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Good morning!
On the stays game – He is doing well! We can build on it since he has gone through a lot of the levels already. A couple of ideas for you – try to turn more sideways so you are facing away but still connected with him, rather than facing him at first. This will begin to simulate walking away during a lead out. You can add more distance here too (just a step or two further away) which also builds in more duration. And, great job releasing and moving *after* he moves. Yay! So now one more level to add is release – he moves – then you explode and run and get a little wilder in the play. He was releasing by then wasn’t really sure or explosive, because you weren’t moving. So you will be able to get even more explosiveness out of the release this way… which in turn will add more challenge to the stay.
On additional challenge you can add is a visual distraction/excitement, since most of these stays will be done in front of something really exciting (like a jump or tunnel). Use the toy as the distraction – can he hold his stay while you dangle the toy? And hold it while the toy dangles and you are counting? This will eventually build up to holding his stay while you put the toy on the ground (he can look at the toy) or while you toss the toy. All are good challenges, just start with small pieces so he can be super successful.When you say ‘sticky’, how long does it take him to get himself into the sit? This is all good for balancing excitement/arousal with thoughtful behavior.
On the toy races:
A couple of tweaks on mechanics: Start with him already facing the direction you want to run, and *then* throw the toy. On the first rep, you tossed the toy then turned him around, walked away, positioned him… that lowers the drive to the toy. The next rep had better drive to the toy because he could face it the whole time.
Also, have him next to you before you throw it, but no need to physically turn his body either before or after the throw – he doesn’t seem to really like being moved like that (note how he looks away at 1:15 when you move his bum to your side. So he can be slightly sideways if needed, he will sort it out 🙂
When you got to it first and then ran the other way, he definitely got excited by that!! Nice!
One last thought on this one – try to only do it on surfaces where he can dig in with his feet – dirt and grass come to mind 🙂 He is not really using his hind end here, probably because the surface doesn’t have a lot of dig-in options and also short distances. You can see that he is keeping his back feet together and jogging along rather than digging in. So, using longer distances where he can really open up and grass or dirt will engage his hind end more – that in turn is great for speed building and hind end awareness.About grabbing for stuff in the yard… I think that developing a routine of not grabbing it will help. It isn’t a terrible thing to grab for the toys but we don’t want him trying to race you to something in a casual (not cued) setting, because sometimes we don’t want him to grab what you are picking up or investigating. And also it should help him not ever grab your hand by accident (ouch!)
Since it seems that he is aware of the stuff out there and recognizes when you are going to pick it up, let’s train an alternate behavior (because trying to race him to it or get mad about it will probably cause him to grab it sooner LOL!). So as you move towards the item to pick up, let’s change his response:
You can toss something away (like a handful of treats) in the opposite direction and tell him to get it. This will start to get him to look for his treats as you move towards the item, to counter condition the impulse to race you to it.
Then when the impulse is reduced, you can start to cue a behavior – a wait of some sort. A sit or down (whichever he likes better) our a stand. I tell my dogs to “wait a sec” which basically means “stand still”. And then I reward that with something tossed to them. So while you are out and about in this situation, have treats at the ready so you can work this every time – it will be a quick learn for him for sure!Let me know what you think!
TracyHmmm, goat game suggestions… what do you have that moves a bit? A doggie hammock or maybe something at work like a moving cart? Just be sure to put a rug or mat on it so it isn’t slippery. Skateboard?
Also, position changes on or in things: sit, down, stand, give paw.
And, different surfaces and textures that make different noises and have a different feel: a giant metal mixing bowl? Baking pan?
Moving kids toys like a truck?
I will keep mulling it over 🙂
TracyHi!
>>I like your suggestions on the restrained recalls and I decided to started having people at work hold him and get rewarded and immediately.
Yay!
>>I thought to remove any agility type things and take away some of the arousal to see if that helps him learn to tolerate being restrained.
