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Thanks Tracy. Question about the backside/FC at 6. Feels like this is a place where a verbal would helpful. When I first taught backsides it was just one verbal – Back. Lo has “been after me” to have a different verbal for backside wraps than backside slices, and we sort of played with some of that in your jumping skills class this winter. At the time I just didn’t deal with it beyond class….brain needed for other things! But I’m ready to add a new backside verbal, which will mean that I now have 4. Flip for Threadle Wraps, In-In for Threadle Slices, Back for Backsides (non-threadle) that don’t require much collection and Round-Round for backsides that need him to put in a “square up” stride. I picked Round-Round cause that’s what we used for our barrel/cone/wing stuff and seems like it fits. Thoughts? Would a different verbal have been helpful to Sly in this sequence? Selection of words? They are all words that fit for me, easy to remember. Enough of a difference for Sly? What about Round-Round vs. my Wrap-Wrap (which is a Front side wrap)? Enough geekery on this dreary Saturday morning. Have a great weekend.
Noontime Edit…. I didn’t totally understand/appreciate the significance of your comment about being careful about being too open until I just walked the 1b sequence. Now I get it!!! Did some RDW stuff (whoever said RDW isn’t training, it’s a lifestyle wasn’t kidding) so I just walked and planned 1b and the first 2 sequence, will run with Sly later. Sun is trying to come out so we’re going to the lake!!!
Just the first RYG Sequence from the 3rd Package. My space isn’t quite big enough for the exact spacing in the diagram but close enough to work the skills. I did video my walk through but I was actually pretty good on the execution of my plan, including timing of the verbals so didn’t include it 🥰 First rep was a great example of how things get planted in your brain. When I watched your demo video I picked up the not strong enough connection out of the last tunnel. In my planning I made sure to say when I see him commit to the tunnel, look to the tunnel bag to see him exit and then I said be sure not to go to a loose connection like Tracey did the first time. And what did I do!?!? Change to: look to tunnel bag to see exit and stay strongly connected! Mission accomplished!
We’ve done a bunch of left/right training but it still takes so much of my brain power to use them that I decided (for now anyway) to just go with his name for soft tunnel exit turns, knowing that it means turns toward me. It’s letting me focus on the other verbals and my timing and gets the job done. I’m comfortable with that decision and prioritizing of training, for now anyway.
Helen Connell and Changtse came up yesterday so I took the opportunity to play with this setup with the added distraction of Changtse. Our normal MO when training is Sly gets to run around and check out things in the training area while I setup stuff. For this session I asked him to come in cold and immediately go to work with Changtse down at the other end of the training area and without him getting to run around and check everything out. Very, very pleased with how he was able to “get to it”. Good boy! I was asking a lot of him to do that. The sequence might be one of yours or one that I made up (I really like this setup!, Lots you can do with it). Focused on timing of those darn verbal cues in this session. Progress!!!
Never thought I would say I need to spend more time in my car! I listened to the recording of the session with Anastasia today. OMG, I love listening to her. Not only is she so knowledgeable and interesting, she’s so freaking funny. Thanks for all you did to put that together. My key takeaways were:
Grace, confidence, kindness, space
You can’t push through bad emotions
Emotionally Disregulated – that needs to be on a tshirt!And so many great training ideas. Thanks again.
Now to listen to the recording of last weeks Zoom and catch up on the “lessons”.
We did trial today…AKC at AK9C, home turf. Worked at applying a lot of what we’ve been talking about in this group. Smiled a lot, accepted some really nice compliments, ate and drank something every couple of hours and excused myself from a couple of conversations that were quickly going negative (need to go check on Sly and Mags in the car worked really well as a way to walk away gracefully!). And then we freaking nailed the last run of the day!!! 🥰
Have a great weekend! And thanks!
Hmm… yep, I see where getting rid of any head turn/question on exit of tunnel is a performance goal and not an outcome goal. I think what “confused” me was that it was a performance goal that followed/resulted from other performance goals. Does that make sense? Helpful to think of it in terms of what I have control over and what I don’t…..and then there’s the what I should have more control over stuff! Somehow I think you get to that in the mind stuff. I watched the 2nd Zoom session yesterday. SO much good stuff!
Quick session this morning with the RYG, Layering Part 2.
