[patty]

Hi Tracy,
Thanks as always for your insight on the last video, lots of good stuff! I had hoped to do another popup but Indy ripped pads at herding, sigh! I need to figure out a way to toughen up her pads or stop herding. We loose so much time while they heal.
Hope to be back at it in a couple day. Have a great weekend.
Patty

[patty]

Hi Tracy,
So sorry to hear about VooDoo, He was one of the first dogs I remember at your seminars.
Thanks for the input and adding more challenges for distance work. I definitely will add that to my list of fun things to do.
I had to move equipment to cut grass, so I set up
Package 4 jumping course 1 doing obstacles 1-11.
The first rep: Indy stayed on her forward path and hit the weaves. I rewarded since we have been working on finding the entry a LOT, so that was a fair choice.
Rep 2, could not change her line to get jump 3 as a backside again.
Rep 3, got it but did a hard name call. I know I am staying there too long but I could catch her at the weaves. 😊
I was so happy she read the turn to the tunnel and amazed how she came into the jump out of the tunnel. I got a little flat footed there, she saved me,
After that rep, she wanted to keep on her forward path and we missed Jump 11 a few times, so I broke it down.
I did use a verbal “right” to change her line but not sure if that was the correct verbal. I think I need to teach a come in or threadle verbal, not sure if this calls for that or not. To be honest, this type of course is still so new to me. I never did any of this with my springers, so I am on a the fast track to learning.
Indy is REALLY good at staying on a forward path finding lines and staying on it. I need to find the handling to tell her when I need to change that path.
We will try to add 12-19 today.
It is fun to have my eyesight better and be back at it.
Thanks,
Patty

• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by patty.

[patty]

Thanks Tracy,
Indy is so smart and she loves the challenge. A bonus that she gets to move her body, up, over, under in the searches.
We started the first part of DW layering. It went well, “sending” for her is usually not a problem, it’s the “come in” that can be challenging. On this exercise she was super, 2 sends and then a nice turn out of the tunnel and nailed weaves. It don’t have the off side recorded but I did use 1 guide to help her on the entry. Thanks for watching. https://youtu.be/2rWcaT07QiY?feature=shared

[patty]

Hi Tracy,
Between me not being able to see well, heat the rain, not much agility. Today’s weather is glorious so we plan to get back at it.
We are also doing Scentwork and Indy loves it! I can train SW with only one eye, so we trialed last weekend. Feel to skip,(not related to class) but I thought you might enjoy seeing her work. This video is Room 2-3 in a Master Interior search. Indy was the only dog to qualify, thus the cheers from the volunteers at the end. I am so proud of her, she has already earned her Overall Masters title and has 1 Detective Q. I started SW to help Indy be less sensitive to environments, thinking that would help her in agility. Now I love it for sport itself and it is so good for Indy.

[patty]

Good Morning Tracy,
My eye surgery went well but I was a bit optimistic about the recovery time. It takes a bit longer than I was hoping for, we always push it, don’t we? I tried to do some training last week but my BC on my right side are truly “blind”… so I decided that was NOT a good idea.
I can see blurs now, so I did jumping sequence package 3, pop out 2. I thought it went well on rep 1. I did a second rep to see if I could tighten up her turns.
Indy was happy to be working again.
Patty

[patty]

<You are running plenty fast! Agility has a lot of decel in it too, so don’t worry about your footspeed. And processing her commitment will get easier as you two get more experienced running together. Running a fast young dog is similar to trying to run in high heels… takes some practice LOL!!<

Thanks for the encouragement, I am having a blast with her!

I have eye surgery tomorrow so we will be taking a break for 2-3 days, hope to be back on sunday. Have a great weekend

[patty]

Good Morning!
Onto the next handling challenge, package 1 jumping pop-out #1 and # 2.

On the first one, I had my feet towards the tunnel, so off she went, good girl! 2nd rep, I stayed parallel but with my position on the exit I could not show her the line to 6.
So try 3,…. I thought she was committed but my motion caused her to grab the tunnel again… I am not sure what else to do,,, maybe step back instead of sideways/rotating??? Indy clearly did not like what I did.
Try 4, broke that piece down with no speed into in, and ended on that success. It was hot and I wanted to see what to change before making the same mistakes.

Pop out #2, She read my threadle to jump 3 super nice, so proud of her! I only did two reps since she nailed it. I need to LEAVE/MOVE sooo much earlier when I watched the video. That is why I did 2 reps, so I could get out of jump 3 earlier BUT I did not improve much.
Videoing myself is so good. In the moment I think “I am running SO fast” and then I look at the video and I am hardly moving, geeezzz.😏. I need to process faster… as soon as I see she has the jump, I need to leave. She is so quick, I don’t have a half a second to “think” “does she have the jump”…..LOL
I will be better!
Patty

• This reply was modified 1 month, 1 week ago by patty.

