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Oh that is so cool – I didn’t know you played violin!!!! It must feel great that rehearsals have started. It has been a looooooooong year!
He looked great here. Happy dog, drove right to the end, seemed relaxed, no frantic behavior, no loss of balance as the board moved under him. He kept his head down and was focused on the drive to the end.
>>One difference this time is I taped the target plate to the bottom of the teeter so he has to lean Down to get the cookie. >>
I think that is the right choice – get him used to ‘looking’ for the target off the board, which will also match the other games like the bang game and some of the ones in the future. I agree that it would be confusing if there was a target on the board then one off the board. So, leave it there. His weight shift here was fine – he had to be a little more ‘forward’ to get the treat, yes, but still really balanced and his weight was distributed pretty nicely! If he gets off balance, we are likely to see his head come up and his shoulders will look like they ‘lift’ off the board – if that happens, we can go to the balance games. But so far – he looks great! So, keep the target there on the underside, and add more tip 🙂 If he has a question about the weight shift, we will see it when you have about 6 inches or more of tip.
Great job!! Onwards to more tip 🙂
TracyHi!
I am excited to see that the snow is GONE! And the weaves have a base too LOL! Yay!
This session went well! I am glad she likes her line up cookie 🙂 She did really well with the lotus ball – you might want to set a visual target up out there for the lotus ball reps, because the throws were on a bit of an angle towards 7 or 8 o’clock, so she was drifting to her right a but rather than wrapping hard to drive to 6 o’clock. You can also try adding the MM back in (then you don’t have to worry about the throws at all LOL!) now that the cheese line up reward is in the picture.
She looks totally ready for more motion here and also for angled poles! Yay! Onwards!
Great job 🙂
TracyHi!
>> When we send and add motion, it makes lots of sense from 12 to 9 and 12 to 3. When were sending from the bottom half of the pole set-up, the motion is less clear. I’ve been moving forward a bit, sending with my arm, then turning around and moving back to the starting point. Do you suggest any other motion or non-motion from those points (8,7,6,5,4)? Just wondering.>>
I suggest either doing a one-step send (and one arm point) generally towards the poles and then moving away immediately, or no motion at all and sending on a verbal. Remember back when they were wee puppies and we were sending them to those props at the very beginning of class in July? Think of the weave as a prop – and only take one step towards it, then you leave for the next direction. It is like a split-step, where you step one way with one foot, and the other way with the other foot – no rounding the line or supporting the line. It is a true send-and-go 🙂
And I mix in lots of holding the collar, saying the verbal, letting go and not moving at all.The overall goal is to help as little as possible, especially in these stages. Let me know if that makes sense!
TracyHi! This also went really well. I don’t think the tunnel was a distraction at all – the poles were basically straight, so the misses that she had were probably related to that more than to the tunnel being right there. So you can open the poles up a tiny bit on that angle so it is a shade easier.
She might have also been watching the cookies in your hand more than she was thinking about the MM as the target – if the cookies were higher value in your hand, you can switch values and see if that helps her keep targeting to the MM.You can also ask her to do the tunnel a few times then ask her to do the weaves 🙂 That will add challenge because the tunnel because more exciting after she does it a few times. Wheeee!
But her high rate of success right in front of the tunnel is exactly why we start it this early in the progression. 🙂 Great job!Tracy
Hi!
This is looking really strong! She is a smartie pants! And going back to the normal sends on the 4-5-6 side looked great – at this point with the threadle side entries, don’t do them past 3 and 9 (different can of worms that we will open later on LOL! )
I suggest 3 things at this point –
you mentioned she is nuts for the flying squirrel toy (I think that is the toy you mentioned) – lets get her a bit wilder and see if she can still find all these entries when she is more stimulated! You can start just by playing ith the toy before, using cookie rewards from the MM, then back to the toy.That brings me to the second idea – if she if fine with the toy being incorporated along wit the MM, you can then do entire sessions for the toy (no MM). Or, you can use the lotus ball. As long as she keeps looking straight and you throw to where the MM would be, she should be fine. You can also leave the MM there as a throwing target 🙂
You can also add more motion, pushing harder to see if she will ask questions when she is more stimulated by the running.
And if that is all good (and I think it will be!) – onwards to straight poles!
Have fun! Great job here!
Tracy
Hi!
These look great, I didn’t see any real questions from him. And yay for being outdoors and the snow going bye bye!
