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Finally felt like some training today. I’m still super exhausted but seem to have more energy daily.
We did the trick toolbox first session. I love love love trick training. Both of my dogs adore working tricks for me. Inside, sitting down will send Fever’s arousal sky high and he gets so excited.
I dropped cookies twice here. I’m really bad about holding cookies always and need to work on fading.I had a post here but my internet deleted it.
So here’s a two videos of our seminar disconnects and how I handled it. In a perfect world, I’d edit these down for you from all of our sessions but.. I had android friends filming and somehow my
Phone ended up on the wrong orientation. I keep trying to flip it in editor and my phone crashes every time so I can’t edit in iMovie. I have about 36 minutes of footage to edit but just posted two of our turns.First run of the day around 4:11 disconnect
Disconnect happens around 1:38General Information
Dog’s name, age, gender (spayed or neutered ?), and breed(s):
Fever, 3 y/o intact male
What is/are your main sport(s)?
Agility, dock diving. We dabble in frisbee and would do it if it were an option here.
What is/are main sanctioning org that you compete in (like in agility, AKC, UKI, USDAA, CPE, NADAC, etc)?
AKC, UKI, USDAA. AKC is readily available, UKI and USDAA usually 6-8 hour drive for limited trial options.
Dog’s training level:
Hmm.. I think his skill level is quite high, masters/international challenge capable.
Dog’s trialing level:
Novice or pre-novice 😊
Is there a history of any medical issues, physical issues, fear issues, and/or medications? If yes, please explain:
Occasional noise phobia- mostly triggered by thunder, gunshots or fireworks. Previously frequent random triggers
He takes alprazolam PRN for severe noise triggers. I will use clonodine 0.15 mg when training not at my house or for trials. He was having some reactivity/resource guarding issues as well as overarousal with concern for aggression (DA) issues but has really really settled down in the past year. He’s got lots of big feelings and sometimes they are hard to control.
Observations
*Describe your dog’s behavior outside the ring while waiting for his turn to run in training. This can include body language, eye contact, tail set, reaction to other dogs and people, reaction to dogs running, and anything else you have observed:
Does this mean at a known location or trial location?
At Carrie’s he loses his mind while other dogs are running and will scream with excitement. If I keep him engaged, he will work well for me for food. He can’t quite engage a toy while watching in a known location.
*Describe your dog’s behavior outside the ring while waiting for his turn to run at a trial. This can include body language, eye contact, tail set, reaction to other dogs and people, reaction to dogs running, and anything else you have observed:
I don’t have a ton of ringside data because after my one run in with the rep, I was often very hesitant to take him out at an AKC trials for awhile but within the last several months of collecting data, I am happy with his state. He still gets nervous by other dogs around him but is able to focus on me. He can calmly watch a ring run and directs his focus back to me when things are exciting (tunnels). He will react to some dogs mildly, usually if they are reacting first or if it’s a dog that stares him down.
He is somewhat of a target by other dogs- when I pull him out of his crate, often other dogs growl and lung as we walk by at their crates. I don’t notice the same with Callie and it can often make him insecure and nervous.
Depending on the location, he can tug with me.
He will play cookie toss games and offer eye contact. He isn’t bothered by people moving around at all. He will greet others if they approach but usually orients very quickly back to mama.
*Describe your current outside the ring routine when getting ready to run in training:
Walk in with a toy, try to establish toy play. If it’s carries, he has to check that the pool is still in the ground and look longinly at it.
Describe your current outside the ring routine when getting ready to run at a trial:
I usually pull him out pretty late, we wait ringside, do cookie tosses, tricks, small tugging for a toy and head to the ring.
*Describe your dog’s behavior as you move from the ring gate to the start line in training. This can include body language, eye contact, tail set, reaction to other dogs and people, reaction to dogs running, and anything else you have observed:
Usually relaxed, sometimes sniffy sometimes super excitable.
*Describe your dog’s behavior as you move from the ring gate to the start line at trials. This can include body language, eye contact, tail set, reaction to other dogs and people, reaction to dogs running, and anything else you have observed:
Relaxed, some small sniffing, maybe a little slow to take a command.
In Training (if this varies by location, please explain and give an explanation):
Where is the dog crated? Usually in car or covered crate
Is your dog able to eat treats outside the ring? yes
Is your dog able to play tug outside the ring? Sometimes
Is your dog able to eat treats inside the ring? yes
Is your dog able to play tug inside the ring? yes
At Trials (if this varies by location, please explain):
Where is the dog crated? In car or covered crate
Is your dog able to eat treats outside the ring? yes
Is your dog able to play tug outside the ring? Sometimes
Is your dog able to play tug with a toy or leash inside the ring? Yes tug, working on leash.