Yes, great idea, especially because we don’t really want agility to be arousing until he is, like, 3 years old haha! I want him to come out early on being very thoughtful, almost slow. Then we can make him nuts haha!
Great job carving out training time at work! The sit tug sit is going well – the first bunch were great, then at about 1:20 you waited too long. Go for shorter sessions (30 second or so) then be done for a few minutes – a 2 minute session might be too long for now. You can add in quiet praise before the release – goooood boooooyyyyyy – to help him understand that he doesn’t have to offer 10 million things 🙂 That will also help extend the duration. And we will add in motion at some point, no rush. I also have another way to teach a stay coming down soon, because honestly the sit-tug-sit was a nice start with Hot Sauce but it didn’t solidify the stay for her : )
Great job being still on the release and not moving and releasing at the same time (the first one was a little too close together but the rest were spot on!)
Now one thing I notice is that he leaps & grabs for the toy. Let’s work on this, getting him to transition from the drop of the toy to the sit (or whatever you would be training next) without leaping up. This leaping up could pop up in a variety of places where the toy might be in play or there might be a lot of excitement, so a side trip into a bit of self-control here will help. Here is a layer to add:
rewarding her for *not* jumping for the toy as you move it away from his mouth to transition to the next part of the game.Tug tug tug and then relax your hands, keeping them low, give an out cue if you have one, and wait. Let him back off the toy, release it, relax himself – don’t move the toy, just leave it there. He might re-grip, but just stay chill 🙂
At first, when he releases it, don’t move the toy: just take a breath, let the stay toy there, then if he can remain backed off and not leaping for it – tell him to get it (he doesn’t have to sit – criteria is stand still, don’t grab, don’t leap).When he can do that, you can go to the next step of: after he releases it, slowly move the toy away (to the side, not upwards) then release him to get it if he can stay chill and not leap for it. Then you can add in moving it upwards – at this point, he can be in a stand or offer a sit – but I bet he starts to offer sits pretty quickly.
This will add a layer of self-control which will also help you be able to move away while he holds his position 🙂
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi again!
Having the helper was great, even with the little extra restraint and a little push haha! The extra restraint seemed to pump him up more! And he wasn’t bothered by the push – that little push is actually common in flyball restrained recalls LOL!
I think the best ones are when you run away immediately like at :50ish – so be sure to hand him off, run run run then call. Wheee!
Try to take these recalls to a whole lot of places to introduce lots of distractions.
One more thing – I mentioned it with the toy races too – try to be more engaged with him during the tugging between reps. Give him eye contact, face him, play, touch him ,etc. You are tending to be turning away from him and moving back to the start spot rather than engaging, which dampens the engagement and enthusiasm. Plus, with more engagement using the toy, it will be easier to fade the toy later on.
Nice work here! Have fun!
TracyGood morning!
Cat-like play is fine too 🙂 Mix it all in!On the go to toy game:
The first rep was great in terms of drive to the toy! We need a better plan to get the toy back 🙂 A couple of ideas:I suggest playing in a long hallway if you have floors that aren’t too slippery so he has fewer options to take it and leave.
And, don’t move towards him, move away, run away, whooping it up – and then when he begins bringing the toy towards you, you can offer another toy to engage him.You did go to the toy tied to something longer – try to get him super engaged on it then throw it further so he can really drive to it, I think it was too close to start with. Plus:
>> When he didn’t give it back I told him he was naughty in a silly voice and just went and got the leash. He dropped the toy to come see what I was doing and when I came back in I just walked over and picked it up and put the leash on. I don’t think he felt punished.>>
It sounds like a negative punishment (withdrawal of reinforcement – interaction/end of game – to suppress unwanted behavior) so it is entirely possible that it did suppress the enthusiasm on the next reps. So try the ideas above so he gets lots of reward for driving to it and you can prevent running off with the toy while also keeping it fun. You can also let him win some of the reps! Throw the longer toy as far as you can too, that will make it a real race 🙂
One last thing on the toy races: during the tugging, stay engaged longer rather than tug as you go back to reset. You were tugging but also turning your back on him to go back for another rep. It was tugging but not really play. So celebrate with him, play more directly for at least 5 to 10 seconds. Then take the toy and reset (and you can reward him for giving the toy back too!)Be right back with the 2nd video but gotta charge the device first LOL!
