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Hi Tracy,
I meant if she glances after a tossed treat during the volume dial game. I can guarantee she’ll stay more engaged with a handed treat as there’s not a chance to glance around as much. If I’m playing back and forth and she glances I just keep playing that game. If she got really sticky, then I’d go to the up and down game. Is that the general order of operations? But, on the volume dial if she glances a tiny bit after a tossed treat do I keep playing or go back to pattern games? One glance versus every time after a toss is different. Plus, in my yard right now it’s hackberry snuffle mat all of the time.
Sprite can watch Gemma work. That’s pretty easy at home, but not at the park. However, she’s whining in her car crate so she knows I’m out with Gemma. Typically I work Gemma first.
She struggled with long backside slice in class and I wanted to practice it. Oops! It’s raining so no tunnel in my yard soon. But, if it dries up I can put out at least two to maybe three jumps.
So, when I add the leash…. Previously I was told to wait for eye contact to remove it. What is your thoughts on that? If she can’t offer that and is scanning there is little chance she could line up.
I just did a quick session in my living room with the leash and tugging to the line. She’s swinging her butt into line up! It’s raining out today and it’s bath day. So, no mud until at least tomorrow. lol. I can show it if you want, but I don’t want to over use my time. Hopefully tunnel bypass cue Thursday at the park.
Yep…nature’s snuffle mat in my yard. More sit to jump training. Treats in my pocket, but nothing in my hand. I think she’s getting the hang of it. Tried to get her to eat the hackberries at the end. Next time I’ll use a scatter as well.
We also went to the pet store today. No video, but she was able to LLW while sniffing all of the delicious bags of kibble. She was able to do pattern games and a volume dial on a different aisle. If she glanced around on the way back from a tossed treat I went back to pattern feeding. The store people kept asking me if I needed any help. She did pretty well. Then, I let her go sniff more bags of food. Mostly she kept a loose leash so that’s a big win!
Yes, I knew I was late, late, late with the blind cross. So, if I start when she’s over jump 3 what shows the line to 4? I just assume she will take it? I’m usually taking 1-2 more steps than I need which makes me late.
So, my first Aussie loved the havkberries as well. I took her in Dec for hip X-rays. Got a call from the vet asking if she ate a pearl necklace or a beaded garland off my Christmas tree. I laughed and said it’s hackberries. Apparently they saw tons of small rounded objects in her colon. I’m not sure they believed me as they wanted to keep her until she pooped. I assured them that I saw berries daily!
Hi Tracy,
Yes, the last part of the clip was her decompressing eating hackberries. I told her to go find them, but I’m not sure she knows what that means. She snuffles them every time she goes into the backyard. I am not more interesting than the hackberry! Luckily, they don’t cause GI issues. But, they do cause alarm on xrays! Ask me how I know. 🙂
We did the set up at the park with the tugging and waiting for the offered sit. It’s a little hard for her to release the toy and there was some definite grass grabbing. She is getting the hang of it, but it’s hard! I used my phone to film as it has a wide angle lens. But, I still didn’t get the edge of jump for the turn in sequence 2. My first BC was a year late! Tried to clean that up. She snuffed after each run and I also gave her some toy chase tosses. One rep we had a mom, stroller and kid watching. After the training she put herself in a down and I just let her take in the environment while I took everything down.
P.S. I need some AU tshirts and ideally a crew neck sweatshirt. I’m not a big hoodie fan. Where do I find the merch?
Hi Tracy,
So, Sprite’s eyes were as wide as saucers in class last night. She’s moved into a new class on Wed night that’s a higher level. I was able to have her out while the dog before her ran. We did pattern games and I did use the back and forth game with a treat toss to get her out to the first jump. No grass grabbing last night. Yay! She did some nice work with good contacts, hard weaves etc. There was a hard send to a German about 15 ft from the teeter. Tried once and she doesn’t have that skill yet. Aldo, she had to find weaves parallel to a tunnel. That was hard!