I think you can work up to straight poles for the sends w/ motion and also the threadle sends (but there is no need to go past 3 and 9 on the threadle sends, because otherwise it opens up a can of worms )threadle vs. no threadle) that we will address in future games 🙂 Getting the poles straight will set you up perfectly for the new games coming on Monday.I totally agree about adding in returning to you for the ball between treats. It will add even more excitement! Coming back to the toy will also help transition for efficiency – some outside distractions caught his attention after he ate from the PT, so the routine of coming back for the toy will help him grab the treat and drive back. And of course, I think you can also do sessions of toy-only with him instead of the PT at this point.
Love the stealth changing of the angle of the poles while he was eating and didn’t see it happen LOL! He had no questions on the angles at all, from what I could tell.
Great job!
TracyHi! Super video! Do they let you go in and train in the mornings? Sounds like an awesome perk!
He was driving up nicely. He was looking for the weight shift moment right at the top of the contact, but it was subtle and it gets better each time so keep going with the party atmosphere you’ve created here 🙂About the RDW training… I’ve had the dogs offer the teeter target position on the end of the DW board when I am annoyingly slow getting ready, but never during the training. 3 reasons for this, 2 of which might be useful for you:
1 – they aren’t all that well-trained on their teeter end positions, and Stark is much better trained haha
2 – I have used their mat in a flyball setup before putting it onto the DW- so they learned the hit and go on a flyball board first, and it is super fun. Definitely something you can tr y with Stark, I have video of it if you are interested.
3 – on the DW itself, 2 things : I used my elevated and inverted targets on the DW plank first, to show them what that plank was all about before going to the flat mat (I truly can’t remember if that is what Jordan recommended or not lol) I did all my back-and-forth reps with those targets.
Then, when I went to the mat on the DW, I used the same body language I used on the flyball training, so they all immediately said “where no stoppy”.Let me know if that makes sense!
TracyMy teeter training body language is very different (more like what I use for the bang game) so they are discriminating pretty well).
Hi! Based on this video, you multi-task really well 🙂
On the first couple of reps with the cone, she was jumping on a little high and then moving down the plank, so those were really more of a warm up.
When you switched to the other side and without the cone – she was leaping right into position much more. And when you went back to your left side without the cone, she was definitely moving right into position, no walking down the board. Nice! And I don’t think she noticed the increase in tip. Yay!
So for now, leave the tip where it is an add some handler independence: start the same way you left off here, but as you release her to target, start to walk forward to challenge her to hit and hold target position.
Then if that is strong for a session, increase the tip and repeat the process of introducing the different challenges 🙂
It should be very gradual increases like you did here. We’ve got about 10 more days til we build on it, so you can make a goal of maybe 2 or 3 inches total to add from what you had here (and see how see feels about it :))
Great job!
TracyHi! This was super! It was a pretty challenging setup: the board definitely was bouncy bouncy and also a little noisy – but you structured the session really well. Smart to intro it as a recall with the support of the other person, then gradually add more and more speed. And, I think she was quite motivated by the peanut butter LOL! I was happy to see her start off happy and continue to grow her confidence. The more you can have her do this type of stuff, the better things will be for the teeter.
Great job!
TracyHi! Thankfully he didn’t seem to care when he pushed the peanut out on the last rep! You kept it fun when it happened. The tunnel bags will help for sure.
I was starting to see the weight shift we want here! On the rep where he was on your left for the first time, we would really see it. After that, he was doing it too but the cheese was a little more on the other side of the peanut, so he was stretching to get it. I think keeping the cheese reward more centered on the peanut will keep him more in that weight shifted crouch (his targeting and end position will produce it when we put it on the teeter :))
Nice work here! It was great to see him tackle this strange new setup with confidence!
TracyHi! I feel your pain with the soggy weather!!! I’m ready for spring!
Yes, channels are fun and allow for a lot of additional challenges in training. If you have 6 or 12 2x2s, you can set them up in their straight line like regular poles, then “open” them into channels by rotating each base so poles 1, 3, 5, 7 ,9 ,11 are facing 2 o’clock on their own little clock, and the even-numbered poles are at 8 o’clock- so it ends up looking like a channel. Let me know if that makes sense! I can also take a photo or video if you prefer a visual of it.
TracyGood morning!
