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Hi! Sorry to hear about the crappy weather!!! It is getting to be that time of year 🙁
It is not unusual that some dogs get into a threadle vortex where *everything* is a threadle 🙂 You helped him see the tunnel when the tunnel was there, and then you were smart to get the tunnel out of the picture to see if that was muddying things up 🙂 I have several ideas to help him out:
– let’s put the threadles away for a while, they look really good so there is no need to include them in the training. We will come back to them at some point, we just don’t need to work them right now 🙂
– on the serps – change his starting position so it is easier for him to see the front of the bar and also so you can show him your position between the uprights – you can start by standing still and then you can add motion, releasing when you are fully between the uprights.
– we can change the angle of the jump slightly, on this game and also on the send’n’serp game. Angle the exit wing towards his start position a bit, so he is fully facing the bar and taking the correct side is pretty easy (both in terms of serping it as opposed to threadling it, and also not running past it :)) It won’t really feel like a serp at first but then you can angle it gradually back to that ‘flat’ angle when he is very successful. If you want a visual, we did this with Kyla & Lennan if you want to scope out their thread 🙂
I think the angled serp jump will be the easiest way to get him back on track with the serps! Let me know if that makes sense and how it goes 🙂
TracyHi there!
On the first rep, before the lap turns 🙂 a you were cuing the second tunnel entry at :10 – you looked a little forward, pointing to the tunnel and turning your shoulder away. Connection broke and he jumped on your for the toy. Compare that to the other tunnel cues in this session where you were more connected and using your zip verbal and he didn’t jump for the toy. So be sure to look strongly at his eyes for each tunnel cue.On the lap turns, I think you did a great job of breaking them down! On the turn on the flat, you can add speed by doing a tunnel then having him come into you for a turn on the flat. Breaking it down to jut a wing (no bar) wa smart training. Your cue was good for most of the reps (one rep where he went to the wrong wide was where you were not quite rotated engouh) but even with a good cue, he was not too enthused about driving to you while you were facing him (this is normal, most dogs prefer the chase games :)) You can already see that he was faster coming to you when you had the toy in your hand – my only suggestion as you continue on that path is that, when he is coming to your lap turn hand, you throw the reward straight back behind you for him to chase (rather than stop him) so he powers into your hand on the first part of the cue. When he is powering to you, you can then add in turning him away and then throwing the toy forward out of the cue.
The full height line at the end looked really good!! You can add one of the full height jumping to the easier stuff at this stage and then gradually build up to full height on the hard stuff when he is comfy on the easy stuff 🙂
Nice work!
TracyGood morning!! Tons of god stuff on these clips!
Serps: This is going well! Watching the difference between when he gets the serp versus when he threadles – it is a connection thing, I believe especially on the left side. When he can see your connection pretty clearly with the line of motion, he gets the serp. That happens when you are close to the line either in the gap between the wing and jump, or way ahead between the uprights of the jump so he can see that as he comes around around wing. When he was threadling, you were in the gap rotated away a little more and your hips were turned pretty forward which probably changed the connection picture so he threadled. It didn’t seem to be a struggle on right right turns there, so on the left turns for now you can stick closer to the line and show a bit more connection there.
The wraps were really great, no questions there!! The only blooper was a slightly early click so he correctly drove to the MM 🙂RCs – interesting about the left versus right because on the serp video above, I think he was turning to his right better there too. He is a righty (at least for today LOL!)
This was a really strong session!!! You are totally getting it. And I can see him really thinking about the rear crosses 🙂 He turned better to his right because I think your running lines were better on the RCs to the right.
On the left turn RCs like at :06 and :13 and :46 you were a couple of steps later getting right on the RC line, as compared to :26 and :34 where you got right on it and got his head turned to the right before he got to the jump bump. He did turn to the left pretty well, so try to get right on his tail as he exits the wing wrap and see if the early cue helps him turn sooner on the left turn RCs.
All the Go reps looked great 🙂 WHeeeee!Find the jump: the pole made things interesting LOL! Good job NOT running into it (I always worry about that :)) He was actually at his best when you layered the pole LOL! You can start giving your go verbal before he enters the tunnel now – he was very strong with the skill so we can tell him sooner 🙂 The only blooper was an early toy throw so he aborted mission to chase the toy 🙂
When you added the RCs, on the reps where you tucked into the tunnel exit and then started the RC he was going wide: at :30 and :35 you started your RC info from further up the line and he actually saw it sooner because you were showing it as he was exiting the tunnel – and I think those were the 2 best RC turns. At :44 and :50, you tucked in a bit more to the tunnel exit and you were facing straight for a couple of steps when he exited before getting on the RC line, so his turns were not quite as early. The earlier RC line even with your position further away really helped him, he was a good boy to be able to read it with you a bit further away!On the Minny pinny – look how nicely he is bending here and bouncing and not touching wings or bars! This is also a jumping foundation skill and he is doing really well! he was not as certain when you were doin the turning away so we got a bit of clicking the bars and trotting – but that was only because he was deep in thought about what the heck you wanted him to do LOL!! But…. he was nailing it and it is a HARD skill!! Good boy! And I agree – doing it in a more controlled exercise where you are not really helping with a physical cue will most definitely transfer easily when you are able to also support with physical cues.
