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Hi! He is doing well here and really doing a great job of getting into end position (he kind of taught himself to do head bobs/nose touches LOL!) It is a fine line between always making him wait a long time (in dog years) before the reward and balancing with quick releases as soon as he hits position and also rewarding in position. At this stage, you can extend the duration of him staying in position for several steps of running past, but don’t try to proof it at all (like when you gave him a gyro piece then took off making noise and he broke position). We want to challenge a little but almost never see any failure (because failure can create a negative feeling and we want the teeter to have only the best feelings associated with it :))
He did slow down a bit by the last teeter, and I think it was a bit of lack of reward right at the end position on the harder challenges (the full teeter) – he got gyro 🥩 for the end position on the easier games but on the last part of the video, he didn’t get rewarded at all for the teeter (instead, he did more of the sequence) – I think the teeter love is still new enough that you will want to pay him for each and every teeter. And yes, I will get you a blue tooth earbud so you can hear me saying “don’t do another rep” hahaha!!!!
So try to mix up the reward placement a bit more (I know, it is like a pendulum, swinging back and forth as to where to place the reward) but he was getting his fastest performances when you were both maintaining criteria and getting the rewards in fast fast fast (either thrown back or quick released. You can do duration occasionally, but not too often for now 🙂 Let me know if that makes sense 🙂
And this is not teeter related but it is a pre-CAMP moment: when you send to the tunnel before the teeter, stop flinging your arm way up: it disconnects you when he is behind you and turns your shoulders away from where you want him to go, so he was enjoying a tasty flesh moment LOL!!!
Nice work here 🙂
TracyHi there! Thank you for the kind words, I really enjoyed obsessing over the tiny details of teeter training LOL!
Sly’s teeter looks great – really nice session! The placement of reward was spot on – dogs will be happy to go wherever the reward is consistently placed! His last teeter was awesome: chef’s kiss! 🥳🤩🥳🤩🥳. Watching it with the target, I realize that you would be allowed to put the target down on the ground in UKI for your NFC runs. You can put something on the ground but not on the teeter – so the target would be a nice familiar focal point! I *think* you can do it too in USDAA, I remember doing it the last time I started a young dog but that was almost 5 years ago so I would need to double check that.
Great job here! It was fun to see the teeters in sequence and I think he is totally ready to see it in course work 🙂 And I love that he got a bit swim too!
Tracy
Hi there!
I love his confidence on the teeter – he did a great job driving across it! Yes, it might be a little lighter and tip faster, plus having it lower changes the weight shift point. But no worries, he will figure it out because he is so confident!
The one thing that will really help is an actual target, for now – in the most recent videos, he still had his red target out a couple of inches away from the end of the board and that was helping him with stopping independently (and, by extension, the weight shift because he was preparing to stop). It looks like he didn’t have a target here, so he was doing well when you were moving at a slower speed or you were nearby – but moved with you when you were moving faster and past him. So, for now, I highly recommend the target to help with the stopping and weight shift so you can continue to add more speed and motion, and independent handling too 🙂 The target provides a strong focal point and then you can reward him on it 🙂 It will be easy enough to fade the target when he has more experience with the end position and on different teeters.
>> noticed that some people are asking for a down on the board.to create a lowered center of gravity. Do you think this will help Cowboy and do you have information regarding how to train it?>>
Yes, some folks choose the down but I think it is better for smaller dogs in terms of balancing on the end of the board in a down. Because of his size and build, it will take a little longer for him to get into the down position, which will make the teeter behavior a little slower. We can teach it to him (using targeting and lots of quick down work) but I think the 2o2o is a better choice 🙂
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi! He did really well with the sequences with the weaves! I am glad you added in the rear crosses – time to show him more independent handling challenges 🙂 For these games, always reward the weaves: when he did the great rear crosses and you were not clear on the next jump, you missed a really good reward opportunity. Speaking of the jump after the weaves: another challenge is to drive way ahead of him while he weaves so that you can be connected to show him that jump after the poles (but still reward the poles LOL!)
