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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?
Okay, little man is really turning onto tugging! He is a great tugger inside, but I sit down for that. I guess he needed to get taller…. Did some curved tunnels and he merrily ran back and forth – maybe not the best session of teaching cueing but hey – he had fun so no harm done.
Questions from last session – I was using cheese – i though white and more odor would be helpful – it really wasn’t. The grass is really thin so everything falls through – Oklahoma soil…..and drought.Overall he is doing pretty well – no problem on parallel path, working on formal object retrieve and the other things in week 5. We were already doing most of those so it was like a freebie week!
Oh, and I have inadvertently taught eye contact is release. I will have to figure that out. As he is only 5 months old I think we have time, but I did the same thing to my last dog….
A few videos of the last couple of sessions. We need to work on right hand targets – I have always used my left hand for nose targets, and right hand is to get a paw or the object retrieve that I’m teaching ( that one is more for tricks and brain development – not agility retrieve of toys). So that may take a bit. Mostly I’m in survival mode at the moment – he is alive is our main goal. Work is extremely busy right now so he is getting back burnered.
I know I have to be patient with him, he is a pretty smart little dog – but my last puppy was neurodivergent shall we say. Very sharp, wicked smart but with all of the emotional baggage that goes with it. This is a big change.
He still doesn’t like to tug with the intensity I would expect…..issues or just be patient.
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
