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Hi Tracy,
We practiced those turns from the tunnel again. I put the wing back in position as a distraction and you can see that at the very left of the frame in the video. However, today that didn’t prove to affect Ruse. I thought I had a theory that when I did a post turn, she went wide, then if I did a reverse spin she tightened up, but that wasn’t true either. The best turns were the first two where I rewarded after the turn out of the tunnel.
I tried the little game to see if Ruse turns her head. She looked to me like she was. I wasn’t rewarding quite where you did though in the video. I found it hard to coordinate marking the behaviour I actually wanted. But when I slow the video down, she is actually turning her head round the cone.
Thanks for the butter on toast analogy. I totally get it!!!
L.
Hi Tracy,
Today was a weave day! We tried the easier angles with handling as suggested. Hero was a star. I can’t wait to get to 12 poles though because 6 does not allow me to easily get a blind or front cross!! I put the MM further away this time and he was fine waiting for me to throw the ball. When I was late with the throw, he did turn to see me which I guess is not ideal. I want him to know his job is to drive forwards no matter what, although he only turned after the 6th pole. I was able to do a rep with counter motion which he was ok with.
The last couple of reps in the video are with 4 poles only, practicing that 7’oclock angle. It is still proving a little difficult as he doesn’t seem to be able to notice where the first pole is. I guess that will come with more practice.
Next session should we do the harder angles with poles 5-6 open, or would it be better to play the third find ’em game?
L.
Hi Tracy,
We revisited the downhill track without too much of a bother. I started slowly and then built up some motion.
We then moved onto elevators, and our elevator went all the way to the top by the end of the session lol. The seesaw has a bit of bounce from this height, but it didn’t deter Hero. I will need to put sandbags on it though I think.
Finally we did some target fade on the plank. I am really finding it hard getting him parallel to the plank. He so desperately wants to get on that he fights me. Towards the end of the session I moved the plank over. He still wanted to get on but not as bad. I wondered if the fire was too hot for him and he was worried about standing so close to it? Anyway, I think I might do these outside tomorrow. He seems to be getting into position on the single layer of yoga mat. When we fade it more, which way do we go? To me I think it makes sense to make the strip across the plank skinnier. So the mat will be the same width as the plank still, but not as deep onto the plank, til eventually it is a strip right across the end of the plank. Is this sensible?
L.
Hi Tracy,
Today we got to take our bang game and elevators on tour! Practicing on a completely different seesaw. I kept the height the same (or as close as possible) for our bang game session. I started really slowly since we moved to a different location. But it became apparent pretty quickly that Hero knew it was the same game! He held position and I was able to add motion quite quickly.
For the elevator game it was the same deal, as in, no big deal! Just another day at the office. I am so proud of my hairy boy.
When you talk about fading the target, why do we switch back to the plank? Because my target is a piece of yoga mat folded in three to make it more noticeable, should my first fade be to make it one thin layer, but make it cover the same amount of seesaw/board?
L.
Hi Tracy,
Well that debunks that myth of her being sided and turning better to the left! lol. Always something novel with this Rusey haha. Those tunnel exits will not beat us lol.
So do you mean the wing that was out of the shot of the camera that she was running to at the beginning of the session I should leave in place as a trap to make her think? Crikey, cuing the turn 2m before she enters will be a challenge for me. What is Gott?
When she was a puppy I sort of taught her to turn her head by saying the direction and then tapping her on the shoulder of the direction and feeding. But I had for gotten about that game so yes, I would like some games to help teach that.
It’s so cool going right back to basics and figuring out all the places where there are holes. I really want her to be competitive as she has the speed, but it’s just her understanding of what I want and being able to do it even when I mess up (which is a lot lol).
Thanks so much for your help. It is very insightful. When I am running it’s hard to understand what I am doing or not doing that is affecting Ruse’s run. Today we trained away from home. Set up a simple sequence. There was a tunnel under an aframe and for the first time I felt confident that Ruse would do what I wanted when I was connected with her. She took the tunnel instead of the aframe like she was supposed to and I was so excited. I got told off for saying my left turn after the tunnel cue more than once. I said left left left left, until I saw Ruse’s head appear and turn left. Is it not correct to say the command more than once? Apparently then she wouldn’t know my wrap cue, but my wrap cue sounds completely different was my argument.
L
Hi Tracy,
Mixed bag today. I hope I interpreted your instructions correctly. When you said I could add running I assumed you meant running toward the first tunnel. I then tried to get Ruse to turn tight out of the tunnel and set her up for the wrap on the second go round. The first couple were hard because she was sighting another wing which wasn’t part of the set up! She did this a bit later in the session again.
Yes I have noticed that her left turns are better than right. This is the same for tight turns of the DW as well. In fact, when we first started she couldn’t turn right off the DW, she always jumped. This concerned me because I thought she might be injured. She has been checked out by a physio, and she’s fine. I do need to work more on her stretches, but I think she is sided just like me lol.
