[Kim Tees]

Millie’s Pregames….. We’ve played with both of these (I remembered them from Sly’s MaxPup) off and on since she was pretty young, last time was about 5 weeks ago so figured we’d see what she remembered. 🙂 Took a couple of reps for it to come back, but I think she’s “got it” 🙂 She’s a hoot, not sure I’ll ever get used to the tail!

[Kim Tees]

Thank You! Camp was great…..as always. My Threadle Wraps may not be all the way to fluent but they are a helluva a lot closer than they were when camp started 😊 Seriously, thank you. Sly and I had a great time, learned a lot and made some significant progress in our journey. My biggest takeaway…. the importance of exit line connection! The clip is the Sequence from Live Class 4. I set it up a week or more ago, worked on all the different pieces at various times, had lots of good intentions to post video but never quite got there but I was (at least for the most part) able to watch my videos, rewatch your video and make changes and here’s the finished product ❤️

Thanks again, Sly and I look forward to whatever you offer next, until then we’ve got plenty of stuff from Camp that we never got to to keep us entertained. Happy Fall!!!

[Kim Tees]

Thanks Tracy. I built the setup from the last Live Class and am going to work through the series of exercises. Look fun…..and challenging 🙂 Have a great weekend!

[Kim Tees]

Good Evening! I’ve lost track of when camp officially ends…..last date for posting?

[Kim Tees]

It really is all about the correct parallel line, isn’t it?!?! And Sly is SO clear about when I’ve got it and when I don’t 😉 Good boy!!!! Played with 2A and 2B again this AM. I think it’s easier to get a clear parallel line to the backside jump than it is to the tunnel in this setup! I really have to think about my position on the send to #1 or I end up in just a little too close to 2.

Then we played with Sequence 3. Warmed up our blind/threadle wrap a couple of times and that went so well that I decided to go for the whole sequence. Took 3 tries to get the threadle slice with the layer but once I paid more attention to the connection on landing of 4, he nailed it!!! Here’s the first time we put it all together 🙂 Called it good!!!!

My sincerest condolences on your loss of Crusher…….definitely one very cool dog.

[Kim Tees]

Played with the rear cross again and then worked on the Backside with the Jump at an angle…..

[Kim Tees]

>> After the BC, you can keep moving and he will set up the turn on 4 as you move through the line. You were adding decel there, which cued too much collection so he dropped the bar at :19 when he realized you were moving forward and looked at you at :28. You can add a brake arm there as you run through if he needs help setting up the turn.

First time I did this (I left it out of the video) his natural line from 4 to 5 carried him to the backside of 5, (when I set this up, I set the tunnel first and then realized I hadn’t left quite enough room behind it, so my 5 jump is closer to the tunnel :() so I did need to cue more of a turn 4. I hadn’t thought about a brake arm. Question about brake arms……seems like they are back in “vogue”? Watching video of mostly the Europeans seems like there’s a lot of 2 handed collection cues these days.

>>What was going wrong on the RC in that session? It was looking good today – you had lots of verbals 🙂 and he read it. You might have been a bit too far ahead, and that caused you to get behind on the next line. You can get closer to the 3 jump (backside jump) to set it so he drives ahead, which will actually get you further ahead after the RC

I was too far behind. I was trying to set the line back at 2, and he was getting ahead of me at 3 and he was reading the cross as occurring at 3 and going into the tunnel. I’ll have to try this one again and see if I can find the sweet spot…..not too far behind, not too far ahead 😉 Rear crosses are definitely “not my thing” – give me a Blind anyday! so it’ll be good for me to play with this some more.

Thanks as always!

[Kim Tees]

Sounds like you’ve had a busy week 😟 Hope Crusher is feeling better and eating something for you. 🤞

I set this up a week and 1/2 ago, played with the rear cross, which was a bit of a mess and then didn’t get back to it until today. Watched your video and figured what I was doing wrong with the rear…. I had to substitute a short tunnel to make the setup fit in my space but I think I captured the intent of the exercise just the same.

[Kim Tees]

Thanks for the explanation on why the blind over the front. Blinds are always easier for me to physically do….don’t get lost and don’t fall down! Both of which are possible on my fronts….ask me how I know 😉

Seriously, thank you. Fronts vs. blinds can sometimes feel like a religion/politics subject with some folks, lots of rules 🤪 I remember Jenny Damm once saying you could do a blind any place you do a front, you just gotta do both timely. I always liked that!

[Kim Tees]

Ran the 4th Sequence from Package 4 with a Backside Slice and then to the Backside Wrap with a blind between 7 and 8 instead of the front. And then I big time geeked out trying to figure out what was fastest!

