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Thanks for posting the links, Barb!
Kathy, the zig zag grids came up here because a lot of the dogs needed more education on the whole side-to-side jumping needed for slices, serpentines, and backside slices. It has been fun to see the progression as they sort it out!
T
Hellooooo!
Yes, pools are a pain but I hear they are worth it!!
>>Yes I know Leslie, she use to live here in CO. Interesting idea, is it $100 per dog? Zing is the one that I have my eye on right now. Her structure is a tad straight so I want to make sure we have her built to support all of that.>>
The package is $439 for a month – and I believe it is for one dog (I am only submitting video for Hot Sauce) although I will be teaching these exercises to ALL of my dogs! She is tweaking the form of what we are doing and has already added some amazing new stuff – and I am only 5 days into it LOL!
>>But I need to pay attention to this because once competition starts, doing a UKI 2 day trial might suck a bit. And my goal is still to go to Europe (not on a team) and run.
Yay! I would like to go to Europe as well to run – but also not on a team (for oh so many reasons LOL!!!) A 2 day UKI trial is easy to tweak to work, because you can skip the big yardage classes that don’t matter and stick to the important ones.
>>>Love the idea of the skills list. This is gonna be SUPER hard for me the obsessor.
Ha! It is not obsessing, it is planning 🙂 There is a difference LOL!!!
>>Perhaps 2 lists, what I need to get out of novice/open and what I really love my dogs to have?>>
Maybe – but I think the Novice/Open skils of ‘stay on your line and get in the damn tunnel’ are also high level international skills so you can get where you are going. What other Novice/Open skills would you *not* want in Masters?
T
Good morning!
Since the package this week has places to analyze line choices AND the handling to get it done – I think about the FFC at 2 versus the German on the 2nd go-round: it would be interesting to see which one is faster! The German appears faster but it is hard to do a comparison because he is coming in at a different rate and angle than 1-2. Same thing at 8: wrapping inside on the first go round versus slicing outside at the end – I think the slice outside would be faster on the way back to the beginning with the #2 backside because it sets up a real race car line with tons of extension and not a lot of turns. The switch that you did at the very end of the video there was a thing of beauty!!! Nice line and puts you in a very good spot!
The runs went really well! On the first run, he is reading everything really nicely! He is turning nicely on the threadle 5-6 when you turn your feet, which is fine for this sequence. And the spin at 6 works really well.
At :26, you gave the dig cue but stood still fo a bit too long – then as you pushed in to try to convince him to take the backside of 2, you had ‘normal’ connection which pointed your chest/shoulders to the front of the bar. When you are that far away, you will need an extreme connection to his eyes, pointing your shoudlers to the backside line – high intensity! When he is more experienced, the verbal alone will support it but he just turned 2 so the verbal needed more connection/motion support.
That spot is why we do these double whammy runs – to see if we can get the cues to the dog even if we end up someplace unexpected. On the fix moment at :33 and on the 2nd run at :57, you totally had the big connection going! So the backside was no problem at all. Very nice!!!
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyI totally just learned a new way to help the dogs with this type of skill from a rehab vet! I am going to make sure that I have the form correct and then I will post video 🙂
T
Good morning!
>>Verbals require lots of repetition, so we’ll be doing more of this!>>
1000% agree with this!!! Verbals that need to override motion need a lot of reps to help the pups understand.
That first rep was so funny – she touched your hand , you clicked the MM and she was like “seriously, *that* is the prize”? LOL!! It was smart training to switch to the lotus ball with cheese – definitly higher value but also more difficult distraction.
This session went really well! You got her to the harder angles and then she a big lightbulb moment at :53 – she was next to the lotus ball to start, and then note how she picked up speed coming towards you there: “AHA! I think I have figured this out!!” Perfect 🙂 This is something to revisit (we will be building on it this week). The bulk of the reps can be on the ‘easier’ slice: partially because this is the angle of most threadles, and partially because she will be facing the reward and will have to resist the urge to go grab it 🙂
Great job! I am so excited with the lightbulb moment at the end!
Tracy
Hi there!
Your barrel racing looks really good! She definitely did not have any trouble with the wing 🙂 Because you were able to get distance between your barrels so easily, you can add 2 things:
– more motion! You can move in and out of the barrel more, since her sending is going well. That will add challenge because you will have to connect at speed so she knows which side to be on, and then decelerate and turn so you can get the FC nice and early.
– a turn and burn at the end – after a couple of front crosses, you send to the barrel and exit on the more severe line for her to chase you out of it (on this set up, you would be close to the barrel and running towards the camera, for example)
I htink she is ready for the added speed and excitement – and it will challenge her commitment more too! Great job!
TracyGood morning!
