[Sandy Mainardi]

From what I have seen people do in FEO runs is whatever they want to work on… for example, start line in various parts of the course (though in AKC you cannot throw a toy which sucks). So I wouldn’t have to run a premiere course by the numbers. Jumpers I would have to enter him in novice. Also 6 poles novice, 12 poles premiere in case I want to see how he does with weaves in public. I will have to look at how much time you get in FEO in novice…hopefully the same as all levels.

I have been contemplating whether this “around” verbal many people use might be worth training for 180s and I guess they also use it for 270s perhaps? Otherwise, I use 2 directionals like “right, right” or “left, left”.

I feel like I use the directionals too much with Benni. Once I get him turning on a pinwheel, for instance, do I need to keep saying my directional for all the jumps in the pinwheel? Although if there is a tunnel looming somewhere I do say it especially to avoid that. Also, do I need to cue turns with my outside arm as well as using the verbal directional? I think maybe I have developed some overkill in my handling…not sure.

I want to keep it as clear and simple for Brioche and clean up any unnecessary of bad habits that I have.

In the video above with Brioche, I guess I don’t gauge where I should position myself for lead out pivots correctly.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

PS Official UKI measurement is 15″ so he can jump 12″ (or 8″S) in UKI. This was also the temp measurement for AKC as the official is a VMO for both.

I have done set point for 12″ and a couple of times the accordion grid for 12″. He does better with the set point than when he has to adjust his striding as the 12″ jump moves further and further away. Should I continue to do this every few days until he looks smooth at all distances before trying 12″ in his novice class? I think we tried setting one bar at 12″ a couple of weeks ago and the rest at 10″. He did okay with that.

Also, maybe in September since trials are opening already, I was thinking of trying FEO with him in AKC. But it would have to be novice JWW or premiere JWW since he does not have contacts now. There isn’t much UKI around. Of course the one that is in NJ in Sept is on a weekend I will be doing AKC.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,

Finally, some nice weather.
Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Pattern Game:

Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Here are the NFC runs from Friday. It was a small, night time trial so I didn’t have a buddy to video my pre-run activity but the gate person was able to video my runs.

Run 1, I broke up a lot more than run 2. Kind of wanted to see what I got each time and will go from there.

Thanks.
Sandy
PS do these count in the 5 minute tally for sequences or is that for the MaxPup content only?

[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

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