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Good morning! She is such a nice helper, giving you the frisbee as you are setting up LOL!
This is going well!! You were pushing more but also really keeping lovely connection throughout!
On the these runs – very nice connection, you are really working it and it is really supporting her lines! Looking at it in sections, it is more about seeing the timing at this point – you were able to see her a lot so we can obsess a bit on timing now too 🙂On jump 1, you can play with handling it all dog-on-right with your right arm back as a serp arm, rather than using the left arm across your body as the main cue at :23. The reason is that with the right arm, you can slide out of there sooner and with the left arm, there is extra rotation that takes longer to leave. If you want add the left arm as a bit of exit line connection, you can soften it now by having it on your belly and not fully up and extended.
Good exit line connection on the exit of the FC at 4-5! You were in a great spot at :27 and :57, just past the jump when she had exited the tunnel, so that is where you can start the FC. You took one more step and that caused the FC to be happening in the air, so she was wide on landing at :28. You were earlier at :58 and 1:39 so she was definitely tighter!
At 1:21, you were in a good spot but for some reason she chose a REALLY early takeoff point on this rep, so she landed wider (physics of the trajectory) despite you actually turning earlier than you did on the other reps. I am not sure if she was questioning the rotation: you were rotating but moving sideways through the rotation, or if she was fatigued (efficient jumping fatigues the quads & hamstrings and core pretty quickly). The good exit line connection brings her right back to the correct side.
On the last rep, comparing the commitment cues: at :222 you moved forward then turned (rather than moving a bit sideways like the previous rep) so she had a MUCH better takeoff and turn! She seems to think the transition where you move forward then rotate is clearer than the transition where you are moving into it sideways.
The spin looked good on all the reps! The Fc on 6 sets up the next line: at :31 was a tiny bit late, half a step – but in a tight line, that little lateness caused the off course. When she landed from the white jump at :32 you were just about fully rotated (and definitely connected, yay!) so then as soon as she lands, you need to cue the next rotation. You had a big step forward, swooshed her to the jump…. she thought you wanted tunnel at :32. I always reward those off courses immediately even if it felt like she should not have done it in the moment, because it always turns out that I caused it by being late 🙂
The FC at 1:02 and 1:25 were later too, starting as she was landing from 6. To start earlier, watch to see her looking at the white jump when she lands from 5, and then decelerate into the rotation before she passes you. You gave a softer step into the takeoff of 7 at 1:02 and 1:26, so she still landed long but was easier to call off the tunnel.
The rotation at 1:42 was earlier so you were fully turned and connected when she landed so then you immediately got into the next rotation – great turn there at 1:44! Yay! The last rep at 2:27 was good too!She was a bit high in her jumping on the 9 jump at but it was not too bad – plus the decision to take off how she did was made at 1:30 and the verbal feedback/withhold of reinforcement happened at 1:32… too much delay to have an association with the choice point. So while she might change something on the next rep, it would likely have more to do with a bit of being suppressed from the no reward moment and will bleed over into other things as well. Also, similar takeoff choices get rewarded a lot with the frisbee and with continuing, so it might get inconsistent if some get rewards and some don’t. So…. reward her even if it is not her best choice of jumping efforts because it was too late to mark the moment and also because it was a workable effort. She had a similar takeoff choice there at 1:48 – much earlier mark (more obvious because she touched the bar) so the likelihood of an association is better. Good reward when she got it right! I think she needs you to hold on the exit of 8 to help set up the line 9-10 (like you did there 2:12 to stay inside the bubble – she was more parallel to you there and had a better takeoff point, so it is something to plan for in your walk throughs. You stayed in the bubble there at 2:33 and she was also really lovely over the bar!
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
It must be so nice to have classes again! And masks are becoming normal now in agility, the dogs don’t seem to mind them at all.First run – connection looked great, especially on the big tunnel send as you supported it with connection and rotated away to get the blind!!! You can give him a little soft brake arm when he lands from 1 to get a tighter turn over 2. Nice connection after the blind to the teeter! Yes, a tiny bit late but I think that was more that you needed to call him sooner on the tunnel exit – by being a little late on the call, you had to wait til he turned to the jump before the teeter before you could start the blind.
On the send to the tunnel after the in in at :18, I think what happened was you were connected to watch him, but as you switched arms and sent to the tunnel with your right arm, that caused your chest and feet to rotate away from the tunnel and he went right past it. In that situation, something to try: you were doing the in in on the tunnel with your left arm at :17, so send him to the tunnel also on your left arm (shifting connection as your left arm sends him, from his eyes to the tunnel entry).