Sorry to hear about the white stuff on the ground 🙁 Maybe it will melt!! You can do this Minny pinny game indoors with one wing and a bar, while sitting on your couch 🙂 I totally understand about the supportive husband thing… always better for them to notice the tunnel in the house *after* we have lugged it in hahahaha 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracyay for play between reps! Yes, it makes it a lot more fun 🙂
She looks really great here – she is pushing you now which is great! It’s also means you need to push harder and turn sooner 🙂On the first rep, she is reading the blinds really nicely so you try to tome then sooner – as she is passing you to the wing, start the blind before she gets there. That will help connection be sooner which makes the next line even easier to show.
On the 2nd rep is where you can drive her more to each wing. The wraps looked really good and then you decelerated early on the 3rd wing, so she wasn’t sure if she should go to it. (Good job rewarding her, she was being a good girl :)) Compare that to the 3rd run at :26 where you drove her to that middle wing – not necessarily with more running speed, but with great connection and a few more steps to it til she was committed. Nice!!
The last 2 reps are looking really nice!! Your connection looks fabulous and you are moving along the lines with enough motion to help her commit but also not babysitting 🙂 The wraps look really good! Yes, add in your verbals – I think it will help even more as long as you stay connected like you did. You can also spread out the distances between the wings so you can run more (she will enjoy that :))One small detail that I think is affecting your timing – watch your hands, you are switching the toy back and forth as you do your crosses. That moment of switch is ever so slightly delaying your rotation (because instead of turn and go, it is switch turn and go). So, either have the toy in your pocket or leave it in one hand only (or have 2 toys, one in each hand) and you will see how much earlier you can deliver the info.
Great job here!!! She is flying!
TracyGood morning!
>>1. when should I be using the outside arm to cue directionals…according to your feedback and then with Jessica today, I guess I am overusing that physical cue.
I use that outside arm to cue a behavior in a couple of different places: a threadle, a get out (those two are big arm cues), as a soft brake for a left or right (90 degree eangle). I use it for myself for exit line connection after a cross with a young dog, but that is not to cue the dog – it is more to get my connection opened up back to the dog as they exit a FC or BC. Then on all other regular lines and on serps and stuff – no opposite arm.
>>2. when you say cue him before he enters the tunnel so he does better on the exits, what verbal am I using here because he really isn’t turning but just coming to me sort of straight out. Just use his name right after I say “tunnel”?>>
If it is a soft turn (not a wrap or a hard turn), then an attention verbal such as his name is perfect.
>>Also, I thought the lap turn and the throw back looked confusing and I still don’t think I understand in this scenario how to make it look different. I watched your videos and the feet are kind of similar? I know the hand and the eye connection is different but as he comes out of the tunnel – to me it looks the same initially. And on the lap turn, there is one step backward correct? But no stepping back on the throw-back?>>
Correct, the connection and hand motion (and verbal) are what makes then different. On the lap turn, the timing of the rotation is also earlier and your position is slightly different (closer to the wing you want him to turn on). You would generally be turned before he exits the tunnel and facing him. On the throw back, as he exits he can be seeing your transition into the rotation.
There can be a step back on both of them, but it looks different – the lap turn is that very distant step back and it is also later than on the throw back (it happens when he is arriving at your hand). On the throw back, the step back is pretty subtle (just part of the momentum) or non-existent, depending on how strong the dog’s skill is.
There is a subtle difference but timing and position make it clear to the dogs.let me know if that makes sense 🙂
Tracy
We haven’t done the longer sequence for week 2 yet and you just posted week 3! I still didn’t catch up with a week break! Tomorrow is a day of rest so we’ll try to get up to speed over the weekend.
Thanks for the updates! I am glad the boys are doing so well!!
You ca always let Buddy watch Mookie for a moment – then do one run with Buddy while he is fired up – then back to Mookie 🙂 That can give you 2 fired up dogs to run 🙂
And your observations about how to shift connection for each sounds pretty spot on. Mookie is definitely a “look at his eyes” boy and I can see Buddy liking the swoosh to the landing spot a whole lot. Very cool to see the differences in the boys!!!!!New stuff comes out on Saturday, I think you will have fun with it!!
TracyHi again!
These are going well!!!On the spins at the beginning: She is doing so nicely with her commitment, that this is also a spot where you might not have to shift your connection to the landing spot as you do them: look at her eyes, cues the jump with your arm while yo are rotating… but then just do the blind and look over your new side so it is finished before she comes around the wing. It is a pretty advanced technique (we do work on this later in the class :)) but I think she is ready for it now! Yay!
