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Hi!
>He was a little flat to start, and there were some sniffy decompressions>
Maybe he was not as sure about driving fast with you facing him, at first? He was definitely thinking about what to do, both in terms of coming in to you and going over the bump. Plus, holding the sit took a lot of brain juice (he did really well!) so the little sniff diversions might have just been indicating that it was hard.
But like with the previous video, you made the toy really fun! And that helped him work through a relatively challenging game!!
>(although that last rep, he broke!) >
He stayed really well and yes, left the stay early on the last rep. To be sure he doesn’t think that the hand cue is the release, you can get into the threadle position, extend the hand… then either praise before you release with your threadle cue, or toss a reward back to him. It is possible that he thought the moment when you dipped your shoulder down was the release, even though you hadn’t said the word yet.
Great job!!!
Tracy
Hi!
>Can’t believe it’s been nearly a week. I’ve had a rough one with the old black dog of depression.
I am sorry, that is so hard! Sending love and support!
> And it looks like Edith’s clearance to start training again may have been the wrong call. VetPhysio is worried it’s disc disease. Need to get an xray. >
Ugh that sucks. I hope they get it sorted out ASAP and it is an easy answer.
>(I also just discovered an out of place toof on babby Barry – He’s gonna need braces!)>
Oh no! I do know of many dogs that have had braces and they do fine but still, I wish you and Barry didn’t need to deal with it!
>Also sorry your country is in such a place! Your recent elections give hope… but I cannot imagine your health insurance nightmare.>
Yeah… pretty much an epic disaster here that will take decades to undo. I don’t have to deal with the health insurance until December so I am refusing to even think about it at all. Part of what is happening with the disastrous government here is one section (minority section but hopefully strong enough) is holding out to be sure that the health insurance issue does not end up being as horrible as it looks.
I did look into moving to NZ! But it turns out the the NZ government really only wants either super rich (nope not me LOL) or in super useful professions (they don’t consider ‘dog agility’ to be super useful LOL!!). So if anyone wants to adopt an adult with 9 dogs, that might be my only chance LOL! 😂😝
He was a good boy with the tunnel here!
>At 1 min he was freaked out by something at my neighbour’s house (they were on their deck, behind the camera). He had a couple of moments where he was worried about the neighbour but by the end of the session he started looking for the tunnel I think.>
Yes, I see that something did worry him! A dog was barking in the background there so maybe he was picking up on something that the other dog was worried about too? Plus… adolescence 🙂 You will see on-and-off times where he is sensitive to things even if they are familiar things. But he worked through it really well and had a bunch of strong tunnel reps! You made the toy play fun fun fun and that really helped.
This tunnel looks like it is scrunched up to make it shorter for now – but I think he is also ready to see a longer tunnel!
Gret job!
Tracy
Hi!
>I believe he will tug in the parking lot as he’s done this before but will test it next week.>
Keep me posted! Are there any toys (like frisbees) that he is so wild for that the dirt might not be an issue?
Backside slices – he did great! He was finding the line to the backside really well on both sides. You can add in moving up the line to center of the bump and then eventually even further over to add a lot of independence. My only suggestion is to toss the reward a little closer to the entry barrel, almost over-exaggerating the placement so he curls around the barrel and look directly for the bump. The placement here was a little too parallel to the bump, which might end up sending him past it when you are building in more handling.
Threadle wraps: These went really well too! Once he turned his head away, he was really strong with zipping around the rest of the barrel especially to his left. The right side seemed a little harder but he was sorting that out really well too! You can start to add more motion into it, as long as you maintain the decel right before the hand cues to turn away.
Backing up is looking great! He is pretty straight and using his back feet really independently! Wow! Once you got past the first minute or so, he was not as straight: probably a bit of fatigue, so you can break things up every 2 oe 3 reps with a bit of tugging to allow the muscles to reset.
The next step is to get the plank moving a little, just a little tiny bit. It might be something like using this board and having a bunch of towels or mats under it, so it moves the tiniest bit when he backs up on it. Starting with barely imperceptible movement that might be too easy is better than surprising him with something too hard 🙂
On the foot targeting video:
>He seemed to be thinking about pivoting to start with.>
Ah yes, I can totally see his thought bubble: “Is this the pivot thing, human?” So you can start the session with a quick reward for front feet and the tossed treat, just to remind him that this object is what we move over and not pivot on. Then the rest will be easy to lock into the back feet, like you were doing by the end of the session.
