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Ikaika doing wrap commitment with toy and food placed behind. I was happy with both! I was a little nervous to even try.
He did great with tunnel (full distance send with threadle or dog on outside) and flat work with lap turn. Will hopefully get some work on prop in today.
Super busy work week, so not much progression into new skills. Here is a compilation video from yesterdays work, including me trying to think through verbals for this dog that will be consistent enough with my current competition dog. Will try to add reinforcement behind barrel wrap today and see how that goes.
Wrap from yesterday, but will offer what we are up to on other things.
I’m teaching Ikaika two separate behaviors right now – station and platform. Station is for the in between times (but we have broken it up – he stations before we start, and at then end currently). He is crated between games for now. On station – “good” means cookies are coming to him, and we are working on duration, and subtle movements as I move equipment close by. Release word is break.
Platform – what we use for SL – he gets on platform, and we have practiced a fair amount of lead outs. Platform always predicts it precedes a game – so no relaxation. Currently my words are “good” for staying on station and food is coming, break releases from position (with eye contact), dish means go to food, and get it is drive to toy. I have not done catch before to release behind, but I have trained my other dog to go to a toy behind her.
I’ll video a stay session (haven’t done that because we were cheating and working ahead on different things).
Tried a different reward strategy for prop game. Still battling heat, and tried a noon session (so full sun). Showing you two different versions of puppy. First video – after he sprinted out to the field (it’s probably 1/8 of a mile) and he loaded onto his platform and waited for me to arrive. Clever puppy but keep some in the tank. Second video is after a splash in the water tank. Much different puppy:) We are making progress I believe – he is smart, just figuring out what he really likes too and trying to build the toy retrieve. He really enjoys pick things up and carry them around (not as helpful).
Okay, prop game not great on Sunday. Probably a bit too warm for him (fall is a myth) and he had ran out there and done some laps with my other aussie. His best sessions are solo (but I have a husband to manage too).
Hopefully will have a better session today!
Okay, today’s session. Two videos – the wrap had a red play ball that you can’t really see. We also had an overall really big challenge today – chainsaw and tree cutting. I decided to keep going and just see if he could work through it. I scrapped the plan on throwing the toy after the turn as I wasn’t reading like he was ready for it today.
https://youtu.be/x6PLs7UPvyY
I teach a companion animal management course, but my main job is horses. I do my best to get these kids thinking about training the right way, but there is a lot of preconceived notions out there…. We will get a real training session in today to show you:) But he did great with offered eye contact on the sidewalk on campus – buses, students, cars etc. I was super proud of him!
I sent this video to show how much this puppy is out learning and doing. He really does great with what I think are some pretty big asks for a puppy. Yesterday his training wad doing life – he went to a dentist, hung out in my office, went to a horse barn for anatomy practice – so I snuck in one tiny session of eye contact. He is actually pretty good at it when he can find cookies – he always reorients back to me – at least in this stage!
Well that makes me feel better – click and treat for you! I had not watched the pattern game video first, so….watched it this morning and went – well duh! Yes, it was his first session out there. I wish I had video of him last night – that was my future agility dog! Short session and cooler temps – he wrapped around that laundry basket full speed! Even did some toy throws for the prop game and got a running puppy. Makes a lot of sense that we are teaching him how to learn – and I’m trying to remember that I struggled in the early stages with Phaede- and she is brilliant now. I love the patterns to training, which she has very strongly – so just having momentary panic when it isn’t working. Must remember he is a baby!!!!
Here is our worst training session to date. Used song to cut work time, so 3 separate sessions with no audio because copyright. Food in grass is going to be tough – really a fail. Not very engaged due to looking for rewards. I switched to a bowl at the end, but mostly just confused him as well. This was a discouraging session.
Here is the wrap lesson where you can actually see Ikaika….. https://youtu.be/YrepIbELGSs
This is our session with trying to use a snuffle mat on the bed. Let’s of things going wrong, extra noises, bowl had water in it (I guess I should have checked first!) but we muddled through. Not a very clean training session at all. Once we transition to the actual field I have crates and ex pens to use.
Okay, looking for alternatives then….would you leash him up and take him for a couple minute wander? Working time is pretty tight – so if it is his 10 minutes, I need to use all of it. Not really great spaces in the house, and temps are pretty prohibitive to do any sessions during the day. I have early morning and the 10 minutes before you can’t see anymore. He goes out on his own, the other dogs have separate training sessions to avoid the FOMO frustration.
Another question before we do another training session – since I really want to build a solid station behavior, that really has been why the breaks are so small. I’m trying to not get any failure there as I build that skill set. Would you just do a treat scatter while you reset, then go to station, then restart game? I worked really hard to develop a great station behavior on my last dog – but she is 5 now so memory is murky of how we got there. I love the skill and want to really build that in this dog. Alternatively I could crate or ex pen him in between but I find that actually makes self control go down. I do NOT want a barking dog or one that bites at the crate. And with 3 other dogs in the house, bringing him in and out isn’t really a great option – there will be escape……I’m not that good of a dog trainer;)