Here’s the tug sit game in my yard. I left in a hackberry snacking clip at the end. This is hard brain work for Sprite.
Yes, yesterday I wasn’t trying to set tight lines. The jumps are too close and I mostly just cared that she offered the sit. I’ll try to get to the work for the course tomorrow.
I’m happy to geek out about this as I’ve been working on it for months and it’s not improving. So, I’m doing something wrong. I agree the line up is hard in general and not letting her jump may be a punisher. Ideally she would understand sit gets you access to agility. But, she hasn’t made that association yet. Or, she’s not in the right zone of arousal. Plus, adding remote reinforcement is lumping as she has to leave her reward AND sit AND stay. So, which of those pieces is being reinforced? If I take the jump out of it she may find that is not really a reward. In yesterdays video she offered that sit and I stupidly asked for the hand touch afterwards as that was the piece I had planned. So, I didn’t actually ask for a line up and sit.
In class…she cannot be out of her crate when either Aussie runs. That’s why we changed the order. She’s whining in general in class, but it’s a little better. I could just use kibble and feed her when they run if you think that would help. This particular class there isn’t a great place to be where you wouldn’t hear the dogs. I do cover her crate which helps. So, if she’s glancing around on the volume dial then go back to a pattern game? I can try that tonight in class. Tonight’s class she’s in a barn, so she can’t see the action. It works much better for her.
I don’t think I can do another dog without a start line. Gemma took 5 years off before I decided to run off the line with her. But, there is usually an off course somewhere between obstacle 2 to 6. It’s very hard to set lines from behind right off the bat. Sprite is capable of staying in a lead out. She was fabulous when I was using food to get the line up snd sit. Plus, the sequences were easier back then. But, she never made the association without food and it’s just adding stress and leading to grass grabbing. She definitely wants to play the game. I’m just concerned that I don’t have her brain going in and after Gemma I know that’s not all that fun to feel completely disconnected and having a dog everyone thinks is out of control and untrained.
Of interest, after the last run on this video she decided to snack on hackberries! So, I let her eat some, then I put her up and got Gemma.
Hi Tracy,
Sprite has a toy and food remote reinforcement marker. I used the leash and had jumps out as she still really struggles walking towards jumps. It’s becoming a negative CER and making me sad. This clip is a little long as I did both markers.
I tried hand touches in class earlier, but she just couldn’t to it. Her brain is elsewhere and she can’t respond to much in that environment as she’s walking to the line. We ended up changing the order of dogs in class. She typically runs after two very barky Aussies and she’s not allowed to be out when they run. Her first run I could never get her attention so we didn’t run. Walked round two and then she got another chance at round one. Once she lined up she did a lovely job with some hard weaves and layering a dog walk. Once the order switched I could have her out. She’s definitely glancing around with the volume dial. Pretty split brained. Round two started on the table do that was much easier for her.
Anyway…here is the video.
Here is find my face. I’m competing with the hackberries which are apparently doggy caviar. Both girls come out in the yard and start munching. They were mostly fine until the weekend winds knocked a bunch more down.
I tried the hand touch back and forth, but it didn’t go well. She would only nose touch to one side and it was the end of the session. Maybe try can show me tonight as I couldn’t figure out a way to get anywhere.
Hi Tracy,
We didn’t get closer while dogs were running. It was very windy and cold and there was a long time between classes with one judge. However, I do the pattern games in class while other dogs run. Getting video is harder in class.
She absolutely grabs grass at class and in the training yard. So, teaching a different coping skill is my preference. So, if I do hand touch and a tossed treat is it a back and forth game by my side? How would you fade the food?
I can play with leash tugs on the way to the line as well.
So, I’m trying to teach a between my legs trick. Gemma loves it. Sprite doesn’t want to come in between. I’ll have to see if I can dig up a video somewhere as I’m doing something wrong.
