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Hi! It was fine to do this with movement only and add sound later on – she did great! I give you a massive high 5 for how FAST you were in the transitions: tug- cookie toss – wobbly thing in – reward – toss cookie – wobbly thing out – AMAZING! So fast and it made for a really efficient, high success session. She did not seem to have any trouble with the movement – nice! One way you can add more movement to it is to put a tennis ball in a sock and tape or glue the sock to the bottom of the mat or a board. It adds more motion!
I think for something like this, where she can be a little wild and make it wobble, it was fine for you to be higher energy and talk to her. And the toy will take on more value when you are running around, so no worries about her wanting food a little more in this situation. Great job here! Be safe in the blizzard!
TracySo totally agree!! And now that we can easily look at things in slow motion or play them repeatedly… the advances in training and handling have been amazing!!!
T
Hi! It should be visible as Lesson 5 (2nd from the bottom) in the Week 4 Games Package, between the Wing Wrap Foundation Part 3 and the recording from last night. All of the back end things say it is visible, but let me know if it is not there.
Thanks!Tracy
Hi Donna, welcome and congrats on getting your pup!!!!
>>We are auditing and starting late because Indy (BC) just arrived on Thursday at 8 weeks old. We have been working on the PreGame tasks since she arrived along with numerous other puppy skills. We have done the Prop value game almost every day and it is improving every session. Initially she was way too busy just exploring everything. As she is becoming more comfortable in her new surroundings her ability to associate cause and effect is starting to increase. >>
Perfect! The first couple of weeks are basically all about developing that ‘training’ relationship with the puppy – you are figuring out what she needs, she is figuring out what it is all about 🙂 Then it gets easier and fun!
>> I hope it helps diminish the puppy biting!
OMG those sharp puppy teeth! I redirect a lot, onto things like toys and away from my flesh LOL!
>>I plan on watching those videos one more time to make sure I am doing them correctly. Then we will move on to some week 1 tasks.>>
Great! Keep me posted, I am looking forward to updates 🙂
TracyKeep me posted! I am thankful that we can watch the videos over and over til the answers reveal themselves LOL!!!
Awww this is a great update! I am so glad you had fun! Abbey and the Incredipaws crew are among my favorite trainers/handlers, it is really cool that you have access to them! I might have met the other Kelpie that goes there at a seminar in October? Cool dog, he is going to turn out great!
I am really excited that Ted handled a new location so beautifully – what a great opportunity! And I bet he loved getting to open up and run around there, so you probably had a very happy pup on your hands afterwards. Yay!!!!T
Hi!
>>Training with little kids is always interesting!
I bet! They seem so engaged and want to be involved – super fun!!
>>When he got worked up with the teeter he would get more and more frantic and sometimes take off running. That behavior has been getting better lately.
Glad it is getting better! One more thought – because it appears to be a high-arousal behavior triggered by the teeter and he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself so he takes off and runs – keep your sessions very very short, like 2 reps then quit. That way he can learn the behavior and never get into the take-off-running zone. You can do 2 reps, go do something else, come back later, and see how he does!
The handling on the video looked REALLY good! The GO after the tunnel at the end of each looked super strong 🙂 He is moving fluidly, with confidence and oh yeah: FAST! Love it!
On the wraps: On the first rep, you had a little too much slam on the brake and your dog-side leg stayed back at :13, so he didn’t commit. You took that one extra step forward with the dog side lef on the next rep and he totally got it. Yay! You can play with decelerating sooner to then rotate sooner – it is the deceleration that will help the commitment.
The backside rep looked awesome – super connected and clear so he was able to read it with speed and accuracy.
The rear crosses are indeed harder – the first one was a little late, you ran the wrap line from the first reps so he committed to that, and your RC pressure was too late. But the last rep on the video was totally different – you pressured into the RC line MUCH sooner and he was able to read it. NICE! And I am sure the training with throwing of the rewards there helped too. Fun!
He is coming along really nicely in the handling, and you look so connected! Great job!
TracyAs a reformed arm-flinger, I learned to be a good penguin/squirrel by running with a bottle of water in my hand. An open bottle – so when I would fling, I would also get water on my head LOL!!! That would be a fun holiday game here in MaxPup!!!!
T
Hi! So in the previous post where I mentioned he was moving away and to consider it as possibly him avoiding – I thought his first 2 runs up the board here were stronger and notice how he whipped around to engage with you at :31! Progress!! I doesn’t mean we want to do a million reps LOL! But it is a definite sign of a change 🙂
About the bang game: He might just be stronger turning to his right to get on the board than to his left, or it could be that you start on your left side (he turns right) on these sessions, then switch to the other side – so he is more sensitized by then. The wing there involves criteria and when he doesn’t quite get all the way up, you are resisting temptation to withhold the reinforcement – yes, give him the food simply for interacting with it! That was a good decision. I would suggest a couple of things for the bang game:
– don’t use the wing, let him offer whatever he needs now and get lots of yummies 🙂
– have less tip, especially when he is on his harder side, so it is easier to jump on – that will make it easier to get all feet on it. He might simply be stronger pushing off his right hind than his left hind at the moment, and it will balance out as he grows up (still a teenager LOL!)You can also split the sessions into only the 2 reps of the mountain climber. Or only 2 reps of the bang game (and even only on the good side!). Separate sessions by hours or days – the pairing can cement that way 🙂
I see improvement already, he is doing great!!!!
Let me know what you think!
TracyHi! Catching up on the Stark teeter videos!
