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Good morning!
>He managed to slice my finger with his razor fangs, but I think the space and running made it easier for him to move from cookie to toy (to blood).>
I agree – he liked the running as part of the transition from treat to toy. Did he slice you on a cookie delivery (on the 2nd rep)? You can take out the food reward on the decel & pivot (for safety reasons LOL) and just use your hand as part of the cue for now, then go immediately into the toy throw to drive ahead after the pivot.
>When I got a decel properly, he read it really well!>
Yes! Especially on the last 2 reps, you can really see him shifting into his rear to decelerate. The pivot can be slow too. And I loved his little victory laps with the toy 🙂
I think the hardest part of this game was finding the start cookie in the grass. You can bring out a mat or towel to toss it onto so he can see it very easily.
>He had a meltdown about the pylon earlier, and once he checked it out, he was ready to work.>
It is hard to be a puppy, poor little guy! Teach him the pattern game we added on Tuesday, so he has that framework to work through anything that gives him meltdown feelings 🙂
Great job here!
TracyGood morning!
>I did the parallel path and counter rotation sends. She’s meh in enthusiasm here.>
She was very engaged and enthusiastic, but definitely in the cookie-mode of movement. That tends to get more methodical movement on these games which is perfectly fine, of course 🙂 To get her responses to be more explosive, you can break up the cookie sessions with toy play after every 2 or 3 cookie reps. Rather than do 9 or 10 cookies in a row, breaking it up more with throwing toys around, tugging, etc will keep her responses snappier 🙂
The parallel path game went well! You can add as much distance as possible with this indoors 🙂 and also take it outdoors where more distance is easier. The challenge outdoors is being able to throw a visible reward in the grass: this is where a lotus ball or tug toy might end up being a better reward than a single cookie simply because they are very visible.
Indoors, you can change your position a bit: rather than adding more lateral distance, you can start with her and see if she drives ahead as you move forward. Or, after a cookie reward, get ahead of her (past the prop) and see if she can still hit it while you are ahead.
Countermotion – she is hitting the prop really well on the sideways and backwards sending! The best timing of moving away for the countermotion was at :23, which was also the only time she didn’t hit the prop 🙂 You can move away at the same timing, but move away very slowly 🙂 On the other reps, you were moving away just as she was arriving at the prop and she was very successful so you can try that earlier movement you did at ;23 and dial back the speed of your motion so she can still his the prop.
Great job here!
Tracy
Good morning!
>more play between games? I tend to just change the game.>
Yes, definitely more play between games and between treats in the cookie-heavy games, followed by a break to set the environment for the next game. Here’s why I suggest that:
When switching to a different game, it can become all work which is depleting for puppies (especially when toy play is involved), and starts to get into massed repetitions which as not as helpful for learning as spaced repetitions. Plus it doesn’t allow for being as clean in transitions in and out of games 🙂
He did well in this session with several games but we can get crisper responses if they are separate. The toy races are great as a standalone game – it is high energy and he did a great job playing with the toys. If you are going to switch toys (throwing the smaller one), try to remove the long one you started with from the picture. If it is right there, it is harder to differentiate what specifically he should look at or focus on. That way you can end the tugging with the long toy for example, tuck it away under your arm – then show him the shorter toy as you bring it into the game. That will really help direct his focus – he was not entirely sure which toy to look at in the first few reps of the game.
>Plus, he is and he isn’t toy motivated. He really likes to chase/run to a tossed toy, but not as thrilled at driving into toys in hand – although he does understand the release and strike game. >
Having the toys out of the picture until introducing them as the play item will help build up even more drive to them. By taking out a toy and ooh-ing and aah-ing over it then initiating play, you will really enhance it for him more than if it was present on the ground and he ran past it.
