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Hi! This is a really hard game for sure! The line of motion on all 3 options looks pretty much the same so we are asking the pups to discriminate verbals and upper body stuff.
At the beginning where she had a few questions:
I think upper body position needs to look more different for the serp versus tunnel. When you got her going to the tunnel like at :13 , your shoulder position was the same as it was on the serp release at :21 so she committed to the tunnel (plus the motion line was the same, as it should be, but the “ok” release word was also the same). So as you say your OK release word and want the serp, have your serp arm all the way back and center of your chest pointing to the center of the bar (rotated at the waist).This will look different from the tunnel cue, where you are not rotated at all and the center of your chest points at the tunnel entry.
Your upper body was clearer at :25 and :30, more opened up back to her and back to the bar, and she did a great job!
Your in in release looked great! She immediately knew to come in 🙂 She was not sure of the go back out part of it: I think you were too far from the jump on the first couple then she was guessing (wrong side of jump) when the tunnel line was not correct. Ideally you would be about an arm’s length away from the jump, or a little less. That way she won’t need you to close your shoulder or step to the jump at all to help her get it – position and motion will support it as she learns the verbal independently. Some of her oopsies when she went to the serp side of the jump had to do with you trying to close your shoulder just a heartbeat too early. You were closer to the jump at 1:52 and it helped her a lot – she was still came in nicely and then was able to go back out because the line was more obvious.
She is doing really well on this, it is SUCH a hard game!!! Stick closer to the jump for the threadle and keep your shoulders open like you had them on the serp & threadle too. Nice work!
TracyHi! This also looks terrific! She is a rare BC to want to drive in hard when you are facing her, she was great with that. Your lap turn cues were super clear – the shaking magic cookie hand is very compelling LOL and your timing or turning her away with your hand/leg: spot on! Yes!! Nice tight turns.
The tandem turn looks really good too – you can play with adding a bit of decel and also turning away sooner, to tight it up a little. She was a little wide on the wing, but it was mainly because you were moving fast and a little late turning her away. You can start to flip her away just as her nose is arriving at the wing: that will challenge her commitment skills more but I think she can handle it.She is definitely ready for you to build up more speed on these – adding in a series of FC before the lap or tandem, or a couple of race tracks – see if you can get her going full speed and then shift into the lap or tandem. Great job here!!!
Tracy
Hi! This looks super! She is REALLY seeing the difference in your cues and changing her line appropriately. You did a lovely job making the cues look different and running a straight path on all reps, letting your upper body and verbals do all the work.
This step looks solid so you can move on: add distance between the wing and the jump so she has to leave you further to get to the jump. At least 6 feet would be good, maybe more: because if she can do it at 6 or 8 feet, you should move to the Advanced Level where you do a BC or a FC when you see her turn her head/change her leads to head to the jump, so that your cross is done before she takes off. She is totally ready 🙂
Great job!
TracyHi there!
I think he sorted it out! Nice! He was able to lock onto the “other” end of the tunnel and leave you for it pretty independently, very cool!!!! He needed a minute on the first video to remember it but then: Got it, Mom! He did look a little subdued, 70 degrees after a month of cooler weather can be pretty hot – amybe he was hot in the rocking horses video too? But he was nailing it and going VERY directly to the correct end – not waiting for any additioanl help or cues.
When you added the ‘go tunnel’ out ahead on the 2nd video, things got spicier! He was moving faster- but still correct. VERY nice!! The ball on the ground added challenge but he still processed the threadle cue – good boy!!! So as the weather cools… this game will get faster by itself, which is a good next step. Then you can spread it out and add more speed to it (I have a game coming tomorrow that also adds more speed to it).Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
Yes, he is totally getting this, yay! I think the lap turns are going well, but they might feel awkward because you are a little close to the previous wing then have to really hustle to get back for the lap turn. If you send to the wing more like how you did at 1:24, it will be easier to get to the position. I think your mechanics were strong, and seemed very clear to him. The tandems are really looking good too!!! I do think he is either finding this version of the rocking horses a little dull or the cookie rewards are too chill – he wasn’t all that excited by these LOL!! So you can get some wildness going with tugging and also spreading the wings out so there is more running (he likes the running!) That will also make it easier for you because he will be driving to the wings more. Your only blooper was a disconnect pointing forward too much, trying to drive him past you to the wing. So feel free to get him crazier on these, he is reading them really well!>>Just confirming on the mini sequence with the 3 jump ladder grid: that means he’s doing a ladder grid with motion in to it instead of from a sit?>>
Yes – he is moving into it, not sitting 🙂
T
Good morning!