Here’s the data. I measured from exit of tunnel to #9 jump. The FC and TW reps were from the first time we did the sequence.

Front Cross close to 7: 4.7, 4.5
Threadle Wrap: 4.8
Backside Slice: 4.1
Blind Cross between 7 and 8: 4.3, 4.2

The exit line off the Backside Slice was by far the best! More than made up for any additional distance to get to the further wing 😊. This was fun! On the Package 5.

[Kim Tees]

Thanks (as always) for the feedback from the 1st 3 sequences. Yep! Exit line connection definitely something I need to work on. I’m generally getting pretty good at seeing commitment, (still need to improve on moving on) but I think I take an instant after I see it to “regroup” my brain, check where I am, physically and mentally and then I do miss seeing completion of the obstacle (especially jumps) and that makes me late on the next set of cues. Hadn’t ever really thought about it in those terms! I walked this sequence really focusing on the exit line connections, less focus on other things, ie. verbals as those still take a lot of thought and planning. I did plan them but not with the same focus that I put on the exit line connection or I had in some of the previous sequences. I really saw that lack of planning in a couple of places, especially on the exit of the tunnel. Gotta continue, to work on being able to do it all! Anyway, another fun sequence. After running it as planned, I had to try it one more time with a threadle wrap at 8 🙂

A question about Sequence 3.
“On the opening line, you can lead out more so you are further ahead to show the blind cross and also to set up the exit line connection from 2-3. Looking back at him over 2 will let you get the timely turn cues for 3 (starting no later than landing of 2).”

Leading out further definitely makes sense. Why did you choose a blind here instead of a front? I ran it with the blind but my inclination was for a front which kinda surprised me cause I’m ALWAYS one to choose a blind over a front if it makes sense to me at all 🙂 Thanks as always.

[Kim Tees]

We’re still here! Sometimes I really hate technology!!! Laptop problems this week, but hopefully all good now!

Played with some of the suggestions that you made for the breakouts from Package 3 last Sunday and then set up the Skills Course for Package 4 and played with a couple of the sequences yesterday. Here’s those 2 videos. In the past when we’ve done these walk it/run it exercises (which are great) I’ve tried to walk it and talk it through for the video which I think messed me up, couldn’t multitask that very well. This time I just walked them like I’d walk them, focusing on all my cues, connection, etc. and videoed without narrating while I was walking. Better! Not sure why I did the 2nd sequence first….. but it went really well, one and done. First sequence took 3 times to get through it without a dropped bar……

Edit…..Had a chance to play with the 3rd Sequence this morning. “Got it done” but it didn’t feel smooth.

[Kim Tees]

Love these Pop Out Sequences!
I played with 2 and 4 from the Standard Course this week. One on Monday, the other on Tuesday and then revisited both yesterday. Lots of handling choices with both. I could get really geeky and obsessive and do a bunch of reps to take times off the videos but I’m going to resist that, this time 😉

And concerning Sequence 1 feedback….
——>would you suggest any different ones for this sequence
The other option on this one is to look for more slice opportunities on the 2/6 jump. For example, you can turn him to his left over 1, slice 2 (a serp) from the other direction so he lands facing 3.

I never even thought about doing the first Sequence starting by turning Sly to his left over the first jump….going to have to try that. In general, Serps are almost always faster for us unless the distance is a lot longer, guess that’s really true for all dogs. Anyway, have a nice weekend. Looks like you’re traveling. Here’s to a safe and uneventful trip.

[Kim Tees]

Oh yeah…..I really struggle with verbals, which cue means what, using the right one at the right time, balance between being a blathering idiot and running completely silent and then concentrating so much on the verbals that I f-up the rest of the handling 😳

That said, I am getting better!! I decided to focus on just a few to start with, ones that I needed because I wasn’t going to be able to physically be in a position to handle…Go, my 2 Backsides; Back for backside slice and Round for Backside Wraps. Also collection/wrap jump – Wrap/Wrap. Go and Wrap/Wrap are pretty fluent and end up sounding very different in tone and cadence. I still have to think about the 2 backsides and I think that might be part of the reason they come out the way they do? Anyway…..keep after me, the reminders really do help me think about it….keeps me moving towards using them more effectively.

I decided to setup and play with the pop outs from the Standard Courses….Here’s the first one… Rep 1 and 2 and then a short break, watched the video of the first 2 reps, worked a couple of places and rewarded and then one last rep. Interesting sequence, really had to think through the handling choices. I liked the ones I decided on…..would you suggest any different ones for this sequence? Going to play with the 2nd sequence tomorrow

[Kim Tees]

Played with the Sequence this afternoon, it was fun. We both needed to run!

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