T
Good morning, thanks for changing the privacy!
On the tugging video, he did indeed do well! I think a couple of tweaks will get it even stronger! Try standing up more, but using the super long toys. – and swooshing them around on the ground a little faster – fast enough that they are exciting, but not soooo fast that he can’t grab them. He does seem to want to get his mouth on them, but when you are sitting on the ground, it looks like he wants to chew them more than tug on them. And then when you switch toys, you can move the previous toy more out of the picture (put it up on something) so he has a clear idea of what exactly is ‘in play’. On other idea: I notice that when you push him back hard, he doesn’t seem to like it – he looks at your hand or he stops tugging for a moment. So don’t push him back – try stroking his neck or chest or cheeks with a tiny bit of pressure – that can get him to pull back for good tugging rather than be a turn off.
On the shaping video – the behavior you wanted was very clear, yay! Two suggestions for the shaping part of it:
Attach a non-slip mat to the surface of the laundry basket, so he doesn’t slide everywhere when you release him 🙂
And, speaking of the release – feed in position for the behavior then use your release word – then when he hops off , toss a reward. That will help build in a nice release word too!About the tugging here – it looks like his food drive is higher than his tug drive for now, with the food being so close (or perhaps the food was too high in value to be able to tug with the food so close). That seems to be why he wasn’t interested in tugging – food was right there! It was either in your hand or in your pockets so he couldn’t get past the smell to want to tug. No problem! We will separate the two – when you want to tug after using food, leave all the food in one place and then run to a different room in the house and start partying with his favorite toy. Be sure that there are no cookies in your pocket or hands – he isn’t ready for tugging with a cookie so close yet. And use boring non-stinky treats 🙂
When he can eat a boring treat then can tug in a different room, we start to move things closer and closer, building up to tugging while you are holding steak in the same hand. This will take as long as it takes LOL! Could be one session (which would be highly abnormal) or weeks (normal) or months (also normal LOL!!)
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi Ann and welcome to you and Mochi!!! She sounds *adorable* 🙂
>> 1. We are having some difficulty with the Any Toy game. When I switch to the second toy, she is very focused on finding the first toy again (usually I sit on it or put it under my shirt).
This is a high quality problem LOL! I love that she is enjoying the toy!
>>I am trying to be very exciting with the second toy and she may sniff the second toy or mouth it half-heartedly for a second, but loses interest and wanders away or sits and stares at me to try to get the first toy back. I have had some success when switching from low to high value, but not with 2 high value toys or going from high to lower value.
Because she is so young and we want to keep the games super fun – stick with the low-to-high value as your primary mode of playing the game. You can then work up to medium-to-high value, and then eventually high-to-high and high-to-low value. It can take a bit of time, there is no rush.
To help facilitate the value changes you can try a couple of other things:
If there is a high value toy she particularly loves, maybe have 2 of the same exact toy so you switch back and forth to get the concept of “switching” a bit happier for her? For example, my pup loves frisbees, so I switch back and forth between frisbees. She is not likely to be able to go from frisbee to one of the crappy boring tugs that I have… so I don’t ask for it LOL! Maybe she can do it eventually, but no need for it now.You can also change locations. She seems smart and the old trick of hiding the toy in your shirt isn’t working LOL! So when you go from one toy to another, maybe run to a different room, leaving the first toy behind. So the high value toy can stay in the bedroom while you run into the living room to get the next toy. Eventually you can get them right on top of each other, but adding distance between the toys for now can help!
>>2. When we play the toy races, the more excited she gets, the more she wants to bite the hand that is restraining her and not look at the toy. Maybe I should have her on leash?