2 other challenges to add: running away laterally while he is weaving (for example, in this setup, you can try to layer the tunnel!) and also driving ahead to be able to do crosses while he is still in the poles.
Great job here: I think we can say he is officially weaving. YAY!!!
TracyHi! We are still going til May 31! I feel the pain about lack of internet, I too have spent plenty of time at coffee places or in parking lots lol
Nice work on these, Indy was driving hard! I hope her foot is feeling better. These are looking good and as you mentioned: yes, you can trust more and cue sooner 🙂
Baby level – Really nice! On those tandem turns: she looks like she understands them really well so you can turn her away sooner, to help tighten up the turn a bit (she is driving hard but waiting for the rest of the info). And when you add more of your motion and running, a little decel as you do it will help tighten it up too. The other thing I notice here (and in the other videos too) is that you can plan and use more verbals – on the exit of the tunnels, in particular here. She was not sure where to look on the tunnel exits, so you can cue her before she goes in and then you’ll get better turns on the exit of the tunnels.Adv 1 – COOL LAYER when you sent her to the wing on the other side of the tunnel! Really excellent use of connection and verbals and physical cues. Very fun and a totally useful skill!!! Handling it without the layer also looked strong on the 2nd rep. I will bug you about adding more verbals here too LOL! On the tunnel and on the wings – yes, you will feel like you are talking a lot on these small setups, but it will challenge you to spit all the words out and it will help her really understand them.
Adv 2 – Nice connection on these, she had no trouble with the FC to the tunnel at the end! Your connection, overall, looks really strong on just about all of these. You can totally give your verbals sooner and more consistently here too, as well as add more motion.
Adv 3 – Yay for adding more speed here with running! That challenges you to also ramp up your connection and timing, and that made these harder: at :14 your cue was late for the correct side of the wing after the tunnel and you were disconnected and pointing forward – so she needed up on the wrong side of the wing. In that scenario, you will need to connect to get that push away from you, which you did on the next rep. The other cue that got a little late because of added speed was the turn cue at :32, so she went shooting out wide. However, these setups are perfect for adding more running and working the timing, because you can still see how timing and connection affects her without her having to go over jumps 🙂 So adding the running here was great!
Adv 4 – A quick question about the verbals: the cue at :17 didn’t quite get her turned to the tunnel entry I think you wanted, but it looked the same as :22 where she was correct. So is that a wrap cue or a threadle? In the scenario at :17, you can use a wrap cue as she approaches the wing and then add your tunnel threadle cue. And at the end, your turn cue at :52 was the best turn cue of all the reps – smooth, timely and really tight!
>> RE the jumping grid (still on the video camera), she looked good, except for the 5th one, back to the initial set up. She did the first bounce, then opted to jump all the way to the end, as opposed to two bounces…>>
So if I am reading it correctly… she took jumps 2 and 3 as a double jump? One bounce between 1 and 2, then she landed after 3? Alright, the girl has some giddy up! So you can spread the distances out. What distances were you using? You can add a foot to each distance and see how she does – if she continues to fly over 2 and 3 as a double jump, add another foot 🙂
Nice work here!! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
I am glad she is feeling better!