One of the Saturday live people has switched to Weds for this week – since you are home and have good weather (I think) do you want to play in the class with Presto? Let me know.And I promise to get the next class sorted soon!
T
Good morning!
>>Ok…so I have the ability to sleep in today and my body says NOPE and I’m up at 3:45am as per usual…
I feel that. LOL!
>>so I watched the videos in slow mo and can now see that stride! Still…wouldn’t it be more efficient if she put in another/longer stride? How can I communicate this…I tried telling her to put a #%^*ing stride in…doesn’t work.
Yep – it was a tiny quick stride (I count front feet hits – yet another reason to play flyball is that you learn to see that tiny stuff LOL!) Yes, it is more efficient but when we are rushing, we all make errors in judgement regarding efficiency. Have you ever done striding grids with her? I am just finishing up the video for the puppy class so I can post it when it is done.
>>Yes, I was REALLY trying to stay connected and in her bubble but no change. And quads man…we both work our quads and are certainly good, but not great. Ok…maybe I’m speaking for myself more, but if I do a TON of quad work and STILL can’t one leg deep squat, I still have a quad deficiency…so the same could be true for dogs I’d imagine!>>
Yes, I have a whole new respect for fatigue – when I do gym workouts, I feel it – or on runs. For some reason, I never used to think of fatigue as an issue in my dogs, how silly was I?!?! I asked a vet rehab friend to do it as a topic in one of her FB live sessions, I want to hear more!
>>So part of my current insomnia has been to rewatch my videos…seriously…about put me in happy tears! She’s really come along! We’ve come along! Thank you!!! ♥️
She is totally coming along! You are doing the work and it shows!!!
>>HA! Yes…we get SUPER EXCITED because mommy is nervous/excited too! I’m trusting the process, being patient, focusing on the journey…trying to be zen. I swear every dig has been sent to teach me patience…apparently I haven’t learned yet! LOL>>
Patience is ridiculously hard!!! And I get excited too – I mean, I theoretically know when to start a blind cross and how to stay connected… and yet why do I mess up at trials? Arousal changes processing.
>>She seems to do this especially on end lines and towards tunnels. I try to tell her running is faster than jumping big…but she’s not convinced.
Tunnels to her are like ice cream to me: poor decisions happen when they are highly visible LOL! I think balance grids and striding grids with the tunnel visible will help.
>>Anyway…just wanted to say thanks again. Rewatching videos really helped me to see such strong improvement!
Take a stroll down memory lane and watch the first video – the improvements have been MASSIVE 🙂 You are rocking it!!
>>We have a few crazy days coming up…my oldest dog is cast in an upcoming HBO series, so we have filming next week and because of COVID testing we are at a hotel during filming and I won’t be going home. At least all 4 will be with me and I’ll get some schoolwork done…hopefully!
Whoa that is so cool!!!!! I am excited for you!
>>Unless I can sneak something in this weekend, you get a break from me!!!
No rush, rest is good for brains and bodies – there are more sequences getting posted this weekend then we have til late November to do videos.
Have fun!!
TracyAwesome! Also, I have new sequences tomorrow and Sunday (we have the next live online seminar on Sunday) for you to play with 🙂
Tracy
Good morning!
Good job adding the out cue! Keep moving forward on the out, and if you use the dog-side arm – don’t let it get overhead as that will cloud the info and cause you to decelerate. Stopping the motion and high arm will look like a RC cue (like a :11) plus it slows down your running.
Also, use more a little connection on this – when you are looking forward, she tends to look at you so is not reading the didi cue as well. More connection will also help with the lower arm.
