[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,

Big news! Benni earned his NW3 Elite title on Saturday!!!!! Holy cow! It took us 8 trials to finish this. Some learning experiences along the way. So Brioche got lots of sniffaris.

Onward to week 9 games.

And more sit/stay work:

Sits with one chute board and no platform. He still needs the platform I see… Cannot wait to get rid of the hair so I an actually see his legs better. Still waiting for his points to be posted to AKC.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Thanks for the feedback regarding verbals. I think I will use “dig” for the backside circle wrap. So tonight we did additional work on the backside slice and 360.
I noticed here that when I send him after lining him up he goes wide to start with and then wraps the cone nicely. At the end when I used only food, he stayed more on the path straight to the cone on the send. So I’m not sure if this is part of the learning process that he swings out and then comes in and around or if the toy is just making him less focused on the task than the food?

I did try to move a little faster as you suggested. And once I said “dig” instead of “back”…SMH! He was just too focused on the toy so I switched to food…seems to be a theme.

I continue to do more platform work for the sits.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Regarding the verbals. To clarify.

Rear cross…instead of saying switch you use “right” and “left”? Which is what I say when I want him to stay on the same lead (keeping him on my same side) for right and left turns. If I were to use it for same lead as well as switching leads (RC), isn’t that confusing to the dog?

So if I say “tight” for R wrap, then I would use some other word for L wrap?

And using “back for backside slice is good but then something different for backside wrap?

These are the main things you are suggesting…? So then I just need to come up with 2 more verbals and possibly eliminate “switch”. I’ve been saying that for so many years that will be a challenge!

Remind me what you use for backside circle wrap and L frontside wrap. Thanks.

Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
For the Stealth Self=Control/slice I used a box of toys. I don’t know if the idea was supposed to be a moving distraction but I don’t have that unless I coral my husband to be in the vicinity doing something. My husband is EXTREMELY exciting to Brioche…

Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
I’m a bit conflicted about adding more verbals than I currently use. I only do AKC and have no plans to do anything else. My knees only have so many runs left in them. And I don’t do much premiere course work at all. Benni does know back sides and “in-in” to come to me on the take-off side and then take the jump.

I have always just used “tight” to mean wrap the wing towards me no matter which side I am on. I use “back” for any kind of backside although in regular AKC it would most likely just be a backside slice. I use “switch” for rear crosses. “Right” and “Left for directional turns on a jump. “Turn” on the flat as in tandem turn. “By” is my bypass cue for the non-obvious end of the tunnel. Of course, I use “go” and “out” in the traditional ways.

The one thing I have recently thought would be useful in AKC is for me to have a rear cross wrap cue separate from “switch”. I was thinking “flip”. Words have to make sense to me in relation to the movement I’m asking for otherwise I will make mistakes in my verbals.

So I am undecided about the additional verbals. Benni does fine with my current vocabulary. Not to say he doesn’t turn the wrong way sometimes but that could be more about my mechanics than my words.

Any thoughts?
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Started the backside slice work.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
I actually bought that puppy program and you are right – she is very helpful. She gave me the specifications for making his various platforms. I did some of the prefoundation work and then just didn’t have time to do a whole lot of it. Here is a video I did tonight using the sit platform along with my obedience chutes. I made this game up (not that it is a genius idea) but I thought it would help him come in straight and sit tucked in.

For the 360 game, I just used a cone because my barrels are so big. I don’t really have anything the size of what you use to demonstrate. I don’t even have a round waste basket. I do have spackle buckets…
He seems to much prefer wrapping to his right.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Here is what we did tonight. When I switched to the barrel and the wing, I wasn’t sure when to click.

More sit-stay work. I am going to start doing more platform work for positional awareness with him. His sits are awful with knees outside the elbows! I did much more work with Benni as a puppy in a competition puppy class…I didn’t do that with Brioche.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Yes, he has seen the hind leg stepping around the bowl before as part of my puppy fitness. And I have done both stand still and have him come from behind and side step to “front” position or with me moving around the bowl and him working on staying in “front”…obedience game.

We are heading out to an agility trial this weekend so I wanted to try the threadle again and also the tight turn game before we go. I am NOT good with a clicker but I tried….food, ,clicker, mechanics…oh boy.

Food tossing is a fine art, I am convinced! LOL But here we go:

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Did a couple more things before dinner.

Advanced perch work:

And threadle slice…oh good lord…between me getting the mechanics and the the manners minder running amok, this took a bit to get any sort of rhythm! I was about arms length from the stanchion but not sure if my position was correct or whether he just needs more practice targeting my hand. I suppose for the first effort it wasn’t horrible. 🙂

He had a nice long nap this afternoon because I was out. He also got very spooked by the guys here doing window washing in the morning. So after trying to get him to sit by my desk and settle on his cot, I decided to just put him in the car. No need to be heaping more stress on him. Benni was already out there because he is an alarmist and he doesn’t need to teach the puppy that!

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Perch work this morning. He probably could have gone on to the things taped to the floor to step over. I’ll do it another time. Still working on the toy retrieve. It was better before he went away for a few days. I could do the 2 toy thing also.

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
Much needed sniffari today. Too much time crated and restricted in the breed ring life. I think he was a bit stressed from being away and a whole different lifestyle. He enjoyed chasing leaves and dragging me around this very expansive park for an hour. This video is the calmer part of the walk:

Tried the 360s tonight. He was at the groomer today getting all the hairspray washed out! Yes, I do have photos of him but not sure how I would attach to this. I will send it via e-mail. 🙂

Here is the video. He did well with the food…the toy was a little too much excitement. He really has trouble following a toy. He just wants to grab and run. Maybe you have some tips on that? I’m sure you do!

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
He’s BAACK…and he is CH Eaglehill-South Upper Crust Full Tilt, TKN!!! 2 long weekends, 11 shows, 5 majors including 3 specialties, one BOW, 2 best puppy awards. He cleaned up! 🙂 Hair cut coming shortly after the points are officially recorded.

Here is what we tried today.
Back Up part 2…I didn’t realize that board was going to wobble in the beginning so I turned it over, then at the end when I wanted it to wobble, it did not! Oye.

Next up threadle wrap foundation. You can see when I was playing with him I was thinking something didn’t seem quite right when I did the 360 so I paused the video and went back to watch the lesson…and continued on.

We’re back in action. He is very happy to be home 🙂

Thanks.
Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
A little update. Benni earned MACH 6 this weekend and drum roll…..Brioche won back to back 3 point majors on Saturday including Quinnipiac Poodle Club Specialty and then one more point on Sunday!!!!! He has 7 points from his first weekend out. Amazing!!!

Sandy

[Sandy Mainardi]

Hi Tracy,
One more chance to play before we get in the car this afternoon. I did 2 videos of the serpentine work with a little break in between. I felt like using the food was not very motivating for him so just wanted to try the toy a couple times on each side.

Then I piled up the stuff. It’s a bit longer than I thought but he was more interested in the pile when we started the game than he was to engage with the toy so I had to take a bit to build up the arousal in the beginning. Then it got better. He really liked walking on the plank the best LOL

And that’s it until he gets back Oct. 26! Wish us luck in the breed ring 🙂

Sandy

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