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Hi!
I feel your pain about the rain – May was insane here! Hopefully June will be better.On the running rewards – yes, he is totally GAME ON at the start line!! So now you need to protect his happy stay like it is gold (because it is :)) Broken stays that are fixed can create stress at the start line (and lower the success rate) and broken stays that are not fixed will also cause stress because at some point you will want him to stay – so the key is to make it a goal of always releasing before he breaks. You can release forward into the sequence, or release forward to the toy, or throw a toy or treat back: but release before the break when you see he is excited. I think you were focused on your handling so you were taking the extra moment to get to where you wanted to be, get ready, then release – turned out to be too much for a pumped up 1 year old dog. So be super connected and release or reward before you think he will break 🙂
The first rep of the running rewards was a little wild indeed 🙂 But I agree with your choice to keep running then reward. He did pick up the last jump nicely, so it was rewardable. The bar down at 2 was a slightly late/disconnected turn cue and then he made a young dog mistake of blasting past the tunnel. I think both of you were a little pumped up LOL! The 2nd rep was great: just as fast, but you were more connected and earlier, which helped him find the lines. Yay! Really nice.On the bending – moving the outer jumps in closer was the right choice. Also, the 2 outer jumps were a bit too high – the middle jump can go to 10″ if he is able to bounce these – but the outer jumps stay at 4 or 6 for a while. The middle jump does eventually get tall but the outer jumps always stay super lower to help the go step into the bounce.
>>Any idea what I might be doing to cause this?
Could be that he, at the moment, is a little better to the right than to the left. Also, there was a difference in your movement – on the left turns, you were stopping more and facing straight more while on the right turns, you were continuing to move through them. So keep moving through the bending, that helps! You can also try with a toy as a reward, it might be more exciting. Also, if he goes around a jump – try not to mark it, just keep moving and send him back through it in a fluid motion – the marking it can deflate him a bit which we don’t want. But I think the main things will be lower outer bars and staying in motion on the bend on both sides.
Nice work! Fingers crossed that you get some dry weather!!
Tracy
Hi –
>>What is your take on the 10″ jump height for him? Should I only do random jumps at 10″ and some at 8″ or continue to shift more towards 10″. I felt like he had the skills for those tunnel FC drills to be able to handle the 10″…perhaps that affected his commitment?Having to look at the commitment and the 10″ height might have been contributing to him coming off the line, it is hard to tell, but yes definitely keep the harder stuff at 8 while the easy stuff can go to 10. So harder stuff is anything where a newer concept and handling is being put into play can stay at 8 for the first session or two. And separately – show him a 10 inch bar on one jump exercises then 2 jumps before trying it in sequences.
And yes, his sends were great!!!
T
Hi! The first 2 reps of just the grid looked really good – I was glad to see you added the wing, she was ready for the challenge! She came smokin’ into the grid the first time after the wing wrap, and did a great job of balancing herself and not losing control with all of the speed. I think she was surprised on that first one LOL! But then the other reps looked great – she was balanced going into the grid, tight, and got better on each rep. She hopped a little on the last jump at :25 but then smoothed it out after that and the last rep was my favorite so far! Very nice!!! And great job adding the verbals.
Question – how old is she now? 10 months soon? I scrolled around trying to find it and I must have scrolled right past… I ask because if she is 10 months in June, we can look at the set point from MP 3 and add a little bit of height into it. No rush at all, I just figure we can look at adding a bit of challenge to the easy grids.Great job!
TracyHi!
Nice job breaking this down for her – serps are HARD running lines for the dog. Part of it is teaching her what serps are all about (and your breaking it down and placement of reward was very helpful!) And part of it is handler tweaking: On the ones where she did not get the line, you were turning your shoulders forward and stepping in a bit. So, keep your shoulders “open” until she turns to the middle jump and move along a parallel path like you were doing when you were breaking it down for her. Try not to turn your shoulders forward or indicate the jump with an arm or motion – the open shoulders (arm back) and parallel running line will be the cues she needs. That open shoulder and parallel running path is what indicates the 2nd jump – if you turn your shoulders or converge towards 2 to indicate it, you will get the backside.
When you went to 3 jumps at 2:50 – first rep was really good, just keep your shoulders open to her and eyes on her when she lands from jump 2 (the serp jump here).
On the 2nd rep at 2:59, you converged into her so she pinged away to the backside of jump 3.
