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Finally at the end of the busy season and now it’s raining! But I’m sure we can play some catch up.
We did the mini pinwheel, he was really good at that. On the video, I attempted to use a pre-placed toy – that was a fail. Switched to food bowl and he was okay. So – fight that battle or leave it be? He will go to a toy if we are both racing for it. And he will go to it if it is out a line.
Definitely need to hold the threadle hand longer before the release. We tried the rear cross closer to him at the start – seemed to be okay. The toy toss might have been leading the turn…..
Started to try to switch older dog to new flick hand – that will be a work in progress.
Are you running at the open or just running the open?
Okay, all the hand mix up is probably from two things – first, I can figure out where i need to be with a jump, but I think I have a hard time picturing it on the barrel, so I need to keep the jump bump there!
The second bigger one – I trained Phaede to do a flick (threadle wrap) with dog side arm, but you use other one and lots of people use the “threadle” arm. Which one is better? Clearly I need one and not two different arms per dog. I was a traditional threadle arm person but then my in person trainer switched to shoulder pulls and wanted everyone to do that – so I would do one thing at home and another at class:) When I teach, I try to accommodate people that use either method. So I’m just in an awkward place. On regular threadles I use shoulder back, but used to use outside arm across (and still do if I really need to make a point!)
As for last night – mostly I was happy. I did do a second session where it became clear we need to work stays with distractions (people and dogs coming and going) but after a few “catches” he did really well for a 6 month old puppy (brought out the cato board after failure). Again, not super worried yet – I took my current competition dog on a tour of every park around to prep her for competition – just not up there on my priority list quite yet.
I’m also starting now to work on set ups, but i do those separately or at least will for a while until they are solid. Why I use cato boards so much – I don’t have to fiddle with position. We also ended up with working between toy and food – he will need that quite a bit. Then we worked on could he do a behavior before going to the toy – clearly he does not understand all of the words! So this was more of a discovery session for me.
On directionals – I normally only use them on tight turns out of the tunnel (of course when I remember) and use a generic easy for a soft turn as my motion should provide them with which way would they be turning. So on this little pin wheel, would you just use my generic soft turn? Realistically we won’t be doing UKI or ISC unless they start offering them nearer to me.
Yes, did too big of party with the reverse retrieve, will try it being quiet. Will work on being closer on the rear cross – honestly I work so much on lateral distance (need it with the BC that I default to it) and I’m always trying to get students away from their dogs!
This is our first attempt at threadle wraps (I think an accidental backside as I was forgetting what we were doing) and some tunnel fun. Will work on the two barrel threadle wrap today.
Question – do you see anything major that I need to lean into with this puppy so far? I feel like he will accelerate when it is more of a running game but so far he seems like he is getting most of it.
This was yesterdays homework. We did the backside slice for the first time with a jump bump, then reviewed some rear crosses. WE also try to play the rocking horse with a barrel and a wing (sorry, only one laundry basket). Mistake – left prop out…..so he went to go do that instead. The wing and barrel were 15 feet apart. On last rep I moved the prop out of the picture. Also got him leaping at toy and flung my arm…..my bad on that one.
Any big holes, or just sloppy handling?
Okay, some teeter practice, probably should be rewarding his head lower, and should I bring back the front foot target to get him further back on the teeter? I think I would need a narrower one that what I have currently.
Reverse retrieve – teeter needs stimulus control. I had really high value cookies from a 4-H event so he really wanted to do teeter again. But I was pleasantly surprised with how he did.
serps and threadles with target bowl – I would say meh…My motion is still creating the over the jump. I would like to get him working for the toy on the ground, but not sure that will be a huge motivator for him. Definitely more food motivated.
I was going to talk about the slicing for ability to work near distractions. I have used pattern games (although only once – darn fall) to work on focus while another dog is running. Obviously still a work in progress. Plus he was able to maintain some focus at the trial, just not start lines. He did better with a prop, but I was doing some quick releases which I know is already a problem…
I completely forgot to work on backside slice – the list is so long! I don’t even have 5 minutes these days -i I feel like my complaining college students. Once I get to November 15 I can spend a lot more time with him!
Question before more videos, and updates.
On tunnel threadles, because I do mainly AKC I’m not sure I need the same level of skills. I’ve taught my previous dogs a “me” which means come to the side of the tunnel closest to me, while out – is obviously the other side. Should I do this game still with my cue of “me” to come to my side of the tunnel? It isn’t quite the same, but not sure I’ll encounter the other version.
On slice, I’ve introduced working
On the plank work, I had planned to teach him a 2o/2o for the teeter but was suggested to do a 4 on. However, in my experience I just see dogs stopping higher and higher up as it seems unclear to them. I had planned on using a front foot target to keep that part of the mission clear at the beginning. I was then suggested to move the front target back farther, which is why you see the scrunching.
I’m debating teaching him a rdw but I haven’t done one before and haven’t decided if it is worth it or not. So open to opinions.
He is now at a dog trial so not much more homework is going to get done. However we did do two fun runs. We worked on doing behaviors ringside and then went in with a toy. We stayed on leash until he full engaged and then did some wing wraps with chase momma to the toy. Did great fully engaged. Second run same thing – leash stayed on until full engaged (did well with other dog running in second ring) then played wrap to placed toy. First one was a fail, but he completed 2 after that. One surprise is he didn’t release the toy under arousal in the environment – will need to work on that. We also did a tunnel send and a thrown toy and he did great and did come back to me (eventually) hey he is a puppy at a trial:)
We are back! Time to try and play catch up. This is him backing up a bit farther, as well as a mix-tape of what we work on in the “gym”. Plus a blooper session. You will notice different pants in round 2.
This is some of our back up hind end awareness preparation for teeters. https://youtu.be/OUiAI-2BOMw
I guess I have always used lap turns for U turns, and tandems for more weird 90 degree turns. I’ll try with the U turn next time. Here is his serp lesson, with parallel line but to a toy.
Also, we will be out of town next week so we will end up getting a little behind.
This is our first “out” session, then some playing around with the prop.
Today will be our first baby serp line. Will work on some pattern games today when friend brings their very exciting collies over.
Only one video for you today.
On the decompression, sometimes he goes to his station, but not sure if he just knows reinforcement is there or needs a break. My last dog we sort of just figured it out together. If she returns to work, she wants another rep, or she goes to cool down and then we go to the cot to hang out together. I sort of them them sniff around if they are and when they are ready they are. I haven’t every trained anything formal on this front. They also get quite a bit of off leash adventure time so I don’t purposely try to add anything else.
Wrapping is fine – although I need to get his “hand” consistently in the vocabulary so he knows when to quit work and eat.
He already backs onto things – we started that really early in his lunch time learning. Tunnels, check. So need to check in with the prop game but he feels on track!
Well, my last comments and video didn’t post – oh well. I like the towel trick, will have to try that the next training session in the grass. Now why didn’t I think of that! Showing good impulse control with toy behind and send to barrel. I also did an experimental session on a tree – hulk smashing the barrel is still a thing – but, I don’t think me laughing is helping. Anyhow, he was brilliant wrapping around the tree, immediately knew what we were doing.
Question for you, one of my students is getting a puppy today – totally my fault, I found the puppy for her. It is a nice dog, but it is her first herding dog and first puppy gotten solely for sport. I think the structured course would be great for her, but it is an 8 week old puppy. Do you offer it again soon, could she pick it up as a “dead” course. Other suggestions?
