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Hi!
>>It is clear that anaylsis is not my forte! I never even considered timing it between the obstacles rather than just the sum total sequence. >>
It is not that you are lacking in the skill, it is more that you haven’t needed the skill til now!
>>I would love to see a side-by side video comparison or one of those overlays like some people do for the big events!! However, I am unwilling to pay for that software >>
The software is freeeeeeee 🙂 I do it in iMovie 🙂 If you have the raw video, send it to me from http://www.wetransfer.com and I can try to get the overlays.

>>I’ve never had a dog that ran at a consistent speed, so timing handling choices has never been on my radar. >>I think with Muso it will be, and also smaller dogs are often faster with different handling than what we might do with a big dog. So your choice for River might be different than your choice for Muso. At some point we will also set up sequences for Muso and see which is faster: insisting on a tight turn or letting her set up her own turn. She is a little young for that, but we are getting close. I did that with my Hot Sauce when she was a little over 2… showing the turn and getting out of the way so she could set it up turned out to be a lot faster, even though it looked “wider” 🙂 But every dog is different and the timer is what will tell us.
>>Thank you for your thorough analysis.>>
Thank YOU for submitting 3 options so I could obsess LOL!!!!
>>Moving forward, do I now adopt a new ‘rule’ about longer distances but straighter lines as our preferred handling, or are we missing too much data to make that generalization at this point? >>
No rules yet. We need more data and also I have no problem sometimes being like “HEY MUSO YOU NEED TO COLLECT AND TURN PLEASE AND THANK YOU” even if it is the slower line 🙂 So right now we are in the data collection and turn practicing stages 🙂
>>For the front cross on 7, what should I have done to straighten that line out more? >>
The first thing to do would be to walk the exit line you want her to ru, then put the FC exactly on that line and add some decel to it to show her how much collection she needs to be able to get on that line. You will be a little closer to the entry wing of 7. But then because you are on her line, you need to be moving up the line to the weave entry so you are NOT on her line when she lands. And to set it up as a RC on the weave entry, you will want to stay in decel and step off the line the tiniest bit so she can slip by you. That is why decelerating into a spin on 7 to tighten that a tiny bit will be less tricky: requires less precision and can ultimately be the fastest route.
>>I thought the concept was that further ahead was always better>>
Only if we are showing the lines enough for the dogs to read them, and if we are sprinkling deceleration in where needed too (or rhythm change, decel has a lot of aliases nowadays 🤣)
>> but for the backside wrap from the dogwalk to 4, you had said to hang back more because I was pushing her off the line by being ahead. >>
Yes, for a push wrap, she needs to see the positional cue of you heading to where the wing and bar meet until she is able to pass you. If you move to your next line too early, you will end up pushing her off her line at 4, so hanging back was to let her get past you enough to see the direct line.
>>I wouldn’t hve tried for a blind cross to 4 since the turn away to 4 didn’t strike me as the clearest line for the dog, even if it put me further ahead. This is a whole new world for me.>>
Blind to threadle wrap is the hottest trend in agility lately, and the course design is making it easier for the dogs. In this context, you would need to be basically finishing the BC and setting up the TW as she is getting to the top of the down ramp on the dog walk… I think it could work really well! But not really needed on this course because you don’t need to be super far ahead.
>>Additionally, she is starting to miss her weave entry and just working her way over and under the weave guides so that she doesn’t have to slow down – LOL. >>
Ha! Clever. Time to fade the guides! Even if you go back to 6 poles for a bit, the guides need to go 🙂 And do you give feedback when she skips? If it is becoming a thing that has happened more than very rarely, then you can give feedback in the form of simply stopping. But that is a negative punisher so you only get two of those (2 failure rule!) total in the session. If she gets to 2 failures, then you will want to simplify the skill.
