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Hi! She was so funny on the teeter LOL!!
The tunnel turn at the beginning looked good! Yes, crossing on the exit of the next tunnel is aggressive but you had it at :24 – you just needed to trust the sending and go go go 🙂 You’ll know if it is a bad idea in the moment based on where she is: of you are near the exit before she enters? You got it! If she enters before you? Plan B!! You were 5 or 6 miles ahead at :37 and got it really nicely 🙂
Next sequence:
You can give her a slightly better line up at 1, more of a slice – it is a really hard angle but it will set up a straight line to 2 (and she totally can do it, she is great at those.
She hit the wing of 2 at :57 – more connection needed as you turn and go, I think you were looking ahead and broke connection so she started to rush.
Then push more to the poles, she didn’t know what you wanted at :58 because you were pretty stationary – connect, run, drive her right in 🙂On the middle section 5-6-7-8-9-10:
She did really well on all of the independent commitments on that first rep!!! I would probably keep her on my left for 6 and the do the slice side of the 7 backside (faster line there and to 8) but she read the wrap really well.
On landing of 10 – connection more at 1:20 so she can see the line to the poles – look her right in the eyes 🙂 more like what you did at 1:30 and 1:54, that worked well!About her weave questions after that:
She was going really fast and couldn’t hold on to the weaves there on the first rep – good job starting her again with speed but it was still hard for her. You made it simpler, and she missed again.
I don’t think the time out at 2:10 was a fair one – she was trying hard, just slipping on the skill of driving ahead of you. The time out is a negative punisher and also you had a cranky word or two for her there, which is also punishing to the dog.
So, what to do instead?
Ask a different question, if she can’t answer the original question correctly.
You can make the entry simpler, or switched to the other side or even other end of the poles – or tried it again later.Also, if you think she was over aroused, you can do the pattern game from the transition to trials games to get her into a less aroused zone. But I don’t think she was overly aroused there – she was trying really hard – so it looked more like a matter of trying to sort out her hind end at that speed. So you can break it down into opening up the poles a little or going to 6 poles so she can get experience with speed on that angle. Over-arousal tends to manifest as popping out and barking at you, or spinning, or blowing past the weaves entirely.
By changing the question or simplifying it or playing the pattern game, you can get reinforcement in and have a really positive end to the difficulties and also get her closer to being able to hit and hold the weaves at speed and in arousal. The time out is a punishment (especially if you are cranky before it, and you were cranky :)) – punishment will just suppress the speed. I mean, she doesn’t make you lie down when you mess it up a couple of times, right? LOL!! She got the weaves after the punishment because punishment suppresses behavior – in this case, the behavior was speed. I don’t think it helps in the long term, so if she has misses – you can look for a different way to help her out but try not to punish her. Let me know if that makes sense 🙂
Nice work here!
TracyHi there! Lots of good training here!
1st video, laps and tandems:
Hooray for getting out on grass, it really helps her!
Good work on the lap and tandem turns, and yes – it was a smart training choice to break it down to get the mechanics.
The lap turns are going well, just be careful to be patient and hold your position facing her until she arrives to just a couple of inches away from your hand, then start to move then turn her away. For example, look at the last 2 reps on the video – you moved too soon on the 2nd to last rep so she went to the other side of the wing, but waited longer on the last rep and she got to the correct side. Yay! Then, because it is a new and difficult skill for her, move your hand slowly as you turn her away so she gets the turn away idea. Most dogs find it a bit weird to turn away from us at first, then they get used to seeing it.
For the tandem turns, you can show her the hand cues sooner, just before the release from the stay, or when she exits the tunnel if you are using the tunnel first. That will focus her on your hands and then you can get her to come in better. And as with the lap turns, move the hand cues slowly so she can turn her head away.The zig zag grid is going well!! That is a good distance for her. Being in grass was perfect because she did a great job of bouncing without slipping.
You can now start to add your motion as a challenge by releasing sooner so you are moving while she is jumping 🙂 it is hard for the dogs!Serps: this is a hard set up and you did a great job working it out while maintaining a high rate of reinforcement. A couple of ideas for you to smooth it out even more:
When she wasn’t taking #1, you can move her over (further from the tunnel and pole, closer to the other jump on that parallel line) So she can see that jump better. Changing your position at 3:47 helped too, she could see you more through the uprights.