The serps are going well, I am really happy with how nicely she is reading the commitment to the jump from all sorts of different angles and on both sides of you. Yay! Your position is looking really good too. She is getting better at going back out but she is still not 100% sure she has permission LOL!!! You can give her the get it cue sooner: just as her front fet are reaching the bar 🙂 and you can bring the reward closer if you think she will drive to it better 🙂 We will be building on this soon, which whill also help her drive back out.
Great job here!Tracy
Good morning!
There is something in every Differ session that makes me laugh out loud. In this one, it was at :59 where she was a little distracted and went to the toy rather than over the bar, then caught herself and went over the bar LOL!! And then for the rest of the reps, it was as if she was thinking “crap, I’d better pay attention here!” and she nailed it LOL! So funny!Yes, she as a little interested in the woods but there could be cool critters and overall, for being in season – very very nice session!!!! She is coming in over the bar almost perfectly 🙂 Now we need to convince her to make the body bend – and the reward on the ground on the next line is the key. When it is in your other hand, she is coming in a bit straight. So – we need something on the ground as the destination focal point. If the toy on the ground will possibly be too hard, we have over options: empty food bowl, pet tutor or Manners Minder, or a target of some sort – can even be the Cato board! Anything that you think will help direct her back out away from you with a verbal cue will work – and then we can really start adding motion. And when you start adding motion, you will automatically not hold your hand as low because it will feel too weird 🙂
Nice job here! Let me know what you think will work best as the exit target/reinforcement placer.
T
Good morning!
Rear crosses are going well – I am thrilled that we can even get this much rear crossing going with such young dogs!! Yes, he has more trouble turning to his left than to his right, but that is fine for now – at :40 you made a big deal to cross in soooo early on his line and t hen you made a massive big deal of the reinforcement 🙂 That rep and the next rep were very clear rear crosses to the left! And then gold star for him: after getting two big parties to the left, he immediately read a rear cross to the right 🙂 YESSSS!!! Very happy with this! So on the left rear crosses, be as early as you were starting at :40 to help him out.
>>He isn’t entering the turn with much speed, but maybe that’s okay at this stage. He definitely comes out of it with more enthusiasm.
No worries! Thoughtful is good with this whippet line in the beginning – let’s get him thoughtful on how to use his body and then you will have more speed than you know what to do with LOL!!! He is a little younger than his cousin, my Contraband (10 months old), who is now layering the speed because he understands what to do (and it is terrifyingly fast LOL!!!!)
The first session went well – he is showing really nice understanding of commitment! And by the last rep he was already adding in the speed. The second session also looks good – thoughtful and accurate with is *exactly* what we want right now (too many pointy dogs think it is all about speed and then they cannot control their bodies).
I think with this game, the next step is to add more running with you, with treats. See how it goes when you run faster on the exit. And then we will get the toys involved, so help him learn how to use his body with thoughtfulness even when he is more stimulated 🙂Lap turns –
>> It feels so clunky and weird – any advice? Do I need to move the prop?>>Lap turns in general feel clunky 🙂 The lap turn itself i looking good, but yet, move the prop: have it near him when he starts, so he has to move past it to get to your magic cookie hand. Then when you turn him – you can move forward and the prop will be right on his line. The prop hit is on a parallel path cue (you will be moving forward) rather than a send. The prop here was out to the side, and you were sending, which might be why it felt a little weird 🙂
Your hand looked great here! He drove right to it (and he also did really fast driving in when you called his name!!
>>We also worked on the concept transfer serp game, and he did pretty well, but he wasn’t making contact with my hand, he would come in close and then continue on for the reward. I decided to just review touching the card in my hand, and he did that great, but then once I tried the serp game again, he wouldn’t touch it all the way. My treat tosses were also really bad and the treats blended into the carpet too much, so I need to redo it, hence no video LOL! I’ll clean up what I can and then see what you think 😉>>
Question – have you gotten to having the reward on the ground yet – either the empty food bowl or a manners minder? If so…. move to the advanced level where he comes in towards you hand and swipes it then goes back out. It sounds like he is already offering an approximation of the desired end behavior (where he comes in then goes back out, rather than stopping to t ouch the target – we will be fading the target this week) so you can move ahead! The reward does need to be on the ground for it, so an empty food bowl is a great way to get it started 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Hi! Oh yes, these are looking good! He is just about perfect turning to his left (starting on your left). It was harder for on the right turns – I scrolled back to see if we had figured out that right was harder in general but I can’t find it. It might have been that right was harder here because he had gotten reward turning left first (and both primacy and recency in play, and that is powerful!) and/or that right is just a little harder for now. But, he figure it out REALLY nicely!! I am super happy with both his drive forward AND his rear crosses (I think your timing was good!!!!). Yay! Onwards to striking a pose 🙂
Have a great weekend!
