[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi,
On the sends…do you say “go” so they keep going to look ahead or do you cue the wrap with the wrap verbal?

We have a young dog seminar with Rebecca Thrift this afternoon and then I’m driving to PA for trials. If I get a chance to upload any videos from the seminar tonight, I will. I know today is the deadline for videos.

I haven’t registered for Max Pup 4 yet. Will you be sending out a reminder for that? I know you sent one but I’m sure it’s buried in my e-mail somewhere. Can’t remember if there was a discount code or not.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

HI Tracy,

I left the decel game set up for today to try one time doing all the things. Of course, our first attempt instead of taking the tunnel, he chose to chase a butterfly…SMH. So I started the video over.
I think when he came back out of the tunnel and I ran to the second jump, I pushed on his line and he took the middle of the bar. I was trying to get tucked in by that wing. Is that necessary? Could I have stayed lateral to the wing he was about to wrap or is it the plan to stand where the bar connects to the wing? The send was for a right wrap which you said he doesn’t do as easily.
For the send, since we are sending with dog side arm, doesn’t that block connection? Or do we connect as the dog exits the tunnel and then send? Not sure if I am doing this correctly.

Here is novice class today. The course is set up for Rebecca Thrift to come in and doing some fancy stuff SOOO, we got to try some layering and some “out” things. I opted to break it down for the lead out because I thought it might be a weird picture for him but he totally knew what to do so probably didn’t need the toy thrown in the beginning as he actually was headed to the tunnel. I was just off on my handling to get the blind done because I had questions on if he would be understanding this complex picture instead of just going for it!!!

Part 2 – he got extremely distracted in the back of the barn and I had to go grab him. He lost interest in his toy at that point. But he still worked.

But wow, some pretty good stuff in there! We didn’t get a chance to put the 2 parts together. Class ran out of time. Bummer.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Okay, finally actually did the decel game! I’m not sure I did the send right. He did it better on the one side than the other but could be my mechanics.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Okay, I just watched the video again and I get what’s happening now. Save you the trouble of answering!

Heading out to try it now.

Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,

I am going to set up the deceleration game today. I confess to being confused…LOL…nothing new. Did we not have a decel exercise where we divided the space between jumps (or tunnel to jump) into thirds and we were supposed to do our decel transition in the second section of the thirds? I struggled with that. So now we run up to the jump and stand still…to me that doesn’t seem like handler decel?

I did the stand still by the wing at the practice jump this weekend with Brioche among other things. He is going well with various things at the practice jump now. I get him pretty revved up with tugging and then do a stay. Happy to see he can dial it back down and focus.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Thanks for the DW video. I like the MM for the beep so they know they got it (or didn’t) but Brioche is not excited with the MM. Maybe I could use the MM for the beep reinforcement but put a toy just behind it or next to it. Maybe he wouldn’t grab the toy and run with that set up?

What food do you put in the MM? I was using vital essentials beef nibs. I don’t feed kibble and don’t want to use something like Zukes because I finally have GI balance in the household and don’t want to mess that up!

Going to be a hot one this weekend! Wish us luck!

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Here is a sample of the DW/mat work. I have not been able to get a lesson with Jess since we started this. She wanted me to vary where I started him. I didn’t know if I should insist he go around the cone to get the reward? Couple times he came straight to the toy. Also, I don’t know how to get him to focus forward as he seems to check in with me a lot.

You had said to leave a toy after the cone? But I’m not sure where you mean to place it and I am pretty sure he will not go around the cone if there is a toy on the ground. And if he grabs it and runs off, not ideal since he will be self rewarding whether he hit the mat or not…

Here is more see saw work. Unfortunately on one rep, his hind foot slipped off and he opted to jump off. He was no worse for the wear and willing to get back on it. He chose to jump which I guess is a good thing but not great at that height perhaps. Maybe my motion caused it. He is used to me running by as I’ve done plenty of it. But still, could be just the way I passed him might have distracted him for a split second. So, I backed off and he was able to continue working. Sorry, I forgot to hit pause after the first rep while I loaded more food.

And what is your opinion of wires on the weave poles? I hear that Jess and Perry are using them for hard entries and to keep the dog in and not pop out at the end. Brioche has not seen the wires yet. I have some but never cared for them. Benni was already trained in the poles and when she tried to use them at a lesson, he jumped over them… I was trying a FC after the poles tonight and it was too much for Brioche right now. So I did sends, rear crosses and jogging by.

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Forgot to mention that we had one jump at 10″ today in class on a straight line and the rest at 8″. No problem.

Tried the contact mat with his fitness platform underneath it which is a 2 inch thick board with sandpaper on it. It seems like he does better on my left with him curving to the right.

And then just to try something with a cone, I first tried to wrap the cone and have him hit the mat…that did not go well so then I switched it to hit the mat and then go to the cone which went better. I just made it up so I’m not sure if it’s worth doing or not.

Here is the increased tip on the plankrobatics:

And then later we tried the yes-no-go tunnel. One time when I said go, he ran straight and grabbed a leaf. Sigh. Seems like saying go maybe is misleading since he has to turn right to get that wing behind the tunnel. On the final rep of combining it all, he cut between the wing and the tunnel but I just let it go. He was getting tired by then. After that I let him chase his flying squirrel toy which is his favorite thing to do. In the beginning, I had my arm across my body with the toy and he was coming to the toy but then cut behind me to take the tunnel so either it looked like I wanted him to take the tunnel or he just saw it and went to it.