About the tunnel commitments: when you are starting with the tunnel or moving to it from a jump, be sure to make eye contact with her and resist temptation to look at the tunnel. When she was missing at the beginning, you were looking ahead but when you looked at her at :45, she got it really well.
Coming from a jump, When she is supposed to go into the tunnel but you are not connected (like at 3:53) then she looks up at you and follows your shoulder turn so misses the tunnel.
At 4:26 and 5:03 and 5:38 she read your motion to the tunnel but you looked ahead so she got into the tunnel, from the other side of you. Compare it to 6:18 when your connection was perfect and she knew to stay on your right side and take the tunnel. Yay!
When you were looking at her more after the single jump like at 5:14 she got the tunnel perfectly too. Compare that to 5:50 when you were looking at the tunnel and she was behind you, so she was not sure which side to be on and was heading to the other side of the tunnel. The connection gives great side information, meaning she knows which side to be on, so she can go directly to the tunnel and not have to look up at you.I think the poles contributed to some of her confusion when looking for the jump after the tunnel – she couldn’t really see the jump when you were (correctly) on the landing side like a few times in the beginning then later on at 5:04. She did figure it out towards the end like at 5:57, but you can also angle the jump so the pole doesn’t hide it as much to make it easier for her to see after the tunnel.
But when you went to takeoff side of the jump after the tunnel, she found it every time because she could see the jump based on your line of motion – it worked better when you were continuing straight up the line to the next jump, she got that at 5:20 beautifully and every time you went through that line. Nice! It was harder to push her to the single jump on the other side, though, so the handling from the landing side there was the correct choice (but the pole was in the way a bit like at 4:32)Great job here! Let me know if the ideas make sense 🙂
TracyHi! He looked great with his SL work in the yard. If food is the big reward at trials, then you can do the bulk of the work with food to simulate what will happen at trials. He definitely seems to be understanding the “let’s o get your cookie” cue!
>>Until he had explored the area for awhile, he was not going to play with me.>>
He did really well with the sequences in the agility area! Was this after he had explored the area and certified it critter-free? If so, then it is a great opportunity to use that area for pattern games, instant focus on volume dial – because the area has a history of distractions, you can bring him to it on leash and work those games to help bring him to focus and engagement without exploring the environment first. Let me know if that makes sense.
Great job here!
TracyHi!
It was great seeing you on Saturday!! You and Enzo looked great and I am so glad you came!! The Covid uptick has put a hold on a lot of plans, so there is a spot open in Minneapolis in a few weeks, then I think the next seminar is in Salt Lake City (unless it gets canceled for covid) in mid October then in Virginia in mid December (also pending covid, but by then I think we will all have our boosters on board? I might add a couple of indoor things in North Carolina in november or december before the weather gets too gross for travel.The videos/class materials are available permanently, no ending date so you should be able to access them whenever you want 🙂
Have fun with the Pack 5 courses!
TracyHi!
<
> I think the lead out is appropriate, but the run starts at the release. You can hold still but then work the rhythm of sending to 2 and leaving, at the speed you’d need to do it at during the actual run. That will inform the muscle memory of the plan 🙂
>>At trial, people treat their dogs not the nicest and it’s on display for everyone one? Do you stay aware and reinforce engagement more?
For example, there’s one person here locally that I can’t even watch run because she screams at her dog so much her entire run. It makes me so upset every time. What would be the best way to handle that situation, if say you had to run right after or a few dogs after?>>If that person is a “known quantity ” or there are multiple people like that, you can hang back away from the ring and use classical conditioning. Let the gate steward know where you are (tell them why you are hanging back if needed) and promise to be on the start line on time, but protect the welfare of your dog in that situation. It might be less of an issue in a really busy trial environment because it gets buried in all the other noise (or not, so adding distance and classical conditioning will be needed either way).