TracyHi!
>>I will use the same verbals that I use with Pose
Doing so will make life so much easier 🙂
Great list of verbals!
Question – how are ‘turn’ and ‘get out’ different? Just curious.
>>Generic lead change/Soft turn away: Turn
>>Get outT
Hi!
>> I like the ones I picked for her so think I will keep them for Kaladin.
Perfect! Using the same verbals will help preserve your sanity 🙂 Less to remember!
>>Hup- jump in collection and turn (eg: Hup right)
Left/Right – turns up to 90deg-ish>>Question: does hup left produce the same turn as just saying left? If so, you can save hup for very specific commitment things (like crazy bind crosses :)) and just say your left or right cues.
>>Flip – sharp turn left
>>Turn – sharp turn rightAre these different than you left/right cues, or wrap cues? Just curious 🙂
>>I haven’t done much with tandem or lap turns with Min so am debating whether that will use flip/turn (left and right sharper turns) or something else. I hope flip/turn will work (swing is used with the dog going in the same direction as me and flipping away/back so I don’t think it makes sense when dog is coming in and then turning back)>>
The tandem and lap turns can be decided based on the context of the course – for example, a lot of them are threadle/rear crosses, so you can use the threadle and then a directional cue. I tend to name the directions of the line and not the handling, if that makes sense.
>>I guess flip/turn could also work in place of check-check/swing so that the dog has an absolute direction instead of in relation to me, but I’m pretty used to the latter and in my mind (not sure if the dog always agrees but usually I think Min does), check-check and swing are take the jump and then wrap while flip and turn are more instantaneous and used on the flat.>>
Ah! That answers my question, then. Flip & turn are on the flat, and check & swing on jump commitment cues.
>>I also did a bit of teaching Min Zaza for a blind cross but I don’t use it consistently and I don’t think she needs it when I am not late and stay connected>>
It might be too general? Blinds have varying degrees of tightness on the exit, so I have found that the corresponding directionals are more useful for the dogs.
T
Hi Diana! These are really great choices! Have you thought about a threadle verbal? We are adding those soon here 🙂 You can always add more verbals as you get more comfy with the ones you are starting with, but these are terrific choices!
T
Hi there! Yay for playing with the big courses!! And don’t be so hard on yourself – you are doing really well! Handling young dogs requires so much attention to every single detail and there are so many good things here!!!!
>>He will jump 16″ in competition, but I usually jump him at 12″. Do you think I should be doing some at his competition height? I basically never do anything at 16″. I’m also thinking some jump grids or one jump work might be good for him. I don’t think he is powering off his rear as much as he could. I know jumping off the front is definitely a poodle thing.>>
Tell me what he has done at 16″ so far, and we can make a plan 🙂 Yes, grids and one jump work are the start – let me know and I will send stuff to play with. How many jumps do you have at home? I generally jump dogs lower in training but they do need to learn to jump at full height, so we can plan for a nice balance.
On the video:
OK, going back to not being so hard on yourself – because he is a youngster, it can be overwhelming to do ALL the things (as the handler of a dog that just turned 2 years old, I feel that 1000% !!) So – set specific performance goals for yourself for each sequence or course (for you, not him, because we can’t control what he does, we can only control what we do :)) So an example would be: being sure you connect to his eyes on every tunnel exit and after every cross. Boom! Attainable yet not so easy. And when that goal becomes comfortable, you can add another one: Getting on perfect lines, for example. Or which verbals to use. That will really help you focus on your success as well as build everything together as he also learns more about the game.First run: Course 2 – very nice opening! Good line on the blind and good connection & timing!
You can add a little more connection to his eyes on the exit of the tunnel – everything else was strong (line, verbal, etc).The middle looked good, you were multi-tasking getting the serp at 6 with staying on the line. On the 10-11-12 section, you did a forced front cross on takeoff of 11 – it worked to get 11 but it showed too much extension on the exit. So, you can try a forced front to a throwback or spin exit, or replace the forced front with a forced blind which makes it easier to get the spin on the exit of 11 to produce the tight turn to 12 (:17)
On the wrap at 12 (:19) – turning your feet forward to 13 before he passes you will help tighten that wrap up a bit, then make your connection to him on your right side as soon as you can (you were a little late, so he looked up at you).
You made good adjustments on the 2nd run! Another nice opening but you added more connection on the exit of the 4 tunnel so he had a beautiful line to 5!
The whole middle section looked smoother because you were really focusing on connection – that helped the lines really well!You added a little decel after the forced front on 11 at :41 and it helped…. but I think a stronger cue is needed in the form of a spin or a brake arm.