On the last rep, you stayed further from the line and that helped her for sure!Having the lotus ball on her path is helpful for breaking it down and makes for lots of reward (which is always a great thing :)) The other way you can break it down is to slightly angle the jumps so that she is always looking at the front side and the backside is harder to get to – but I also suggest a leash or something on the ground to make out your running line, so you run a parallel path and your upper body just stays open. If you step in towards a jump. you will cross over the leash and feel/see it immediately 🙂
Nice work!!!
TracyHi!
Sometimes training sessions become about hashing out the small details, it looks like these sessions were like that! Small details of the handling/dog training appeared, and they are easily tweaked.
On the pinwheel/crosses:
Good job on the first pinwheel – but remember to stay connected on the “go tunnel” at :14. – you said the cue but then turned forward and it changed your body line, so he came off the tunnel entry.On the missed jump before the crosses – sometimes it was a case of “oh I guess that was too early for him at this point”, sometimes it was a case of “that was definitely too early” and sometimes it was lovely! In general, be later:) Use your verbal jump cue, let him land from the pinwheel jump and take one or 2 more strides – these are big distances so we want him to be about 10 feet from the jump for now – then do the cross. Your exit line connection was strong!
– :42 too early, in the “I thought that would be OK but he says too early” plus you didn’t say jump, you called his name.
:57 was better and you had a jump verbal, that helped!
1:21 and 1:31 were both too early in the “a little too early” department
On the 2nd video:
:08 definitely too early – you were crossing as he landed from the pinwheel jump. Your timing at :22 was better – really nice!
Good job on the connection at :34, good pinwheel!!
:49 very nice! And also 1:04 was very nice – you waited longer to start the cross on those last 2 reps and they looked good!1 jump serps:
They started off really good! Then things got weird when you changed sides – It might have been the angle of your upper body or something in the environment that was too close? Hard to tell. Or, if you have been doing a lot of threadles, he might have been offering threadles? (I don’t think this is the case, but if you have been doing a million threadles, don’t do a million threadles LOL!! But again – I don’t think this was the case) But then he was fine when you showed him the toy. So this falls into the “learning is not linear” category – if you are in the basement again, just be sure to give him as much room as possible (my guess is there was some pressure in the environment from a tighter space).2 jump video –
The oopsies here were all about your running line. When he landed from the first jump, you will want to be moving on a parallel line past #2. You were converging into his path towards 2 and accelerating, which is what kept pushing him to the backside on the first rep, at :18, :30 and almost on the last rep. At :26, you ran a parallel path and he had a better line! So hold that parallel path – that line and your upper body are what will show him #2, you don’t need to move towards it.On the last short video – great training choice to angle the jump and also you ran a straight line (the parallel path I mentioned above) – so it was perfect. You can start with the angled jump on the next session and establish your parallel running line – then stay on that line as you angle the jump back to a flatter position.
Let me know if this makes sense! You were just one step from nailing it on these, so I am confident it will be terrific on the next session 🙂
TracyHi!
>>Except the reference to “fluffy” BC; that sounds like an in-joke that I don’t get. >>
Sorry! Not an in joke – just my description of a not-tight blind, like a blind cross through a diagonal that is mostly extension. I like those technical terms, like fluffy LOL!!
Keep the obsessing coming 🙂
T
Hi!
Obsessing is MY FAVORITE lol!!!On your video here, I agree that the sequence you ran required both different timing and different handler paths – the forced blind and the forced front looked really good in terms of where you ran to (entry wing) and your timing of starting (the FFC has more decel to it and you were earlier starting it, so it was easier for him to make the turn. The FBC was a little late starting so he scrambled a bit).
The wrap BC and wrap are on the other wing, so different things had to happen – different running line, to the other wing, for example. Plus at landing of jump 2, Enzo needed to see a deceleration into the rotation for the wrap – you had it on the FC which is why he turned but not on the BC where he was wider (those wrap blinds require the same fast-slow-turn transition as wrap FCs). On both the wrap FC and BC, be sure not to step sideways out of it but instead directly forward to the tunnel to set the line (then get off the line). You were getting off the line too soon, so he read lateral motion on landing then you needed to push him back.Going back to yesterday’s discussion about being too early – on that sequence, the backside entry wing I mentioned and the wing you moved past for the FC and BC were the same wing that you were moving to & through (on today’s sequence, they are different wings). So in the context of today’s sequence – using the side of the jump closer to the a-frame for all 3 of these suggestions and picture a 4th jump out past jump 3 (and assuming normal distances like you have here):
Dog on right to begin all of these, your running path is pretty much towards/past the wing of 3 next to the frame on all of these:* wrap FC to the tunnel under the frame on the wing next to it like you did here: timing of transition for the wrap begins at landing from 2 like you did here.