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi!
>I had to review your verbals with mine to make sure I was using the right verbal for us. I use “in-in” for my threadle slice. Glad you had the class post with your verbals listed! >
Yes, sorry, my threadle verbals are backwards LOL 😂😜 most people use in in for their threadle slices – somehow it is my threadle wrap cue and I am too old to change it now LOL 😆😂
On the video: she figured this out really well!! The stay was super useful again, allowing you to set up the turn away and verbal – even when you started her further back! SUPER!!
Both sides went really well
When you added 2 barrels – the slight bit of decel really helped set up the turn away brilliantly. Both sides looked great here too! The first rep was her only question – and that might have been partly because she was surprised but also you didn’t decel on that rep so she was not expecting the turn away. All of the rest looked awesome!
>lost two of her teeth in our morning tug/play session. >
OMG! I did notice she was extra chewing LOL!! But she was game to keep working and playing!
Great job here!!!
Tracy
Hi!
He was a really good boy here, totally engaged even with big distractions!>Things we are working on- coming into the building. I came in the main door ( not the normal one he uses) and worked some patterns. He is having some squeals when other dogs are working on the floor so I need to work this more then the tunnels if ya know what I mean lol!>
Patterns are helpful! For when other dogs are running or in the tunnel, you can try a pattern game with amazing food, or you can even try to get him to tug!
>He’s still having a hard time with when he should run to the people friends and when we should go to the ring to work. But I’m just redirecting for now.>Try playing the stealth self-control games and adding people as the exciting things and the ‘slices’. That will really help!
Threadle slices: The stays really help here because you were able to set up your position and have a clear release. Click/treat for you! The next step would be to have a reward target on the ground to replace the cone and cookie throw: You can have an empty bowl to toss the treat into, or leave a toy on the ground (and use a marker like ‘get it’ to indicate he can go to it.
My only suggestion is to break this session up with tugging and partying instead of doing cookies for all of those reps in a row 🙂 That can also be a great way to incorporate the toy on the ground as a reward – he looks ready for it!
>Our theeadle wrap not good. I can’t get him to come to me and not just seek the barrel. I’ll video next time for sure!!>
Video please! It was probably lack of clarity of the cue or it was late (he was already locked onto the barrel. Video tells all!
>Loving him so much. Loving working with the dog in front of me, which we always say but I really am with him because he’s so different to me. He’s so smart he makes me see him and chill!>
This is great! These boy dogs really worm their way into our hearts 🙂
Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
>Tried tugging again and she’s more interested in rubbing her panties off. She’ll interact, but not much tugging.>
The panties are distracting, plus there are construction noises and other people and hormones… so you can be more active with the toy! When you did get it moving for her to chase, she engaged! But when you were squiggling it in front of her, it was not as fun. You can attach it to a really long toy and get her chasing/pouncing/grabbing 🙂
She did well with the circles at your side – maybe a little better on your left side, where you are both more comfy perhaps! You can toss the treat ahead of you after the full circle so she can drive out of the turn. She did like the U-turns with the tossed treats! Just remember to have your hand low and slow to decelerate her into the turn 0 when you were too fast, she didn’t know a turn was coming. But when you decelerated and had your hand nice and low, she read the turns really well!
She really likes the barrel, offering it right away! The low and slow hand movement worked best here too – when you did that: perfect! If you were a little too fast, she didn’t quite turn away as well – but most of the reps were low and slow so she was great. And as soon as her head turned away, she knew to zip around the barrel the rest of the way. Yay!!
You can break this up with tugging too – either dragging the toy on a long line to chase, or having her chase you for cookies. That breaks things up in a fun way and keeps the excitement level really high.
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi!
Tunnel threadle session: She did well overall here! Good girl! Because there were good hard distractions for the tunnel threadle session (not just the normal people & puppy distractions, but also the construction noises in the background) – you will want to start from an easy angle and use high value rewards. Higher value than normal (and use a reset reward even if it is not perfect like when she ran around the tunnel at the beginning) will help break through the challenges in the environment.
For the barrel wraps – it took her a moment to figure it out but then she was getting it by the end! And same with the other side. So for both sides: You can add in a warm up: turning her away on the flat, and going around the barrel. Then if she can do both separately, add them together. For this game too, especially with the tossed treats: super high value (like cheese yum!) and tug breaks will help her stay engaged throughout the session.