Because he is so young, using long and really exciting toys will help build up drive to your hand – you can tie several toys together for one crazy toy that you drag around. That way he can latch on a bit lower while it is in your hand and the toy will be very exciting 🙂
>I think the biggest toy problem I have is he always wants to paw pounce them rather than getting a good grip.>
That is pretty normal for 4 months old – it could happen if the toy is moving too fast and/or too high. I can see a little bit of that pawing at the toy at the beginning here and then later on at 2:47-ish, where the toy was moving fast so he didn’t have time to really coordinate a good grip on it. You can slow the toy down a bit (and your feet can remain stationary when he has his mouth on it, so the toy is moving but not as fast and he can pull back on it), and tie a toy that is easier to grab on the end of it (might take some experimenting as to which one works best). And then go for a clean transition to the next toy by taking the first one out of the picture (he was not entirely sure which one to focus on there at the beginning).
With the prop: he has good value for it and was offering good hits. Yay! This is also a spot where a break between games will allow for a reset, which will get even more dynamic behavior. The prop can be hidden away until it is time for that game, then when you are ready to begin – you can place it into the environment and call him off the cot. That will really enhance it (rather than having it in the environment where the salience will fade and have to be re-introduced).
For the next prop session, you can move into the sends, which will get him driving away to it when cued, and will also set you up really well for the new games we posted on Tuesday 🙂
After the prop session when you move into the drive to handler, you can clear the environment of the prop and the toy on the ground. The start cookies were thrown near the toy and the prop, which makes it harder for him to be sure of what the game is.
By having them both on the ground while moving to something else, it can muddy the transition because it makes it less clear about what to look at and interact with. Puppy brains have a lot of questions about what in the environment is in play 🙂 so clean environments to make each game stand out will help clarify it all.So you can have him take a break while you reset, then have a clear start to the next game – that will make it easier for you to add decel before he gets to you, which will get him nice and tight to your leg on the pivots 🙂
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Yay! The cone link is here 🙂 The underlined link should have worked too, I’ll take a look to see what’s going on with that.
The wrapping session went well. It took him a moment to really start offering, so be sure to play with him before starting. That will bring his arousal level up so he gets right into the rhythm. Once he got into it, he did great! At the end, be sure to leave the session with him: playing and engaging. There’s a bit of a disconnect when you leave him with the bowls (he was still working the bowls a bit 😆)
For the next step, let’s working on having you standing: start a session with the cone pretty close to you, and you sitting on something. Once he gets going on that, you can stand up and keep rewarding. No need to add distance with the cone – your position is the big variable that changes.
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi!
The flirt pole was a BIG winner! And he very easily figured out wrapping the barrel – super! This session went great!
Since you are bringing the barrel and flirt pole with you, you can formalize this into turn and burn: remember to put a line on the ground to mark where he gets to as your cue to do the FC and run away. And, since he was offering wrapping so nicely, you don’t need to show him the flirt pole on the other side of the barrel: you can wait until after you do the FC to get it moving as part of the reward.
I bet he will also find it easier to go back and forth between treats and the flirt pole!
Great job here 🙂
Tracy
Good morning!
He seems to have super high value for the agility game there that it didn’t matter that his croissant was on a chair outside the ring. He was all in and very happy!
He might be one of those “all business” dogs at the start line, where tricks and games and petting are just an annoyance, and he really just wants to line up and get to work. That is totally fine of course – we will keep observing his responses here in training and as he begins his NFC/FEO adventures 🙂
The only thing I would add here is the leash. Bringing him in on leash, taking it off, tossing it away… all of those details are something we want to expose him to a lot before he has to see it in the ring. I think it will be pretty straightforward for him, but we don’t want there to be any surprises 🙂
He did great with the 6 foot grid! And he was doing it for a stationary reward for the most part, and that usually causes dogs to be more compressed – but he was powering!!! Wow! He is definitely getting more powerful and very driven to do his jumpies 🙂 Yay!
>I was very impressed that Aelfraed understood this rear cross scenario. He didn’t need help on it at all, just went ahead and did it!>
He nailed it! Super! You’ve put a lot of value into driving ahead, and on this sequence your feet were pointing to the rear cross line the whole time so he had no questions. This is great because as he continues to add more power and speed, you will definitely need rear crosses as part of your handling toolbox.