Do you mean having the person restraining her hold a leash rather than hold her? Yes, absolutely! That is one option for sure. The biting of the restrainer can be a frustration behavior and/or she isn’t comfy being held while the momma leaves – so the other option is to do very quick transitions:
Play, hand her off, and as soon as the holder has her – call her and run, so she gets released almost immediately and doesn’t have time to get too aroused or bite the holder.
You can start these fast transitions with the leash first, then go to restraint.
When she is happy with that, you can add longer holds and more time/distance before you call her.
Also, when you hand her off, will she eat a cookie from the restrainer? Does she seem happy at first and then the mouthiness comes out when she is stimulated?
Let me know what you think!
TracyThanks for the update!!! You got caught in one of the things we throw at the handlers when doing the in-person seminars… we shake up their pre-run routine on purpose (mean, but useful LOL!) I like your note-to-self to double check all info! But sometimes there are random changes even when you’ve executed your routine perfectly. So, an additional challenge to add to your mental prep:
Do it all in under 10 minutes – look at the map, analyze, get the song going, walk it, be ready to run – less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
Can you do it in less than 10? Yay! Now go to less than 8. Then less than 7. Then less than 5 🙂
I challenge myself to do it all in less than 2 minutes because I often run 2 or 3 dogs, so i need to leave time to get the dogs ready too – and often one of my small dogs is early in the ring. Yes, doing it all in under 2 minutes totally makes my brain hurt! LOL!! But I practice it at home and at seminars so 10 minutes fees like a luxury 🙂I like that your afternoon went well and also that you were able to build in rest. Yay! And keeping yourself AND the dog warm is hugely important (and, in the summer, keeping cool) because it allows for true rest so you can both work at your best. Nice!!
TracyThese are great!! Perfect for a Monday morning 🙂
>> Remember you once dreamed of being where you are right now”
This one is my favorite – great for all of us!
T
Hi!
>> You ask ast time we failed on course…. Pretty much a given there will be at least one NQ at every trial for us right now. That’s where we are at and that’s ok.
Only one NQ? That’s pretty darned good 🙂 With my 6 year old dog, he is so fast that I can go entire weekend without a Q. And it is OK because the runs are still amazing – but yes, it takes a powerful mental game.
Part of it is the realization that agility is a high failure sport – we fail a lot more than we succeed in terms of outcome. That is why it is so important to have these tools in place or we risk losing the joy of the game.
>> It was harder to accept when we first started trialing. I would be frustrated for a week or more until I could figure out what the issue was and I could get out to practice.
Totally agree! And now, with so much more experience (plus access to almost-immediate video review) we can sort out problems so much faster, which reduces frustration for all.
>>It is a lot harder to accept when we hit a plateau in training and when there are levels of stagnation. Somehow in my brain I think we should progress faster. Looking at it as time to step back and look more closely at the problem is + tip.
Yes! And this is part of the “fake it til ya make it” process.. keep telling yourself that the training is a puzzle that you *will* sort out, even if you have to seek help in places other than you normally would. And also keep telling yourself that we *all* progress slowly and it is up and down. It is incredibly rare for someone to never hit a plateau. I’d say 99% of us have these plateaus! So keep telling yourself that it is normal, it is fine, and you will find the answers. You might not believe it in your heart at first but you will be able to re-wire your brain, which will convince your heart 🙂
>>>Knowing what the problem is though, and understanding when to change something up have been big learning curve : ). It can be overwhelming since everyone wants to help with their input …honestly I think it’s human nature to avoid seeing someone struggle.
Yes, and that is where “consider the source” comes into play – if the source of the info is worthwhile, go ahead and consider the input. But if it is well-meaning but not worthwhile as a source, you can just ignore it. That makes it less overwhelming.
