[Donna Lee]

Hi,

I’m thinking class might be over?? Besides Indy being a bit gimpy, my internet is down. At a coffee shop now.
Posting the starfish work. These went well, but I need to trust and cue the tight turns sooner, esp on the longer courses where we have built up speed.
Baby
Adv 1
Adv 2
Adv 3
Adv 4

RE the jumping grid (still on the video camera), she looked good, except for the 5th one, back to the initial set up. She did the first bounce, then opted to jump all the way to the end, as opposed to two bounces…

I have enjoyed the class and look forward to July.
Thanks for your help!!

[Donna Lee]

Hahaha… so yes, we need all 4 (or is it 5)

When I said fade the “push”, yes exactly for the reason you said…way too late. I was referencing the backside wrap, currently push, pick, pick, pick. I will drop the push. And backside slice (german), currently push, ess….. So if the backside is more of a 180 (go to the back, take the jump, and continue in same direction you started), would you consider that a slice… Hence my comment on needing 4 or 5. I’ll sleep on the threadle jump cues. My mind gets confused when I think about what it looks like when doing a threadle when the jumps are set like a serpentine vs when you are approaching a jump in front of you. Seems that maybe in that case, one should just move their butt so it ends up being a push or something easier to handle….

Separately, I changed her tunnel threadle to look from end….working nicely.

We have tons of NADAC here, but USDAA will always win out. NADAC is kind of filler, but I enjoy it. We also have a lot of AKC (whether I like AKC or not usually will depend on the dog!!) I won’t waste my time or $$ to do it just for fun. I expect Indy will be fairly successful, so maybe I will start liking it. My cattle dog likes AKC just because the times are more suited for her, but she loves to spin and tell me off! Haven’t done any UKI, would need to go down and visit BADASS in Utah (Keith is awesome, but I have enough to do here).

Have a great weekend. Indy got her paw stuck in her crate (trying to open it herself, I think) so resting her a bit. I think she is fine but may be a bit sore or bruised. Keeping an eye on it!

Thanks

[Donna Lee]

Thanks,
I think my focus on trying to determine if she knew the verbal, led to less connection. We will work on that. Re verbals, I am using push to get her to the back side and then have verbals for the German exit or the wrap exit. I have found that when I get her to the backside from a threadle approach, once she is back there, I am using the same two verbals for the exit or action after the jump. It has been working well.

Then I was thinking I should fade the “push”, but then realized there wouldn’t be a difference in the verbal to get her to the backside. Perhaps that is only an issue in my head and Indy would understand she needs to wrap or German regardless of what side of me she was on when approaching the backside of the jump. Thoughts?

Surely, we don’t need a push wrap, a push german, a threadle wrap and a threadle german???

Does that make sense? The details of the verbal conversation make me laugh….

[Donna Lee]

Hi,
This is our second session for both of these. I think Indy definitely knows her backside verbal, but we are getting a bit wide approaching the jump.

Backsides

More backsides

And our lateral lead outs… I think she did a good job on these with a solid stay.

Lateral leadouts

Thanks!

• This reply was modified 4 years ago by Donna Lee.

[Donna Lee]

Thanks for your help. Enjoy your day off tomorrow.

[Donna Lee]

Thank you.
RE Your comment on NADAC style – I agree. I have only done one “NADAC style” training exercise with her. When I set the course I submitted, I showed her and worked the turn away up close twice and then tried the course with the distance. So, obviously all the foundation work from your classes is driving the result (and the fact that she is a little smarty pants.)

Back to the task at hand: I was experimenting and she saw different stuff. Some on purpose and unfortunately, some not on purpose!! My tunnel verbal is END, I purposely stayed away from IN, but your point might still be valid. On the barrel, I have a ROUND and a threadle, or away from me command of ABOUT. The handler has issues with determining where the exit is on the barrel, ie just a pass by, a 280 or a 360, so was trying to keep it simple with one set of commands. My other thought process was that with a wing, the dog needs a directional, but I also like the dog knowing there is more to it (must jump as well, especially for the back sides). Where as the barrel, is simply dig and get around it in the correct direction and drive to what is next. So I think I want to keep the cues distinct.

I am favoring the outside arm in and bent when the dog is behind me, but what happens when we are driving the DW and need the far end tunnel at the end and I am behind. Will she be able to see it. An extended outside arm (lower) seem like it would be better. (Been working on thumb down in that position – helps keep arm lower and palm up, arm higher for NADAC turn aways). I need to decide and stick with it.

I will review your comments and look at the video re foot rotation…I am sure it is just habit and not something I was specifically trying.

I suppose it is good that I am thinking about this stuff and that my life is blessed, if this is what keeps me up at night!!! Thank you for your thoughts and input.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 1 month ago by Donna Lee.