On the wrap at :32 after the dog walk) – I thought you had good position and good connection and good verbal going, and you were on time… but he still jumped wide. Hmmmmm! It is possible that he needs to you shift your connection more strongly to his eyes, including having your left hand there extending towards him (so you hand will end up 2 or 3 feet in front of the jump) rather than having your hand right near the bar. That can help him shift into collection. Let me know if that makes sense – it is what I do with my big black dog to convince him to turn 🙂
From the table: great connection out of the blind – gorgeous line to the tunnel!
NICE early timing on the wrap at :51!!! And Cody read it so nicely AND you had lovely exit line connection. You had to be super early there and that really helped him make the collection. Nice!!!Great job here!
TracyHi!
Ah yes, I have seen that serp exercise – if the dogs don’t have a lot of foundation on it, they think it is NUTS. We added it to the puppy class on just a couple of wings to help teach it to them.This serpy session went really nicely!!! Little details to smooth out a spot or two:
– you can delay the arm across the body on the exit line connection a bit, he doesn’t need to see it til he is getting ready to land. You don’t need to use it to help bring him in (just an arm back is all I think he needs, and good connection) – if you bring up the exit line arm to soon, he might cut in on the line and take the wrong side of the serp jump. For example, at :21, the arm was up a little early so he considered coming in on the wrong side. Compare it to :28 and :35 where you brought it up later and he was really good about staying out on his line from the tunnel to the serp jump.
Speaking of the line from the tunnel to the serp jumps – he did a GREAT job on those! You can soften up the arms a little more (use them less) and just try it with a little chest rotation and lots of eye contact. Less arm motion will get you up the line faster now that he is reading them so nicely!!!When you reversed the line:
He had a little trouble finding the line because you were “outside the bubble” 🙂 on the first jump – so he ticked the bar and then at 1:10 dropped #2. You can take a different approach to that challenge: you can lead out facing the tunnel, in motion with your right arm back – basically showing the serp line before you release him – then when you are getting to jump 2, release and keep moving and see how he reads it. Then if he is fine with that, you can work on being further and further ahead before you release: then work up to being stationary so you are out nearer the tunnel, and he can read the serp line with you all the way out there, facing the tunnel, but upper body doing all the cues. Let me know if that makes sense – it is like long distance serp position LOL! But because it is outside his bubble of distance where he can still see you, try not to work up to big distance too fast or he will ask questions (probably drop bars).Let me know if that makes sense! Great job!!!
TracyWow, lots of great work on this video!! I agree, she is processing both the physical AND verbal cues really nicely and she doesn’t lose any of that as you add more motion. Yay!
The rear crosses on the jump are looking good! It is a hard angle on the wing to jump and she is reading them well. I think you can start your verbals sooner and repeat them once or twice (turn turn turn) so she get the verbals blanketed on the line. That will help support her drive forward and commitment on the RCs. Your RC lines were nicely on time! :28 was a little late so she was jump over the center of the bar there, but the others all looked great on the jump! She did well on the backsides too – her facial expression seemed to say that she thought we were NUTS hahahaha but she did it and you rewarded with a lot of excitement, which she seems to really like 🙂 You can say the back cue more than once too and see if it helps her explode to the backside.
All of your GO cues on the wing-to-jump looked good too.The line from the tunnel went REALLY well – the tunnel adds more speed and so you got more speed on the lines here as well. The RC at 1:07 was good, but 1:22 and 1:38 were terrific and she was getting nice, early turn info. Plus, there was more motion so she drive through it harder too. Same with the backsides: more motion helped her drive to the backside more too! And of course she loved the go lines.
I couldn’t see on the video angle if there was a wing out past the jump on the tunnel section – if not, definitely add in a wing past the jump so you can do the RC and then show her how to stay on the line to the wing. And on the backsides, you can continue your running line forward to create a circle wrap (although she certainly seemed to like it when you did a FC back to the tunnel after the backside at the end :))Great job here!
TracyHi Abby! Merlin is looking really good! He seems like he is going to be really speedy, so the more he drives ahead to a jump, the easier it will be to handle him on course. You did a great job rewarding him out ahead! At :27, you got in behind him four a rear cross (yay!!). Good reward! Question about your verbals – do you have a left/right verbal started? Or a switch verbal? The ‘go jump’ you were using can be for when you want him to drive ahead and either go straight or turn back to you. And a switch or left/right can mean for him to drive ahead and turn away (rear cross). Let me know and we can get it going on these! He is ready for it 🙂
On those rear crosses, you can cut in behind him even earlier to see if you can convince him to turn his head to the next side before he takes off for the jump.2nd video – nice stays, god boy! He was fabulous about reading your cues (jump on the first rep, tunnel on the 2nd rep, jump then tunnel on 3rd rep). Yay! He is ready for more challenge on this now 🙂 Start him in his stay on the takeoff side of the jump with his feet facing the entry (the entry that is next to the jump, but he is on the other side of the jump so he has room to take the bar, if that makes sense). Then you will lead out to landing side with your feet facing the tunnel but your upper body rotated back to him (you’ll be about 2 feet away from the jump) – Stand there in the serp position and release him to come over the jump and see what he does 🙂 He should come in, turn tight, and land between you can the jump. This will add in more tight turning skills that will be useful on course. Let me know if this description makes sense LOL!