>>Had to lighten up…. makes sense to make errors an opportunity to revisit challenges. I think I struggle with the self talk a lot more when our error rates are higher.>>
Yes totally normal!!!!! That self-talk will really be the critical element in times of failure – so that is why rehearsing how to work through the failure is so important (based on your question from a previous thread) – allow your mind to wander into the failure (at home, not at a trial) then rehearse how to get out of it and back to a positive place.
T
Hi Patrice!
Yup, those are the top distractions for most of us!!! I recently had a pepperoni pizza distraction: entering the ring for a flyball race and 2 folks were sitting 3 feet away, on the floor, eating pepperoni pizza. There were no ring gates and the flyball rules allow this, so I had to put the distraction away and trust the training! (I was distracted, but my dog was not. He did his runs without even looking at the pizza!)
Maybe start with an easier distraction or move one of the distractions on your list further away in your visualization. You can also add a distraction like an annoying song being played or someone finishing their MACH or something right before you. These are minor distractions and might be easier to work through at first.
T
Hi Patrice!
>>How long do you use the song you have selected!… When do you change up?… Is it When you change up speed? … As in when your dog increases in confidence and in speed, or do you change up when you change events?>>
Both! As my dog’s speed increases, and I will change for events. I might have the same song for a couple of local events, then change for a bigger event or special occasion. Or I might just change it when I get a little sick of it 🙂 or find a better one 🙂
>>I have my song stuck in my head a week later, sometimes when I go to sleep!! Hope that’s normal (lol). I have been practicing visualizations with music in my thoughts when I do laps at the pool, or in the middle of store line when everyone is chatting.
Either it is completely normal, or we are both weirdos hahahah!! Same thing here – I dream the songs and visualize at odd hours and in weird places with the music 🙂
T
Hi! This is a difficult topic, right?
A few ideas for you:
>>I’m not sure I can imagine a situation from “others perspective” if they are hurtful or mean. I think I just have to practice to let that type of thing go and walk away because I honestly can not relate to that as standing in their shoes.>>
I recommend 2 things for this:
Yes, letting go! Put the hurtful comment in a room in your brain and close the door to it. You can revisit it later… or not!
There’s a line in a funny musical that I like. This part is beautifully sung, about imagining your brain is filled with tiny boxes, find the box that has the hurtful comment…
This part yelled: AND CRUSH IT! Ha!
It makes me laugh every single time lol. So I CRUSH hurtful comments 🙂As for empathy… I do sometimes think about how much pain someone must be in, inside their own head or heart, to have such horrid things spew from their mouth. That doesn’t mean that I accept or tolerate their meanness, but I makes it easier to walk away and forget it.
About picturing failure… this is more about recovery than actual visualization and is done away from a trial. For example: I might work through the feelings of failing in public, in a big run, hearing comments… and practice my recovery, affirmations, etc. This is done at home, away from the dog, etc. That way the tools are ready in case I need them.
At a trial itself, and in most practice outside of trials, all visualizations are done positively and without failure 🙂>>t, but why dig up the neg emotions if you don’t need to
Because I need to dig them up in order to sharpen the tools to deal with them when they try to pop up. That gives me sharp tools to squish them very quickly 🙂
And yes, at a trial (and in class etc), avoid getting into other people’s head space and avoid letting them pull you into a negative place. But taking a few private moments at home to explore it will help deal with being around it, which makes it less exhausting and also helps it roll off you very easily.
And when you see someone struggling… I totally avoid them sometimes too, I get it!!! If I saw the run, I try to drop in a “wow, great blind at 5!” Or something, but then I move away – in those moments, folks want to discuss the negatives so I don’t stick around for that (unless it is a friend or student, then I stick around to stop the negative and turn around their thinking).
If you haven’t seen the run, you can sometimes say something like “I feel you!”, smile, then walk away. A moment of sympathy after a bad run can go a long way for all of us.And yes, it is exhausting to keep smiling after a long day! Be sure to rest, give yourself some private time… then it will be easier to stay upbeat and smiling. I personally make sure that I have eaten during a long day – it is hard to smile when I am hangry!
Let me know what you think!
Tracy
