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Hi Tracy,
For the Independent backside exercise this week both boys understood it and did well. I am very pleased.
The threadle exercises went smoothly for Mookie but Buddy needed extra connection from me.
For the the threadle discriminatiom, pinwheel and get out arm Mookie read it easily and reliably while again Buddy needed extra focus from me but still did them well.
As for the courses at my trial this past weekend, Mookie and I had the skills but a bar came down in each run except for Fast 🙂 One bar was becasue I talked, the other was a bar coming out of a tunnel, and 2 bars were from extreme slicing situations. The judges are really making the angles of the jumps severe which is hard for a fast dog like Mookie.
Should I be setting up jumps in severe angles and practicing these when I can ???
As for Buddy who is 20 seconds slower then Mookie on a course he did well and got his first Excellent Standard Leg with a woman judge. Only 3 dogs qualified in his class due to the extreme angles. In jumpers Buddy wanted to visit the male judge to check him out and went overtime. We are working on this. At least he did not try to avoid the man as he has done in the past.
So, this will probably be my last course with you until Summer Camp 2022 due to not being able to practice due to the weather.
There is a very slight chance of a puppy in my stars at the end of Feb.
I will be asking you what to sign up for if this happens as your Max puppy class will be over by then.
Have a Good Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays and I wish you a Happy New Year!!!!!
Linda, Mookie who does whatever I ask, and Buddy my dog in progressHi Bobbie,
Buddy is not a toy dog. He will tug but not sustained.
He is a definite food dog and you cannot take food in the ring for any agility venue.
I have practiced the counter-conditioning & desensitization techniques everywhere including at trials.
Buddy didn’t react to the male judge trigger by avoiding him as he had done in his recent past, he actually wanted to go to see him up close to check him out. This behavior with a male judge was new for Buddy. He did not show fear but curiosity.
Should I just keep Buddy in standard runs or continue to try JWW with a male judge ??
Please let me know.
His next trial won’t be until next year now. I will be bringing him to a huge venue in 2 weeks but just to walk around and not show as I feel it would be too much for him at this point. We will be practicing everything learned from this course there, however.
Linda and BuddyUpdate # 2
Hi Bobbie,
I have been doing the mat exercise and the snuffle mat with Buddy daily.
Walking him at parks he can now walk within 3 feet of a strange man on the same path and passes by without alerting or barking.
He really took to the snuffle mat. So I took it on the road to an agility trial for a one day try.
He snuffled there happily. He did look around like a swivel head at first in the environment but seemed to relax. He did not bark at men in his view of which there were alot at this trial just walking around. He did go to his human friends for loving before he ran and did the best ever. The judge was a woman who took a step back releasing pressure when he was on the contacts. Usually judges walk towards him and he freezes. He felt super relaxed and did a good job with selective focus on his agility. However, when we went into the jumpers ring with a man, he lost focus then slowly walked toward the male judge wanting to check him out. I called him to come to me which he did. I was able to get his focus back to run past the male judge jumping jumps in his path and he stayed on his line and we finished the run. Overtime but successful.
My question to you. Buddy seems more at ease in the standard ring where he can assess the environment as we stop and go. Should I just leave him in standard for now? He seems to feel he must watch the judge at all times in jumpers. Also he is better with woman judges. Should I just stick to runs with women judges for now.? Should I put him in standard with a male judge and if he gets uncomfortable end the run sooner by having an exit plan of jumps out the door not just stopping and walking off. Buddy is showing progress with his triggers (men) and is now in a phase of wanting to smell them to see if they are safe. I have taught him to touch someones hand held out and then he is treated. He will do this with strangers now including men. I am doing agility strickly as a rehab tool to get him use to people in the world. He wants to be with me so I want to be able to take him in my world.
Thank you for your input.
Linda and BuddyUpdate Week 3
Hi Tracy,
Hope you had a great time this past Saturday showing 🙂
I could only do this week’s activities limitedly due to me having dental surgery.
1) Backwards starts: Both of my boys responded reliably to a break hand start
which is my physical cue for a wrap.
2) Obstructed running paths: I had fun with this.
I really need to use verbal cues and and upper body to override motion to turn Mookie away from a tunnel in his path. Buddy will just follow my motion as I am usually running with him or ahead of him while Mookie shoots by me. I have been afraid of causing knocked bars with my verbal cue timing calling Mookie off and directing him and sometimes I can’t get the words out fast enough. It has been a tough balance for me running Mookie. I am probably holding my breath when I run Mookie as he is intense.
Both dogs did well with the exercises and I was able to keep Mookie out of wrong course tunnels.
3) Switch Aways : I was pleasantly surprised as I thought this would be difficult.