Happy 4th of July! We had a great trip but nice to be home. Lots of catching up to do. I watched the Intro videos for Package 2 and 3 and decided I wanted to do/not skip Package 2 before starting Package 3. Worked on performance goals, not just complete the exercise as a goal. My performance goals were verbal go and jump cues before entry to tunnel and good connection as he exits tunnel. I did have an outcome goal too, wanted to have him understand the cues/handling well enough that there was no checkin/headcheck/question on exit of tunnel. I think the reps with the preplaced toy really helped with that. Good to be back!
Update…..we trialed a lot the past 10 days – a Friday, Monday and then 3 days this past weekend. All AKC, nice courses within the course design rules of AKC. Anyway…. LOTS of personal learning. Some significant examples to share.
FAST run that we “got” but the Send didn’t go as planned – but I didn’t get flustered after losing connection and refocused, regrouped and got the send. On the way out a friend said “Nice Send” and I almost said “it was a mess” but stopped myself and said thanks a lot, I was so happy that I was able to focus and get it done!
Reinforced what I already knew – when I get focused on I really want to run this clean, I usually don’t. Especially if it’s near the end of the day and HART is coming into play!
Ran 3 days in a row this past weekend – which I almost never do but I would like to do some bigger events with Sly the next couple of years so figured that 3 days close to home would help me figure out some of the mental aspects that I need to improve. Learnings, even staying home and sleeping in my own bed by day 3, I was TIRED! I can control my schedule which goes a long way to helping with the rushed feelings but I can’t control other people (not sure how to deal with this)…….and this tends to make me angry. Hmmmmm.
How do you deal with other people wanting to talk as you are mentally prepping for your run? Especially students? And the other one that I struggled with was when the club needs help and it seems like no one is stepping up – volunteer to ring crew and then end up feeling rushed – I’ve gotten much better at planning when I can work and have plenty of time to get ready for our runs but I’m not good at all about not feeling guilty when a club is “begging for workers” and I don’t help so I usually jump in and then end up feeling rushed getting Sly ready.
Apologies for the “rambling” but again I wanted to capture these thoughts.
Another question that I think goes to some of my rushed issues – more in training. How do you plan a training week? I’m always feeling like I’m not doing enough but then I feel like I’m doing too much for what’s best for Sly. Between all the maintenance skill training, conditioning (a lot of which involves several reps), the RDW stuff which also involves lots of reps – hopefully smart reps but it’s still a lot and then the learning new skills and handling stuff – not to mention verbals which also seem to need lots of reps – again less if they are smart ones! It seems overwhelming some days. Anyway…… FOMO is real!!! Looking forward to vacation and taking a big piece of the summer off from any trialing – focus on our RDW and skills from Camp 🙂 Thanks as always!
We’re still here!!!! This is from several days ago. The first Pop Out from the Package 1, Standard Courses. Focused on walk to know where everything is, walk dog’s line, plan my handling, walk with handling, add verbals, walk at speed with it all. Got in too far at jump 4 so the blind to the tunnel was close and wasn’t clear so Sly glances at the tunnel (felt it as it was happening so was able to hustle and still get it done – yeah! – practicing good self talk 😉 ). I hadn’t planned the patience needed after the front cross between 2 and 3 – fixed it in the next rep. 🙂
Really working on process goals – plan each sequence and execute well as opposed to performance goals – gotta get them all done. For us “task oriented” folks – this is hard!!!!
Lots of mental stuff this past week….I’ll post in the other forum. Jim and the dogs and I are going on a REAL vacation!!! Headed to PEI and Nova Scotia in the motorhome on Thursday, going to be gone 10 or 12 days – a vacation with no specific plans 🙂 But we’ll be back!
All 3 sequences with the tunnel added and a good example of what can happen when I start to feel rushed. Had about an hour, wanted to get all 3 sequences done as need to setup something new for folks using the training center next week and then forgot my course maps at home so had to work off my phone which is also what I was using to video.
So…..after recovering from being mad about forgetting the maps I drew a sketch on the whiteboard and numbered all 3 (unfortunately I numbered the 2nd one wrong). Walked the first one, walked it with my verbals and then walked it at running speed with verbals. Had previously decided that I wanted to do the blind with toys in both hands and then with no toys. Nailed it!
Now starting to feel just a little rushed but not too bad, so didn’t walk the 2nd one as “focused”, brain was saying “you’ve done this one before, no big deal”. Checked my sketch and away we went. But, frig….why the h____ was that 2nd backside so hard…. Well, wrong numbers and we hadn’t really walked it 🤨 Figured out what was going on but clearly took me a bit to settle myself down…. Timing off, 3 dropped bars 😳 which never happens.