>>I have video of Stark doing the teeter for his dinner. He was great with the bang game on his left side but was a little hesitant on his right. I’m not sure why.Not sure either, possibly too many reps, possibly the proximity of the PVC thing, who knows 🙂 But you can also have less tip on the bang game, make it an inch off the ground so it is really easy to jump on.
You can also let him guide the session – we humans like to do one more… but note how after the release he was moving away from the teeter, not bringing the ball back, having trouble jumping right into your arms – so you can move away from the teeter as well to engage and not go back to it. He might be taking your proximity to the teeter as a sign that you are going to ask him to do it again, so he is avoiding a little.
>>His first time going up the teeter he was a little concerned and was a little more confident doing it the second time.>
Yes, I think both reps were stronger especially the 2nd one!
>>We stopped after that and it left him looking at me and saying WTF mom!! Hahaa!!that is EXACTLY what we want him to do LOL!
Onwards to breakfast below 🙂
T
Hi! All of the MN is reporting that their outdoor time is just about finished… but I was excited to see outdoor training videos from MN today! Maybe it will be a short winter 🙂
This video looks really good:
>>Did you just say I had too much connection on the Go? (SCORE!) >>
I know right? Happy dance! Just wait til we get to the part where I ask people to stop connecting entirely LOL! Best.Day.Ever. (There are rules of course, but it is very useful to disconnect sometimes haha)
On the video –
The Go line looked really good! You had a good timely reward, not a lure because it did not create the behavior, just affirmed it 🙂
The RC looked good too! You can add some decel at the end of it as he is passing you to tighten up the collection a little. The backside was also very nice, plus he really likes the thrown toy on the last jump there. Wheeee!
When he turned the wrong way on the first wrap (:50) – I think he read the timing and position of the decel for the wrap as the setting of the RC line? It was similar to :21 when you did the RC, with the decel and set up for the rear cross happening with you near the wing and before he took the jump after the tunnel here. The decel timing and position was a little different on the successful FC wraps – when he landed from the jump after the tunnel, and you were ahead of the inside wing and not near it. You can drive further into the tunnel so you can accelerate more the whole time, rather than get caught a little ahead and waiting.
Yes, some of your rotations were late on the FCs but I think you were being sure he turned to his right and not his let. You were better at 1:26, I think you were trusting him by then 🙂
rotation was late, you were turning to a post turn then rotating
And the motion override at the end looked good! He is doing really well on that too.Great job on these!!!
TracyHi! Bummer about the extreme zoom on the videos!! But at least Mother Nature gave you more time with green grass!! These went really well. An overall theme that emerged is that the lower your arms, the better things went. When your arms got high, things didn’t go as well. Because she is small and quick, we can figure out ways to work the most comfortable low arms so she can see things clearly and quickly – either squirrel arms (or T.Rex arms haha) where your elbows are bent, arms touching your ribs, and hand right on your stomach, or penguin arms where you elbows are locked straight, upper arm touching your ribs, and hands low and slightly behind you. These should both show great connection while allowing you to be quick, so it is a matter of which feels more comfy.
Here are more specifics:
One step sends – these are going really nicely when you keep your send arm low, kind of like if you were tossing something to the takeoff spot. That maintains connection and shows the line. When your arm got high and you pointed to the jump – it broke connection and turned you body, so she came off the line. Your timing was good! So I think the arm position will make all the difference.
>>d I didn’t rotate my hips and feet too quickly causing her to cut in before committing to the jump>>
I don’t think it was caused so much by your feet & hips – watch your dog side arm go above your head, which pulled your shoulders off the line and broke connection. A nice low arm (think of sending a bowling ball to the takeoff spot) will help.
BC to tunnel video:
VERY NICE!! I can bug you about arms here too – she is SO quick that your blinds need to be quicker – not in terms of starting them, but in terms of finishing so she can see the reconnection. The way to do that is to keep them tighter to your body and not extended out away because it takes too long with such a speedy dog to get them pulled in for the new connection. See above about squirrel/T.Rex or penguin arms – this is a good spot for that!Looking at arms – on the 2nd run – the high arm going over your shoulder is what pulled her off.
>>Bindi is a tunnel freak so I actually was pretty happy that she followed my cross and went into the opposite end of the tunnel.>>
You were very clear in timing, connection and line on these! She read them brilliantly and did not appear to even look at the other end of the tunnel. Yay!
Wraps and Fluffy BCs – nice low arms in the pinwheel! That worked nicely to help with the sends. On the wraps on both sides, try to decel sooner as she lands from the middle jump, so you can rotate sooner too. I don’t think you need to give her the step forward to the jump as she is passing you, I think you can start to rotate at that point which will get you outta there sooner.
Good job getting to the position for the fluffy blinds! At :24 and 1:13 as you exit the BCs, this is also a good spot to be a squirrel or a penguin (or a T.Rex lol!) to show really clear extit line connection. Your dog-side arm was out away form your body, so she had trouble seeing which side to be one (and also was not sure which side after the wrap at :25. And exit line connection (showing the reward across your body with the opposite arm) will also help!
Good stay rewards mixed in! Yay!!!!
Double blinds: The Doubles are going well! On the exit of the singles we can clarify the connection – try not to let your hand come up so high as you send into the first blind, because it delays the connection on the new side after the BC. This is another good place for a squirrel or penguin – and you’ll find you can also run faster with your arms in tight, plus it is easier to get the exit line connection. You were starting to get really comfy with these – check out the amazing timing of the first blind at 1:08!!! Wow!!!! I think you will find these fun and effective 🙂
Great job on these! Let me know if the penguin/T.Rex/squirrel idea makes sense 🙂
Tracy
