating the treats (his regular tiny kibble) that I threw as a reward. Is this due to the patterned rug? The vision of a puppy? I’m reluctant to use a light-colored cheese, which may be more visible, due to potential digestive issues. Any suggestions for light-colored treats? Maybe a different type of flooring? I noticed that some handlers completed this exercise on a concrete surface.

Looking forward to feedback, and to watching tonight’s first session.

Elisabeth

• This reply was modified 2 months, 2 weeks ago by EJ.

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