[Donna Lee]

Hello….(more road construction – still not done; sorry for the noise)
I am happy we have many months to work on this before trialing. And once again I feel like I am the issue at this early stage. I don’t think she quite understands the verbal and I think if I do something not quite correct, we will get the wrong end. I am still playing with my threadle arm position and what works best and what will come out in a trial situation. We did an am and pm session yesterday. The first with the barrels and the second with wings. I thought the wings were easier because I have the tight command. With the barrel, I only use one command to get around it.
barrels
wings

Part of the arm position thought process is in regards to not confusing her with NADAC style motion. I am putting a recent video of that work….

Distance work

90s today….ugg!

[Donna Lee]

Back to Get Out and transitions today..

I set up the Get Out exercise in the opposite direction as last time. When I tried the blind crosses, we were really wide. Assuming the handler was really late. I thought I rotated pretty quickly on the last one but we were still wide. I really wanted to eliminate the get out verbal and go straight to the tight left turn verbal, but I didn’t.

Get outs

We worked the transitions from both sides. In the first set there was some trial and error. Pushed on her line and got a rear cross, ran a bit wide and got a backside, stopped too soon and no jump at all. I found the exercise really fun and enjoyed focusing on her and learning how I will be driving my little sports car. I find her responsiveness really exciting. Her handler needs to focus.

Traditions
More traditions

Thanks

[Donna Lee]

RE: the transition work, thanks for the link and I found the comments regarding paying attention to where the dog is as opposed to where I am most helpful. We’ll get back to that soon, but today we worked on the zig zag exercise and the lap and tandem turns. We do the turns on the flat in the house all the time for treats so she has a good basic understanding of those (in my opinion).

On the zig zags, I kept my mouth shut on the last one and think it may have been the best one…
Zig Zags

Lap turns

Race Track lap turns

Tandem turns

Thank you

[Donna Lee]

Hello,

Looks like some fun stuff here. We worked on get out today. The dog is doing what she should do. After watching the video it seems I am not staying or moving on the go line. Perhaps because Indy is already over the out jump. Not sure I am focusing on anything that I am supposed to because by the time I think about it, she is gone.

Get out
and get out more

Then we worked on transition. Just watching the video and reading the info, I thought this would be hard. Again I feel like there is not much time to think about the steps. I pulled the wing further than 20 feet from the jump to give me more time. I feel and think it looks like I am stopping (as opposed to decelerating way early). Good thing, bad thing?? At the beginning, she did a super wide backside and then a turn in the incorrect direction. Then I thought it started to come together. Near the end I actually asked for a push as opposed to a wrap (just for fun).

Transition

Silly comment: I found myself singing TRANSITION to Fiddler on the Roof, TRADITION. Sorry, if you can’t make that go away now…

[Donna Lee]

Hello,

I finally feel like the handler is getting better with the blind cross exercise. It is starting to feel more natural for me.
More blinds

On the baby rear cross exercise, I was trying to mix it up with hanging back by the tunnel and making her drive ahead vs running with her.
Baby level rear crosses

Thanks

[Donna Lee]

Regarding the blinds…just checking that I need to turn in the same direction as the send around the wing and then blind. Because I really want to send to the wing and reverse spin, it seems like much less work, tighter turn, with the dog ending on the same side as the turn with the dog and the blind. I have experienced the turn in the same direction as the dog results in the wider path (perhaps because I am late). Sorry, my head just goes to that answer as you tell me to start my blind as she is entering her wrap…

Thanks

[Donna Lee]

OK… I only have 2 things today! I did think she seemed a bit sluggish and very focused on the neighbors sheep. It was late afternoon and she had spent much time outside in the back yard.
Today we worked on the things that her handler seems to have a mental block with, our ladder grids and the (not so tight) blinds.

Ladder grids

Blinds

Donna
PS: You can teach an old dog new tricks…kind of.

[Donna Lee]

First, no worries…I hate when technology isn’t helpful. hahahaha, thanks for the smacks. I actually did 2 different sessions on the same day and had some down time during each. It’s like there is finally a day with no wind and decent temps, and I take advantage of it. Not to mention I am fairly task motivated. I 100% agree with everything you say…now I just have to do it. Can you tell Indy to stop acting like an adult that knows stuff already?
And I am a bit stressed….seems job hunting activity may be going well. As much as I want a job offer, the thought of leaving Indy everyday to go to an office is KILLING me. It will also make it even harder to obey your suggestions!!!

Thanks again!!!!

[Donna Lee]

Week 4

Rears and back side wraps….I think these are pretty good.
Right Stuff
Left Stuff

Strike a pose…I introduced the bent opposite arm. I think I am bent over too much trying to show it to her. The around the clock was new work for us. We did a second session later in the day. She seems so dang smart and picks stuff up right away. I am so worried about messing her up…
Strike a Pose
More clock work

Ladder grid work
Ladder grid

The Diamond. On blinds I feel like one of the following problems exist: Jumps too close, dog too fast, handler too slow! I ended up not doing it in both directions, because I could not think that fast. At 1:44, perhaps a lapse in connection where she ran right into me and then at then end a super wide turn…. It was fun! Sorry, the video is bit too long. We (I) got carried away!
The Diamond

[Author]

Posts