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We’ve clearly played with barrels a bunch š Question….. Towards the end of the video you do this with a Sideways/Backwards Send instead of a more “classic” Front Cross. I’ve never really done Backwards Sends, somewhere along the line they became “taboo” as they taught the dog that’s it’s OK to go behind your back (or at least that’s why I was told not to use them). Not sure what I think….guess I think that like any handling technique, when done well they are fine and that the “problem” isn’t in the technique but in the “how it’s executed”. I think I’d like to learn how and when to use them, seems to me like it’s an opportunity for clearer info for the dog sooner. So that said, when would you use a Sideways/Backwards Send instead of a Front Cross? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the pros/cons!
As I edited my video on this I’m guessing that I should not step towards the next barrel if I’m going to stop him at my side and reward, right?
I think you’re right/correct in that the right turn was harder here because it was 2nd. I was thinking that when doing this game before that turning to his left was harder and was beginning to think that it was his “harder side” for all turns. Now I’m not so sure that’s the case and am thinking that it’s more about me being such a creature of habit and that I usually start training with him off my right side! So the hard side is whatever is second. I’ll pay a little more attention to that.
Here’s our first time with Strike a Pose… damn, I need to get my hand lower!!!
Rears on the prop from a couple of days ago. I think we are starting to get it. Going to take a break from this game for a few days and let it āsimmerā, go for some of that latent learning. I want to play with some of the Strike a Pose games. I think theyāll be fun! Have a great weekend!
We also played with the Collection Sandwich a couple of days ago. I bet I walked it 10 times be myself before I did it with Sly! Thanks for the warning!!!
Yeah…. Especially those ālittleā dogs that arenāt very patient and are pretty sure they know how to do this!! š¤Ŗā¤ļøš¤Ŗ
We did a couple of short sessions with rears yesterday… first one, we both struggled a bit, second one it was like we both started to get it. Iāll get the video edited and posted later today, I hope! In the meantime hereās some Parallel Path fun!
Thanks Tracy! I think I finally actually “get it” as far as what you are saying about the timing of my movement behind. He needs to “feel” my movement, or maybe more correctly said he needs to know the new direction almost as soon as he steps toward the prop because at this distance he’s making a decision to set himself up for the turn essentially as soon as he leaves for the prop. Is that about right? Can’t wait to try this again!
And weāve continued to solidify our āfoot propā …. weāve done the sends and counter motion games to the prop against a wall at the house for breakfast a bunch of mornings to get him more comfortable with my pressure….seems to be helping him become more comfortable…. lots of reward and the thought of breakfast takes over his brain pretty quickly š From the names of the games it looks like many of the new games in Weeks 3 and 4 are designed to build comfort with being close…. looking forward to finally getting to play them. We did have some time to ātrainā yesterday so played with the rear cross prop game some more. I canāt remember which side now but one side he is much better at driving more straight to his hat, the other side he sets himself up almost as soon as he starts moving for the turn which makes the rear really hard for him so after feeling like we were stuck I tried to help him with a plastic cylinder which 1) he knows to go around both towards me and away from me and 2) is sort of in his way if he presets for the turn. Again, trying to think of a way to get the behavior. Anyway… fun session, tested my ātrainer brainā but in the end he was happy, lots of food and I think weāre both starting to get this rear cross thing a little bit… can you tell Iām not great at rears…give me good blind any day! š
I REALLY hate it when ālifeā gets in the way of my dog training fun!!!! Thank goodness itās going to rain for a couple of days, Iām hoping to get caught up on the Week 3 and 4 games videos!!! That said, we have been able to watch a few …. picked a couple I thought would be really fun… hereās Turn and Burn from Week 4. We both like this game š
Thanks Tracy…. I think you are spot on with all your rear cross observations. I was definitely struggling with holding on to him, trying to be ready to cross, treat in the correct hand, and on and on š I think what really threw me off and what made me think about him already setting up for the turn was that his first step when I let him go wasnāt straight to the target but already towards the āwrongā side for a rear but the right side to set up for a turn towards me. Kinda blew my brain for a minute there! Anyway…. yes, I think we sorta figured some stuff out the last couple of reps of the rears and are good to move forward from here.
So youāre OK with the broad jump board? I know thereās always pros and cons to āpropsā but it was the only thing I could think of to āgetā the right behavior to be able to reward it. And yep, a couple of reps and move on to something else. He was pretty clear about just how hard that was for him. Additional exercises to help him like coming in to pressure are going to be great. Itās something that he doesnāt like even in day to day life so thisāll be great in all sorts of ways for him ā¤ļøšā¤ļø Thanks as always. Have a great weekend!
I think I have a different theory of what’s going on with the “wide” coming into the hat after some stuff we did yesterday. We played with the Opposing Motion without me moving and then we played with the Rear Crosses. I do totally agree that some of it is that he is yielding to the pressure of my movement – he definitely moves away from anything he feels is pressure, I see it in him in everyday life stuff (and actually that’s part of the story from when I got him). But after playing with the Rear Cross Game I think he’s also anticipating the turn and is setting himself up for the turn on the way to the hat…instead of driving straight to the hat and then turning. After you watch both of these videos (and I am going to put both links in this post as I think they are definitely both pertinent to what we’re talking about), let me know what you think?
I think I understand but let me make sure. I watched the video a couple of times and what I see is he ends up running a curved line out to the hat instead of a straight one and that is happening because when I start to move that is pressure on the line and he moves away from it…. probably cause he doesnāt trust me not to step on him š¤£ So if I donāt move he doesnāt have to worry about getting stepped on and will be able to run a straight line to hat. Have I got that right? Should I change how I reward at all when working on this specific piece of this skill?
And yes, I was thrilled with how he understands to actually hit the hat with his foot. Weāre struggling with this concept in the RC Foundations class weāre in. He totally understands to go out to the mat from pretty much any distance or angle but lots and lots of driving by… It will be interesting to see if the understanding heās developed here transfers. Iāll let you know.
So I just saw that under your name in your responses it says Keymaster….. you must be a Ghostbusters fan? š
I try to do a little training with every meal…. something easy, even if itās just sits and downs. So this morning I was going for a quick session of ātouch it with your pawā and since he really seemed to get it I gave the opposing motion exercise a try. We have done some opposing motion training before, but always to a preplaced reward. He was doing so well with the change to the āput your foot on itā that I had to run in and get the iPad. I REALLY like this method! I do love this dog ā¤ļøšā¤ļø
Started to play some of the prop games and realized that our foot touch was not nearly strong enough so did a couple more sessions with it…. this is the one from this afternoon. I like how sometimes he almost slaps it with a front paw as if to say āThere!ā
So would the verbal here would be the one for a tight left and a tight right, correct?
No Sly and Jadzia arenāt related at least not closely but I donāt think at all. Iāve never actually met E in person… weāve gotten to know each other through the magic of the internet and the Cocker Agility World, which is a fairly small but somewhat connected group. When I lost Snoop, I had really lost touch with who was breeding … Snoop was a rescue. E would occasionally send me info about a dog or a litter and she sent me the info about Slyās litter. The story gets long and really funny from there… best told in person with adult beverages š. Hopefully weāll get the chance someday.
That might be the first time Iāve had anyone explain the pros and cons of verbals relative to me in those terms. Thank you. Makes total sense…. so in that light I probably will go with specific verbals for tight lefts and tight rights. Now I just need to decide what to use…needs to be something that āmakes sense in my headā. Iāll have to think about that a bit. We used to sail so port and starboard are ones I donāt have to think about too much….maybe port and star? Hmmm…..