>>I am reading that as a baby dog ‘need for speed’ move rather than a catastrophic training hole. What are your thoughts? >>
Need for speed errors could be a training hole. Not catastrophic at all (pooping on the top of the a-frame regularly would be more catastrophic LOL) but something to sort out at this stage. Get those guides out ASAP 🙂 even if you have to go back to 4 poles or slightly open channels/2x2s etc, the first thing to do is take the guides out. There are 2 reasons: first, she is currently using them differently than you want her to. Second, we do not want guides to be the cue for the behavior, and it is very easy for that to happen if aids are left in position for too long (same in flyball – get the props out of your box turns ASAP!)
>>Her chiro adjustments have always been minimal, so I’m not really concerned about an injury.>>
Does she also have a massage/trigger point person who sees her regularly? You will definitely want to have a soft tissue person as part of Team Muso along with the chiro. These whippety types spend a lot of time trying to break themselves LOL!!!!!!
Keep me posted!
Tracy
Good morning!
>>Last weekend’s trial was fun but he knocked a bar on each run >>
One bar isn’t too bad, that can often just be late info from us humans 🙂 But also keep working the conditioning skills and jump grids – all of that strengthening and education can help him keep the bars up even when the info is not perfect.
>>and he didn’t want to do the weaves. I think the problems in the runs were caused by him stressing over the weaves.>>
That is possible! He might need NFC/FEO runs with a toy so you can just play in the weaves and get him to a more relaxed place with them in the ring.
>>I had real problems figuring out how to do the hot topic in pkg 5. The only way I could be successful was if I started with jump 2.>>
He is making a line decision as he exits the wrap at 1, based on your line of motion and shoulders/feet. So if your motion and feet/shoulders are facing forward as he is approaching takeoff, then he continues straight into the tunnel. When you broke it down to start at 2, you were turned towards 3 before he made a takeoff decision, so he got 3 really well. Yay!
So you can add earlier turn cues to get it from 1: as he exits the wing of 1, you can be using a strong turn cue to inform his takeoff decision for 2! That can be a big strong brake arm (both arms pushing back to him, with the outside arm highly visible) or even a reverse spin. A reverse spin might be what is needed for now, and then as he gains experience with these turns in front of a tunnel, you can fade it out in favor of the brake arm and shoulder turn.
I grabbed some visual of what he was seeing when he was off course versus when he was successful. And then scroll down below it to see screenshots of what I mean by how early the timing should be:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tvUaKhrHLhJdbj42NHPf5knK7KRpP1TlyC6wgU2yEEU/edit?usp=sharingYou will want to do the turn cues so early you almost pull him off 2! And you can also make the tunnel less of a big visual distraction by turning both ends of it down to the ground. That way the tunnel is visible, but the entry & exit are not visible or accessible, so he will be a little less stimulated by it.
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Good morning! Sorry for the delay, it has been a busy morning of dealing with waterfalls inside the RV thanks to slide issues and hard rain. And you are correct, waterfalls inside an RV are not a good thing. Ugh!
And hooray for going to a trial this weekend!!!!! The socializing is truly the best part 🙂 The runs are fun too, but I’m betting it will feel great to see everyone!
Looking at the video: the opening looked really lovely!
Telling him to go weave before he entered the tunnel really helped on the 2nd run. You he was in the tunnel before you said anything on the first run, so he had a big question.Yes, 8-11 is super challenging! It has decisions on which way to turn the dog, then how to handle the decisions, then executing.
>>The simplest, successful way was leave out the FC between 9 and 10 and RC 11. That was the way that was ultimately the best.>>
It totally worked and didn’t put you too far away from where you needed to be for 12-13- 14! Using the jump verbal on the 2nd time through there (1:26) locked him onto the correct obstacle sooner than saying “Go” at :44.
>>I also tried doing 7 as a backside R to L and 8 as a backside L to R. That should have made 9 easier and potentially could get me down the line for the send to 10-11.>>
Yes, definitely important to consider sending him to the other side of 8 (the far wing)because it will set him up to land facing the correct side of 9 and keep you further ahead. So how to make it work?
