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We did not get much training time this week as there was a Santa Anna Wind event and our power was shut down and we lost internet for several day. The wind also made it hard to train outside. Wednesday we finally made it to the field. I worked on remote reward with it outside the ring area and start line games as well as how it works to get him to the start line. I was happy with how he worked and his speed.
We leave town tomorrow and not sure if we will be settled by the time of the zoom meeting. I will try to catch up with it this week. We will have a chance to play games but no agility but lots of distractions. Our training field is also closed until Feb for rereading and repair.
I will also get caught up with the lessons I have missed.
I really feel that we have made progress with this class and have signed up for the upcoming webinar. Thank you for all the motivation.
This is a video from our three 1/2 day seminar. The last run. We were working through Hunters magic box as a distraction in addition to a reward. The box made a significant difference in his ability to deal with distractions and stay in the game. I used pattern games as we waited our turn and he was able to chill. He stayed engaged when I removed his leash. He did break a couple of times to look at distractions but we kept things so there was only one skill instead of multiple ones for his brain to deal with. Teri O’Neill was very good at keeping me under control and not trying to do too much. We really progressed in that environment.
Now for the not so good.
This was at a fun run yesterday. He was settled and was engaged until we got about 20 ft from the ring. I kept him on a long line as I just felt out of control. I did get some engagement but there was a lot going on and neither one of use handled it well. I had him settled but as we tried waiting near the ring his brain could not handle it. I tried some pattern games but I think the pressure of the real world and having 75 seconds made me rush a little. However, I do not have video the next time I took him in was so different. I friend recommended that I do pattern games a distance from the ring and just go over and go in. I took his leash off that time and he stayed engaged. I still had a long line as I did not want failure. We sent to the dog walk contact and the understanding of what he should do click in. I took his box 10 feet away and then 30 feet away. releasing him to it 3 times. He stayed engaged and even walked to his leash to leave with me.
Today was running at our 3 acre Sniff Spot. He ran and then chose to come check in with me to get treats. I practiced nothing. He came happily when I said it was time to go hime and he jumped in the truck. I was amazed how often he checked in. Plenty of pure running.
I have learned so much but have so far to go. I do not think I can be available on 16 Dec as we are leaving for Christmas in the motorhome. Off to the beach and friend’s house. It will be at 4:00 and I think I am dreaming to think I can get through LA traffic and settled by then. Additionally, tomorrow we are expecting a strong Santa Anna and power shutdowns. I may be off line for a couple of days.
Safe travels.
We did some jump work today/night. No video as it was dark and I had the headlamp. I added a cue for go run. Easy jump sequence. Two jumps, throw his toy and tell him to go run it is his. Lap around our yard and then he came back to play with me. Trying to add the fun run in-between work. You said let him run and He says that is a great idea. I was always worried that he would take his toy and not come back but I think the opposite is true.
We have a three day seminar this week and will try in incorporate all the games and engagement tools. I am also going to take my other dog on the third day incase he becomes maxed out.
We have been busy working the basics of getting to the line with a leash on and removing the leash. We have been going to the line playing games and I did work on creeping away to keep him engaged. The training at our training field included distractions. A dog he knows in an x-pen with a stuffed kong and another dog barking in the car. He was distracted but kept working. I had moved his remove reinforcement several times. I can really see his speed improving.
This is training at home so he is very comfortable and we began with his go swim in the sprayer and then games on the way to the start line. I feel we are getting it in low stress environments with more elements to add to the tool box.
I have figured out that decompression at its best is a full speed run in a uniques environment round the outside of the space. We visited a Sniff Spot with the intent of doing some low stress scent work. He was able to do pattern games out of the car but was having to work very hard with this environment. I took a new approach. I think I have been butting too much pressure on him. I did let him run and did not call him to me. The area is 3 acres. He came without being called when I feed my other dog cheese. I had let him run so I gave him a reward to coming and then released him to go play. A couple of minutes later I asked him if he wanted to go swim. He came running and we played in the hose. He then was able to stay engaged as I put both dogs in the truck to set hides. I work nicely when I took him out. I know this is much less stressful than agility but we have to start somewhere. He stayed engaged for the rest of our time there I let him run and play and he kept coming back to get cheese and check in. This was so much better than when I put a lot of pressure on him to continually come to me. He chose to come to me.
I believe I need to back off and relax. I tend to worry and keep recalling him even when it is safe and I have released him to play.
I hope I can find a happy medium where he does not have to run full speed for 10 mins. to decompress.
more work and a agility seminar this week. I will get to more of the games as we were distracted by Thanskgiving.