[patty]

Hi Tracy,

All of your responses were super informative,

<On the first video: I don’t know what she was heading towards out of frame, but you were totally facing it at :45 when you said push, so off she went LOL Good girl!>

She was heading to the weaves and we have been highly rewarding/working on weaves, so she was a very good girl.

I never even thought of this option…….
<So what to do instead? A different domino effect can work in your favor, by using handling that can cue all the turns sooner:
You can sent to 5-6 and layer the 7 jump, so as she is over 6 you are already facing her in threadle position on 7. Then as she takes off for 7, you are cueing the tight turn on 8 (sending to it decel, verbal, brake arms). Then as she is approaching 8, you are already turned and heading past the tunnel to the 10 jump. That way she doesn’t see any accidental motion out to the jump.>
So I tried it and it worked! I do not have enough experience with backside handling….that is a new world but Indy does it so nicely when I cue it properly.

Thanks for everything,
Patty and Indy

[patty]

Tried one more time .. a lot of bloopers. The Silver lining in this is that her backside slice got to be really pretty, she uses her body so well over the jump, she’s like a snake.

• This reply was modified 1 month, 2 weeks ago by patty.

[patty]

Here is 5/6 sequence. Number five went really well, can’t say the same about number six no matter what I tried we could not get the tunnel, I think she was very pattern trained at this point. I guess our next lesson on discrimination is coming just in time, ha ha ha

[patty]

Hi Tracy,
Hope you had a nice trip back home! Your feedback was really helpful, When i rush, I loose connection so the reminder is great. I know to do “hand across body” but in my rushing to get someplace, I forget and then the problems come. So do my part! 😊
< The end line at 1:29 is a blind then a threadle slice. You did a blind at 1:29 but then leaned forward (rather than opened up your arm for a threadle cue) so she pushed to the other side of the jump. On run 3, you had a more obvious threadle there: standing back and opening up back to her rather than pushing forward. Question: do you use the opposite arm for the threadle slice cue? If so, make it higher by putting it up across the your body at shoulder height. If not and you use the dog side arm, you can take the opposite arm out and really swing the dog side arm back 🙂>
I use 1 arm for a threadle but now sure what my body was doing there, clearly in panic mode. Ha!
Onto to #5/6

[patty]

Hi Tracy,

Not complaining, but between the fireworks, rain and the heat it is hard to find time to train outside. Here is our attempt at the four corners with sequences 1-4. We will try to go out later tonight and get 5-6

Layering and distance was really pretty easy for Indy. It’s when I had to do more than four obstacles at a row things got interesting. Lots of bloopers, but it’s all good, I learn. One thing I noticed by layering I felt I lost some accel/decel motion and that got me in trouble. Looking at the videos, I feel like I am moving at one speed. Indy does much better if i can give her that cue.
Thanks for watching,
Patty

[patty]

>Hi! I think it went really well – it is a big course for a young dog and she showed lots of great skills and speed here!>
Hi Tracy, thanks for all the good feedback on this course. I do agree she shows lots of good skills and my timing is hard to get down. That’s why this is so good for me.

e did get BIG MAD (bark) at :16 and a small mad (grunt) at :39 on the way to the 6 backside. There are a couple of reasons why she gave you ‘feedback’ there 🤣😂

–< you said ‘tunnel’ but didn’t give her a cue to stay in extension on the exit, so she was coming in towards you. A “GO” before she enters the tunnel will get her running straight on the exit
– your arm was up high and blocking connection at :16 so the cue looked like the front side of the jump for a moment. The arm was not quite as high at :40 but still not enough connection. So be sure you are looking directly at her (which points your shoulders to the backside) with your dogs-ide arm out of the way.>

My arms do tend to get too high and too flailing. I need to keep them either really up or low. I think I am still panic running trying to get to my spot instead of handling. Indy reads everything well and gives me instant feedback.
Good idea on teaching a wrap on the wing and to not to go into the tunnel by breaking it down and having me be closer. That’s a hard skill for her to discern at this age, and I’m not even sure if it’s a fair question to ask at this point.
Thanks again for all the input, so fun!
Patty

[patty]

So I decided to try jumper course 1 and yikes! I had to push on her line out of the tunnel and Indy let me know it by yelling at me.
I tried again and a little bit better but still rough. She is so funny when I have to change her line.
then I decided start at the jump and she did a super nice weave entry, nice to see since she has been struggling with speed and she nailed them.
I tried a wrap,,, but I lost her to the tunnel.
I did my verbal, decel, brake,,, maybe I did it too late or the tunnel was just too inviting.

[patty]

Hi Tracy,
Yeah, I can do a spin!! 😊. I actually thought about that but did not know if I could do all three: BC, brake arm and RS… all in about 2 steps of space ….yikes.
I never thought about backside cues she might be reading and you are spot on. I need to pay attention to that on my walk. I like your idea of a verbal jump for the front of the bar.
thanks for all the great tips.
Patty and Indy

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