Doing it as a turn away without a side change on landing of 7 and running him across your feet (:51 – :56) is actually a threadle wrap. I think he was confused by the around verbal, which is a push so he was offering pushing away but not really sure where to go. And we do often flip them away to the tunnel in this scenario, so I can see why he offered the tunnel at :58. When you put him on your left with connection, he got it right away.
The easiest way to handle 7 is as a German so he exits on your left. He has great independent weaves so you can put to 7 from pretty far across the bar, making the German turn exit relatively easy. You were in great position at 1:21 for it.
Then you can push to the backside of 8 on the outside (far) wing and do a FC after he commits to 8. That will get him landing from 8 and looking at the the line to the correct side of 9 and you will be able to move out of the FC and up the line very easily. And that will not be slower (might be faster!) because you have an extension line 7-8 and less collection 8-9.
Handling 9 as a slice sets a bit of a zig zaggy line to 11. So another option is to do the super trendy 😁 threadle wrap 9 (he is wrapping to his right rather than slicing to he left). That can set up a pretty straight line 9-10-11, on your right or even on your left if you exit the threadle wrap with a blind. We are seeing these pesky I mean popular 🙂 threadle wraps a whole lot lately so it is something to consider!
>>The final (correct) run included a wildcard at #14. I don’t know if it was a byproduct of how I built the course but I was completely out of control of which way he would go around 14. I just showed him the jump and reacted to how he did it. A strategy which worked but which I generally do not recommend.
>> It might have felt out of control, but your physical and verbal cues did cue the slice on 14: facing the slice line, stepping to it, saying ‘go’ as you sent, then turning towards 15. He read it perfectly and it was definitely cued even if it did not feel cued.
SUPER nice timing on the wrap cues for 16!!! As he was over 15, he already was seeing what was coming next and produced a nice turn there!! And that set up a great ending line. Yay!!
Great job here! Let me know what you think about the ideas for 7-11. And have a great time this weekend with agility and potluck 🙂
Tracy
Hi! This was great fun to see and compare the differences! I timed each option 4 ways:
Total time from landing of 6 to exit of weaves
Landing of 6 to landing of 7
Landing of 7 to weave entry
Weaves entry to exitThe handling choice affects the time for each section!
Here is what I found:
Not surprisingly, the threadle option (rep 1) was fastest landing of 6 to landing of 7 (shortest yardage). The other 2 options were about equal, (option 3 was second fastest, option 2 was slowest).Also not surprisingly, option 3 was fastest landing of 7 to the weave entry, and that carried through the poles and option 3 was fastest through the poles. Extension Iines creating more speed through the poles too! The collection 6-7 and landing not facing the weave entry caused those 2 times to be the slowest option for rep 1.
There is a caveat, through – option 2 (FC 7 then RC poles) was only a 10th slower than option 3 – and you were in her way on that option so she landed behind you, then had to find the correct stride then turn again to find the weaves. That might be at least 2 extra strides added… That also slows down the poles because she was in collection zig-zagging to them.
So I think if you can set a better line and not be in her way 🙂 option 2 will ultimately be fastest overall! Any time lost 6-7 on the longer yardage will be made with the great turn onto the extension line to the weaves and the faster weaves. The other way to get option 3 faster is a tiny bit more decel into the spin on 7, to take out some of the yardage from landing of 7 to the weave entry.
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Good morning!
Katniss being really fast is a champagne problem 🙂
I think part of what was hard here was you were going to the other side of the middle wing and trying to get her to take it then do t he 2nd blind. Ideally, the double crosses are on the ‘takeoff’ side of the first wing and bring her past the middle wing. Your timing of tarting the first blind was betting really good! One thing that will help is to keep your wings (arms) in a lot tighter. You don’t have time to have them extended, re-extend them after blind 1, then bring them in to blind 2, then re-extend. Keep your wings in tight the whole time so your blinds will be all connected based and super quick, like these:
And it will get easier as she gets more experienced. That way she will be able to predict the blinds based on seeing the very beginning of the cue rather than needed to see the full cue.