Great job on these!
Tracy
Good morning!
>This varies wildly. Some strangers she goes right up to, others not, same with the infamous guy in a hat, some she goes right up to and others she doesn’t.>
That is pretty normal. As she enters adolescence, try not to let her make decisions about going up to people unless she knows them – teenage puppies make approach behavior choices then realize they really didn’t want to be there and get worried about it.
Check out the pattern game posted last night. That will help her process all the people in the environment 🙂
> I will say that she has been a lot like Beka in that she goes right to the new thing in a room.>
That is pretty normal – approach behaviors and at this age, her brain is started to do more and more of those. And they are pretty closely related, yes? Genetics!
Send to prop game:
She is doing the forward sending really well!
The sideways sending threw her for a loop at first but then she got it. Yay! Then she was all in, on both sides. SUPER! And she got right into the backwards sending as well, no problem in both directions.Since this went so well – onwards to the new game posted last night! There are actually 3 games in that one: the parallel path is a new concept (get that one really strong before trying the rear crosses) and the countermotion builds on the sideways and backwards sending.
Wing wrap foundation:
>treats are definitely something that brings her arousal down as compared to toys.>
If she is going to a lowered arousal state with food in the picture: keep using food, but doing just a couple of reps before breaking off for a tug session. So it would look like 2 or 3 treats, then tug tug tug tug 🙂
>I had done a session with treats but still struggling with her wanting to sniff the ground for other treats >
This is a reinforcement strategy to work on for sure: pluck the one cookie out of the bowl then come back to the game. It is possible that the food needs to be higher value and not crunchy or crumbly?
>She also doesn’t always want to let go of the tug toy when it goes still.>
No worries, she will get better at it as she plays these games more. When using toys for this, you can let it go ‘dead’ then let her offer going around the upright before moving the next toy. The blooper moments were mainly when you were moving the 2nd toy before she offered, so she went directly to the 2nd toy.
>Not up to standing yet. >
It will be much easier to get to sitting on the couch then standing when using bowls and food, so let’s focus on that for a bit – once the reinforcement strategy is in place, I think it will all go really fast to get you to standing 🙂
And next week is a break week, so we can sort out the wraps and move on to the games posted last night too 🙂
Great job!
Tracy
Good morning!
He was so cute leaping on the toy as he arrived at it! The leaping will go away, it is just a cute puppy behavior so enjoy it 🙂
He got faster and faster on each rep, and I love how you played for a LONG time after he got to the toy. He got a bit tired halfway through and didn’t bring the toy back (it is a high energy game!) so it was good to just play at that point.
The taller toy was a great choice – plus he was really liking it 🙂
He is ready for the collection sandwich we added last night 🙂
>My husband is addicted to buying dog toys at Costco and this one worked out!>
This is an excellent addiction 🙂 Also, Costco has great dog beds and my dogs LOVE their freeze dried salmon treats 🙂
We have a break week next week so you have plenty of time to play the games. Nice work here!
Tracy
Good morning!
It came through! Yay!
>I’ve tried that, is it supposed to be copy pasted or put under the underlined link?>
It should work with either. If it was not working with the underlined link, I will let the tech crew know so they can see what went wrong.
This video was stays for a dish placed on the ground – he was a very good boy, holding his sit position! He was offering focus forward to the dish, so you can release when he does that (at the end he was not sure if he was supposed to look at the dish or at you, so he was looking back and forth which was very clever :))
I think the video was supposed to be for the cone wrap foundations where he goes back and forth? Le the know if it is a different video 🙂
Nice work here!
Tracy
Hi!
Yes, being outside is harder because the heat plus distractions and even the height of grass with his little legs all increase the cognitive load. But he did great!
He did super well with the zig zags! The stay is looking really good. I think you didn’t use a clear release on the first rep so he didn’t move (good boy!) but then the rest of the releases we clearer – be sure to have a clear ‘break’ on all of them so he isn’t moving on the arm motion alone.