On the next sequence:
The turn on 4 is looking a lot better! Sure, she is still pissed off but she is putting in turn strides before the jump and turning MUCH tighter 🙂 You got there, cued it, and left bye-bye. I heard some angry feedback from her but I think she voices her opinion no matter what we do, on some of the harder turns LOL!!!Go lines: hard to disconnect, right? You were trying to disconnect but kept connecting LOL!!! At 1:19 and 1:28 when you wanted the turn on 4 – as soon as you cue it, leave for the next line. She collected but you were standing still so she went wide.
At 1:36 you moved out of it, only a step, but moved – she was already tighter. At 1:42 and 1:47 you were moving away with good exit line connection: even tighter!
What I am coming to believe about Tokaji is that the cue-and-leave is the strongest way to get her to turn. If you cue and wait… she goes wide. If you cue then leave, she makes a big effort to chase you up the next line. So – get up to the cue, show it nice and early like you did (you had it going while she was still over 3) and then as she is passing you… you are already leaving (with the good exit line connection :))Last sequence:
great push to 3 and great use of disconnection to get up the line and trusting her to take the jump at :55 and 2:05! Nice!!
And the ending line looked good (you kinda disconnected for the go on the 2nd run :)) A spin on 4 might tighten it up a little, you did a post turn so she was a little wide. I think your feet wanted to do the spin there so you can go with that and it will probably set her on the straight line back to 4 even sooner.Great job! The last day to post is Nov 22ish, maybe later if the weather goes to poo for people. We have one more set of sequences to mess around with coming this weekend (ok, 2 more sets, we have a live seminar on Sunday :))
Tracy
Good morning!
First up – the MFing lap turn hahaha! I train these types of moves then spend my entire agility career trying to avoid ever having to do them in a trial. But they can save a run when there is no other option! (Cynosport team jumpers 2017, I am looking at YOU! LOL!)
I think I might have miscommunicated about the leg: don’t move it til she gets to the 2″ line near your hand… then you can totally move it back with your arm to set the turn. Sorry if it sounded like I meant for you to not move it at all! You did have some good patience happening here:
Rep 1 – You were a little too early, she was outside the 2 inch line so you got a throwback:)
Rep 2 – You were patience and let her get to the 2 inch line but no leg to motion so she didn’t read the hand (hand was a little fast-moving there)
Reps 3, 4, 6: NICE patience here and she got close to the hand then the hand helped with the turn. She was a little wide, partially because leg movement will help set it (your feet were together) and partially because your hand motion was really fast. So slow down the hand motion, like you are holding a beverage that you do not want to spill 🙂
Rep 5 had good patience, but the hand motion was a little too quick and small, you would have totally spilled your drink 🙂 so she didn’t read it.I completely relate to struggling with the patience of having to wait for the dog to arrive at the hand and then having to deliver a cue slowly. It is not in my nature, but I have forced myself to be slow there and it helps 🙂
On the sequence – this is the hardest sequence, I think – soooo much technical stuff! Some of the oopsies were jumping questions: the lead changes on the 1-2 line were hard at 20″ (hard at 8″ for my 20 inch tall Voodoo hahaha!) so she was having trouble on the opening with the bars. It was not handling-induced as far as I could see, meaning you were not doing anything nutty that would cause her to say WTF and pull a bar LOL! Question: have you ever done zig zag grids with her? That is how I teach the dogs to dog these serpy lead changes. If yes – pull them out and revisit at higher heights. If no – let me know and I will send them to you!
On the 4-5 line, I think your goal was a FC-throwback combo – that can totally work! She will read the cues better if you are already near 5 as she is exiting the tunnel, so you don’t have to move into it: you experimented with moving backwards into it and also turning your shoulder – but that caused her to go wide towards 8 or take 8 on the 5th rep. Backwards motion is read as forward motion for most dogs, which I think is what was happening here.