At :42, if you freeze the video as you explode away up the line when he is in the air: he was turning to his left, correctly, but you exploded out of it towards the dog walk so he switched to a rear cross on landing (good boy, paying attention!!!). He read that correctly, Your feet on the first rep stepped out more forward and that is why he did not read rear cross there at :19.
Next rep staring at tunnel 9 –
you did the BC before 11 and it was GREAT (:51) – he understood it, yo uwere on a great line – NICE! It allowed you to step away sooner at :52 which drew him into an even tighter line to 12. It created a domino effect in the best way: blind let you step away earlier which let you turn your feet at 12 earlier too – so he responded with nice lines through out (check out how he landed from 12 at :55 and dug in to make the turn, good boy!)It also got you further ahead on the ending line, which made it easier to get him to the last jump (that ending line is NOT easy LOL!)
Second course 1, actually 🙂
You got a little pointy on the exit of 2 at 1:01 🙂 Meaning – when he exited the #2 tunnel you pointed your arm at 3 and said get out but the rest of your body was leaving without connection, so he just followed you. You added connection at 1:09 to send him, and he was perfect 🙂Nice blind 4-5!
One goal you can add is for the walk throughs: assessing how tight the exit lines are for some of the jumps and making sure your cue is strong enough to get a wrap exit – at 5 and 8, those are tight exit lines and the forward sends sent him a little wide so he found the backside line at 6 and considered going in the house after 8 – young dogs are so literal LOL!!!
Then something caught his noe at 1:24, for whatever reason, so you lost him. It appears he actually picked something up at 1:28 so there might have been a cookie or worm or something. Yum! LOL!
Good job calling, running, rewarding.2nd run – great adjustment on the tunnel exit to show connection and get 3!!
Nice blind 4-5! Your connection and line and timing on this (and in the previous run too) look lovely!You had more name call on the exit of 5 so he found 6, but you can add in a decel and brake arm (and maybe a spin) to get the collection before takeoff.
You were talking to him more on the 8 -9-10 line so he was able to ignore distractions (and had already eaten the worm, LOL!)
You can smooooth that line out by using more serpentine-style handling on 9 – getting closer to his path and opening your chest up towards him. It was a good line but you can show a little more serp cue to make it a great line.VERY nice transition into the wrap on the 10 jump!! I saw a clear transition into decel and then the rotation and his turn was really nice!!!!! And you had your verbal going. YES! AND exit line connection, double yes!
At the very end – you were running (yay!) and yelling go go go (yay!) but not connected (no yay lol) so he did not drive ahead. That gives us an insight into just how important connection is to him – more important than motion! Good to know. When I suggested above about making a goal of connection on every tunnel exit, I hadn’t watched the video yet: but I think he affirms the need for tunnel exit connection, because that is where he had questions more than anywhere else.But overall – these are looking good!!!! Definitely do NOT be so hard on yourself – you are just learning to handle a young dog and there are so many good elements happening here!! Great jog! Let me know what you think, especially about the jumping stuff.
Tracy
Hi!
>> set up the 3 jump zig zag grid again today. She did great and had mostly great form with them slightly open. I added a little motion and then gradually increased motion.
Yes! This was exciting to see, form already MUCH improved and she was able to maintain it while you were adding some motion. Happy dance!!! Very nice 🙂
>>I wasn’t sure what to do next – whether to increase the height and keep the slightly open grid or keep the jumps at 12″ and close the opening. I opted to straighten up the line. She had a little trouble at first, but eventually figured it out. Looking forward to comments and suggestions on how to proceed. >>
With this grid… I have more of a ‘do nothing next’ approach than with pretty much anything else LOL!!! When you get several good reps in a session, quit the session and plan to add more on the next session. 2 reasons for this: one reason is to let the form get rehearsed properly all the time and let the brain wire to it. The second reason is that adding challenge later in the session will risk good form because of fatigue. This grid works different body parts and is plyometric in many ways, so good form = fatigue in the early stages. So adding challenge might be good mentally, but the dogs might not be able to produce correct form because they are a little fatigued (physically) and compensate. Her hind end was coming up a bit more than it had been at the end of the video than then beginning. So start with the grid maybe one inch more open than it was here, then if you like the form – close it a bit more for a few reps and see what she does 🙂
So the plan for the next session would be to warm up with a rep of where you left off – and then go into the harder level – and then the last rep and open up to something easier.
One other thought – have you tried it with the toy on the ground at this stage, or a target after the grid? She is lifting her head over the 3rd jump for the toy and it is inverting her spine a bit – so something out ahead will help the form there too.
Nice work!!!! Keep me posted!
Tracy