For the next steps of this, you can move the wings in closer together so both of you have to do it faster 🙂
Looking at the sends and serps –
Two things that will help!– rotating at the waist will help more. Your feet are heading to the manners minder, and while that is happening you can turn at the waist to rotate the upper body back to him.
– Angle the jump towards him about 45 degrees, so he sees more of the bar as he exits the wing. The start wing, manners minder, and your line all remain in the same spot – only the jump turns. That way you will have an easier time showing him the line and he will find it easier to find the bar.
The left turns were definitely harder, and I think you were all turning your back on him a bit during those which drew him into the gap between the wing and the jump more. Rotating the jump will make that line easier for sure.
He definitely liked the tunnel exit game!
Don’t look forward ahead of him to the tunnel (like at :14)
To get him to take the wing after the tunnel on the left or right turn exits, you can stay closer to the tunnel exit so he sees more connection then you moving up the line to the wing without you getting past the wing. When you were too far ahead, he lost the line and was not sure where to be.
On the Go exits, be sure his line to the wing is straight – the wing on the go line when he was on your right was originally offset, so he would have had to shift to his right to get it. It looks like you moved it to a better line, so then the go exits on that side and the other side just needed more connection. For those, you can send to the tunnel from more laterally away so you can be easily ahead on the tunnel exit and making connection to the nt wing. Great job throwing the reward on the Go reps, that will help him drive straight out of the tunnel too!
As these sequences build up in length, you can shorten the session. He did 13 or 14 reps here, which is a lot and by the end he had slowed way down. You’ll get more learning by doing 3 or 4 reps, then take an extended break in the lovely a/c 🙂 The revisit it for another 3-4 reps. You can spread it out in the morning and evening, so he still gets plenty of reps but they will be faster because he won’t be depleted from a lot all at once.
Nice work here!!
Tracy
Good morning!
>but I think that might be a benefit with the added stress of a ring. >
Totally agree! The leash then becomes a toy that can stay in the ring: super useful! What he would need to learn about that is to ignore it in two scenarios:
– when you put it on the ground and he has to moving into the course with it on the ground behind him
– When a leash runner takes it and walks away with it 🙂
He was absolutely great here, so if you can enlist someone to stand there to be the leash runner, it will help him prepare for when he sees that at a trial.
Keep me posted on how he does with his FEO in October! Fun times ahead 🙂
Great job in this class! You helped him make tremendous progress. And stay tuned for fun stuff coming up over the winter!
Tracy
Good morning!
The sequencing went really well here. He was finding his lines really well and your connection looked great 🙂
At the beginning – he had a question on jump 2 – it is offset a bit on the line, so better connection at :15 got it done nicely 🙂 and that set him up really well to drive to the tunnel so you could do the big layering. SUPER!!!The blind after the layering at :48 was a shade late (he was very close to the takeoff spot) so he adjusted to the turn on landing more than before takeoff . That will get easier to time when you are very confident that he has more experience with the big layering liens and will stay on them.
>He was also able to switch back to the other sequence where he goes to the backside jump and not straight to the tunnel.>
That was awesome! The cues were clear and timely at 1:15 starting at the jump before the backside so he seemed to have no question. Great job moving through the backside – the goal on this type of backside line is that you and Aelfraed are on the takeoff side of the jump at the same time: mission accomplished here! Yay!
He did really well with the madness of the big event at the CO!
>I took him in at a quieter time the first time but then I was actually surprised that he was fine when I took him in at a busier time as it was very loud and he had not been happy with indoor environments earlier this year. >
It is definitely very loud and echo-y in there, but it seemed easy to see the dogs in the ring and he found that very interesting (almost frozen watching right at the beginning.
>He was very happy walking all around though. He likes to be on the move the best. >
Very normal for adolescents to need to move, and it helped him *not* watch the ring. And he was able to engage and do tricks really well too! He was perhaps not as quick to do them but he was still able to do them and that is huge.