Responses
What is your current ring entry and start line routine in training:
How do you bring the dog to the start line? he’s usually off leash and recalled to me
How do you ask them to line up and stay? Tap side to get head contact and cue down. Sometimes sends through legs for a slingshot start, sometimes through legs to a down
How quickly is your dog able to respond to your cues: Immediately most of the time.
Immediately
Within 2 or 3 seconds. Needs multiple cues
Unable to respond
If this varies depending on the cue or location, please explain:
What is your ring entry and current start line routine at trials:
How do you bring the dog to the start line? On leash, not pulling, usually walking with mama. I usually use his head collar at trials pending on the location but if it’s DGF in Houston just a slip lead. I’ve not noticed a difference in his behavior with one versus other
How do you ask them to line up and stay? Tap side to get head contact on leg and cue down.
How quickly is your dog able to respond to your cues:
Within a few seconds but varies by excitability
Within 2 or 3 seconds
Immediately
Within 2 or 3 seconds
Needs multiple cues
Unable to respond
If this varies depending on the cue or location, please explain:
In training, is your dog able to maintain a focused stay position while you lead out
If so, for how long or how far? Most of the time. Sometimes we break and come to mama, sometimes we break to smell.
Does he break the stay or look around?
At trials, is your dog able to maintain a focused stay position while you lead out
If so, for how long or how far? My N on this is very small but he’s held a stay without issues. He hasn’t sniffed or not released. He does sometimes like to rub his body with the turf so it can make getting an initial position difficult. He does look around.
Does he break the stay or look around?
When your dog is on course in training, is he able to run pretty well or does he struggle with distractions or certain obstacles?
Can pend on the day and errors/environment
When your dog is on course at trials, is he able to run pretty well or does he struggle with distractions or certain obstacles?
Most of the time yes, he has pooped in the ring twice and that’s been my fault but otherwise has been engaged.
Does this vary in different locations? If yes, please explain.
Reinforcement Hierarchies
In training, what are your dog’s favorite rewards?
Frizz, dock bumper, tug toy, string cheese
When there is a reward present, what are your dog’s favorite tricks?
ALL OF THEM
When there is no reward present, what are your dog’s favorite tricks?
Down, roll over
Let’s Plan Ahead
Ideally, what would you like your routine to look like between the entry gate and release from the start line?
At this point, I’d like to raise his arousal walking in and wanting him higher to run. He’s very engaged going in and gets higher as we run but I don’t want the little bit of nervousness that happens prior. In training, a tunnel send prior to starting a sequence usually gets him in the perfect state to run but really isn’t an option in AKC unless it’s FEO. I’ve worked some quick actions and tugging on the leash to attempt to bring into the ring but his leash tugging isn’t super great.
Tell Me All The Things!
We’ve been working this awhile so I don’t think there’s anything additional. I need to edit some of my seminar videos for disconnect footage.
Feel free to tell me about things you are doing that appear to be helping. Feel free to tell me about things that appear to NOT be helping.
Calming behaviors station work initially seemed helpful for distraction but don’t seem to be the best for us. Waiting ringside in training, station work is good and we can wait calmly there. Waiting on a station at a busy trial makes him very nervous. He does much better with continued movement with mom, even if it’s just walking
He loves cookie toss and looking back at mom for another cookie. Seriously we now play that game all the time and he loves it. God forbid the cheese get dirty though because cheese+dirt is not tasty.
Got video? Send me some clips so we have a visual history.
I got the clear to do some “walking” from the surgeon but both dogs and I might be a bit feral after a week of nothingness. I’m hoping to have Carrie sub in as a handler for me this weekend for some of these activities. How much longer do we have to submit? I feel lost and behind
Fast lines part two
I had very poor impulse control yesterday and didn’t wait for your second round of feedback so I could have improved this reinforcement/exit line.
I also kept forgetting about that second jump after the wrap. I finally got it
His initial wrap to start the sequences was fairly wide so I’d like your thoughts on that.
Towards the end, there were some scary world noises that he didn’t like but he kept working and picked it up after he realized it was an engine backfire and that they weren’t hunting red border collies.I did much better with my reset cookie here. Click treat.
Oh! Another thing that I woke up thinking about and stayed on when I couldn’t fall back asleep at 4 AM
Backside wrap with us on their tail- I know the verbal should be the ultimate distinguisher but I feel like sometimes I inadvertently cue a whisky cross when I intended for a tight wrap. Is this something we will be visiting?
This is super feedback
I left this session feeling kind of funky because I missed so many opportunities. I know he was turning left and it took me a few reps of just getting the turn to realize the jump was incorrectly placed.
I do agree that the initial turns were much better
For toy placement and independence, should I throw for L and R and then run for check versus dig to get the acceleration out of the tight turns?
I’m working hard to embrace the reset cookie. I even FORCED Carrie to use it yesterday and it really reduced Roulez’s frustration. It has also been helpful with Callie who much prefers food to keep her playing with toys while training. You’re just so good at what you do!