He will have a day of rest tomorrow (actually going to the groomer for spa day) and then I leave for CT on Thursday for a 3 day trial.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
We had our second novice class today. The first run I did not tape. All of a sudden he took off…chasing a chipmunk in the barn. I was wondering if he would come back and work and he did. Whew!

I need work on my BC with Brioche at this speed! Also, when I blind cross for Benni, I tell him to jump and then say his name. So I need to establish something like that for Brioche. But also, my connection wasn’t great.

Second try:

It’s only our second group lesson with bigger spacing and course work so I am not expecting either of us to be perfect. I know it will get better. I am unsure of his commitment so I think that is part of why I am late with my cues.

Posting homework shortly.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Here is what our mat work looks like on the ground. We are working it on the dog walk but he is not as enthusiastic there as he is here. Maybe I just have to keep the ground work going as well as on the DW? Maybe the slower pace and less enthusiasm is him just having to think more on the DW. IDK.

Our first attempt at the advanced plankrobatics. He just started moving on the board so I guess he is past the baby level! I still had him do some turns and practice jumping on/off.

And I just finished adding poles 5,6 and closing them up. He’s got a good rhythm going. Now I will start doing all the angles and the crosses etc.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Finally getting some really nice weather. I was in Salisbury, MD for 3 days. Took Brioche to the practice jump every day and worked on various lead outs for as much as the small space allows. He is getting the forced FC down and the serp as well as the regular stays.

Last night I watched some of the independent study teeter games. You are using the word “target” for many of the games. I have not been using any verbals except for saying “see saw” before I send him for the mountain climber game (with the tip-it). For the bang game, I either just tell him to hop up or restrain him and then he hops up when I let go. Is “target” your word for see saw in competition? I’m trying to figure out how this transitions into the end game of a trained see saw. I know some people who say “teeter” then “bang” as their trained verbal. Do I need to put a verbal on the games when they are driving to the end of the board to get the reward?

Can I start the downhill game while still training the mountain climber? I wouldn’t do it in the same session. Just wondering because I’ve been working with the tip-it since May 1. Feel like it’s going so slow but then I am only increasing tip in very small increments.

Also, Jeri lost the shortest uprights for the tip-it. I have the long and medium ones. If I need to have the short ones for eventual use, can you tell me how long they are on your tip-it? I can get some PVC and make them myself (or should I say my husband will -LOL).

I’m going to look at week 8 and start chipping away at those today. Let me know if there are any that should be my priority.

Also, I am trialing at Level Up June 19-21, staying over on Sunday night and then driving up to Bella Vista in PA on Monday for a Tuesday trial.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
So Jess had a yellow target made by clip n go that she strapped to the end of the teeter. Instead of having him hop into the end of the board like I had been doing with food on the piece of duct tape, she had him wrap a cone, to get on and then move down to the end to put his feet on the target. No food was involved and he didn’t know what to do because it wasn’t the easy I had been doing it. So it was very slow welding for him to put his feet on the target.
So should I be using something besides duct tape with a bit of elevation to it? He’s quick and happy to hop on the board and eat the food that I put on the duct tape.

Trying to type on my phone but I can view the whole box that I’m typing into so I hope it makes sense.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Yes I know Jackie from years ago. Haven’t seen her in a long time. I live in Lincoln Park in north Jersey. Not sure where she lives.

For the bang game he was doing well with the food. Then Jessica wanted to put a front foot target instead of food at our last lesson. Brioche then became much more thoughtful and not really driving to the target because I have not practiced bang game that way. I humored her but at home I was just using food. He does it well at home.

Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,

Going back to the lead out sequence with the RC. There was a turn from jump 2 to 3 and then the RC was on the next jump. I have always tried to square Benni up to any jump I want to RC this is on a bend. Sounds like this is not correct? I think that is what I was trying to do with Brioche.

As for the forced FC/threadle at a practice jump. Won’t it be hard with a wingless jump in a small space? Since there won’t be a wing for me to stand behind… I don’t want to make it confusing for Brioche. Or maybe just the practice of the stay with the picture of me low with my hand out might be beneficial…

And the teeter. I have done the mountain climber twice at UDOG on 3 or 4 different see saws with no tip. We just used a wing to prop the see saw up. At home, do I continue to make it tip past the midway point in the same manner because then it becomes uphill and downhill? I haven’t looked at week 8 yet since I’m getting ready to travel so maybe the next game is there. Still can’t find a clip n go. I might have to drive 90 min to take a private with someone up in Saugerties, NY. They have one there but she isn’t allowing ring rentals anymore.

Jumps have been at 8 inches for Brioche. Let me know if I should put them up to 10″ or just keep it at 8″ for a week or two more.

I think that’s my questions for now. Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
I didn’t set up the Forced FC/Threadly sequences. Just worked on the skill. The hardest part was the start line stay so we will need to work on that more. But I wanted to at least present the skill to him before week 8 begins. I am traveling to PA tomorrow and will then be down in MD until Sunday.

Thanks. Sandy

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