Great job here!! Let me know how it goes!
TracyHi!
I think the only real difficulty he had on these sessions was recognizing the threadle. After the first couple where he missed and you changed his line up a little to help get success, he was good at them but seemed to need a moment to gather his thoughts before you released him. So it is possible that he needs to see the threadle in this set up independently of the cues – meaning, so and entire session or two of threadles versus tunnels (no serps, it might look too similar for now). Start with an easy threadle position where he is basically on the takeoff side, then start to angle him back around into harder positions and still work the threadle, and add motion too. If he can do 2 successful sessions on that, you can mix in the serpentine versus the threadle and then it should be much easier.
He was generally really good on the tunnel versus serp – he needed a moment right at the beginning to remember, and then there was the one miscommunication later on where the body said tunnel but the verbal was not as clear – but overall really strong!
Nice work! Let me know what you think!
TracyWow, he had zero trouble transferring all these concepts, very nice!!! Yes, when you set the diagonal really sharply on the RCs, he is turning over the far side of the bar rather than the center of the bar, like at :35 and 1:15.
All of the GO and left/ right where he had to turn towards you and where he had to find the wing after the jump – fabulous! Nice extension when you wanted it, and nice collections on those too when you asked for it.
My only suggestion here it so add more distance between the jump and the two wings, so you can add challenge to him finding the line after the RCs. And, you can add in pushing him to the backside wrap on the jump (then the wing after the backside circle wrap.
About where to point your shoulders – center of the bar, same as feet 🙂 If you pull them to face the inside (non-RC wing) then he might get confused as to when you want the RC versus when you want a go or post turn. And if you face the next line too early, you might push him onto the backside line. Let me know if that makes sense!
Great job!!
TracyHoly cow, I totally feel the pain of all the wings blowing over!!! It has been crazy wind here this weekend!
On your first rep, he was a little sticky, perhaps wondering what the heck you were doing. But as soon as the toy came out, he was all like GAME ON! So funny! The 2nd rep was MUCH faster (and the wings were totally blowing around LOL! You did a great job of running with connection. His commitment looked great and he is turning so nicely!!! Looks great! Fingers crossed for better weather so you can try this again without the wind 🙂
Tracy
Hi!
Thanks for the 2nd video! After watching it, I think the thrown reward (or a placed non-PT reward) is the best idea. The PT seems to stimulate her to run run run which makes sense if you are using it for RDW training (it is associated with running behaviors for now) and the serp is not as much of a running behavior. She did come in on the serp when you helped her – at first with some decel and bigger arm movement and by the end of the clip she did MUCH better and you had faded a lot of the help of the physical cues. But without the PT there, I think you will be able to add in going very fast 🙂 For now, I don’t suggest changing the position of the PT, because I think it will actually hurt not help (stimulating running AND easier to see). We can always come back to it later on when she has more value on the serp while you run 🙂 Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
She did a good job on this one too! For your threadle in in, try to swing your ar back and then hold it open, rather than bring it forward to cue the jump – keep it there til she sends herself to the correct side of the jump (and then party :)) this is so that we develop the default “come in go out” and you won’t have to worry about the timing of the in and out cues. You were early on the go out of the very first rep so she ended up on the wrong side. The tunnel send looks great of course 🙂 And the OK Yow serpentine release, especially after a tunnel cue, you can be a little further across the jump – between the uprights and closer to the 2nd wing with your arm already opened back before the release to help her differentiate on that first rep – that can help her get it right the first time. And that way you can really challenge the proofing by doing a different cue on each rep.
Great job on all of these videos!!!Tracy
Whoa! Rear crosses AND a retrieve (actually 2 retrieves)? Best day ever!
This session also looked great. The go line was really easy. Your first rear cross was good but your second one was GREAT! At :23 (first rear cross) you were a little too lateral at first so she looked left then turned right. But at :27 as she exited the tunnel on the next rep, you were connected and got right on the diagonal – setting up great info and a nice early cross. She never had to look anyplace other than the correct line.
When you switched sides: at 1:01, you stood still for a bit so ended up getting on the RC line late and she didn’t read the RC. You can go deeper into the tunnel on these so you don’t end up standing still and can immediately be driving the line as she exits. 1:09 was good but 1:15 and 1:20 were better in terms of how early you got on the line and she was gaining a lot of confidence driving ahead.
All of the GO and left/right lines (non-rear-crosses) looked great. How old is she now? Baby dog is looking fabulous!!!!!
Well done here 🙂
TracyHi!
She is looking great on her Diamond courses!!!