I also tried the second proofing game today for left and right verbals. I started off easy and got too cocky too early. I tried to send from my opposite side left, but Ruse was completely dependent on the side of my body she started from. Realising my mistake I went back a bit and worked left and right from the left and right sides of my body. Towards the end I did it from the opposite side of my body and this time she was able to make it, although she still has questions because she is tentative.
L.
Hi Tracy,
Our second session today with poles 5&6. I started slowly. MM was way out front but I was throwing a ball. I started to run after the first couple of reps and Hero was fine. When I did the harder angles we had some trouble on the flat side. I had two failures so I moved in closer and Hero was able to make it then. I didn’t add speed to the hard angles as it was proving hard enough.
L.
Hi Tracy,
We covered a lot today. I started with the bang game. He was quite hard to move parallel to the seesaw. He wanted to be perpendicular. Sometimes I had to physically move his bum around. When he did jump on it was very cat-like lol and he was pretty solid.
Next we moved onto the elevator game. I tried to make sure that I raised the height to so the seesaw was level. The first couple of goes I rewarded in place, but after that I started to move a bit. I noticed towards the end Hero doesn’t stand on the target but back a bit. Will this be a problem? I know the idea is to get him to run fast all the way to the end and wait for the bang. I hope this won’t complicate the behaviour.
Finally we had a go at the uphill track again from the tip we left off from last time. We did a couple of warm ups and he was a little tentative. I secured the target back to the end of the seesaw and loaded it with peanut butter. He got the idea really quickly and was soon gunning it to the end. I was able to move quickly and didn’t cause him to leap.
Sorry for making you watch a lot lol, I am trying to progress as much as possible as I wasn’t sure when the class ended.
L.
Hi Tracy,
Hero is still doing really well on the bang game. It was really hard not to be explosive, but I know he is not ready. The catch is really helping, as is no MM out front. I feel like he is actually getting it now.
I love the elevator game and he is really into it. The target scratching is his anticipation of the bang I think. I have started moving more at the same height, but a couple of reps in, I realised I wasn’t rewarding the target to reinforce position, so I added that back in. Next time when I add more height, I think there really isn’t much height adjustment left before the seesaw is level. Are we supposed to get to level? I love the way he bows, it’s so cute.
L.
Hi Tracy,
Another session with Ruse. You are right. She is a very highly aroused little dog, and it is hard for her to think in those situations. We had another session today same as yesterday, except she was doing quite well so I added the wrap after the tunnel exit. The more into it she got, the harder it was for her to think through the verbals. She’s a doer lol.
L.
Hi Tracy,
For the Bang game today I took away the manners minder and just rewarded backwards as suggested. Hero had much better success. Some of my throws, even though aimed low and behind him, were intercepted by bouncing off him and he leapt forward to catch it on the rebound. I lowered the height again for this exercise.
For the elevator game I raised the height and took the MM away. Yesterday when we played this, the MM was still out there. I tried to move a bit more on this one.
He doesn’t mind about the extra height and is still scratching the target lol. I rewarded at the target today instead of rewarding for the release.
L.
Hi Tracy,
Today was a weave day, so we added poles 5 & 6 today. I started off slowly and without distraction. Added back in the MM, angled the first two sets of poles and had 5&6 at 3-9. During the session I was able to straighten up the first two sets of poles and angle the 3rd set to 2-8.
L.
Hi Tracy,
I understand about the turns. I re-watched it. I think I was watching the proximity to the wing after the turn rather than her head turn and exit to the tunnel. I am happy that my timing is getting better!
Today we worked on the first wrap proofing game from the first games package. I realised I had missed that one and I would very much like ruse to understand verbals. I started slowly, helping with my body. But then I was able to stand in position and let her hear the verbal and release her without using my body to help.
L.
Hi Tracy,
Today we did some more bang game, with intermittent success. Every time I added too much motion causing Hezzy to break, I just dialed it back a bit so he could be successful. I think he is starting to get the idea. I rewarded more behind than releasing to the MM so that he could get the idea that he has to stay in place.
The elevator game is really fun, Hez is scratching at the mat lol. Sorry for my bum in the camera, I probably should have moved it to a different angle. I did raise the height of the drop on the elevator today, but Hezzy bear was so focused on treats it didn’t worry him. I am happy that he is not afraid.
L.
Hi Tracy,
Hero and I had a successful session today. I was able to put the MM far away from the weaves as a focal point and reward with a ball. I sent him from different positions to the weaves and ran ahead much faster than I have before. I tried to throw the ball in line with the MM but wasn’t always successful at that, once hitting the camera lol.
Do you think we are ready for the 6 and 4 game?
L.