If you are settled in near 5 and not moving, she should drive directly to you. The other option is do a full cross (FC or BC fully) near 4 then decel into a spin or soft brake at 5 – that can effectively change the line really well at 4! The last rep had more of that – you were a little late starting so the bar of 4 came down, no worries, but the turn was better!The turns on 5 and 6 were good as you worked the transitions! The turn on 7 needed less “swoosh” – that is the scientific term for when you use the arm across your body to indicate the landing spot of the jump. That was a little extra motion so she was going a little wide, and when you were very swooshy at :58, she read it as go to the tunnel. For that tight turn, as you rotate into it – use the left hand (nearer to the jump, not across your body) to shift connection more to her eyes ad eliminate any swoosh to landing spot to get a nice turn there.
The other question that Mochi had is a common young dog question: rushing the bar before the tunnel on the ending line (#9). You were not doing anything crazy other than running fast, so it is a training thing to play with. You can put a ladder grid (3 jumps, 6 feet apart, 8″ bars) out (she has probably seen this). And if she is balanced on the ladder, do it with you moving. Still balanced? Do it with you moving and with a tunnel 15 feet out ahead 🙂 It helps her stay balanced and not rush. I don’t think I have video of this but I need to do it with Contraband so I might be able to grab some video!
I am glad that the weather is so lovely!!! Nice work on these! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi! I think this was an insightful session! First off – she has very little patience hahahaha but we already knew that 🙂 Second – I am glad we are revisiting this because she has questions here at home on the flat, which will lead to the big questions you see at trials when she is running and a little more stimulated 🙂
It took a few reps to sort out the best mechanics for the lure – when you used two hands and when you were moving them slowly: that produced the best results. You can see her not wanting to come in, so it looks like you really emphasized that after 1:37 and then at about 2:07 we are starting to see much goodness! Because she only wants to go out and we need her to *patiently* come towards you so you can turn her away… we can add another lure layer: using the two hands, have her follow your magic cookie hand for a few steps, coming in close to you – and then throw a cookie forward (don’t turn her away, but she must be with you for several steps to get released to the cookie ahead). That will build the love for coming right to you so you can set up the turn away. Then when she will come right to you, add in the slow 2-handed turn away. This will allow you to “hold” her attention on those tunnel discrims as long as needed to get past the end you *don’t* want then turn her away to the end you do want.Then after the turn away, in a couple of sessions, we add something for her to turn away towards 🙂
Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>>Am I right that our physical cues are similar for out and backside so our verbals are what is helping them differentiate? I feel like she did the one I needed her to do and was it also where I was giving those cues?>>Yes, the upper body is similar. The dog reads the difference from the context: the cue to get out or push to a backside involves a lead change away – and the front side of a jump does NOT have this. So position relative to a jump, context, timing and of course – verbal 🙂
Lots of good stuff on the video!!! My ideas/feedback are really about the smaller details:
Seq 1:
Good opening – on your transition, keep moving through it – decel then turn rather than standing still. She read the decel at :12 but then had a little bit of a bronco jump over 4 because you were still facing forward as she was jumping.Seq 2:
On this opening (and on the opening of the next sequences too) Line her up on a slice at 1 so she is facing 2 – that makes for a better line without having to turn on landing. At :24 and :48 and :59 and 1:20, she is lined up at 1 facing the wrong end of the tunnel – that opens up a possibility you don’t want her to know about LOL! Plus it adds an extra turn there.She is still learning the out (doing really well with it!!), so on the first rep and at :53 you did have to go in a little closer to help her (and that is fine :)) so try to keep your feet moving forward and not towards the jump to help her see that you will not be stepping towards it. When you stepped in at :53, it looked like a rear cross on the flat so she turned to her right. It was better at 1:26 when you had a lower arm and stepped towards it.
You can also move the jump in closer during the training stages so it is easier for you to cue the out without stepping to it. That will help answer her question at 1:06 – you had great connection but your arm was a little high and you didn’t step to the jump as much, so she didn’t go to it, When you stepped to it, she went, but going without the step is the end goal.
