[Kristie Foss]

HI, Tracy,
Keiko and I worked on the remote reinforcement exercises. I thought about coming up with another phrase or word, but “cookies” gets our girls every time (though “cheese” is extra big for Yuki). Do I want/need a new word, or can I just continue to use our “gold standard” ? Even after a run when I have to travel back to the car at some venues (no place currently available for treats right outside the ring) whooping and hollering “cookies” and “cookies-in-the-car” has been working for the other girls. What do you think?

Here’s our video. We did a couple of the little quick ones, then I varied how many obstacles, etc. She does love her treats!

[Kristie Foss]

Thanks, Tracy. Yes, I tend to be a blabbermouth with those praise words. Thanks for the tip about reward marker, THEN blab.;) It will take me a bit to re-wire myself, so I’ll work on it.
Thanks for pointing out that I was confusing her by moving between the jumps, and with a small, hard-to-see toy. Dragging a toy would be much better. I’ve got to get a good wrap around for the disc.
~Kristie

[Kristie Foss]

Hi Tracy,

Here’s our work on the Sshhhhhhh! Following Movement exercise. She’s such a good girl. 🙂

[Kristie Foss]

Hi, Tracy,

Thanks for all the feedback. Just to answer a couple of your questions:

>>Has she been running courses with the emphasis on remote reinforcement, meaning nothing on you, and the lotus ball outside the ring at the end?
No, I’ve been carrying the lotus with me all the time, and frequently also a toy. So treats are always readily available. Since a recent workshop I did with Amanda Shyne, I’ve been trying to follow her suggestion to carry an extra special “nibble on” treat that I can use to “capture” her attention and move her to the next activity. As I mentioned above, this “nibble on” treat is helping.

>>But there was some sort of invisible distraction that was top of her hierarchy list: Crazy smell? Twisted toe? Noise she heard but you couldn’t? We won’t know – all of those can produce sniffing and can also cause her to not want the toy (lower value in the face of whatever the distraction was).
True. Sometimes I can pinpoint something that might catch her nose – like the puppy workshop happening right before her class, or today, when there had been a herding session the evening before in the arena where we took class… I changed from the lotus ball to a treat toy with flapping cloth ends, and she was my buddy again. ;). I am starting to think that this little girl likes consistency in some things, and variety in others. Wish she’d give me a list so I know which is which! 😉

So – on to Saturday! I’ll try to get some video and will “report back” afterwards. :). Thanks again, ~Kristie

[Kristie Foss]

HI, Tracy,
Thanks for working through this with me! Here are my answers to your questions:

>>So she started out perfectly fine, then got a reward, then couldn’t re-focus?
Yes. She ran to her lotus ball, ate the treats, and then started sniffing. I called her, she kept sniffing, I went up to her clapping and happy, kept sniffing, so I got out a higher value treat and stuck it in front of her face and she finally started nibbling and followed me.

>>I don’t think it was reverting to food, I think you were smart to go to a higher value reinforcement. Were the different things you tried with the food, or with toys?
On this first run, I used food. I went to her crate area, picked up her flirt stick, acted excited, and she followed me to the starting jump. Did the next run fine, and I wiggled the flirt stick around. She had NO interest in the flirt stick and started sniffing again. Perhaps it would have been better if I had run with the stick, but I thought I needed to capture her right away.

>>Run away dragging a toy to entice her to chase it? Maybe. Run away to hide to see if she would look for you? I don’t think that would have helped, it might have stressed her.
Just run with the flirt stick to try to get her to follow me. I would not run away to hide because I think that would elevate stress. Besides, there is no place in the room to hide, I would have to exit out a door. Not something I want to do when I’m trying to get her happy and connected.

>>Is she normally focused and happy to work for treats in this class setting? (I think she is, based on previous posts).
Most of the time, yes. In the beginning, a few months ago, not consistently. She would work, then disconnect and go exploring around the room and sniffing. Now she runs short sequences (5-10 obstacles) and runs for her lotus. Perhaps I need to get the treats back on me at the end of a run, and nibble-food her to the start-line again?

>>Did she mentally ‘check out’ and have a sniff fest when you presented the toys, or was it before that?
Interesting question. I wish I had a video. To the best of my recollection, she basically looked at the toy (what, no food?) and checked out then. She has responded positively to toys and stayed connected in the past, but not consistently.

>>Was she able to work for food and refocus, or was she just struggling to refocus at all?
When I brought out the super nibble treat and then a loaded lotus, she was able to refocus and work again.

>>When she was working behind the tunnel, how long was she out there for?
We did a short (maybe 8 tossed find-its) at the beginning of class, then half-way through class (it’s an hour class with 3, sometimes 4 dogs) we did another short session like the first one.

>>She is spayed, yes? So she is not coming into season.
Have you noticed any soreness or GI upset? It is possible she was not feeling great and had an ‘off’ night.
Yes, she is spayed. She had (and has) been eating, running, bashing and crashing with her sisters at home – her normal, red girl behavior. I don’t think it was a off night for any of those reasons. When we started this class, I only used food. When she got sniffy, the instructor suggested I try toys, so I’ve been alternating and have both treats and toys (and a variety of each) with me each evening. Am I giving her too many choices/variety?