* forced cross (front or blind) with you wanting Enzo to come to the backside of 3, entering on the wing closer to the frame and slicing away from the frame – you would do a BC *before* he lands from 2, so when he lands from 2 you are on your left arm, moving past the backside wing – and when he is committing to the backside you would then do the FFC or FBC.
* “fluffy” BC to get the front of 3 (no wrap) and then carry on to jump 4: Dog on right until he lands from 2 as you are running past the wing of 3 on the way to 4, then blind after he lands. If you are finished with the blind before he lands, and you are near the wing of 3 – then you can confuse the cue with the forced blind or forced front cue. If you are way past jump 3 and on the way to 4 – it is less likely to confuse the issue, depending on the exact line (if the running line takes you between the uprights – no problem to be early. If the running line takes you away from the uprights – he might come off the line if you are too early).
Let me know if the image comes through:
Let me know if that makes sense!
Hi! Timing is hard indeed, especially with a young dog! I think some of the questions here were not timing questions, actually!
First video:
1st rep -She was wide here – This was a little bit of timing (you’re late slowing down & rotating), but also there is that tunnel out ahead – she is likely to lock onto it early because the value of the tunnel overrides the value of the turn, so at this stage it is probably better not to run these towards a tunnel (soon, but not yet :))
2nd rep – She had questions here and it was more about connection. As you exited the FC, you were trying to cue her with your dog-side arm down at your side, which closes off connection. She was not sure where to be and did end up on the side you wanted. She needs your dog-side arm to be back, away from your body and pointed at her feet (and the arm-across-the-body will help push the dog-side arm back) so she can clearly see your connection and know where to be – otherwise she really only sees your motion and there are different options there based on motion. If something goes wrong, try to not mark it but instead find something to reward. You marked it and it deflated (and turns out, she was correct LOL!)
On the next rep – you had the same connection but you dialed back the motion so she got it based on change of motion. Ideally you can keep running, so make sure you give that big connection. And when you add the BC next and at :45- another spot for bigger arm-back connection. She zig zagged a little because the arm at your side closes the connection forward, making it harder to see. Exaggerating that arm back will really help her see it.Your last rep was best one here, really nice! You did the transition earlier and then definitely opened up back to her more for connection. Keep working to exaggerate the arm back and cross-body connection on the exits of crosses and it will get even easier.
2nd video – where was she heading on those first reps? Crate? LOL! She was convinced and then she got mad LOL!
At 1:00 your ‘slow forward’ was good in terms of timing, but you can try to turn sooner. If momentum is what was making it harder to get your feet turned, then decelerating one step sooner will help that because it makes it easier to turn. And good job balancing with the GO lines! You can throw the reward even sooner, when she looks at the 2nd jump, so that she can really accelerate.
Good work here! Let me know if the arm-back ideas make sense.Tracy
I agree, he did a great job here! Latent learning indeed 🙂 I will take it no matter what it was LOL! He is still a little tentative on the 1st jump, sending away, so you can mix in more rewards for sending to it (throw the reward) rather than all rewards being for coming back to you. Great job with your connection and your verbals here! All 4 reps looked really strong and it looks like you are ready for the sequences 🙂 Yay!!
T
Hi!
First 2 pinwheels – these went well, her commitment looks good! You can run deeper to tunnel for the feeling of more motion, and also to be able to send her away to the middle jump if you like to practice getting away up the line for the crosses. One tweak, similar to what I mentioned above – have your arm way back and low rather than low and at your side when she exits the tunnel. At :06 and :19, you arm was at your side and quiet, but it closed off connection and she looked at you between the tunnel and the first jump. Having your arm extended back away from your body will open up the connection and she won’t look up at you.On the crosses:
Your arm got a little point at :26, you were pointing forward so she missed the jump after the tunnel there. Keep reminding your arm to stay back and down 🙂 You had good timing starting the FC!! As you start your FCs here and on the other reps, try to think of the mechanics as dropping the dog side arm back and almost falling back in to the FC, rather than bringing your outside arm up high and towards her – that dropping back and keeping your arms lower will help you finish the FCs faster, which is a helpful thing with a fast critter coming down the line 🙂On the next rep – there was less pointing arm at :34 and she found the jump 🙂 You can send to the pinwheel jump and leave for the FC so you can do it sooner and be off her line sooner – you were right there at :37 on her line, and she leapt for the toy which was right by her nose LOL!
Next rep – :46 very nice connection out of the tunnel!! Arm back and down, eyes on her eyes. Nice! You had good FC timing there even earlier (and the same at :58). Nice!