The zigzags went great! Using the forward focus here really helped 🙂 Yay! You can raise the bars to the next jump cup! Only one suggestion is to change the placement of the reward to having it more on the line past the last wing, so she has an additional turn over the 2nd jump. So for example, at :33 she jumped to her right over 1 then to her left over 2, then it was a straight line to the toy. If you move the toy out past the last wing (same distance, 12 feet away or so) then she will jump to her right over 1, to her left to get 2, then turn to her right again to get to the toy. Let me know if that makes sense or if I need more coffee 🙂
>>I had a question about the self-study Max Pup classes. I know that you update and add to the classes each time you run them live. Do you ever replace the ones available for self-study to reflect the new content? I>>
I do sometimes manage to update the independent study classes, and thank you for the poke to put it on my to-do list LOL!!! I also allow people to switch over to newer versions – no change fee if the cost is the same, or a small upgrade fee if it changed.
>> have a friend who is hopefully getting a puppy soon, and since you are getting ready to run Max Pup 1, she won’t be able to do it live until the next time it goes live, which will be a while I would assume. >>
Yes, it is every November and usually becomes the independent study class in the spring when it is finished.
>>Another friend (Kristin with Tala) wants to do the Max Pup 3 as independent study, but I know she was hoping for the updated version rather than buying the older one (I compared the list of lessons to this current class, and there do seem to be quite a few differences, at least in the names so I’m presuming content as well). >>
She can send an email to support@agility-u.com and request to be get into the current version! This current MP 3 will probably go up as independent study sometime in November. Thank you for telling them about it!!!
Great job here!
Tracy
Good morning! I am so glad your hand is feeling better!!! And hopefully the weather keeps cooling down. It has been a crazy hot summer!
>>this ‘animal’ was walking over jumps and knocking bars down>>
Ha! That was very helpful of him LOL!!!!
>>I did some rep with him sitting before first jump, but ‘sitting is a lot of work’ so we did some without ‘startline’.>>
>>Most of the times this ‘animal’ just walks, I think because spacing for him and how low the bars are; but few times he did ‘jumping’ too!>>The best jumping reps came when he was either in a sit stay, or when he was looking forward already before you started moving (not in an official stay, but looking at the jumps). When you started him when he was facing the MM and had to turn to find the jump, he always walked/trotted into that first jump (or over both of them). So to maintain the jumping, you don’t always need a stay but definitely have him facing the jumps for a couple of seconds before you start moving towards them.
You can also have the MM further away, 15 feet or so, to help him stride out of the 2nd jump. If it is too close, he will be trying to slow down over jump 2, which will produce trotting rather than jumping.
I think the distances are good for now – he definitely thought it was hard when you ‘flattened’ the angles after :40! But he did well sorted out which leg had to go where 🙂 As he gets better with this jumping puzzle, you can raise the bars a bit (I would probably only ask him to do 16” on this grid eventually, because of his size). And as he builds power, you will see that he is going to need a shade more room so we can expand the distances.
Great job here!!
TracyGood morning!
Yeah, back to school is hard when there is agility to run!!! But at least the weather has been great lately.
>>I videoed at least a couple of “walk” throughs for each of the 4 sequences, so the video is a bit longer than usual. >>
It was great! I could ‘see’ Nox on just about every step of every walk through. And that carried over to the runs, which went really well.
>>I didn’t include because the video quality wasn’t good (was getting dark), so technically we didn’t do the one-and-done on that one. The issues we had from the reps not included were dropped bars. She was taking them ALL out. Unfortunately, you really couldn’t see enough detail to see why.>>
My guess is that if the video was not clear enough to see details… then it was too dark for her to see the jumping lines too. Speaking from human experience: seeing detail at dusk is HARD for me. Sunlight? Sure! Nighttime? Not too bad, I can see pretty well! But in that transitional time at sunset as the light is changing? REALLY hard to see anything. It sucks getting old hahahaha!
But that might be the reason why she was hitting a lot of bars there (and not having a lot of bar troubles here, even when it was a little into the sunset times).