Your transition and rotation on 5 were nice and early here at :34, yay! On your exit line connection, you are trying to get her to the new side by holding still and pumping your dog-side arm (:34) – that is harder for her to see (the lack of motion is what brings her in) and it makes it harder for you to get up the next line. So, point the dog-side arm (left arm here) back to her collar (magnet fingers!) and lock your elbow 🙂 It is designed to keep your dog-side shoulder a little more open to her, like it was at :12. When you pump your arm, you are actually closing the shoulder forward which makes it harder for her to see the new side.FABULOUS connection to her on the backside cue at 1:11 and 1:26! Feet forward, extreme connection! If you watch it in slow motion, you can see how your left shoulder comes forward of your body and your left arm swings out a bit there so she had no questions. You can she the left arm more deliberately if you think she needs it, or you can use use the shoulders like here.
That strong connection to the backside send at 1:36 made your FC there really nice! On time, connected, easy! I will keep bugging you not to pump your dog-side arm to get exit line connection, but rather lock it back to her eyes so you can keep hustling up the line. The arm pumping slows you down, and Miss J is not going sit back and wait for you LOL!!
At the very end, she had a little trouble taking the jump after the backside push at 6 – Head over to week 4 for the answer to that LOL!! That was a training moment, where she needs more value for taking the jump there while you run run run past it.
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Good morning!
>>worked this over a couple days really concentrating on the inside shoulder thing! It’s amazing to me how much the video reveals vs what you think you’re doing! Anyway, I think I’m seeing some improvement with my body language?>>
Yes! Definitely seeing the difference 🙂 It is a good camera angle for seeing the connections that he would see.
Seq 1: MUCH better connection on the exit line of the wrap at 4! It was really clear to see your face as he was landing from the wrap. He had a nice tight line on both sides, both days! If he wasn’t seeing connection, I bet we would be seeing him drift out to the off course jump when you were turning him to the inside (to his right) but nope: He never even looked at it. Yay!
One thing you can focus on to make it even easier it to point back to his collar with your dog-side arm and lock your elbow back to him. That will allow to run forward and fade out the arm across the body 🙂
For example at 1:09, you had your left arm (dog-side arm) the most back to him as you ran forward – that was the best view of the connection to give him, perfect! If you can lock that elbow back, you won’t need the other arm because the dog-side arm back plus your eyes towards his eyes (even if you can’t fully see him, he can see you)make for the perfect picture.Seq 2:
Nice out on 4 at 1:19, 1:34 which led to a nice early rotation and super tight turn!
And effective use of countermotion on 5 for the wrap, where you connected to cue the collection while also leaving, check out how far ahead you got at 1:23 and 1:39! That position made the exit line really easy at 1:24 and 1:40. My only suggestion for this sequence when you are turning him to his right on 5 is to do the full FC then decel into the rotation on 4 rather than face him and back up. When you were facing him/backing up, he read it as a lot of decel/collection so slowed down a bit more than I think he will if you do a FC then power away to 5 then do a transition. You had great distance there so you should have plenty of time to do it 🙂On the other option: turning to his left on 5: all reps looked good here. One small detail: reverse the motion on your 4-5 threadle so you can turn and get up the line to 6 more easily. You were standing still on the threadle then as he came in, accelerated into the turn. If you can stay in motion through the threadle then decel into the turn on 5, you will be able to rotate sooner and be further up the line and his collection can be even tighter. It doesn’t make a big difference on this sequence because there is no place to get to LOL!! But it can get you further ahead on bigger courses. On the first 2 reps, you were still rotating as he was jumping 5 but on the last rep you were done rotating and he had a great turn AND found a new gear of speed 🙂 Yay!
And since we are really looking at the exit line connection: at 1:56, 2:08 and 2:24, you had a clear eye contact moment with him and his lines were really nice! Keep locking that dog-side arm back, pointing to his collar, to keep rehearsing it so you don’t even have to think about it 🙂Seq 3: Very nice opening! Lovely timing and line on the FC, and connection going into it!
The exit line connection at 2:42 was not as clear but WOW it was lovely at 2:57! Keep playing with that so you can keep moving away as you do it – you were emphasizing it here beautifully but you slowed down a little more than needed.I don’t think I have mentioned a lot about his ‘get out’ at 4 on these – very nice clear connection and he is doing so well committing!