>>
I like you’re CER analogy. My nurse and I talk about how sometimes you end up in the forest (forest being an analogy for several things) but it’s really hard to see that you’re in the forest until you’re in the middle of the fucking forest. I can see him have a moment of disengage and then I can’t get him out and it keeps getting worse with start and stop because I’m trying to fix it.>>I like the forest analogy!!!!!
THi! They are somewhat interchangeable 🙂 the forced front is more natural, meaning the dog can read it easily as a physical cue and doesn’t need as much training. The in cue (threadle) is more of a trained cue, meaning the dog has to ignore the Handler’s turn of body and come to the hand and verbal cue. I teach the dog the concept of coming to the backside first with the forced front, then when they are good at that, I move to the in cue because it is easier at that point. Also the throwback exit of the forced front is really useful so I like to show that to the dogs too 🙂
TracyGood morning! These look great!
I agree, you have the BC 2-3 looking beautiful! Nice timing and connection. On the first rep, you stopped a bit too suddenly on the wrap at 5, so she had a question. The transition was much smoother on the 2nd rep so she got it really nicely, the turn looked good!
On the next sequence – wrapping to the right looked good too. I bet you can rotate sooner and leave sooner so it is tighter and you can get up the next line sooner.
The first wrap to the left was a send – that looked great! You did a spin on the next rep – the rotation was really good but you were a little late finishing it, so she had to a waot a little after she landed from the next cue. You can lead out less and move it into more, which should allow you to start it sooner, after she lands from 1 (and therefore finish it sooner too :))
Great job on these! Overall, they looked smooth, fast and connected!
TracyGood morning!
Great job here – this rehearsal is so important for all of us and it was really helpful to see you work through it! You said you were not good at multi-tasking and I disagree: you are QUITE good at it! Running a young, super fast dog changes things and the main thing is: more connection needed 🙂 It gets easier as she gets more experienced, but the only real thing to change is the connection. Here are specifics:
Sequence 1:
The bones of the walk through look good – the plan is solid! So now it is about execution (which is always harder with younger dogs because they are incredibly literal and require us to be so perfect!)
I think the big area that will help is toe connection behind you more, back to where she would be. This includes on the lead outs, after crosses and and 6-7. Your pace was good, your running lines were good, your verbals were good – more connection needed. On the final walk through, you were looking forward very quickly after the release and crosses
On the run video – good job adding in the memorizing sequence! It turns out it was important because you needed to remember all the details so that was a helpful rehearsal.
The BC in the wrong spot was rehearsed here at 2:30 on the 2nd video. And in the previous video you rehearsed it between 4-5. So that is what happened to get it in the wrong spot, just a rehearsal error.
1st error was connection – you can reward her especially because you said oopsie to her (which is a ‘you’re wrong’ marker) and it was your error, not hers 🙂
At 3:40 you did the BC 3-4 as you rehearsed then caught yourself and fixed the line – she pulled the bar on 4 because of it but. I still like that you tried to save it 🙂
Disconnection 10-11 so she went out wide and a little deceleration as she is approaching 10 will help – nice fix there!
Run 2: SO NICE!!! So connected 🙂 All the good lines and handling! No worries if the turns were not perfectly tight, she is young and fast so I think she will get tighter as she learns without losing her speed.
At the very end you mentioned getting that run as your first run – the key will be connection in the walk through. I think your walk through pace was actually faster than what she needed in the run, which is good! Being faster in the walk through will make your run easier 🙂 but add in the connection so you can ‘see’ your invisible dog every step of the way, emphasizing connection while she is behind you in your plans and especially after crosses – connect and stay connected, rather than connect then look head.
And looking for decel spots will help too, like 10-11.Sequence 2:
The serps and backsides here are hard handling skills and hard dog skills 🙂 MOre connection will help for sure, especially on the 7-8-9-10 section and on the serp at the end
On the run – the opening looked good! Nice blind after the tunnel at :24 to get 6-7!