On the BCs – I think these will end up being faster and easier for you!
On the BCs at 1:08 and 1:30 – you were very quick to get the BCs done and your reconnection was NICE! But… you ran the wrong line and put her right in that end of the tunnel by running to it LOL! It looks like you ended up on the wrong line because you went over to between the uprights for the blind then ran straight. Compare it to the MUCH better line at 1:19 and great tunnel entry – you stayed out from between the uprights of the BC jump, so she never considered the other end of the tunnel. That set you up on a much better line.
Nice work here!!! Let me know if the ideas make sense 🙂
TracyHi!
The RUN cues on the tunnel exit looked great! She is driving out nice and straight – you are correct, she isn’t hesitating at all. YAY!! Your verbals were pretty timely on both the run and left verbals. I think the feeling of turning earlier on the lefts was mainly because you were stepping back more than rotating to the new line (which is probably why it felt like you were doing it but didn’t look like it when you saw the video). So as you send, you can turn your feet towards the new jump sooner. And yes, starting her further back will give you more time 🙂 The only other little tweak is on the left cues, connect back more to her by having your left arm reaching back to her rather than at your side. Your arm was nice and quiet (and not flingy :)) which is great! If you can have your hand back and down away from your body, pointing to her feet, it will open up your connection even more. That will help her be able to see it sooner and turn even more nicely.
Great job!
TracyHi! Thanks for posting this, it will help us figure out what he needs!
Grids are incredibly hard for baby dogs and inexperienced dogs! He has lots of legs and power and doesn’t know how to use it them all yet : ) Plus, the bars here are actually too high for a baby dog – that is the height my 7 year old dogs works these grids, but my same-size puppy sees them on 4 inches. He finds the grids pretty hard as you can see when he didn’t want to come right back before the last rep.
I get that feeling, it is how I feel when I need to do really hard plyometrics at the gym LOL!!!>> Are the jump grids too much pressure for him?
Yes, he appears to be saying they are hard, lots of pressure, he doesn’t know how to do them.
>> Is it an impulse control issue?
It doesn’t appear to be impulse control, he was trying hard – I just think we can break it down differently.
So, ideas to help him learn to love these and use all the body parts (big boy dogs and long legs… it takes a while LOL!):
Put all the bars down to 4 or 6 inches for now, that is an appropriate height for his age (the bars never get to full height on this grid, and even 10 or 12 inches can be too hard).
If you have back chained the 5-4-3-2-1 progression and it is still too hard, no worries – we can try forward chaining LOL!! Start with a 2 jump grid: just jumps 1 and 2. Then if he can do 2 separate sessions with high success… add jump 3. so he will go 1-2-3 to the reward. Only 2 or 3 visible jumps to start will take some of the pressure off, plus he will only need to control all of those legs for a shorter time. After several high success sessions, add jump 4. 1-2-3-4! You can gradually build it forward like that. It takes as long as it takes, because it is all about concept. He might figure it out in 2 sessions! Or 2 weeks. Or 2 months 🙂 The concept involves a lot of body awareness so we are happy to take our time here 🙂Let me know if that makes sense 🙂
TracyGood morning!
Very nice job on the tunnel exits video! I liked that your GO versus RIGHT verbals had different energies – that is helpful as the dogs are learning them! I think you did well with the words in general (so many words LOL!) you just needed to say them all sooner – you tended to saying them while she was already in the tunnel. On the very last rep at 1:51 you gave the right cue when she was a few feet from the tunnel: perfect timing! That is where the Go cue should go too (but only on the Go reps hahaha)
On the FC/BC video:
Leading out like you did on the last couple of reps was definitely more helpful to her (or you can add in a tunnel or wing wrap to send her to, so you can get ahead). That will help her read it with you ahead at first, then you can fade yourself backwards a bit so she gets used to seeing you behind her too. By starting with her, the first rep was a little late on the rotation. On the 2nd rep – good timing!!! But because of her youthful inexperience, she lost confidence at :40 that she was correct because you were behind. You can also substitute a wing for the full jump on the reps where you are sending from behind, to keep building commitment.
On the BC element, you can now start them sooner. She is very fast driving around the wing, so ideally she already sees your new connection when she sticks her nose around the wing – and that means starting the BC as you see her taking off (eventually it will be even earlier!) You were definitely a little late starting it on the 1st 2 reps, but then you were earlier at 1:12 and 1:42 and it already smoother out the line. Your running line on all of the reps was really nice!!
Great job here!
Tracy