3rd Sequence, walked it well but Sly is starting to tell me he’s had enough (antsy on the start) but……..damn, I really want to get this done so he gets lots of treats and sticks with me (good boy!). One dropped bar, my handling feels fuzzy. I tell myself, suck this up, only focus on the handling/dog, stop thinking about how I need to get going and bingo! Nice run!
Take Sly out for a pee, come in to pick up, shut off the lights, erase the white board and realize I still haven’t run the 2nd one right 🙄 Geez! Sly’s game since he got a break. I focus, walk it my 3 times and yeah!
Good things…Sly never really looked at any of the off course obstacles and it was a really good mental learning session. Rushed is my biggest mental challenge!!!
10:30 AM edit…. While cleaning the bathroom (the mushroom trying to grow in the corner of the shower said it was time!) I recognize that the other learning here was all about performance goals and achievement goals…. We clearly threw out all the performance goals in order to reach the achievement of getting all 3 sequences done.
Raise Your Game, Sequence 2 and 3, no tunnel yet. Performance Goal….use 2 verbals well. Wrap, wrap which is put in stride and turn back to me and Back – Backside. Figured I’d focus on just these 2. Walked it, walked it with verbals, walked it at running speed with verbals. We did pretty good 🥰
I had to chuckle at your comment about passing the toy from hand to hand on the blinds in Sequence 1. I’m always after my students to be ready to reward timely so I do frequently run with a toy. Had forgotten that I have this bad habit on my blinds when I have a toy. I “fixed it” at one time by just carrying a toy in each hand… did that with Sequence 2 even though there were no blinds. I’ll have to remember to do it when I do Sequence 1 with the tunnel.
Listened to the recording of the Zoom on my way home from class this afternoon and the timing could not have been better. Let’s just say it wasn’t our best class and I was feeling a little defeated, couldn’t get the hard threadle wrap off a running Aframe and Sly was getting worried, Lo was trying to help me, and my head was blowing up….not the way to end a class 🙁 But….because I was listening to the recording I worked on spotting the successes – an amazing rear cross on a flat 180 with a big off course tunnel, executed perfectly cause Sly never looked at the tunnel (and I’ve been working hard at getting better at rear crosses for awhile now), I didn’t stop for a big bag of Cheez Its on the way home and I managed to get to class early enough so that I didn’t feel rushed trying to convince Sly to poop – he had plenty of time to cruise the grounds and check out the World and then poop. And I feel a lot better about the day.
Seriously…… you can continue to read and comment but this is mostly random thoughts from the ride home that I don’t want to lose.
– Fake it til you make it is real.
– Being the control freak that I can be – acceptance and let it go is a continuous process. I’ve got a good friend that tells me I’ve got my ducks in line for miles, and I can tell when one is even thinking about getting out of line because I am continually checking and double checking that they are still lined up.
– No control over Outcome Goals, Control over Performance Goals
– HALT – Needs to include Rushed for Time for me
– I’ve gotten very good the last few years about seeing success in others and saying something. Really suck at doing it for myself and even worse at doing it with Jim, my husband.
– My Inner Critics favorite sayings “I have a really hard time getting a course in my head”, “I’m really good at this in slow motion without my dog” and “How am I going to do verbals when I’m lucky if I can remember my name some days”That’s it for now, I’m sure there were lots of other thoughts as I was driving and listening and I’ll add them as they come back to mind. I’m going to print out the 3 exercises so that I can spend the time to really read them. I think this is going to be good for me…..both agility and the rest of life 🙂
Have a great evening.
Sequence 1 of the 1st Raise Your Game Challenge. All 3 steps, 2 reps of each step. Overall I was really happy with how these went. While editing the video I saw some variation in the timing of the blind, he never looked at the off course jump but definitely had some turns that were wider than others. Also my connection at the turn at 4 had quite a bit of variation in it. Interesting!
Played with Super Combos again yesterday. Looks like Sly definitely had some latent learning going on since the last time we played with this 🙂 Me, not so much!!!! I had planned to just go back and forth between past the tunnel to the jump and then to the tunnel but he did SO well with that, that I added the rear cross to the tunnel and OMG – this is a good demo of what happens when I don’t plan my words!!!!! Anyway….we both had fun and I think we made some huge progress with our verbals in this class, Sly probably more than me 🙂 Hope to get in one more post before the class ends but in case I don’t thanks again for another great class. Looking forward to whatever you got coming up next!