She did well here, she didn’t seem rusty at all from her time off. I agree that she had to adjust to the competition set, but I think also the 2 sets are distracting – she had to think really hard in the first set, and seemed to bounce along faster in the 2nd set. Perhaps the visual distraction of the second set was making steam come out of her ears for the first set LOL!! But she did well on both. You can also drop the reward in between the 2 sets to help her focus in on the 1st set even more.I also agree that she will go faster and get bouncy with more practice 🙂 That is how she rolls 🙂
So for future sessions – we haven’t worked on the harder angles in a while, so I think on the set of 6 that is something to revisit and reward on just 6 poles. And then it will be easy enough to put the 2 bases together for 12 straight poles. I figure a session or two of hard angles on 6 straight, then if that is peachy keen: onwards to getting the 2 sets of 6 closer and closer to 12. Let’s proceed slowly so she doesn’t have any soreness, so maybe every 2 days just to be really careful? I am sure she would beg to differ LOL!!! But that puts her at 12 straight poles in about a week and that is great 🙂
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
That is great news about Lori, she is terrific!>> For the Find Em – keep the same weave alignment (all a smidge open) to add more motion and then circle back later closing some of them?>>
For Find Em, I would leave the same configuration as you add speed. Separately, you can work on straightening them the same way you did for the ‘meh’ session (and I am confident it won’t be meh lol!!!)
Fingers crossed for good weather!!!!!
T
You are welcome about the outline – there is a lot happening at this stage of training so I figured a list would be easier LOL!!
About the toys… it is possible that the highest value toys lose that value if they are used regularly in the rotation. You can try adding more variety to the reinforcement, even in the same session, to keep the value high and see how he does.
T
Hi!
>> when does “camp” start?
CAMP starts on June 21st.
>>And how long do classes we’ve taken stay available to us to go back to after the class is officially done? >>
Lifetime access! They are available forever 🙂
>>I was also wondering about All Things Tunnel. I’m finally getting my act together about what I’m going to use for verbal cues for my tunnel turns. I had sort of skipped that when we were doing Tunnels and would love to go back and play those games now. Are you going to offer that class again sometime?>>
That one should still be available – I might re-open working spots sometime in the fall but probably not before then.
T
Good morning!
He is doing really well here – the added speed was not a problem at all, he was still very confident. The full teeters looked really good – he was not put off by the board dropping all the way to the ground and was able to hit and hold his end position. So we are now in the ‘lather, rinse, repeat’ phase of training where we play this game in as many places as possible and gradually add in more and more full teeter reps.>> He is still pretty “thinky” about the whole process and I wish I’d see a quicker drop at this point. >>
I think there are a couple of ways to get the quicker down and it is a matter of eliciting it. It is much easier for him to balance at the end of the board in a crouched stand, so I prefer he balance at this point. On the crazy elevator games, catching it lower can help him get into the ground before it hits the ground. But, there are a couple of things that can help on the flat:
Do you remember the motion override games from the puppy classes? That is what you can play with on the flat to get the fastest down possible (using the down cue, not the spot cue). Work it up to being able to get him running at full speed and then dropping into the down immediately on cue. And also add in doing it while moving towards the target out ahead – on the teeter, he is looking forward at it which is ever so slightly delaying the down. Because of that, we can also play with having a little dot of a target on the teeter to focus on for the down, specifically – the target out ahead was designed to get him to focus ahead, so the target on the board might make an appearance to speed up the down. But I would definitely work it on the flat first, to get the fastest down.>> As for the obstacle cue, I was thinking of just using “spot” for the whole behavior. But, I may change my mind on that and add the same cue I use for the girls “tip it” so indicating the next obstacle has a cue and the end behavior has it’s own cue.>>
I think the cue you use for the girls might sneak out in the heat of the moment 🙂 so it is a good idea to try it 🙂 And spot might take on a meeting of the quick down, so it is worth It to play with the different cues 🙂
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
>> Yesterday our part was pinwheel to a double to the teeter (Clip N Go) to a 2 jump serp. Did it 3 times ….full teeter. Rewarded the H___ out of each one. First was what I would call his “typical” teeter, just a little short of end. Second was about the same, 3rd (and last) he drove almost to the end……and I kept really running past it to handle the serp.>>
That’s awesome!! Good job, Sly!!!!! And good job to you for rewarding them heavily 🙂
>> There’s a couple of USDAA trials coming up (CATS in a couple of weeks) that I’m going to go to….outdoors, fully fenced so a “safe” environment for him. I’ll keep you posted. Also some UKIs on day before either some AKC or USDAAs in the next couple of months so those might just work out well too! We’ll continue our local “on the road” trips as well.>>
Perfect! That sounds like plenty of good opportunities to get the training in.