But, Mookie only needed my opposite arm cue to turn away and take the next obstacle in his path in either directly reliably. Mookie already knows this 🙂 Mookie uses peripheral vision and can read my arm position and which arm I am using in an instant. Buddy needed both a verbal cue and an opposite arm cue to switch away reliably. Buddy is slower so I can get verbals out of my mouth for him.
I am going to a trial this coming weekend so may not get to practice week 4. When is the last day we can e-mail you for about week 4 ??
Thanks
Linda, Mookie, and BuddyWeek 2 Update:
Hi Tracy,
I enjoyed this weeks sequences !!!!!
1) Backside trends course Openings: I felt better using threadle handling rather than a forced front as the threadle arm seemed to give my boys better info.
Mookie in practice did not take any wrong course tunnels 🙂
It was Buddy who did 🙂 I have now created a dog who likes tunnels and learned that I now have to give Buddy the same hard cues and timing to prevent wrong course tunnels as I do with Mookie. Go figure.
2) Layering skills: I have always layered with Mookie due his speed and we are fine with this. I found that I can also now layer with Buddy 🙂
I have used gentle break arms for both dogs for pinwheels to show decele and both dogs read the cue well.
Buddy’s attitude with practice has really stepped up a notch for him.
However, Buddy becomes worried about judges following him when at a trial so I am taking Bobbie’s course for Buddy as well. It is working out nicely 🙂
3) Threadle Trend: Both dogs did well with the threadle skills but we had trouble with the Bypass.
I needed a target to be successful through the gap.
I will have to teach a bypass verbal cue. What do you use ??? I did use exit arms which worked 50% of the time.
Ace wanted to play agility today and did great with this exercise including the BYpass without a problem. He is 11 and still loves his agility. Love that Dal of mine 🙂
Linda Mookie Buddy and AceHi Bobbie,
I did 10 minutes daily in the house feeding Buddy on a mat and my low drive, soft dog became more focused, he did not really relax. I decided to take him to a Park that took all us all summer for him to be able to walk through environmentally. The park today was quiet except for one trigger (a father and son on the playground) which was 100 feet away. I stopped on the deck of a Gazebo which he had been afraid of previously. Buddy was aware of the trigger but as I fed him he dropped into a straight back down and and I noted that his breathing calmed a little and he looked around less. After 10 minutes I walked him around the quiet park and he seemed more relaxed with his tail held up. He ususally walks there with his tail, held down. I returned to the deck and sat on a bench. I as I fed him he dropped into a down on his side and looked more relaxed then I have ever seen him in this park. When walking back to the car in the parking lot we encountered the father and son walking torwards us. They were 15 feet away. Buddy did not do his usual alarm bark. He did keep his eyes on the people but wagged his tail a little as I talked to them which is a first. I did not get any closer and we went to the car where he got a treat. I always give him a treat in the car when we are done with whatever. This to me was a break through for this dog. I am hoping for many more.
Linda and BuddyHi Tracy,
At the trial, for the sequence with the table to 2 jumps to the mouth of the tunnel and turn, I lead out to the first jump then released him when I was standing still. He blew by me on my left side bypassing the first jump straight to the far end of the tunnel. I thought I had his eye but then he switched back to the tunnel in a second.
If I released as I ran, maybe it would have worked better, but when I re-created this sequence today, I did it from running on the same side to rear crossing to standing still and releaseing him and he was fine with all the options. People watching at the trial who had a good view, said he was locked onto the far side of the tunnel when he was on the table and only glanced at me. It must have been the vibes of the trial and he just went off. Mookie is a good boy and it does surprise me when he goes off. I have to work harder to grab his head.
Looking forwards to practicing more skills I need this week. 🙂
Thanks
Linda and the wild BC boys
Buddy is really starting to bloom and had a great practice today 🙂UPDATE
Hi Tracy,
WOW, I went to an AKC trial this weekend and the courses were really tight for my big strided Mookie. Tunnel discriminations were every where. We did well the first day, getting our very first premiere jumpers leg on an extremely technical course and then we knocked 2 bars in the regular JWW tight course. Out of a tunnel there was a turn off from a 3 jump straightaway after 2 jumps to a 180 jump set up. We made the turn but knocked the bar. The second day Mookie locked into wrong course tunnels blowing past me. He has never done this before. He ran a muck. He has been such a good boy but thought I wanted these tunnels ??? This was new for him not follow me.
We need to work on this so your tunnel jump discrimination work is so timely for us.
1) We did have fun with the skill sets this week. Independent tunnels went well for both dogs. Mookie is fast and too independent. Buddy my thinker is slower but is realible 🙂
2) Both dogs did well with the gos and turning right or left on jumps out of a tunnel for your set ups.
