[Mandpcheck]

Thanks, Tracy! I know the course ends Sunday and we are woefully behind. I downloaded the pdf’s to continue our training. I can’t thank you enough, tho, for your thoughtful and expert guidance thru this!

[Mandpcheck]

Thanks, Tracy! All recs make great sense, and I will implement.

I agree that he makes decisions very early! I like the start wing to give me enough time to het the verbal out before he’s already at the jimp (which is then too late). I think he had a decent port or starboard turn because I was throwing the toy too early. Holding back until he commits, I think will help (although ONE of my weaknesses is recognizing commitment – it all happens so quickly!). I really like your suggestion of changing the delivery of the verbal too!

So, my biggest take away here is no handling. Let him make the decision on the verbal and reward when correct!

[Mandpcheck]

Here is Guinness finishing up lesson 1, showing “round a start wing then wing wrap 1st bar OR go over 2nd bar”. Both sides. I tried these a few different sessions – most often great results, but I could not use food or lower value toy for the “go” exercises. He’d “go” regardless, but wasn’t interested in anything but the tug he knew I had in my hand. Went once on another high value toy, but not the 2nd time. Just goes regardless.

Then, for lesson 2… Guinness did well going “port” or “star”board after jump 1 (I did same exercise using just a wing first, with same great results) with my throwing the toy either direction. However, when I added motion, he went forward over jump 2. This video shows just one attempt at motion, which was too fast. After this one attempt at motion, I went back and tried just slow walking, but same results – still going over jump 2. Regardless of how slow I started toward the jump.

[Mandpcheck]

Hi. Great feedback for me! Thank you!!!

This afternoon, we’ll work:
1) a couple of “starter, wrap wing w/ jump beyond). My starting at the start wing.

2) some more 2 jump work, fewer “go” reps. Adding tug toy. Trying to think how to throw food reward beyond jump 2, outside. Looking for consistency im responding to verbals as well as collection for a wrap.

3) start the soft turn work with wing and perpendicular jump. My words will be port and star (left and right are just spin cues).

I will be at QS this weekend, sans rv.😔 just a little longer! 16 Mar. I’ll have it for a seminar and uki trial down at Windi’s end of Mar! See you at QS!

[Mandpcheck]

Hi! Thanks for the feedback and way forward!!! I really appreciate the very specific steps on how to proceed!

I’m including some more video. I started with the 2 warm up reps and the amped up reps (with tug toy). Not including video of these as I think they are insignificant; all were fine and as expected. Tight turns.

First here is the intro of the starter wing. Also insignificant (I think).

The 2 jump work is not perfect and is telling to me. 1) Guinness has a really STRONG go go command (his default by the way), so if he’s not going, then he’s patterning on the wrap from trng, regardless of what I’m telling him. 2) He’s much stronger jumping and following thru to the left than to the right (I noticed this before when I first started rear crossing – he couldn’t go to the right until I trained a switch).

Also noticed wing wrap getting wider (I’ve seen this before when working more than a few reps).

Should I keep working the 2 jump exercise until I get 90%+? When I’m relatively sure he’s listening to verbals? Should I do collar grab also?

And son of a gun… I see that I am rewarding (at least with food) in front of me instead of to the side. Even in the videos, I start trying to keep him to my side, but I need to work this big time!

Thoughts?

[Mandpcheck]

Hi Tracy! I’m ba-ack…

Here are several short videos for lesson 1. Walking and jogging with Guinness wrapping a wing, collar grab to begin. Then walking and jogging with Guinness wrapping a wing with jump behind. Only one mistake – mine! I sent him wide and I’m sure he didn’t even see the wing. Otherwise, I think he did well. Tomorrow, I’ll do the last exercise for lesson 1, adding the wing to the beginning of the exercise.

Thoughts?

[Mandpcheck]

Thanks, Tracy! All makes sense and I will execute this way.

[Mandpcheck]

Hi Tracy,
Here are 2 new videos. Both with collar grab, trying to get the verbal ingrained in this guy! First video is with no movement on my part. 2nd is just a little further back from wing with one step twd wing. I don’t think what I am doing is making any difference, including the verbal. Guinness is focused on the wing and will go there regardless of what I say or do or at what speed. There’s no alternative for him, so I think he’s there regardless of position, movement or verbal.

[Mandpcheck]

Hi Tracy! Thanks for all the feedback! Great info. I really like the idea of holding the collar with saying the verbal to get them used to listening for a verbal! Never thought or heard of this before, and it makes so much sense. Especially for a dog that moves off position and motion and typically disregards or doesn’t listen for verbals.

Guinness’s commitment to the wing will be instantaneous with release of his collar. So it will be difficult to walk, jog, run (he won’t notice the difference). Unless I start 20+’ back where he might hesitate without my forward motion.

Switch is a rear cross cue, but also a lead chg cue when my position is not seen by or obvious to him. I need to think of an addl word for push. One for the wrap and the other for the slice.

And I really do suck at verbals. I have a hard time getting them out of my mouth on course. Probably why my dogs ignore my verbals! Guess I just need practice!

[Mandpcheck]

Hi Tracy!

My Verbals. I’m horrible at verbals! Few are solid… “go”, “switch”, “push”. These are usually good, but not 100%. The others here are in various stages of trng and understanding. I am slow and usually behind my dog, so I need some verbals, but need to limit them because I’m not good at getting the words out!!!

Go – take obstacle and continue forward to next obstacle(s) directly in front of you. Full extension.
Jump – take the jump (or tire) in front of you, but not in full extension. Expect a turn (even slight).
Check – tight wrap; collection before the jump and turn twd me (no lead chg)
Switch – take the jump and turn away from me for next obstacle (lead chg)
Here – come to me/my side of the jump and take at a slice
Zip – come to me/my side of the jump and wrap
Push – go to the backside and take the jump (wrap or slice depends on my position)
MyMy – take the non-obvious (like that word?) tunnel entrance
Dig – Tight turn back toward me out of a tunnel
Whoa – usually coming out of a tunnel… I’m on backside of jump indicating collect to take the jump, and turn my direction.

[Mandpcheck]

Hi Tracy. OK, here is a video of Guinness wrapping a wing with my standing still. A few different distances from the wing. My verbal is “check, check” for a tight wrap (same side as me or same lead), but he’s not familiar with that verbal yet. There’s nothing else out there, so his wrapping the wing is very easy for him to accomplish, regardless of what I say or do.

[Mandpcheck]

Thanks, Tracy. Still learning the ropes with this discussion thread and just saw your reply. I am anxious to do what you suggest, and will do so tomorrow, and keep trng each day thereafter! Thanks again!

[Mandpcheck]

There’s another short video of Guinness going to the right, youtube address shown just prior to last video above.

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