>>The other thing I finally figured out in “my head” while driving yesterday >>
Ha! That is where I do the most thinking too… driving and also in the shower hahahaha
>>>was that I need to think about my placement of reward for all the Elvators (regular ones and crazy ones) to be in the same place as with the Teeter Trainer when we were doing Mountain Climbers……just over the end of the board. I think that’ll help me stay lower where I’m rewarding so my hand doesn’t look like a stop sign ……I think if I can consistently change that it’ll both help him drive all the way to the end and will reinforce the focus “down”. I’m going to play with this later today….video later 🙂>>
Yes! Perfect! And also we are doing to be eliminating the crazy elevator game soon enough, so he will just get in the groove of going all the way to the end 🙂
Keep me posted!
TracyGood morning! He did really well here!
The warm up games looked good and the 2 crazy elevator reps looked good too. He moved his left front foot off the board on the 2nd to last rep here – I think that was not a balance issue but more of a reaching for the cookie issue. When a back foot slipped off in the previous video, that was more of a balance issue and I take it as a reminder to keep working on balance on the unstable surfaces, a couple of times a week.
He is stopping a tiny bit shorter at the top of the board than we want him too – I think he is stopping just before the target. With that in mind, for the next session, make the target narrower, maybe half the width it is now so it is more of a strip of target across the end of the board, and less of a square. We can also elevate it a bit by doubling it or folding it over, if he needs the visual reminder.If he does well with the smaller target on the next session, I think the session after that can have a full teeter – after a warm up and a crazy elevator from the tunnel, do one full teeter from the tunnel. Be sure to give his verbal cues for it nice and early. And if his end position is not perfect, no worries – jackpot anyway so his first full on teeter experience is memorable in a happy way.
Since there is a lot of speed and concussion on these games from the tunnel, be sure to give him a day or two off between sessions again now so we don’t get any soreness.
Let me know if that makes sense! Great job here!
TracyGood morning! He did really well here!
One thing that I notice is that the warm up is really valuable for him – he was losing his balance on the first couple of reps and then settled down into position by the end of the warm up video. He was looking at your hands a lot (at the treats?) in that warm up on the first couple of reps – he worked through it by the end of the warm up for the most part. Were the treat especially high value? Either way, we wil have to remember about the warm up because when you take it into the ring for NFC/FEO you’ll want to start with the warm up before the full teeters.The crazy elevator video looked good! He was a little off balance in the end position on the first rep but then got MUCH better. I think some of the end position question was him watching your hand as part of the release for the reward, so be sure to say the marker cue (the get it or the release) and then move the hand to deliver the reward.
His speed up the board looked fabulous and he was weight shifting really nicely! Adding the tunnel did NOT make his brain explode at all – the tunnel and your motion added speed so he was faster AND thoughtful. SUPER!!!!
And it appears that he really, really likes the teeter: happy tail posture, no frustration behaviors, and hopping back onto the end of the board even before you are ready during the elevator game LOL!!!!
So we keep moving through the progression now: for the next session, using the tunnel, do a warm up until he is balanced and focusing on the target. Then do a couple from the stay, then from the tunnel.
If that next session goes as well as this one but he has fewer questions about the end position: for the next session, add in a full teeter! Be sure to keep moving but not too fast and give him his target cues VERY early (as he is getting on) and then even if it is not a perfect performance: jackpot!Now, with your forecast of 50 mph winds – I do not recommend any teetering during that (I would not put my dogs on contacts in high wind situations, not even at trials – they can be blown off during the weight shift moments). So use th wind distractions for tricks and stuff, and save the teeter sessions for non-windy conditions 🙂
>> When I do start to fade the target I should go back and do all the games and build up right?>>
Yes, but it will will generalize pretty quickly. Fade it first on the plank and then on the bang game, then fade it on the elevator game. I leave the target in on the crazy elevator game for a while until the dog is completely confident, then it is easy to fade 🙂
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
>> The target was covered in grass here>>
Great! So it was there but not really visible? You can start the next session with it like this, then after rewarding, slip it out (or replace with a smaller one). She did really well with hitting the end position AND staying there as you ran past. Very cool!