On the exit of the FC on 7 – you were really connecting but also backing up, so when she landed you moved forward again and that pushed her to the backside of 8The serp on the 9 jump is partially handling, you can open up your shoulders and connection a little more there… but mainly a dog training moment 🙂 She might need a revisit of that proofing game we did in the 2nd MaxPup class with the serp jump right next to a tunnel – your motion is stimulating and the tunnel is stimulating so she doesn’t ‘see’ the serp jump. When you stopped your motion, she got it – but you should be able to keep moving like you did there originally because that was correct.
When you restarted that line at 1:45, you had a GREAT line 7-8-9 and she read it perfectly (yuo helped her on 9 but decelerating so definitely train to be Abel to stay in motion using that proofing game. On the 3rd rep at 3:16, you hesitated then stepped forward again, so she took the backside at 8 based on motion. You were more careful in your motion at 3:51 and 5:08 but your line at 1:45 was my favorite time through that section 🙂
On the serp at the end at 1:49 and 3:56 – it is a connection moment. I am sensing a theme LOL!! You had good connection to bring her in on the 2nd to last jump but then looked forward to the last jump, which does not show her the line. So, as she is landing from the serp jump, intensify the connection to her eyes so that you can change her line to go out to the last jump. At 5:19 you had the connection there and she took the last jump! You were a little far from it but the connection was the key 🙂
So the overall thing on both of these courses is more connection – in the walk through specifically, really rehearse it til you can ‘see’ your invisible Yowza 🙂 Then in the run, keep reminding yourself to look for her eyes. That will make the biggest difference, I think, and will allow you to run your planned lines.
The only “training” moment was the backside serp on 9 on the 2nd course – yes you can connect more there but with the tempting tunnel out there and you moving with a lot of speed, she still needs to learn to take the jump as part of the backside cue and not run past it 🙂 The proofing game will help – you did it a while back so you can revisit it now and add more speed 🙂Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi again!
>> We got the off course dog walk and he didn’t really recover from that>>
That dog walk has high value, so if it is not in sequence, always block it off with wings or something so it is not in play and you don’t have to think about it. And if he ends up on it and it was on his line… reward it.
On the walk through – You had some good speed and more connection in the walk through here. Nice! Yes, I want more more more because I am greedy like that but I am excited to see you doing it more and more too!
On the run: yes the BC side change was on time on the first run but the connection was not strong enough to override the motion: instead of running straight forward to the #4 tunnel, your line of motion was a bit sideways and it looked just like what your line would be if you wanted that end of the tunnel.
I would have rewarded it. There is a most definite correlation between the “that was wrong, no real reward” stop and him shutting down, which is what happened here. There error was at :08 and I *think* he got a cookie at :31 after he started sniffing, which is years later in dog years. And remember, since the dog determines what is reinforcement – passive delivery of a toy or treat is not deemed valuable reinforcement to Fever – active engagement and praise during reinforcement delivery is high value for him. So, even if you think he was wrong, reward with passion and excitement.Plus, listening to the background, he might be sensitive when Carrie is yelling at Roulez to be quiet which happened a couple of times when he was on course (I know my dogs would be sensitive to someone yelling). For example, he was already slowing down and at 1:16 as he went by, she yelled “HEY! STOP!” And he got slower and dropped the bar, and you also got slower – he got a quiet cookie for that moment. So it was a combination of things that you will want to protect against.
So – just reward as if you wanted that off course tunnel, then figure out what to change for the next rep. At :49, there is a big difference in your connection and your line was MUCH better plus you were a little closer to the BC jump so he got it with no questions 🙂 Connections are critical to blinds especially when there is an off course nearby and that blind really looked good!
I am not sure he saw the DW as an off course or he was seeking higher value – but again – go with it, reward reward reward then figure out why it happened (or bang head on wall for not blocking it off LOL)
The main thing to protect here is that his conditioned emotional response to being in the ring and on course is super positive like a bank account full of cash! And the stops and starts make big withdrawals which slows him down and reduces the value of being out there – it is not an operant thing, it is a reflexive/classical thing which is why the rewards have to come fast and furious because it is more about keeping the situation paired with good things than it is about getting the courses correct. If he has that positive CER, then you can do sequencing easily! But if the CER goes negative (and negative doesn’t mean you are mean, it could very well mean there is not enough reinforcement) then it is harder to work through sequencing.