>> I think I have a Go Toob somewhere, I’ll find it and fill it so I can just squeeze a bit out, that will be faster and easier and won’t end with a pyrshep in my peanut butter lol.>>
Ha! I was just thinking I needed to gt one of those tubes! And I have marked the peanut butter in the house with a big “X” if it is dog peanut butter… my husband prefers to NOT share his peanut butter with the dogs LOL!!!
>>I didn’t remember where the stool was and I have people come and use my arena. >>
Take a look at the field guides – I have them on my phone and jot down where I left off so I don’t forget. The other thing I do is take a quick photo of where the tip was at the end of the session so I don’t have to remember 🙂 Memory is not great plus training 3 dogs who are all at different tips… I need notes and pictures LOL!!!!
On the video – he certainly seemed happy with the peanut butter! And no diving off the end! Either the peanut butter was calming or he ‘felt’ the tip, as he was good about running up the board but not quite as speedy as previous reps where he was running into the weight shift right at the end. It is not a concern though – he wasn’t worried from what I could see, he just needs another session on this level of tip. I think he will then say “got it!” at which point, you can get more even more tip added. The speed from the wing was good, and your motion at the end was not hard for him at all.
Great job!!!!
TracyGood morning!
Wow, still growing! But I guess that makes sense, he is still young and he is a boy 🙂First video: this is such a great training teeter, so much whip and noise and wiggle LOL! And I love that he doesn’t give a hoot. He was happy to be eating his treats and hoping for more. LOL! Good boy!
So yes – more tip. Over the course of the next two weeks, try to very slowly and progressively add more and more tip so the board ends up horizontal (parallel to the ground) when he is at the top.
Now, if it takes longers than 2 weeks to get it there, that is fine! 2 of my 3 youngsters too more than 2 weeks. But it is a good visual goal to work towards. The key will be high value, and tiny incremental drops, and if he asks any questions: make it easier.The bang game will be adding in his down position, so that focus on the end position will be there and I think you will see him adding it faster here on the uphills too.
Downhills are also looking confident! I think you can delay the click of the MM until he elbows get down on the board – you had this at :34 and then also on several of the reps towards the end (before you went to the ball throwing). That can help him want to get into the down faster! You can give him more room – pull the table under the bottom out a little so the MM is further away so he has more room on the end to gt into the down right at the bottom.
And yes… add more tip here too LOL! You were already adding tip and he was fine. The core and balance games will continue to keep him learning to balance as the board drops more and more.
>> For the Mountain and downhill – is it basically just keep adding trip for this round? That is PLENTY to work on for that – I just want to make sure I’m not missing a nuance. I know the end position games are definitely bring some changes – so that will be fun!>>
Yep! The 14-day goal is to very slowly add tip to both, with the ideal goal to be that the board is parallel to the ground – but if it takes longer than 14 days, that is fine too! The bang game is where we are definitely putting more emphasis in terms of getting the end position very solid (different mechanics and adding it to the teeter board, although you have already started that).
Great job! Have fun!
TracyHi! Very clever set up – I love the bench near the top of the board for him to hop onto then get on the board! And he seemed to be enjoying the game. He also looked confident jumping on the middle and on the end of the board. Yay! Fabulous drive downhill on the board, so…. add a little more tip at the end 🙂 You can raise the top more to get it like you did, or lower the bottom 🙂
Great job here!
TracyGood morning!
>> the target on the end of the board was disastrous for nuuptse!!! He just turned back to ity. therre was no backing up!>>
Oh dear! LOL!!!! At least he is efficient and knows that we like the him to do his target position 🙂
He did well on the bang game here, and he totally does things with a full-on zest! This is moving along really nicely.
When you were moving ahead past the board, he was at his best in terms of nailing the position and looking down/shifting his weight. When you were staying behind him, he wanted to stop short and look at your hands a bit to watch the cookies come in. So – have the cookie ready in your hand and then when he arrives in position, toss it to him so it lands in between his front feet (or close to that area hahahah). When you toss it, you can use a word that means “get yer cookie” so he knows it is ok to eat it and also ok for him to leave position to get it (I use ‘catch’). That can help him look forward and down even when you are behind him, because the cookie will come from the target area and not from your hand. Plus, he won’t need to look at you as you approach with the reward so it should help keep his head straight.
It is not as important to do this when you are moving past the board, but definitely will be useful when you are sending him ahead.
You can add this cookie tossing when you move to the next level bang game: starting him right at the very end so he is leaping into position at the every end, rather than starting him further back where he would run down the board into position.Great job here!
Tracy