>> Should I be concerned that she slowed down a little on the full teeters?>>
No, I am no worried 🙂 She did well in this session – you approached it thoughtfully so she was thoughtful. At this stage, that is better than too much excitement because she will have better body control and there will be no splat moments 🙂 On the crazy elevator game, you can catch the board after it drops more, so you are catching it more when it is halfway down – that gives her a chance to drive to the end more and get rewarded there. (Use bending with your knees more than your back to catch it so you don’t wrench your back). And on the crazy elevator and the full teeters, you can mix in releasing forward as soon as she is solidly in position… that adds some more arousal 🙂
And if she can do all that with the same confidence and attention to end position: get a toy involved, get some barking involved. She was pretty ‘chill’ here which is great. With more history of being correct, you can begin layering in more arousal and excitement and see if she can be excited, faster AND remain accurate 🙂Nice work here! Let me know if that makes sense!
TracyHi!
>> We had a meh session with nearly straight 6 poles on Monday where he started popping out when I tried moving more. >>
No worries, some sessions are just at a lower rate of success then are fine when you go back to them. He might have been mentally tired from the weekend, or just processing the new challenges. A couple of days of latent learning will help 🙂
He did well here; it is a really hard game! On the early reps, add in a bit more handling to help him out re: weaves versus tunnel. That will keep the success rate higher and then you can dial back the handling. At 1:45, for example, you had some subtle handling on that rep and the rep after it – he found it helpful enough to support the cue but you were not over-handling it.
And when he is more comfortable with that, you can also add in going the other way in terms of handling: add a WHOLE lot of your motion & speed so it is harder to read the cues because there is a lot of stimulation.>> We’re trying some NFC runs this weekend at Animal Inn (outdoors, fenced, lots of room to distance). I’m a bit concerned that he might fixate on someone (Lori Michaels who is judging or a ring steward) and completely lose it because it seems like it’s hard for him to break out of that when he falls into that rut. >>
It is great to be able to get to seminars and trials now!! Is this a UKI trial? Because of the pandemic, these youngsters are not going to be on a normal path into trialing: we are going to have to use the trial environment to give them a lot of the exposure they would have ordinarily had in ordinary times. And, trial environments ramp up his biggest distraction, which is strange people nearby.
>> so I wasnt’ about to pass up this one even if all we do is practice going in, doing tricks on and off leash, and then leashing up again to leave.>>
Food for thought on these early NFC experiences: Since we are all in the same boat, I’ve been planning for my own dogs too. The first NFC ‘run’ will tell you what the 2nd run can be 🙂 Since we know that jumps and tunnels are not a problem for him, I suggest leaving him on leash for the whole first NFC experience. The point of that would be so that you can establish your reinforcement procedures (what works for him, how to use it, what tricks he can do) in the ring while eliminating the option of fixating on anyone or going over to them. That will allow you to make the environment rich with reinforcement and play while minimizing the biggest distractions (especially since you have no control over the distractions). Ask Lori where he can be in the ring on leash – if he is asking questions about people, the ideal would be to move him further away. Are they using the food reward box? I’ve brought my Manners Minder into the magic cookie box 🙂
And if all goes well on leash and he can play and do tricks… I would do the next run on leash too LOL! Or if you want to practice leash on/leash off/leash on procedures, do it with 2 leashes (yes, I have done that too LOL!) That way he can get the feel of taking the leash off and leashing back up with the intensity of distractions but without the option of fixating or leaving.
Let me know if that makes sense and keep me posted with the weaves 🙂
Tracy