FCs:
These also look really good! Your exit line connection at :34 REALLY produced the best turn on these reps. You were good at :45 too and on the first FC, but you were not quite *as* connected as :34 on the exit line (you were really looking at her there) and her line back around the jump was fabulous. The connection shift coming into it on all reps looked good – you shifted to her eyes and rotated nice and early and she was great! So fun to see how strong her commitment is!Last sequence:
The toy fell out in the perfect spot on the first rep LOL!
The spin and commitment looked good on all of these reps but we can smooth out the line into it, which will smooth out the line out of it. On the 1-2 line, try to be more laterally away from her rather than running close to the line – by being close to the line, you ended up being late on the FC on the tunnel exit, so her line there was a little wider and then the momentum pulled your running line a bit out past the exit wing, which made her line wider too. Leading out more laterally will allow you to start your FC before she enters (because you will be further across the tunnel when she enters it) so it is done before she exits. Yo can also do a blind there, it might be even quicker to finish it before she exits. And as you finish the FC or BC, you can be heading to where the wing meets the bar on the turn wing – so when you do the spin, she can land tight and come right back around it.
Also, being done with the FC sooner will give you a moment to set up the rotation sooner and look at her eyes. On these, because you were finished the FC and she was bearing down on you 🙂 your connection ending up swooshing to the landing spot and she was a tiny bit wide. It was not that wide, but based on the turns you were getting when you shifted to her eyes – it is definitely worthwhile to try to get the shift to her eyes here.You two are looking great! It is fun to be able to look at these tiny details because everything else is going so nicely 🙂
Great job!
TracyGood morning! Lots of good stuff to look at here! In general, it is all looking good so now we are into the tiny details for best possible turns and lines.
First sequence: FC. All of the speed circle lines before the FC looked great! Smooth and connected and FAST! I think the best turn on the FC was when you looked at her eyes:
At :08, you shifted a bit to landing spot and your arm was a bit high so she was a little wide
:24 had better better rotation a bit earlier, maybe connection shifted to your hand? Better turn than the first rep but not as good as at :37 where it looks liked you looked at her eyes more directly and it created the tightest turn. Nice!Sequence 2: Lap turn
These are going well, you got her turn on all 3 lap turns (:47, :57, 1:08)! She had good collection in front of the jump on these, i looked like you were looking at her eyes on each (perhaps on the last one you shifted down to your hand but it started with looking directly at her eyes). She did nicely with you looking at her eyes, so keep doing that on this move 🙂 You can set a nicer line before it by calling her before she enters the tunnel so she exits tighter and expecting to drive to you. I see what you mean by the wideness after landing. Yes, it might be that your arm was too high, blocking connection – at :48 she looked up at you to double check. A lower hand will show more connection which should smooth it out. Also, using your verbals sooner will help: as soon as she has turned away and approaches the jump to take off, you can go to your go tunnel verbal to help her drive out.Sequence 3: Throwback
She read these nicely too, she didn’t appear to have any trouble telling that these were different from the lap turns – nice job!!!
You can call her sooner (before entering the tunnel) here too to get a tighter line to jump 3. At 1:28 you had the smoothest throwback, starting with looking at her eyes. It seems like she is committing pretty early (which is a good thing!) so I bet you do not have to shift your connection to landing on this – you can try a soft arm motion without turning your head, which will get you to the blind sooner. The blinds (looking over your left arm) were a little late because you shifted to landing then had to turn to your left shoulder – but she was flying so the reconnection happened after she came around the wing and she had to wait. I bet she can do it without you looking behind you, which allows the reconnection to be done before she comes around the wing.Sequence 4:
Good timing on your blind at 1:38! But she back jumped on the next jump. You were late on the blind on the next rep, but she did NOT back jump the next jump. Timing was good again on the blind at 2:03 but then you ended up getting a rear cross on the next jump at 2:05. It went really well on the last rep (timing was a little late on the blind and you held the spin a little later to get commitment. So I think what we are seeing here is that doing the on time blind while getting ahead on the line is putting you too far ahead on the next line – so you end up slowing down and having to wait, which was why things were going wrong. On the late blind, you moved into the jump after it and she did well! So… don’t be late if possible LOL! But do run closer to the line for the blind cross jump, so when you finish it you will still be moving forward to the next jump. And it is possible that the spin on the next jump it too tight – you can try a decel and shoulder turn and see how it goes! This is where we have more option for small dog handling – generally staying closer to the lines on a sequence like this can help get the good timing in place AND commitment to the line after it.
Great job!
TracyHi!
Haha, always better to play with the dog than to mulch leaves LOL!! Is the snow still there or did it melt quickly?