3) For the non traditional Discrims with the tunnel front of jump both dogs took several reps to do the tunnel or jump with just verbals. Once motion was added they were fine.
The crazy thing Mookie did at the trial was when there was a table then 2 jumps leading to the mouth of a tunnel and we had to turn off to another jump just before the mouth of a tunnel. When I released Mookie from the table he took of like a heat seeking missle to the far end of the tunnel I thought was not even in play. I was too shocked but and went on but I should have used the fix and go which I will now be more conscious of to use. Mookie has never done this before. But, now I know to watch out for it.
We really need to practice turns at the mouths of tunnels. I will be aware of his naughtiness for my next trial and am glad I have time now to train for this. What stronger cues can I use to get him to turn away from a tunnel entrance in front of him. He was too far ahead of me to clap and he chose not to hear my verbal ??
Thanks for your help.
Linda & Mookie the impulsive one & Buddy my thinkerHi Tracy,
Pkg 5 Update
Well, Mookie my accident prone fast boy went and injured himself 8/16 needing surgery to repair a chest wound from jumping up and landing on an open crate door. Go figure. This is Mookie’s 4th freak accident in 2 years. Needless to say I cannot do pkg 5 with Mookie at this time and had to withdraw him from the agility trials I had planned to practice at. He should be able to return in Oct.
So, I have been doing pk5 just with Buddy. In this time, I have found that I have been spoiled by Mookie my old shoe as Buddy needs so much more. I found I really need to direct him more than Mookie. He is coming along with the skill sets and is getting it but goes slower. You can see him thinking it all out. He is my thinker dog. He does best reading blind crosses but can rear cross nicely as well. He does do well with backsides. Buddy tends to go wide and I really need to work to keep him in on his path with both a “close close” verbal with exit arms. I can send him to a tunnel but need to watch him until he enters it or he will pull off the tunnel and come back to me. The connection he needs seems more intense than with Mookie. The last time I actually took Buddy to a trial was in early July. I have him entered at the end of Sept in Mookie’s place. I know I will really have to incorporate on how I will direct Buddy on course into my walk thrus. Buddy seems to do better if I chatter during runs giving much more verbal input then I give Mookie plus verbal praise to tell him he is correct. But then, when I show Mookie I usually am holding my breath :). I plan to do pkg 5 with Mookie in Oct when he hopefully can run again. I know it will be a completely different experience.
Buddy also is affected by a judge in the ring and distractions where Mookie is not so I will be doing the games learned at the trial also.
So it has been another great summer of skills learned.
I will have to let you know how Buddy does trialing after all I have learned.
When is the last cut off to write on this forum ??
Thanks
Linda and her BC boysHi Tracy,
For the Freestyle Event:
I danced to Kiss from a Rose by Seal with Mookie who did the routine perfectly.
I dressed in a skirt with roses and had Mookie circle a green cone with Roses for part of the routine.
Then Buddy danced to Learning to Fly by Tom Petty. I danced in a WWI outfit with a cap goggles and a scarf. Buddy jumped over 2 jumps with a cloud scene for part of his routine. Buddy was great.
Then I did a heeling to music routine with Mookie to More than This by Roxy music.
I will find out in a month how we did.
It was fun. The dogs dance better then my husband ever could :).
Linda and her 2 BCs and Ace who turned 11 years old today.Hi Tracy,
Update
I liked the theme for pkg 4 as I was able to apply it to the one day I trialed last week. I went through the 3 sequences before the trial to practice my run thrus. I found that Buddy ran the sequences best the way you ran them on your video with Electra. I was able to do it several ways with Mookie with good results.
At the trial the 24 inch dogs were up first for Masters JWW. There was a split walk thru so I had time to walk, visualize and warm up Mookie.
For the JWW which my most difficult to execute with Mookie I put in my verbals on the walk thru. For the run however, only one verbal came out of my mouth and it was when he indiciated to me he needed it. But, because I was in the correct positions for Mookie we Q’ed. He did not knock any bars 🙂
My 2nd run was in Premiere JWW which is new to me. I had looked at the map the night before but was not sure of a plan. There was only one walk thru and I was second in. I had to cut the walk thru short to warm up Mookie to go into the ring. We crashed and burned and I was late causing most of the bars to come down. His backsides were great. The bars came down when I did late blind crosses.
The last run of the day was Masters Standard which I am much better at (because I rest at obstacles:). But I was determined to get in the verbals on time. Again, we had a split walk thru and I had time. The run was great, and I got the verbals in on time with no bars down for our first DQ and we got 2 first places. The Standard run felt great as I was able to execute it as I really walked it. I know I need to work on Jumpers with the fast beast.
I found that I need a lot of time to walk full courses. I am not good when rushed.