>>You can try for toy play first thing, with the wildest toys, when she is freshest and before food comes into the picture. She might associate that ring with food, so being asked to tug might stress her a bit (“Mom, we EAT here we don’t TUG here” LOL!) And, bring amazing high value treats in case the sniff distraction is there.
Okay, I can start with the flirt stick and/or with a rope on a disc. I do think she associates agility class with food. At home, I vary treats and toys, though I probably use more treats than toys. In class, I prefer to use treats and the lotus. It’s easier on my body (I can attest to the saying that aging is really not for sissies).

Okay, so what do you suggest for Saturday? It will be a small group (4-5 dogs) for 2 hours and we’ll work on sequences that focus on some specific handling skills. The instructor will let me make up sequences if I want so I can stack the difficulty level in Keiko’s favor and make it just fun and games if that’s what I want. She’s been very supportive this way.

Thanks!!! ~Kristie

[Kristie Foss]

Hi, Tracy,

We’ve had some successes and some “now what do I do’s”. In class Monday night, I was able to set up with Keiko (on leash) behind a tunnel while the other dogs were running so we could work on the “find it” cookie toss. The room for this particular class is small, so there are no barriers between the course and the waiting spot. Having the tunnel between us and the other dogs was our “fence.” Keiko did very well getting the cookies I tossed as we moved back and forth behind the tunnel. When another dog ran through the tunnel we were using, she would look up and then head immediately focus back for the “find it” game. I was really pleased and she seemed focused and connected.
Then came our turn. Smells haven’t been an issue at home, but boy, they really raced to the top of the distraction hierarchy in class! Keiko ran with me well, got her treat from me or the lotus ball, then went on a sniffing rampage. The instructor pointed out that there were lots of “cleaning spot” areas on the floor because they had had a puppy class in there earlier. Ugh! I had to reconnect with a treat in her face and do the nibble game back to her crate. I tried toys and that was a total flop. Nothing – not the flirt stick, not the squirrel, not a soft squeaky toy, not a new fluffy tug – it didn’t matter what I tried. So, I had to revert to food. The instructor kept telling me to try different things (which I obviously did) to no avail. I couldn’t get her to connect to the toys. Perhaps I should have just run away? But I was hoping to get tugging going and connect that way. So – too much of a distraction to try our relatively new tugging games? I’m sorry I don’t have a video because I know that would help you, but if you have any suggestions or tips, that would be greatly appreciated. We have a little extra training session in this location on Saturday, and I’m hoping to have a better handle on
her nose then! 🙂 Thanks! ~Kristie

[Kristie Foss]

Good afternoon,

We worked on the installation for focus and engagement. Some of what we did was review, and then I added some distractions (little ones) to see how things would go. We did take a disc break in between the house and outdoor sessions, and I was pleased that she remained focused no matter what we were doing. I’ve typed the situation on each clip. I was really pleased at how she handled the off leash outside sections, with edible food and her favorite toys scattered around…admittedly, the toys were “dead”.
I also realized I’ve left some distractions off my list – especially one where one or both of her sisters would be outside the fenced area watching or (worse!) playing with their Daddy. Super hard – it’s going to have to go up near the top of the list.
So, here’s our session from this afternoon. It’s a little unexciting to watch, but Keiko was engaged the whole time. She does love her treats!

[Kristie Foss]

Hi, Tracy,

Thanks tons! This course is amazing – and really helping me to clean up my verbal act. Your comments and suggestions are so helpful.
You’re right – I need to drop some of my verbiage, and just use a simple, clear word each behavior, such as going back for the food or toy. Eat! works for the food, and I’d rather not have to deal with 2 backwards motion words. Wonder if she’ll think Eat is weird for getting a toy? Since dogs don’t really have our lexicon, I imagine the word within the context (and perhaps a pointed finger if needed) will “say” it all. 😉
I think this little girl is amazing to keep working through all the confusion I’m tossing her way! :). Our pups can be so forgiving….
Thanks again,
~Kristie

[Kristie Foss]

Hello, Tracy,

Well, this was very interesting once we added the agility equipment. Keiko has a pretty nice start line stay and always waits for her release “ok”. I tried not to use it when I wanted her to go back to the reward, though I goofed up a couple of times. You’ll notice in the second clip that she went forward then around the wing and back to the reward. She did this a couple of times before I was able to get her to go back for the reward without doing the jump first. I think this may have been in part because we’ve just finished both an Obstacle Commitment and an Obstacle Commitment on the Run course online (plus a one-day in person workshop on the topic) with Amanda Shyne. This type of thing – with me ahead and her behind – would be a typical starting point for her to go over the bar while I moved in the opposite direction. I think it confused her a bit, but she did seem to catch on after a few tries. Do you have any suggestions? Should I do only on the send backs for a while or do I really focus on keeping my verbals clean and mix-up OC moves, run forward moves, and send-back-to-rewards? Too much too soon? Let me know what you think is best. She’s a smart cookie, I just want to be sure I don’t frustrate her. Thanks! ~Kristie