I think that is what happened here – the history of stops and starts pops up very quickly when there is the moment of either no reward or very passive reward (which migh signify “that was not correct but here ya go”) so his bank account gets overdrawn quickly. So let’s make a lifestyle of pumping up the CER so that one little blooper becomes no biggie because he the environment is rich with reinforcement and his feelings towards it are conditioned to be super positive.
Nice work on these! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi again!
Walk through – You had lots of rehearsal of pointing forward here and we want more rehearsal of looking back to him. Yes, I continue to bug you LOL!! Note how you were looking at the obstacles as you ran the 2 jumps closest to the camera here – that is good rehearsal of connection because you were using the jumps as markers to where the dog would be, rather than looking ahead of where he would be. Yay! Do more of that!!!
And you had some speed in the walk through at the end! Yay! It was a good fast line there, now to do it for the full sequence 🙂
>> Interestingly, I made a HUGE effort in my walk thru to not do a spin at the tunnel
Probably because you walked that section and didn’t *run* that section in the walk through. Walking it is different mechanics than running it so when you have a spot that is difficult, be extra sure to work it up to running.
On the run – not surprisingly, the fast line 3-4-5 that you walked with connection and speed went brilliantly! Yessssss!
And good job on the opening to the #2 tunnel and getting connection at the end! It all went really well here 🙂
You didn’t need to do it again to time it, as Carrie asked -the slice lines you chose were always going to be faster than the cross to the wrap LOL! Also – when wanting to try something different, did you give it a proper walk through? That is especially important for Fever, who really has a dislike for any potential start and stop. By doing the cross without rehearsal, you were in the way and he dropped the bar – you kept going and all, but it is still a rehearsal we don’t want on course so if you want to try something s a different way, re-walk it for real.Nice job here, onwards to sequence 3!
Good morning!
Walk through – the lines of the walk through are looking better and better each time you practice doing them! Yay!! I will continue to bug you to run the walk through once or twice till it is smooth – that will open up moments where you will be late turning, like 4-5 and 7-8. Also, I will bug you about looking back behind you to the obstacles to rehearse connection to the dog. You were looking forward the whole time here, so on the next walk throughs be sure to remind yourself to look back to the obstacle he would be taking at every moment.
Run – Lots of good moments here! The bones of it looked good, nice job 1-2 because that is a lot harder than it looks! The wideness issues were lack of rehearsal of the timing of the turns there (4-5 and7-8) – he needs to see you turning and calling the left when he lands from 3, but yo were moving straight – adding more speed to your walk through and looking back to 3 will help you isolate those timing moments. That last jump is hard because they see the tunnel very clearly: if your turn is late, they jump long on 7 and they don’t have a chance to find 8. That is what happened here. He wasn’t scoping the tunnel, he was going with the info he had 🙂
For the #3 backside slice, since it is a known hard thing for him and he almost always fails… if you see it on a course or sequence, set up that very first rep to be a success by dropping the toy or isolating it and training it before you start. In other words – get success first so you don’t get failure first, to keep thing in the happy reinforcing flow and not get into the start and stop rhythm.Onwards to sequence 2!
Hi there, hope you had a great vacation! She looked great here!
Seq 1 looked great! Easy peasy, great connection and really fast!
Seq 2: On the opening, I agree that the blind will be better than the FC here. When you did the BC, you were too far over towards 2 so she thought you wanted her to go relatively straight – try to run towards 3 for the BC and that will set up a nice turn. Then you’ll have more time to make a BIG connection to her eyes with your arm back to help get her to find 3. At :16 and :22, yo can see your were too far away from 3 and looking ahead/pointing ahead, and compare it to the connection at :32 when she got it – that was really nice!
The Lead Out Push was good at :41 – I think you can be further across 2 before you release her, to get it even tighter.
Nice collection on the FC wrap at :55! To tighten the exit to the tunnel more, you can make more eye contact on the exit with your dog side arm back. If you bring your arm forward, it blocks connection a little and she goes wider. You had your arm back more at the very end at 1:07 and it looked great! And the dig dig dig helped too.
Great job on these! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