>Also tried to see if we could hang out a bit at the end but he finds this extremely difficult. >
The engaged chill games will bridge the gap between having to hold him and having him stand relatively still without staring at the ring. He probably needs the game to be really solid at home and training, then he will recognize it at trials and it will be very useful.
He definitely likes to work, so the practice jump with the toy was a bit of heaven for him 🙂 Great tugging and lovely stay! He was really excited but also able to turn when you cued the wraps. So fun!!
>Aelfraed is going to his first trial on September 26th, FEO, and only 2 runs that day. Also planning a couple of other trials, all FEO/NFC in October and November. September and October will be outdoor (2 different locations) and November would be indoor.>
Exciting times ahead! It will be fun to see what he tells you about the different environments. Yay!!
Nice work here :)
TracyHi!
It sounds like you had lots of good things happening at CSZ!
> I did not have my bowls with me – he seems to do better with the 2 bowl pattern game than the up and down game.>
Yes – the bowls are known to help with the peripheral scanning, which can be anxiety-inducing/arousal-shifting. By providing a visual focal point, the bowls take out the scanning so the dogs can be more successful. So…. bring more bowls 🙂
>I just started working on the orbit trick and we’ve been doing some backing up while he’s positioned between my legs – the higher energy tricks are more fun for him and I don’t have a lot of them >
Science in action! Movement is better for adolescents (and dogs in general) because it changes their internal physiology and can help optimize arousal (and focus) in more challenging environments.
> (or am I supposed to be slowing down between the tugging?). >
In easy environments – yes start introducing the concept of being chill. Engaged chill (standing still) is super important! But that has to be strong in easy environments before it can go to harder environments.
>We went inside at CSZ once each day and just stayed for a few minutes.>
For learning, it is actually better to go in several times when possible – spaced repetitions (multiple reps/sessions spread out over time) produce better learning than massed repetition (doing it all at once). So short, fun, successful sessions throughout the day are definitely useful.
Thanks for the update! Keep me posted!
Tracy
Hi –
>I knew what I should have done and felt the pressure to not disrespect the presenter who I love.>
You don’t have to disrespect anyone (I don’t think I heard her saying not to reward?) but you can get the reward in after the tunnel, smile & say something line “that was me, I did say tunnel, good boy” then tug back to the start. Quick and easy and fun!
> Going forward I will take the punishment ( being funny) by carrying on as I should then I’m going to have to write down on my arm the cheat phrase as to why I did it because Chase makes it as clear as day how science works.>
Darned science LOL but also you don’t need to carry on for miles – if he ends up a line, reward that rather than stop, then go back to smooth out the blooper.
>I need to get back to handling too. He’s not wanting to turn. He’s getting into the go big go fast which is fun… maybe.>
It is fun! He is driving lines nicely. When you work turns, make sure you video *everything*. Is he wide or off course because of timing? Type of cue? Disconnect? Slipping? That will tell you what is happening so you can help him out.
T
Good morning!
>The ready dance still feels weird. She just stares at me. But, she sending better.>
The ready dance is partially (mainly) about arousal regulation. So ideally, all 4 feet stay on the ground, she waits for a cue, then drives to the task when cued. We will see an increase in muscle tension in her body (she is READY!) but ideally she doesn’t jump up or bark or start without you. So… she was pretty perfect!!
Working with food only helps with arousal regulation. So if you want to keep working the arousal regulation, add more toy play. It can start with tugging after every couple of food-reward reps. Then you can play the whole game with a toy as the reward. Ideally, she just stares at you (with some added muscle tension) during the ready dance 🙂
And the one retrieve at the end went well! She would have brought it even closer, but she tripped on it at 1:40 LOL
On the barrel shaping video:
This is looking really strong with you standing! She is ready for the next steps that we add tonight 🙂 The barrel here with you standing might end up being a little too short – we might switch to a taller barrel or even the cone, because we are about to add more speed and excitement. It will be easy to show her a new object – just use it in the same setup here with the 2 bowls.Great job here!!
Tracy