Seq 4: Good job here too!
All the connections looked good and his commitment was lovely on the 4-5 line! You probably did not need the spin on the 5 jump, he had a question about how tight to take it since the spin asks for collection.
On the first rep, you wrapped to his left on 6, which looked really tight and he could see the exit line connection so had a nice line to the tunnel. On the 2nd rep, you did the slice to his left on 6 which is a little harder to handle but definitely the faster line: nice connection on the push to the backside and he really understands his job to take the jump! That allowed you to drive past the wing to do the BC exit and show connection: this is the same type of turn where he was going wide previously. You kept your shoulder more open to him and he could see your eyes better: super tight line to the tunnel, no drifting. YAY!!The distance on the get out on 4 makes it so there is almost no place to go LOL! You can use the big get out on 4 then send to 5 and see if you can get up the line to the do a forced front or forced blind on the takeoff side of 6 🙂 A different option is to go closer to 4 (not really a get out) and use the send skills to 5 with a get out-style backside push at 6, so you are all the way across the bar when he approaches the backside wing.
And since the BC exit to the far nd of the tunnel was hard to get him to not drift on earlier sessions, you can also try the wrap on 6 with a BC exit so he is on your right to the other end of the tunnel – exaggerate the exit line connection there and see how he does in terms of drifting.
>>Ready to move on to week 4…when is the last day to submit videos for this class? >>
Have fun with them 🙂 The last day for videos is the 22nd of November, approximately, provided Mother Nature cooperates and the weather stays decent for everyone 🙂
Great job on these! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
>>I had a tough time disconnecting. I kept catching myself staying connected.
After all this time getting connected: it feels weird, right? LOL!!!
These are going really well! A few details for you to consider and play with:
Bear in mind that the disconnection on backsides doesn’t need to start til she is acknowledging the cue and heading to the backside wing – so start all of these with connection, then disconnect and run.
On your left, she thought she was heeling which means you were on her line and not connected to start the cue 🙂 So, connect as you start it, get her moving to the wing – then disconnect and run.
On your right (the beginning of the video), no problems here, I think the right side doesn’t have heeling value 🙂2 jump slices – first rep had too much motion so she came to you because you were pretty far past the jump, but then you slowed it down and she was VERY successful! Nice! Now you can lead out more to get past the backside jump even more – but still not too fast yet, because it is some serious countermotion there and motion makes it harder.
On the next skill set starting at 1:48: you were using your lalala but I think the verbal should be a zip because it is a wrap? Let me know if I am remembering your verbals correctly.
This is a good example of the connect-then-disconnect! At 1:48 you connected on the backside push as she landed from 1, no problem, then disconnected as she passed yo uto keep running forward. NICE!At 1:52, you started more parallel to her so you were using regular connection – she landed from 1 already looking at the front of 2. On the next rep, you were ahead of her so regular connection got the job done nicely 🙂 So I think when you are parallel or behind her, an extreme connection will be needed here to push her away from you and up the line to the backside because motion is not as helpful in those situations.
On the wraps: Moving into it was causing a bit of struggle on the timing and transitions to get the turn. Disconnection was good at 2:02!! An earlier decel so you can be planted and rotated and connectd to her eyes before she passes you will help set up a better collection.
At 2:05, you stayed in motion with your outside arm up: totally looked like an exteme connection backside send 🙂2:11 had a better transition! and a better turn 🙂 So did 2:13! You can disconnect and move away sooner: you were decelerated at the wing so she thought she needed to turn into the gap: your motion and backside verbal can be going before she even lands from 2.
On the slice backsides at the end: you did a great job cuing and leaving (semi-connected LOL!) – she found this *difficult*, note the heroic rotated jumping effort over the bar at 2:19! And at 2:24, she had to take a moment and set her line because you were gone gone gone up the next line. Cool camera angle to see how she had to work so hard! Definitely keep working that skill so she can sort out her jumping there.
Nice job on these!! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