Nice work here!!Tracy
Yes! The pattern games are a huge piece of dealing with the distractions and motion of the other dogs, especially in flyball. Getting her really good at them at home is the way to start, followed by going to different environments and trying them as far from the ring as possible with incredibly high value food – I started this with rotisserie chicken 🙂
Let me know how it goes!
TracyHi!
> she couldn’t seem to figure it out>
When a pup is adamant about a behavior and keep doing it even not really being rewarded for it, we try to figure out what is cueing it unintentionally. I think 2 things were happening here:
On the first side, it looks like most of you was visible between the uprights so only your hand was outside of the upright – that could be what was cueing her to go over the jump rather than threadle. So be sure you are mostly visible outside the wing – and you can put wings on the jump to move you over even more, so you definitely are not between the uprights at all.
On the other side, you were definitely not too much between the uprights, but I think your position was cueing her to go the front (feet/hips/shoulders). Most of your body was facing the target/front side of the jump and even with the extended arm, the body position overrode that. She was having to decide if she should follow feet/hips/center of chest, or arm: feet/hips/chest will win out at this stage.
So to help get the body position supporting the threadle line more: as you into the position, face her fully (including your feet and hips and shoulders, and extend the arm – then slightly rotate your feet towards the reward target. That will point your feet the right direction but will keep your shoulders/hips supporting the line better (and probably won’t feel as twisted :))
> I decided to see how her sit stay was coming along. She was brilliant!>
The stays worked great here! She was SO GOOD!!!!!! You can mix in throwing rewards back to her to help maintain the brilliant stay. The stays did make it easier but I think opening up the physical cue will really seal the deal and make it all easier.
Nice work here!
Tracy
Good morning!
>We had an amazing walk this morning with a bird of prey on the ground that he was only mildly interested in and didn’t bother to try to check out. JP just hung out with me while I admired the harrier (I think) skimming near to the ground and landing for brief periods. He was so relaxed which allowed the same for me. Enjoying like that is the best feeling.>
That sounds so wonderful! I think the biggest advancements in agility/dog sport training happened when the neuroscientist/veterinarian Kathy Murphy came on the scene. She was able to help us understand what was happening with learning and brains, etc – especially adolescent dogs. It was massively game changing!!! And good for humans and dogs alike 🙂
>BTW, it’s hard to not connect when you’re trying to do that.>
So true! It is very easy to disconnect when trying to connect. So why it is to hard to disconnect on purpose LOL 😂😜
The runs looked lovely:
Run 1 had a lot less connection than we normal would want, and he was still great – fast and accurate!
Run 2 had spots where there was NO connection and he got the correct obstacle with verbals!! Especially the tunnel – that is NOT on his line and he did great! Perfect!!! This was the hardest one here and he nailed it. Woohoo!
Run 3 went great too – this had moments of disconnection (he still found the correct obstacle) and some really nice connection too which makes it all easier : )
If you want to work on backsides and threadles, you can do the third handling challenge on week 1. Or you can move to week 2, plenty to keep you busy there.
Great job!
TracyGood morning!
He is doing well with the barrel wraps! I think he has a slight side preference to left turns here? The right turns were a little harder.
>He had a little trouble to start with.>
That was a connection question (and it was on right turns):
As you send him past you to the 2nd barrel, don’t point ahead of him – keep your hand at his nose and let it follow his nose as you step to the barrel. That will maintain connection. When you connected then pointed ahead, there was a subtle disconnection which turned your shoulders away from the line – so he had questions (:03 and :14 for example)But when you kept your hand to his nose and maintained connection, he nailed it even when you were further away from the barrel (:29 for example, which was also a left turn). You also had really good connection on the send to the right turn at :41 and he was great!! So ramping up the connection makes a big difference for him at this stage.
He is also doing well with the perch work! He knows for sure that coming back to put his front feet on the bowl is important. You were using helpful reward placement, turning his head in the direction you wanted to see if you could get more foot movement – and he was starting to offer it! Yay!!!!
Another way you can see if he will give you move foot movement is to throw the cookies on a slightly easier angle – so he has an easier time pivoting back to the front of you.
>Apparently he figured out the cue quickly because first rep of double tunnel on the second side I accidentally said tunnel for the threadle instead of pull and he told me off!>
OMG! That is hilarious! He has big opinions LOL!