Should I continue to work on timing walk thrus when I practice ? And how do you determine the time that should be allowed for the # of jumps in a course or sequence ?
Should I continue to enter Premiere JWW for me to practice walk thrus as there is usually less time to walk and prepare. Mookie is such a good boy and tries to do what I tell him. I just have to tell him sooner.
Buddy is not entered until Sept and is in Open. He is a breeze to show if I stay very connected as he multi-tasks watching where the judge is on course. Mookie only has his eyes on me.
The rest of the weekend we did a Canine Freestyle Video Event. Both dogs were great.
So thanks for another great topic, one I need to work on the most. I went one day to trial to work on the walk thru homework for your course and came home with a DQ. That was cool.
I have another one trial day at the end of Aug. And will apply what I learned again 🙂
Thank you as Always
Linda, Mookie and BuddyHi Tracy,
Hope you had a blast showing.
It gave me time to report on week 3
Update for Pkg 3
The transition to trials games with the small prop has been wonderful for my young boy Buddy who is sensitive to new environments. I was able to bring it on the road to parks and my training center and it really seemed to focus him to work after he touched it for several reps. It is Amazing.
The threadle wraps are going well with both of my dogs.
I found from the sequences and the jumpers courses that I handle wraps better than slices but over time practicing them the slices became smoother as my handling improved especially with my fast boy Mookie. Buddy tended to stall at a slice but again with practice he learned to keep moving as my cues became clearer to him. This section really helped my handling for slices which I had tended to avoid due to Mookie knocking bars in the past when I tried to slice. The zig zag grid with 5 foot bars with wingless jumps has been going great for Mookie. I did it once each week and will continue to do it at least once weekly. His bar knocking has decreased a lot in practice. I get to show this upcoming week for one day and will see how it goes.
Thanks for another great learning experience for me and my boys.
Linda, Mookie and BuddyHi Tracy,
I love taking your courses.
Even though I do not have video access, I get the structured training I need and the feedback I need.
I feel better about why he could be knocking bars and now know what to train and look for.
I now know to add in the wingless single bar jumps during training and what exercises Mookie should do
(the zig zig grid with wingless jumps with 5 foot bars)
And I will continue to work on the transition to trial games with Buddy.
Thank you as always.
Linda and her 2 BC boysHi Tracy,
Update for this week.
I wasn’t really able to do a lot of training last week and went to a 3 day trial this past weekend.
The judge used alot of wingless single bar jumps turning to obstacles and off obstacles with angles. Mookie only knocked one bar in each of his 3 standard runs. I am trying to figure out if it was from my late verbal cues to turn or my connection or both.
We finally had no rain here this am so I could do the sequences outdoors. I replaced the jumps at the far ends of the tunnel with wingless single bars.
The first time through in sequence 1 Mookie knocked the the bar on jump 9. The second run I really focused and he kept it up. For sequence 2 Mookie knocked the bar out of the tunnel jump 10 and again if I supported the jump he did fine.
By the time we did sequence 3 Mookie even did backsides over the wingless single bar jump 5 and 10 without knocking the bar.
Should I practice with wingless single bar jumps weekely thrown in here and there??
I know I should add to Mookie’s book of rules that I should give extra connection to wingless single bar jumps 🙂
Should I practice his zig zag grid with wingless jumps??
On a happy note I did 2 blindcrosses one out of a tunnel and one out of a tunnel by a jump and was successful for our second Q in Masters Jumpers.
This was only our third trial back since COVID and 7th day total trialing for this year so far.
It will take time for me to get back in the grove that Mookie never left 🙂
I need to work on my timing of verbal cues and connection as he speeds by.
I still thank you for the help you gave me during your seminar you did in Syracuse in 2019.
I have been getting braver doing blind crosses and Mookie reads them nicely.
As for Buddy if I stay super connected he does whatever I ask and does not knock bars.
He is too thoughtful to knock a bar and reads blindcrosses and backsides nicely.
Buddy did great with all 3 sequences.
I Love that I have time to think running Buddy at this stage in his learning.
He is environmentally challenged and I worked hard at the trial to acclimate him to the environment with your games. He did struggle as he is very afraid of men but tolerated them in his environment with at least one eye on them at all times.
So that is our update.
Linda and her BC boysHi Tracy,
Update for this week
I did the sequences and part of the jumpers course for this section with 12 weaves for Mookie my “performer” and he did great.
Buddy my 3 y/o “thoughtful learner” really surprised me and was able to do the sequences with 6 weaves.
Even though he is not fast he really got the idea and showed nice independence in training.
I am very pleased.
Both dogs are sooo different in drive and motivation, they keep me learning and on my toes so they say.
Linda K