On the runs: overall, you did a great job making connection to your invisible Nox 🙂 Your pace of movement along the lines was pretty spot on (I think there was one spot where you had to run harder than planned to get to your next spot, and you did with no problem and without breaking connection). Practicing the pace of handling at home will make trials easier because your brain & muscles will be so familiar with how it feels that you can produce the same pace at trials, even if you cannot do this fully at a trial walk through.
More good rehearsal: Your verbals were good in the walk through. Your exit line connection was looking strong – I think there was one spot where you could have shown it more in the walk through and so it would be clearer in the run. You were patient along the lines and showed your invisible dog each line, and that transferred to your runs really well.
There were also a couple of spots where, during the walk through, I thought she might need slightly different handling or a different position. Nope! She read all of your handling great in those spots, which is an indicator that you are really learning what she needs on course! YAY!
Click/treat to you!!! The session was very successful!!!
I have some details and ideas for you, but they are small details mainly because overall, thing went great 🙂
Sequence 1:
Your plan was very clear on jump 1 (wrap to the right) in the walk through and the run, but you can also consider turning her the other way (wrap left) so there is a better line 1-2-3. Turning left will get her taking 2 facing 3. Turning to her right on 1 will get her facing 8 and adds an additional turn to 3. As she was jumping 2, you can see her going straight towards the 8 jump then turning after landing.Watching the walk through, I was thinking maybe she needed a brake arm at 6 to get a good turn to 7? Nope! She didn’t, she read the shoulder turn and connection really well in the run.
The entire run looked great!
Seq 2:
This is a spot where I was thinking in the walk through that she might need you closer to 1 to set the line 1-2-3… nope! She read it perfectly.Handling choice moment: In the walk through, you did a FC 4-5 and didn’t really set up a turn cue on 5 (decel and wrap verbal). So in the run she had the bar down on 5 at 1:56 and jumped long there at 2:14. I this scenario, you can try a blind cross instead of a FC, which gives you more time to set up the decel and wrap cues for 5 as she is landing from 4.
She also had the bar down on jump before tunnel – she was jumping on an angle away from the tunnel and tried to adjust over the bar when you cued the tunnel. On the next rep at 2:18, you turned a little more and waited til she had turned to say the tunnel verbal and that worked great!
Seq 3:
In the walk through, at 4-5 (getting the front side of 5) it looked like you ha your right arm in play as a threadle arm but I don’t think that she would have been able to see it (it was in front of you at 2:31 and 2:58). You can make it more obvious by showing her more of it.You also had some really good brake arm action here to set up the soft turns, with great connection!
In the run – this also went really well. There was one spot where you had to add extra hustle (getting 7 to 8 which is the exit of the first tunnel). You did it and got where you needed to be, and it is good to know that his context is an ‘extra hustle’ context 🙂
Nice distance on the backside push! Lovely connection! She read that jump really well as the front as 5 and back as 10. It was supposed to be a challenging section on this sequence but you made it look easy peasy 🙂
You got a little tentative and decelerated too much at the end (bar at 3:44, you can see she was hesitating and barking at you). You had your brake arm planned and great connection, so you can keep powering through there.
Seq 4: This also went well!
The opening went well! It looks like you were planning layering when sending to the tunnel – to set it, you will likely need to stay closer to 1 to set the line into the layering. At 4:19 you are pulling away and I am not sure she would get the tunnel there. You stepped in more at 4:40 to send to the tunnel, which would probably work to get the layering.
On the run you did it without layering, you stayed in motion along the line – and it worked great! She had no questions.
For the exit of 4 and the wrap on 5, be sure to a decel as soon as she is exiting the tunnel, so she gets the wrap cues on jump 5. On the first run the decel was happening as she was approaching takeoff so she didn’t have time to adjust at 5:02. You were earlier at 5:26 but she still rubbed the bar (she had it figured out at 5:46). Moving up the timing to start the decel when she exits the tunnel is ideal, even if you are not totally at the wing of 5 (you don’t need to be).
