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Week 1 package:
Sequences: With Pesto if there is a blooper and I make him re-do it, he will jump up and sometimes try to bite my clothes. It is even worse if I have a tug toy in my hand when I ask him to repeat an element. So the question is: if the error is mine do I ask him to repeat? sometimes you don’t know in the moment if you were late, disconnected etc. but if you are trying to train a skill and reward them for not doing the skill that’s not great either. The more bloopers in a single training session the more jumping and biting. The more I ask him to repeat something the more he goes into lizard brain.
Advice?Pattern Games – Pesto will need to work this a lot in a non trial environment. When he comes into the building he is immediately fixated on every dog in the room and my whole prep is about getting him focused on me. I will start working on these – the food is going to have to be super high value. He is not a foodie.
Tricks – I have not been doing pattern games so I have just gone straight to tricks. I start him out with limited motion tricks to get him to tune out the environment(all the dogs he wants to be best friends with) and focus on me. I get him into a down and using food we do something I call cross paws. He crosses one way – treat, other way, treat. His spins are also good for focus. We may also practice his line up which is to go through my legs, come around and sit at my side.
Transitioning into the ring and lining up. Just before we go into the ring, I switch from food (where he is forced to put his thinking cap on and focus) to a tug toy which is a higher level of engagement with me. I think the tug actually balances him well. Because I’ve been doing UKI I’ve been able to tug as we come into the ring. I line him up with the toy and then toss it with the leash. I’m not sure how that will work with AKC and if you have any thoughts on how to fade the tugging let me know. I suspect that without the tugging he would sniff – and it would be harder to get his focus to line up. I have found, however, that if I ask for a spin he knows that he should sit. When he is over aroused he just stands there staring at me looking like he just escaped the insane asylum.
What are your thoughts on coming into the ring – without sniffing (motion tricks?), getting to to line up, and fading the tug…I’ve thought about working on getting him to tug on his leash.
I decided to do the circle wraps again since I still needed to do the other side. I got caught up towards the end when I was trying to wrap the wing facing the entrance to the tunnel.
the ladder – I got very confused and I don’t think i did all the challenges but O still need to do the otherside. It’s out of focus because the lense on the camera is cracked.
If the second wing was further away it might have need easier to do the wrap to the blind
I worked the bang game today but no video because my IPad wasn’t working and I did not want to keep making Pesto do it over and over again. I did realize that I need to work on a clear targeting criteria. He is still working on his hup it up confidence and he is not popping right into position.
Here is some other video from tight blinds. I may have discovered an easier way to film given the limitations of the size of the yard.
Meatballs for the win – no video but Pesto drove to the end of the elevated teeter this morning for my homemade dog loving meatballs. it was trial and error – he thinks licking stuff off a lid is weird – just put a nice piece of meat right on the teeter – thank you 😀
Teeter training: building confidence
Also, I know this is our catch up week, but I am wondering what else I should be doing with the teeter. With the plank he did want to do the 2on2off so breaking that pattern is hopefully not going to confusion things too much. And yes, he is going to run his DW but we are still doing ground work.Ok – two videos
1) plank – this seemed fine. I raised it a little with the cato boards – should I raise it some more? or not necessary?
2) mountain climber – yes, I can’t do just one rep – but I stopped at 3 and the last one was good – and he stood at the teeter ready to do more so I take that as a good sign.
This is all very helpful. Earlier in his foundation I think there was not enough back and forth on a flat board work. I’ve pulled out my board. It’s an 8ft but I don’t think it matters. I am going to start getting him to run back and forth on the board and then prop it up with a cato board at each end and progress the back and forth.
Video soon!
Pesto – MOUNTAIN CHICKEN
Here is the game and you can see how hard this is for him. I have a few questions:
1. I assume we don’t want them to think they can bail off the side?
2. Having them turnaround and go the other way – isn’t that teaching them something we don’t want them to do if they start to get worried while it tips?
3. Is it bad to lure and to lure by putting the treats on the board? I found this worked and he needed less as he progressed.
4. Would it be better to start with a lower teeter based on how hard this is for him?I used tugging in between sessions as a method to decompress. I didn’t get him quite to the end but I did use a “jackpot” cream cheese when he got close enough.
Catching up here a little bit.
Teeter:
I’m doing my teeter training a little differently and not using a tip it in part because the weight shift has been THE big focus. I’ve posted the work that we have been doing with the Cato plank. I can post some work on the real teeter tomorrow. With the Cato plank he drives to position nicely without concern for the tip. I am now trying to transfer that to a low teeter and I can send video of that tomorrow. Right now it is a 2 on 2 off but it may end up as a 4 on.
Running a straight line
My biggest challenge is throwing the toy! I also need to clarify my verbal on the straight line along with timing. PS – I forgot the backside but will go back and do that tomorrow.
Below you will find the continuation of the lazy game where I am just supposed to point with limited motion. He had a hard time finding the line for the third jump on both sides. I realized that the progression could not be to just add the next jump but to go back and work on 2-3 and then progress to 1-2-3.
The second video works on connection, wraps, blinds and fronts. In general this all went well. I did run into some trouble with the first set of blinds. Blinding with Pesto is having to learn a whole new type of timing plus having to trust that he will find his line which is still not always predictable.
This was our quick lunch time session – the third with the chicken and I wanted you to see the transformation – my timing could still be better. But chicken for the win.
A little update on TTFJ -I went outside and used cheese and I had him for maybe a minute (or less). Session 2 we went out with chunks of grilled chicken – total winner!! Big guns but this is a make or break skill.
I also remembered that this was exactly the issue I had with Skipper – she was not head checking she just didn’t carry out to the second jump. I spent weeks just on the one exercise with her but it paid off for sure.
TTFJ – This was interesting because it was clear that he was having to think – particularly when I was using food. I switched to a toy when tossing cheese started to lose all its value. Anything motion based I tend to use toys but I can see why using food causes them to think and problem solve.
The second exercise wingin’ it – I hope I did it correctly, I could probably have worked to build up some more distance.
I would entitled this working session – poor Pesto. He had a hard time understanding and I need to come up with a better plan for how I do things and create more clarity for him.
Rear cross – on the LEFT
For a lefty if that is what he is this was tough. He was looking at me a lot and I was pushing him on the line because he was not looking at the jump. The first try was very funny, he turned to the left and did a complete 360 before the jump. Makes me think I should use my left and right for soft turns no rear crosses which are the Super Skills verbals – but we don’t need to debate. The important piece of information is that he was not looking at the jump – or understanding to taking the jump. Go in my mind means go straight not turn left. Any way. I’m not sure how to progress except to bring the manners minder back into the picture to create some clarity. Thoughts?Layering
I think he is not ready for this – at least not in the picture. This is actually a good video in terms of illustrating his learning and processing – he went into zombie mode – I used the pattern games which brought him back – we did two more attempts and then called it a day.