“See” you later today. Thanks so much for your suggestions.
Hi Tracy,
Originally I was having her go through my legs and then line up by my side. But, she just couldn’t do it. So, I am trying to make it simpler. Yesterday at the trial we worked far from the ring. I’ll post some video for you. It was very windy which is distracting by itself. After the posted session and a break we went between the two rings while one ring was down and the other one walking. I was chatting and she was in a down. She was very calm and just taking it in. We then tried some games and lines up. Nothing on film as I didn’t trust leaving the tripod out in that area in the wind. Interesting comment about hand touches. Yesterday once she gave me eye contact I cued a hand touch to the side o wanted her to line up. She seemed to like it. I’ll see if she can do that in class. What currently happens is she starts grabbing grass as we walk to the jump. Don’t love that behavior.
Here’s trial footage if you are interested.
Hey Tracy,
I’ll try to set her up better on the first jump. I don’t want to fuss too much with it now as she’s starting to line up and sit faster. The last thing I want to do is get her up and move her. So, I’ll try harder to pick a better position. Seeing lines is a work in progress for me.
Yes, I think snuffle and pattern games between runs helps her. There were areas that could have been tighter, but I didn’t repeat anything either. So…that’s information as well. Maybe best to move on and repeat something later if I’m trying to “fix” something. I was very happy with this session. No extra tunnels at all! 🙂
Today we are going to a trial. I’ll see if I can film some pattern games and arousal dial far from the ring. I’m just dropping by for a few hours. It is cool enough to pop her in the car crate for breaks and I’ll bring a chewy for her.
I did some up and down and back and forth before these sequences. Also, some in between and snuffle breaks.
She did so well I just did each sequence once except for option an and b in the second run. Not sure about the bar, but I didn’t repeat that sequence. There is uneven ground.
Thanks Tracy,
There are a few trials in the next two months at better facilities. But, until I feel she can line up in class it’s probably not worth entering her. She isn’t better with a toy in my hand. Last night in class she immediately starts grabbing grass as we walk towards the first jump. I don’t think the position matters as she isn’t listening to cues. Just scanning the environment. Of interest, if I back off and then tried to set her up but at a further distance from the first jump she did better. So, I’ll try that next time on the first attempt. I am also playing around with a spin at my side as we get close. She’s clearly feeling pressure in the approach and line up. Once she sat, she did very well. She doesn’t vulture, lean forward etc on the start line. We did pattern games on the side while the dog before her ran plus a quick snuffle.
Here’s back and forth outside a dog park. As I’m getting ready to start a lady lets her pug pull her towards us as she thought it would be great to let her dog say hi. Sprite was on leash and I just walked away adding distance. But, I need to be careful with off leash jumping in this location as people are clueless.
I agree it wasn’t a very user friendly facility. The bad news is it’s 35 minutes from me. I generally only trial at localish shows. Sprite still isn’t really ready as she struggles to line up and sit. Once she does she stays. But, she’s a bit overfaced by going in the ring and lining up. So, no point in adding a 2-3 hour drive and hotel stay at this time.
The surface wasn’t ideal either. But, the rumors are it’ll be used more now. I’ve no idea. AKC doesn’t have a lot of NFC runs, but I guess they did allow a toy for those classes. I do have a fleece leash. So we can use that.
Hey Tracy,
Congratulations on your fly ball win! I’d planned to set up the sequences today, but it had the audacity to rain. So, it’ll have to wait a few days.
I’m happy to tweak things. However, a new site that will likely be used more is a horse arena. There’s a wooden enclosed area and both rings are inside with only one way in and out. No food or toys allowed once you go through that area and that means the start gate could be 30-200 feet once you get in. You have to pass an entire ring to get to the far ring. So, I need something that predicts work is soon, but not yet. That’s a long way with no rewards!
She still struggles when other dogs are running. Sprite can watch me run Gemma. Well, at least at home. But, it’s hard for her to see other dogs run.