[Kristie Foss]

HI, Tracy,

This was interesting and informative. We did the backwards reward stuff in the house first. I found myself not always perfect with my verbals, even though I rehearsed first. Once she got the idea of going back to the lotus with food, she seemed happy to do so. ;). I did toss in a couple of “cookies” forward rewards, too. I also decided to try using a toy that could have food and be a tug. I was pleased when she did pick it up briefly. We’ll have to work on this more. Questions – I’m using “go eat” for the food reward, but when I switched to the food/tug toy, I automatically used the toy “get it.” Is this confusing to her (or just to me…?). I realize I may well be introducing this too early. Comments? Thanks! ~Kristie

[Kristie Foss]

HI, Tracy,

Great progression suggestions! I’m on board. 🙂
To answer this:
>>running towards people – unless that is a happy distraction and she wants to visit
She loves to visit with people, especially those she knows, but when we’re doing a sequence in class, running toward the people waiting for their turns and sitting with their dogs is NOT rewarding.

Keiko is a bit more food driven than toy driven – unless the toy is tossed – which doesn’t work for this first bit with the placed reinforcements. So we’ll work with food for now. ….Wonder what would happen if I toss the toy, keep her in a wait, move forward (me), then release to the toy? I’ll have to try that after we’ve used food for a bit.
Okay – off to try some backwards rewards. 🙂

[Kristie Foss]

Thanks, Tracy. Will work on cleaning up my verbals – and my timing. Whew! There’s a lot to think about – and then there’s the dog! 😉

I’ve read the week 3 overview, and here’s our “homework.” 😉
Now we’re hitting the nitty gritty. Keiko’s distractions cover the gambit: visual, scent-oriented, and sound based. Some of these are, of course, more evident in certain situations, and some are decreasing. In classes, I have been working on keeping her connected between runs, re-sets, instructor talk, etc. I’ve been using a treat that she needs to keep nibbling on. It would be lovely to also be able to use a tug toy but she doesn’t tend to tug in class. The flirt stick works for a little while. The food works almost all the time. I do believe she would be less sensitive to many of these if the pandemic hadn’t hit us when it did. We’re working on it!

This list is sort of in order high to low since things change as we try new places and new experiences.

Distractions:

•Sudden motion: a squirrel running by, a person suddenly moving an object in class, another dog running by
•Unexpected noises: the bang/clang of a noisy seesaw is especially troublesome, but any bang or clang we’re not expecting makes her startle
•Great smells, especially in places like our field or the horse arena where one of her classes is held. This class is in on a small farm, and she is fascinated by the ducks, sheep and goats. There has been a litter of puppies sitting just outside the training ring for the past 6 weeks, and she thinks they are VERY interesting. Their chirps and snarls seem to call to her. 😉
•People like her Daddy watching, other people especially if she’s working off leash and they are moving around
•Other dogs barking or moving around, especially if she’s working off leash
•Her sisters barking from the house when she’s working in the field

•Seeing something that she hasn’t seen before or doesn’t quite understand, especially something new or out of place in a space she’s familiar with. (Not sure where this falls in the distraction hierarchy because it doesn’t happen very often – however, this is certainly something I can play around with at home, so we can see how distracting it really is).

Additional things that can affect Keiko’s focus and/or confidence:

•Having to run toward other dogs/people when doing a sequence in class
•Having to repeat a sequence or skill more than about 3 times in a row (she seems to think she must be wrong). This is decreasing, especially since I’ve been focusing on making short sequences in class that are fun, fairly basic, and change slightly after a couple of repetitions.

[Kristie Foss]

Here’s Installation #3. I’m really pleased with this session. I still need a better “bring”, but the “take it”, tug, and “drop” so I could throw the disc seem to be coming along well. Any suggestions or comments? I love learning with this little girl!

[Kristie Foss]

Hi!

Here’s installation #2 – with an attempt at “bring” outside. As you saw in a previous video, she’s pretty good a bringing things back to me indoors. Outside where she can RUN with the toy is much harder. I tried using food as a reinforcement/lure. It worked “sorta”. When I added the leash to the disc, we did a bit better, but since it was a leash, when the metal part reached my hand, it hurt to keep holding on. I need to come up with a better rope arrangement. Any suggestions on what I should try to improve this, especially getting her to bring all the way to me without having to “rope” her in? Thanks.

[Kristie Foss]

Hi, Tracy,

Yes, I was trying to make the disc something she’d like to tug, and I was pleased that this worked so well. 🙂

I since have done sessions, each separated by a bit of a break, in which Keiko and I were working on the “installations”. I’m going to post them separately since I find it easier to reference that way.

Here’s the first little Installation Start. Keiko found this rather pedantic since she’s done so much wing wrapping, but I wanted to do this as a warm-up and review.

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