On your first reps, remember to make connection to her eyes as she exits the tunnel. At :06 and :17, you were looking ahead so she almost came off the line then popped back out to it.
On her race tracks – wow! She is committing so nicely and going fast! I think you should try it with just pumping your arms and running, rather than trying to support the line with your arm out. She is moving so fast, that arm pumping will get you moving faster, but be sure to be connected like you did so nicely here.
On your wrap timing: most of the wraps were really great in terms of commitment and timing, and those produced lovely turns. You were a tiny bit late at :26 so she was wide, but note all of the other fabulous wraps – for example, at :29 and :41 you had a great transition, nice early rotation, and great connection: home run! She committed and turned beautifully.
At :36, as you decelerated into the wrap, you disconnected and looked forward so she came in off the line. Compare that to when you repeated it at :51 and held connection, her commitment was spot on.
The last few reps had nice wraps in the middle of faster lines – she was committing really well, so you can play with how early you can decel and rotate and still get that great commitment.
And click/treat to you for getting all of the verbals in! Well done!!!!
TracyHi!
Has he seen 20” on straight line jump grids, where he strides into it at 15, 18, and 21 foot distances? He is fine with that, then yes, definitely put it in on the straighter lines.Your exit line connection on the FCs and wraps is looking great, he is driving hard back around the wing with no questions from what I could see. Nice!! Your timing was getting earlier and earlier on the wraps as you were working out the transitions. The first 2 reps were a little late – you were rotating as he was jumping. :26 was earlier and I think :41 was right on!! :54 was good too, nice and early, but you were far ahead so there was a little too much decel and he didn’t power into it. Because he is a big dude and has to squash to get through the tunnels, you can run in deeper into the curve of the tunnel so you are still accelerating as he exits, and also still ahead. That will help you be able to show the transition without slowing down too soon.
The serps look great! You do have the connection looking really clear, his lines are good! You can accelerate more through it and soften the initial part of the connection, meaning have your arm back but not swinging back and looking at him more peripherally – that can help him drive through it even more (and you will be able to accelerate through it more too).
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
This is a lovely session. – tons of precision and connection which resulted in great lines!
First rep had a nice connected opening circle then great timing on the wrap cue – plus you ran away on the precise line with clear exit line connection at :10 – nice turn!!
2nd rep – nice timing on the throw back at :17! Yup, that is when she needs the cue and she was really good with her independent commitment and tight turn.
Also a nice throwback at :29 and your line the tunnel was spot on at :30, she was able to run a perfect line. Also a nice FC at :36 with the same precise line to the tunnel at :37.
On the 2nd set up – nice shifted connection to her eyes for the FC at :42! The line to the tunnel was a little zigzagging there – you grapevines to the left a bit as you moved away from the FC, so it drew her left then she had to go right to get to the tunnel.
Super nice FC connection and exit line connection at :52 and 1:00! She is happy to commit even with all that intensity of connection, and that allows you to already be rotated and moving away faster.
When you turned her left on the wing at 1:05 – she left camera video for a moment but it took her a while to get back in view, so I am guessing she was wide and needs a stronger collection cue.
Last rep – looking great! You are anticipating the timing a bit, so as she was in the air over #3 at 1:12, you were already deceling and giving the turn verbal so her turn was really nice on 4 – then you had a perfect running line and clear exit line connection on the way back to 5 & 6, made for a tight turn and nice fast line! At 1:17 you were in position and rotated and making connection before she even got out of the tunnel so you got a nice collection on the jump! You exited with her on your right there so you were a bit on her line and had to pull her back in – you can definitely do the blind there and exit with her on your left, so that you can have an easier line to set.Great job here! This was a terrific session!
TracyHowdy!
Wow, look at the turf at SOTC!! Your session looked great. She is DRIVING and I love it! This is going to be the most boring feedback ever:
The spins look great – her turn was PERFECT to the tunnel on both reps. Just the right amount of shifting connection. She had zero questions and drove. Your exit line looked great!
Your FC reps were almost perfect. I think on the first one you could have stayed one heartbeat longer at the wrap jump and looked at her more directly in the eye – it was a lovely turn but could be one tiny bit tighter. I REALLY liked the 2nd rep – she dropped the bar but I think it was because she was SO tight in the jumping that she just needs more experience on turning that tight. Last rep was fabulous! She sorted out how to jump really tight and you still handled aggressively.
Your exit line connection on ALL reps here was awesome a super clear.
This just might be the best training session I’ve ever seen you lay down! It is SO fun to see Demi turning on to the sport and running so fast AND turning so tight!!!! YESSSS!!
Sorry for the boring feedback hahaha but you nailed it 🙂 Onwards to the next games!!! And you might just have needed to get to the other side of the tunnel sooner for the far wing of the wrap jump? Feel free to post it!
Tracy