Good job working the threadle wrap to keep building up the skill. Adding more decel will help – you can send to the tunnel and get a little further ahead, so you can decel and still get into position. She thought this context was *weird*. And the left turn to the jump was hard! If you see this in a trial soon, you can do a blind to set up a push wrap there. The threadle wrap will be easier in different contexts where she won’t be so annoyed by it LOL
Be sure you are running straight on the last line not pulling off to the side (she did have a question about the line at 5:12). You can use an ‘out’ cue and opposite arm to push her back out when she is on that line)
If you end up on the other side of the TW jump to help her commit to it, you can run the last line dog on right too.Really great job here! She had very few questions (and zero off courses). YAY!!!!!! Fingers crossed for more great weather so you can keep working her like this!
Tracy
>>Well, I think I’m more surprised I haven’t done this before.
Ha! I do it all the time 🙂
This video was the correct one! Nice teeter! You can maybe add a tunnel before it if you are looking for ways to put it into sequence – that will keep. The excitement going as you continue to add drop bit-by-bit 🙂
The sending to the jump looks great – I am REALLY happy with how well he blasted past you to a tight turn, even when you were decelerated and sending before he got past you. This is SUCH a useful skill for the small dogs! You can keep expanding it by revisiting this setup and adding more and more distance so eventually he can send 30 feet away!
Going around the back of the tunnel is going well too – I don’t think you need to help him ignore the tunnel entry as much as you helped at :46, that got too much handler focus. You had a better line running past it at 1:12 using great connection without over-helping, but you need one or two more steps so he can see there is indeed a wing hidden back there 🙂 It was hard to see if he went around the wing on the other side at 1:40. And the backside tunnel entry is hard of a lot of dogs but it was not hard for him! Yay!! So all he needs is one or two more steps past the tunnel so he sees the wing on the other side of it.
Great job here!!
TracyHi!
>>We hadn’t done mountain climber in a while and apparently that was a bit much with the teeter switch and the angled entry.>>
Yes – but really only on your right side. Even with the boards removed for a bit, she was less sure about it all on your right side and drove up more on your left. Interesting! Maybe something with the lighting… sun into shadow on that side? Either way, no worries, she was figuring it out even with the different movement & sound of that board. Maybe next session start her on your left side so we can test the theory that she prefers it that way for the teeter?
And of course she preferred your right side on the tunnel threadles 🙂 And it has been a while for the tunnel threadles for sure! When doing it with just one tunnel, you can meet her more at the exit of the tunnel and be moving more towards the threadle entry. That can add more excitement for sure!
Adding the wing made her think hard for sure – she was generally getting the idea really well. The tunnel was a distraction for the wing wraps (she was correctly anticipating that the tunnel was next) so if your connection was not clear when cuing a wing wrap from a standstill (closed shoulder like at 1:51, 2:08, 2:14) you got some barking (same happened at 2:58, closed shoulder cue to the tunnel from a standstill). So in these harder challenges, getting her moving before the wrap by either starting further from it and running into it, or running into the tunnel before it, will totally help!
That will also allow you to cue the turn on the wing and tunnel threadle even sooner which will make that easier too.
She did well with the concept and even though it was a little rusty from lack of use 🙂 I know she will sleep on it and will not have to think about it as much in the next session.
Great job here!
TracyHi!
I think this is the same video from the previous session (9/8) not the new one 🙂 Let me know what you post the new one 🙂Tracy
Good morning!
>>You noted about Synnie’s weaves at the one run. She is going to the chiropractor today, but I was thinking she did it because I went farther ahead than normal. She has really good lateral weave distance, but we haven’t worked a lot of me going past her and ahead of her in the weaves.>>
Totally could be that she was surprised at your position and it was a bit of weaving to nothingness 🙂 She does have good lateral distance skills and the only errors I could recall had her popping out not freezing. But seeing the chiro is good too, as part of her competition routine 🙂
>>**but it was the longer harder way to get 9.**
I tried wrapping the close side of 9 but I just couldn’t get the blind in that way, and I didn’t want to rear cross to 10 because I felt like that told her to take the tunnel.>>TOTALLY agree that a RC on 10 would be a tunnel cue 🙂 Based on how you set the course, I was thinking a slice on 9 would be the best option – I drew it out here so you could see what I mean. Handling options would be a spin on 8 to a threadle slice on 9 then a FC, or FC 8 to RC/FC 9.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oCPa8Cs2SL7oKDVABD5Ogc7WJoW06UH5TLW75obS0yg/edit?usp=sharing
>>I did put 18 in the wrong spot…too much rushing, not enough paying attention to detail!! It was fun that way though, and I loved that she read the backside easily to that jump without taking the tunnel!!>>
No worries, you put it in the harder spot and she nailed it! Yay!