I think he is doing really well on the ladder grid! You can add motion to it now, he seems really strong on it! And maybe at a 4th jump at an equal distance away from the others. This eventually goes up to 5 jumps. The 6 inch height is still fine if you add motion and one more jump as a challenge.His butt looked much better on the reps when you were moving as opposed to the reps where you were stationary out at the target. And also when you were out there but tossed the ball. I watched it a few times and I think that he is just powering through his rear more in those situations – and you standing still out there is dull compared to that LOL! One of my dogs is like that too 🙂 So, let’s keep on having you move! I mean, agility is a moving sport 🙂 and as the bar comes up, we can help him power over it. His form is good either way, but the real power comes when you (or the ball) is moving. Maybe one more session like this at 10 and then try 12!
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>>I think what happens when I’m farther away from the tunnel is I am waiting to see her to make connection. That’s not necessary for the verbal. >>
Yes! You can totally use the verbals early and often 🙂
T
Hi there!
>> I think my arms were a tad quieter here.
Yes! I think you looked really good here!
>>Eden turns better to the left but I’m better to her right.
Yes, I agree 🙂 But at the end, she got her right turn too! I think on the first couple of right turn RCs it was just a matter of being a little too late then a little too early. The RCs on the other side looked great – nice patience at the wing then you drove her into it and she read them well! You transferred it to the left turn really well and she nailed it 🙂 All of the GO reps looked great – she was really flying, so awesome to see her having fun!
Great job!!
TracyHi! I think the trick to verbals is to add them in gradually so it is easy to remember them all 🙂 You can add in a switch to mean ‘turn away’ and then match your rear cross body language to it. It is a very useful verbal!
For the other set up – you can see it on the video where I am on the landing side of the jump near the wing closer to the tunnel. I will also get the drawing program open and see if I can draw it 🙂
Tracy
Hi! She did so well here! You did a great job helping her out – she is so young that she needed the handling 🙂 She got the ‘lay of the land’ here in this session (great stay!!) so that you have the 3rd wing in, you can work to help her be quick in her back and forth on both sides.
Great job!!
TracyHi!
About the hand across the body on the exit of the blind – yes, I will still use it a bit even with another obstacle coming – it helps keep me from flailing my dog-side arm on the send or cue to the next obstacle LOL! As the pups get more experienced, you won’t need to use much arm across the body but it is good to keep the arms down in general.On the Diamond – so connected on the wraps into the tunnel! Nice! As he exits the tunnel, that is a spot to make more connection with the dog side arm way back – he was coming in a little off the line and looking at you – it is clearer to see when he is on your right at :24, for example. So reach your eyes back into the tunnel and that will help him be able to find the line on the exit. And that in turn will help you be able to turn sooner because he will commit sooner. Some of the blind crosses were harder because they started a little late but you were definitely getting the idea of the timing, like at :33! Really nice! And you had your arm back there so he drove directly to the next wing. At :43 your timing was also good, and you had good connection when he exited the wing – but you pointed forward to the wing after it before he passed you… so it looked like a blind and he ended up on the wrong side of you. Keeping the dog side arm back will act as a send (sounds so counterintuitive, right?) You had more connection after the blind at 1:00 and he sent really nicely 🙂
Nice rocking horse front crosses at 1:10! I think he ran past the tunnel at 1:13 simply because he was coming out of handler focus at high speed and was just running fast. Wheee! I don’t think you were in the way. He found it nicely on the next rep, no problem! You were a little on his line on the FC out of the tunnel at 1:28 but in a much better spot for it at 1:39 and 1:54. Those were complex moments and he did well! When you did the rocking horse with the blinds, you can see how nicely he is picking those up! And you had really great connection there, and also when you did the blind between the 2 blue wings at 2:23 and 2:37 NICE!! He committed so you could be timely and connected so he had a really nice turn! That set up really nice ending lines on those 2 reps and also the last rep. I think he had the toy on those so he was faster, but you also drove harder through the handling and it looked really good!
On the RC versus Go versus backside video – he did well! Ideally the wrap on the wing is a FC, but it is OK if it is not 🙂 a post turn there is fine as long as we set him up to drive the next line.
On the Go reps, these are looking good! You can throw a little sooner, he was looking up a bit rather than forward. He did really well on the RCs! You can’t really throw sooner on those (because he has to get past you) but he read those really nicely! He still wants to look up at you but I think it has more to do with the ball than with the RC line 🙂 You ran a really strong line there and he seemed to read them all perfectly! On the backsides: when he was on your right, it looks like you were showing more of the wing so he didn’t go as wide to the backside. When he was on your left later in the video, you were driving harder to the outside edge of the wing, so he was going wider there. He still committed to the backside, but try driving more towards the center of the bar so he can see the whole bar, and see how he does in terms of staying in nice and tight to the backside wing.Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