As far as spacing goes, is it appropriate? Should I adjust that left jump more?
We tried the fast lines challenge.
The first part of this was me troubleshooting my set up. I probably should have put Callie on it first but he really didn’t seem to mind me sorting things out.The first rep, he wrapped this tiny noodle that’s covering something on my French drain. I really over thought about rewarding and ultimately let him grab the toy.
For the lefts, I felt like was getting the turn but the jump after wasn’t on his radar so I moved it in.We did one more quick rep after a few hours. Overall super happy with his efforts.
Circle wraps!
We haven’t touched these in a bit so I’m really happy with this.
I thought this would have been a Callie exercise but she didn’t have any failures and Fever had one so he was the chosen one 🤣
Both dogs can struggle with this at speed when I come in like the meme of Jason Momoa to the backside.
I keep trying to make this holee roller a fun toy but I think he gets bored with it. We played fetch after so hopefully he keeps feeling it’s fun. It’s just super easy to place.I tried to use cookies more in
the in between times. I’m still bad at switching is collar to hand while tugging to restart.I feel like I’m leaving over too much to start but that may just be me nitpicking.
I hear there are rumors of me forcing people to post footage. I’m sorry if that doesn’t align with the values of AU.
No training for us today because we were trialing, but I did want to share the footage of the red child tackling jumpers and standard. He’s still super green but he worked in the ring with no reinforcement on the mama and happily leashed up. He was tugging and taking food and happy as can be. I really feel like I couldn’t be here without your help over the past 2 years and can’t convey my gratitude enough.
The backside work looked good especially with frizz! You had a lot of motion and he had no real trouble
This was where I was most impressed because he can get the tendency to fling out wanting the frizz! So nice.
On the front side balances – be sure to also move forward and don’t be stationary because we don’t want motion versus lack of motion to be the tipoff for front versus backside. And since this backside versus front side is a brain-bender especially because the motion is not going to help him – just use one front side (soft turn or Go, not both)
I have a really hard time moving through all of these drills because it’s more “training” than “handling” to me. I wonder if setting a target obstacle or cone to make it to would prevent me from being static?
Should I vary the front side per session or just stick with L and R versus go?🐍 and backside 🔪 part two
I was happy with the first side with the serp. He looks great. At one point mama stops walking to help and we almost had a little collision. He saved me. No more helping. He said I got it, and I’m coming in hot 🏃♂️
When we changed sides, we had one mistake and I think it really let the wind out of his sail. I lost him shortly after. I said oops (why Jamie! Why?)
We took a small break and he still wasn’t back where I wanted him so we took a much longer break and came back with the frizz. He looked great for the backsides.I did note to add the lefts and rights in repetition but I think the sound wasn’t as good and unique as when I was saying them alone. By gosh I’ll get it someday.
Alright bars (well bar) were locked and loaded. I worked up the courage to do the serp drill.. and I think I only fucked up my words once…with each dog. I hope you can see the second half. I should have just switched sides that I was on instead of moving the wing but my brain JUST COULDN’T.
I also must confess, I have forgotten what my reward maker is for dropping the toy. I think it’s get it but I mostly do strike are whoosh and have been trying so hard to make those happen that I’ve neglected this one. All of these words are really like juggling chainsaws that are on fire 😅.
We also tried the backside slice. I’m very happy with this first session. My only bobble was trying to get him to turn around while holding his collar. He wasn’t having it 😅
Did I have cookies in my pocket for this situation? Yes! Did I use them… nope
It was warm today so we kept both sessions short. Callie was successful with both of these too. She’s pretty convinced at the collar grab that I want the front side and her eyes automatically zone there. Saying the word several times does help but it will take several sessions.
Did you balance it and ask for the front side on a rep?
ahh yes a good trainer would have probably thought to do that.. I didn’t have my wheaties Saturday 🙁
Lack of efficiency? LOL! Picky, picky. He was great!
I just wanted to make sure it was timely and he was understanding and not an afterthought. He, like CB, is probably the most verbal dog of the fam. If I give him his words in time, he really really tries. Sometimes he really really tries even when they are late and idk how he manages to move his body like he does.
Even better than frizzers…. he GOT SWIM SWIM!
Good morning!
My brain has a very very hard time following the left and rights on the serp drills so I may have to magic marker my hands and sit in a quite room to really wrap my head around it 🤯This weekend when running the pups we had an interesting backside from a straight tunnel. The red child was the only one who got that it was a backside, albeit wide for the first couple of reps. Both Callie and Roulez were convinced it was a front side and we had to break it down for them differently.
My question is his lack of efficiency here- is it my handling or lack of fluency in your opinion? I know in the past he would hit the Bs and not take the jump but that seems to be much improved.