Tracy
Good morning!
>>. I decided to work in some small sequences before attempting the entire course…more reinforcement…and less chance of frustration… to get us back on course (no pun intended!!).>>
That was a great strategy! It is a challenging course. Plus, coming off a big event, taking a break from full courses for a while is great. Think of it as training in cycles. Right now you can cycle ‘down’ a bit to work on skills and then cycle back up to full courses as the next big even approaches.
The Opening looked good – great job bringing her through there without her questioning which line you wanted! You can send to 3 more so you don’t need to get as close to 4 and the tunnel 5, making it even easier to layer the 2/13 jump and the 16/10 jump so you can appear at the weave entry ahead of her and not near the 16/10 jump.
She found the line to the weaves well at :29! Her layering skills are getting really strong!!! You can give her the weave cue sooner instead of the out cue – you can be telling her to GO (or out) then the weave cue before she even enters the tunnel (and keep repeating it til she gets to the weaves).
It was unusual that she froze in the weaves at :42. Sometimes dogs do that when weaving away from the course. Sometimes they do that when they are sore mid-back. She had altered footwork on the other passes through the weaves, so it is possible she is sore. Lots of travel plus running on turf can do it… do you have a local massage person? If not, I know some great ones local to you 🙂
>>7-11 was especially tough for us >>
Yes, that was probably the hardest section for everyone! You didb’t get the off course 19 tunnel on any rep there, so that is a big win!
The 7 backside went well – doing it as a push gets you to better position for 8 and 9. To keep her front thinking you wanted the 3/9/17 jump after 7, you would need to push to 7 from further across it then only do the blind when you have passes the exit wing and are on the takeoff side. If you are not far enough across the bar or too early on the blind, she will totally think you want the 3/9/17 jump. Your best rep there was at 2:46, where you were furthest across the bar and more on the takeoff side of 7.
You and Synnie got the front cross to the threadle wrap really well on 9 but it was the longer harder way to get 9. Pushing to the slice coming in from the wing closer to 8 is easier/faster line and also gets you a little further ahead for 10-11. You can do a FC on 8 but head for the takeoff side of 9 (it would be a threadle slice there) then a FC on the exit of 9.
>> you say “go tunnel” it isn’t helping any! >>
Yes but that was entertaining and she was happy LOL! I thought the layering in that section went well on the first run! To get her to do it really reliably, you can send into it from further back.
At 2:56 you were late starting the cues plus you had a high arm which turned your shoulders to the tunnel. Compare to when she was successful (1:22 to 1:27) – you turned on the acceleration motion and BIG verbals sooner, right after exit of 9 and also sticking closer to 9 to start it so she really knew to accelerate away into the layering.
One detail for a faster line is to turn her to her right (outside) on 14 rather than wrap to the left (inside) for better/faster/easier line for boy both to set up 15-16 with you further ahead. That will allow you to set up the turn cue for 16 earlier (as she is landing from 15). Adding add decel when she lands from 15 and starting the verbals, then rotating away to 17 will prevent the off course. At 1:37 those cues started at takeoff for 16 and she was already committed to the line to the tunnel. The cues were earlier at 3:20, so she did not look at the tunnel. Super!!!!
I think you had the 8 jump as the 2nd to last jump instead of the 18 jump., but that is fine because it is harder (closer to the tunnel!) and she read the flip into the tunnel really well!
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Hi!