The tunnel training went great – he was happy to drive through to the auntie and he was also really getting the idea of turning away to do the threadle cue.He also turned away to his right AND left pretty equally here – the left was a little harder possibly because it was first in the session? But the right turns were pretty perfect!
The double whammy was also harder than usual because he had to ignore the auntie… but he did great! You can add a ‘chase’ or go go go or something on the reps where he is going to head to the auntie, to help clarify that for him.
>Tunnel threadle session, but also learned he is still not accepting toys in the dirt environment.>
Well, dirt is gross LOL!! You can ask him where in the facility he will want to tug: parking lot? Crating area? Is there any concrete area or non-dirt area? If we can figure out where he will tug, we can start getting tug there and then oh-so-slowly work on convincing him to tug in the dirt 🙂
Great job here!
Tracy
Good morning!
>I tried to incorporate transitions, slow and fast, not sure how well I handled it; she went wide on the left wrap both times. >
I totally see what you mean here!! She was great on the wraps to her right. And yes – very wide on her wraps to the left. Why was she so wide there? Either she needs to see more connection from you in the form of more direct eye contact (and lots of rewards) for turning to her left.
Or, she was looking at something out by the tree/fence line on that side. A squirrel or something perhaps? You can see her looking that way before finishing her turn especially on the 2nd left turn.
So definitely make a big connection and reward her for turning to the left – but you can also try moving the setup to someplace different and try the left turns, to test the theory of whether is was a distraction or a side preference.
She did a great job on the serps in the 2nd video! She had no trouble coming in to the target hand from any angle. Super!!!! So you can move to the next step, which would be to have a reward target on the floor. It can be an empty bowl that you drop the treat into, or a manners minder. That way she can do the in-then-out behavior very smoothly – what will also happen is she will touch your target hand *less* and that is actually fine 🙂 So if she sideswipes it to make the turn, definitely still reward.
Great job with the get out game!!! She was very happy to drive to her prop. You can add even more distance away from it! She also did well *not* going to the prop on the last rep – she ended up on the other side of you because she didn’t see any connection (so you can add more eye contact so she knows where to be) but I was super happy that she did not send herself to the prop. Yay!
Great job here!
Tracy
Good morning!
>We’ll keep working on the retrieve, mixing it up with your suggestions. >
Keep me posted! The retrieve is definitely on the way to being at the end goal of her bringing it right to your hand 🙂
And using the toy-on-a-rope here in the tunnel game seemed to work really well: excellent placement, she was really engaged, and you were able to keep the toy near you for the next rep. Yay!
>She gets the tunnel send on both sides, and the threadle turning to her right, but not so great on the threadle to her left. In review, I may have had her set up to close to the tunnel bag, causing her to move toward me and not toward the tunnel. >
Totally agree – both sides towards you were great! The right turns away from you were easy peasy and yes, the left turn away was harder. The mechanics of turning away are just harder for her on that side (totally normal :)) so you can start on a slightly easier angle so she doesn’t have to turn as much. Her turns here were approx 180 degrees into the tunnel, so you can angle her so she sees the tunnel more and her turn is 90 degrees or less. Then over time you can work her back to the harder entry on that side.
Great job here!
TracyGood morning!
>I think he is starting to get it, but my hands are a huge distraction for him lol! I think he is finding it slightly frustrating also. >
He is definitely starting to get it when starting on your left side – starting on your right side is harder because your mechanics are different – your hand cues were higher and faster so he was moving higher and faster too 🙂
The hand cues should ideally slow him down a bit and set the turn, so you can put the cookie hand right at his nose to lock onto, almost stopping him, then let him follow it slowly to turn away. My mantra for my hands on this one is “slow and low”.
>If I lure him he eats my hands and it’s painful lol.>
Poor starving dog! LOL! 😂 You can try the cookie hand (cue hand) being empty as if holding an invisible cookie. And the other hand can be ready with a cookie to throw, but still at your side til you toss the reward. The other hand was extended sometimes so I don’t think he knew where to go.
>Small slice. We have been working on this since he was itty bitty! He has amazing self control and drive for wanting to stay with the mama and work.>
Yay! He dos love working for the mama!!!! This video was the same as the head turn video, can you repost the slice video?
>We did do backside and threadle again. He was great just like on the live!!! Not one issue>
Super!! He is doing great with those!!!
Nice work here!
Tracy