Hunter and I attended a seminar this last weekend. I tried to work on volume dial. Initially I tried remote reward (failure). I did let him go swim after the runs. The first day I should have realized that he was too distracted on the first run. I thought I had him back before the start but he took off and did a lap instead of staying engaged. He did come back with his tail wagging. I put him in his crate and then started the session again with more success. His next two sessions he stayed very engaged and work really nicely.
The second day was very different . I finally found a toy that he wanted to play with in a stressful environment. I guess I will be buying rabbit pelts. He was a very different dog. I worked his leash on and off. I did keep his reward on me as I did not want to practice failure again. He stayed engaged and wanted to work. I tried to play games in-between the sequences. I have to figure out how to make the first run of a weekend just like the rest.
We have been working on taking the leash off for reward and putting it back on.
Low distraction:
This is at the training field with higher distraction. He had a slight injury from dock driving so he is jumping 12. I combined taking the leash off and remote reward.
I was very happy with his engagement. He did go toward the pool first for remote reward but that is swim. I need to work on putting his leash on before going to the reward.
The last video is with the reward on me and he was faster and very engaged. More work to do with the reward off of me.
I know this is not agility but a huge improvement for Hunter. We were at the Vet today to get his heart worm test. We did pattern games right out of the car, let him sniff and pee and then in to get blood drawn. He was a little excited but so much less than before. He settled pretty good and got his blood drawn. Then a kiss for the technician. We went out front and talked to a friend. I started chill pattern games. It was amazing. He laid down and watched me talk with slow pattern cheese. He was fantastic and got many compliments. No other dogs around but still amazing. With this success I crated him in the car.
I know this is long but my friend videoed the whole session. I think it shows well how Hunter worked under distraction. There were two Russian Terriers crated within 20 ft of the work area. He was amazing. When we first came out of the house we did the up and down and back and forth games. He struggled at first since the new dogs were there, but after he had been in a crate waiting his turn and watching others he locked in. He was able to transition using the volume games and I used both his magic box and his swim command as rewards. Very happy with his work session.
Today was Scent Work. He was amazing. Again after walking around for about 15 minutes to get use to the environment and potty, I crated him in the car. The trial was running slow. My other dog ran first. Then it was Hunter’s turn for buried. He not only Qed but transitioned to the area with ease. While waiting I started the up and down game. He laid down in from of me relaxed, glancing at the environment every so ofter There were dogs moving around and people moving. No real excited running. He entered the search area and went to work. His next searches were about an hour later and the same thing. Relaxed pattern games in from of me. Tail low and relaxed. He went to work. It is not that he did not notice the environment but took it in while relaxed. Only an Interior Q but a great search and engaged the whole time in all three searches.
He is coming so far. Time is our friend.
Hunter and I did the pattern games when we got to the field. He was very engaged. I am working those and not letting him run and play when we get there. I am trying to more mirror a trial. After the pattern games I walked him on leash to decompress and then a couple of volume dial games and a couple of jumps. He stayed engaged the whole time. I then put him in his crate. It was time to work my other dog. He really wanted to come out to work with me. That was good. I reset the jumps and started the sequences with Hunter after some more pattern games and volume dial games. I did the volume dial games in-between when we moved around the field. He did very well with it. I used go swim in-between but think I need to use it more. That is his number one reward to play in the hose or pool. His bark on cue is still only at home.
Setting up sequences today with another dog coming to the house so big distractions and I plan big rewards.
I used Hunter’s magic box as a remote reward again at the training field. It is good but I know there is more speed when his confidence grows. The environment was challenging with Santa Anna Winds that cause some jumps to blow down. Hunter was basically unaffected. I walked Hunter around and decompressed by sniffing when games and then work with games and swimming after the sequences. More working on decompression tonight.
Donna
This is Hunter and I practicing Remote Reward. This will be critical to us since food is him number one reward. I have used his cooler that we use for reward when we are training (a treat and train of sorts). I understands the meaning and I have taught that it would translate to being outside the ring waiting for him as we progress. I use it when training on a course to reward behaviors.
This is Find my Face. I appears that he is looking at my hands which have the treats in them. He seems to understand the game.
He will be at a trial with my other Toller Dazz this weekend and I will work on some of the games away from the ring.
I have been working on teaching Hunter to bark on command. This is great in the backyard for the ball but he will not engage with the ball in other environments. He did bark on command at the training field on Wednesday.
I have taken the up and down and back and forth game on the road the training feel and in the front yard. It seems to help his arrousal. He struggled more this week when training at the agility training field. I warmed him up by walking o the leash and doing his games but did not let him run before we trained to more simulate a trial atmosphere. I played the active games before we worked. He did settle in but it was more of a struggle. The later runs were much better. this is an example of not being able to regulate himself at a trial. Did the games in-between sequesces.