I did a search for Enzo’s classes in the website’s back end…. you’ve been busy! Thank you for taking so many classes!!!! I found the zig zag stuff (2020) and I also found a discussion on getting better turning by teaching the dog to turn their heads into the turn (I teach that first to all of my dogs, very early in puppy training). That discussion is here:I couldn’t find the wrap stuff in the threads but I did find the videos:
For dogs that don’t naturally have a tight/organized sit, I use a cato plank:
Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
She did well figuring out the general concept – stepping and supporting the line with more motion really helped. Plus your verbals sounded really different, that was great! And I was very excited to see her be able to do the left turn (not layering) and then layer after the tunnel – super! You can give her her ‘go jump’ cues before she goes into the tunnel, so she doesn’t even have to glance in your direction 🙂
>>She had a few things to say about starting in general, but didn’t get any pop rock moments when I asked her to wrap so maybe….fingers crossed.
Yes, she was a little frozen on the starts, which likely indicates that it was a bit too hard to get on the big line from a standstill. Adding more momentum from the wing wrap really helps too because she is already in extension when approaching the jumps rather than coming in from a standstill. She also looked at you to figure out why your arm was above your head on the layering to the tunnel LOL!!! SHe is not used to seeing that.
Because we are early in her layering training, you can also break it down by using a straight tunnel on the line facing the jump, so it is easier to see on the line. And you can also surprise her with the placement of reinforcement – if she is heading to the tunnel (layering towards the tunnel) you can throw earlier (somewhere on the line between the jump and tunnel), or when doing the reverse through between the tunnel exit and the jump, so that she never looks back at you. The early throws are also variable and can be anywhere along the line – that really keeps her looking forward because the reward can appear at any time! Using your ‘get it’ before the yay is also the most helpful – if you say ‘yay’ first, she looks at you 🙂
>>I was so pleased with her coming in over the jump when cued and didnt’ realize until I watched the video that I was using the wrong cue so she was probably coming in because Left sounded like Lift. Will have to try it the other direction and see how that goes.>>
She was indeed coming in really well – the physical cues and change in volume of the verbals helped a lot too. And yes, the possibility that it was her name was fine too – that turn might not be a full on ‘left’ turn for her because it is still somewhat extended for a dog her size. It might be a name call or a quiet ‘jump’ verbal (jump versus tunnel as a verbal discrimination is a good skill!)
>> Canadians do SS as time plus faults and a super fast BC dropped a bar but still won overall. >>
Interesting that they score it that way. I think they are the only ones in the world in UKI who do that? It definitely gives an advantage to the BCs in the 16″ class who are jumping down as opposed to the Shelties and terriers who are jumping up.
>. I had serious FOMO about scratching Jan’s Masters Agility course on Sunday but it was getting warm inside the barn and we were both tired so I pulled him from that and Gamblers to save our legs for National Finals.>>
Smart move – that Finals course had a LOT of yardage and no rest stops for the handler!
Nice work here!
TracyBEHOLD THE POWER OF A CHEESEBURGER!!!! Sounds like he had a life changing experience 🙂 I mean, I would also run up a teeter for a bite of a good burger, so I can totally relate.
Usually only bad things transfer value so quickly and it takes a lot longer for good things to happen, so it is awesome that something good had such a fast value transfer! Yay! And yes, it is a small pain in the b*tt because you will need to totally block off the teeter somehow, but it is still totally worthwhile. Now I want a burger LOL!!!! (Side note: my young whippet might debut this weekend so the high value food rewards have already been purchased because it will be at a small venue with 2 noisy rings: rotisserie chicken and meatballs! So, BIG VALUE FOOD for big value moments it 100000% worth it :))
>> The sound is at normal speed and the video runs at triple speed so nothing matches. I’ll just tell you he did a speed loop of 3 jumps, tiny tunnel and right up the teeter for cod treats tonight.>>
Bummer about the video but sounds like he had an absolutely grand time going fast, teetering, and eating delicious treats. He has had a yummy weekend!!!
Tracy
