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Hi!
>>
> I can relate to time flying by!!! I just pushed the final date for this class to September 23rd. Mother Nature has NOT been on our side this summer!
>>I do have a few things from the last few days.>>
The videos all show as private so YouTube won’t let me see them. Can you reset to unlisted?
> But he doesn’t have a target – not sure if I should be adding that or…?>
Yes, highly recommend a target for the 4on to clarify it because it is not a super clear location on the board – usually it is a foot target right at the end of the board, made out of something really fancy like duct tape 🙂
>> And I swear there was another rep in here where he completely missed the last wrap and just went straight back into the tunnel, but I can’t find the video.>>
If it is not on video, then it did not happen LOL
>> I tried it with Mochi and she FLEW into the tunnel instead of doing the last wrap. Clearly we need to revisit that one. 😀>>
Yes! Her generation didn’t quite have the same level of focus on jumps versus tunnels but they see it all the time on course. So definitely add her to the training with these games 🙂
>>Last thing, we have started having portions of our classes in the big ring at On the Run. This is super fun, and INCREDIBLY STIMULATING for the young sir.>>
YESSSSS!!!
>> The ring is split, and there are a few screamers (dogs) in the other class.>>
Oh dear, screamers are hard for herdy teenagers!
>> We’ve been working on our Brain Camp homework, but there have been a couple of instances where the only thing he could do was tug-sit-tug and hand touches, and they were very enthusiastic!>>
That is actually great, because he could have just totally left to chase the other screaming dog, so I think tug-sit-tug and hand touches are GREAT!
>>I’m working on dialing back the stimulation and gradually working it back up, and wondering if you have any suggestions. Here’s what I’ve been doing:
– Pattern games away from the ring (back behind the desk).
– Working on simple tricks (sit, down, shake, touch, spin, etc.) outside the building, where he can hear dogs through the screen garage doors.
– Doing whatever he can handle in the ring – if it’s only tug-sit-tug, that’s fine, it’s better than losing the plot completely.>>All good! And practice this at home too, so his brain and body are ready for it in the harder environment. Also, build in some decompression: will he do a snuffle mat? Chew a bully? Shred the crap out of a toy? Any of this will be helpful to help him regulate.
>>I’m thinking about enrolling him in a basic obedience or rally class so he can work around other dogs in a less thrilling environment,>>
Yes… but honestly I think a flyball class will be more beneficial for that and also a lot more fun for you both!!! Flyball training is truly all about working around other dogs while embracing the excitement. And the food/beverages are much better. LOL
>> and also thinking about bringing some of his props (fit bones, discs, platforms, etc.) to agility class so he can engage with something in addition to the pattern games. Thoughts on any/all of this? >>
BIG YES to this – we play a game called Instant Focus where we take a much-loved simple skill (like a prop) and bring it into harder locations. Here is my twitchy teenage herder doing it in a new place with dogs in crates (hard to see them but they are there):
I have videos of the dogs doing it in harder environments too, but can’t find them. I will post when I find them!
Let me know when the videos are unlisted and I will take a look 🙂
Tracy
Hi!
Don’t you love when people try to talk to you during a walk through LOL!!!! That part cracked me up LOL!!! Happens all the time at trials so it was great prep LOL!!!
Looking at the walk through:
The plan was super clear! YAY! And you had good speed added towards the end of the walk through, and I heard some verbals in there as well! Super!
The one thing to add is connection back to where she would be, such as on exit of 1, exit of the tunnel, landing from the cross 5-6, push to and exit of the 8 backside.
Ideally, you would see her exiting the wrap at 1 then cue 2. And you would see her exiting the tunnel, then cue commitment to 5, and so on. All of which provides your timing for the cross and better commitment cues for her,
What was happening in the walk through was you would cue the line or turn then immediately look ahead at an invisible Synnie… but the actual Synnie would still be behind you. Looking back for her is great for timing (so you can see where she is behind you and time the next turn) as well as for practicing the conenction she needs to see in order to get on the lines correctly.
And if we don’t practice it in the walk through, either we miss doing it in the run (I am guilty of this!!) or our brains are trying to do it during the run but we humans are NOT good at multi-tasking, so we are delayed or get off kilter somewhere else.
On the first run:
You nailed the connection on the 1-2-3-4 line but then the disconnection caught up with you as she exited the tunnel at :15 – not enough connection as you handled the dog ahead of you when she was still behind you. So she correctly read it as a blind and didn’t take 5. Great job continuing – you had lovely connection for the rest of it!On the 2nd run you had more lovely connection in the opening (her forward focus is looking great too on jump 1!) and you definitely had better connection on the tunnel exit! Yay!
You can connect even more directly there, with your arm pointing back to the tunnel exit and eyes on the exit to see her – that will allow you to begin the FC sooner. You were peripherally connected, so it did support the 5 jump more but made the timing late (because when we are peripherally connected, we tend to start crosses when the dog appears in our periphery. When we are fully connected, we are earlier because we see the dog a lot sooner 🙂 And that is the multi-tasking thing: when trying to work the connection for the first time on that part, our brains often cannot also stay on the correct line which is part of why she almost ended up at 8.
So for sequence 2: walk it as you did here but add in seeing the invisible dog behind you or lateral to you at every step of the way (unless you do a rear cross somewhere, where you would see the invisible dog out ahead).
Great job!!!
Tracy
Hi!
The Olympics are great fun to watch!!! I am obsessed!
For the teeter: she is ready for the next steps of the bang game, particularly about cuing her to hop on from the side at the end, and adding your motion. A question though: does she have a target cue (mine is ‘target’ LOL). If not, you can add one before starting it (on a plank not the teeter) to name the behavior of going to the target because she seemed a little tentative about the target position. Then it will be easy to start it again on the teeter, doing the advanced level of the bang game posted last week 🙂 You will probably also need to tape the target down so it doesn’t flip around or fall off the board as she hops on.
On the serps:
>> On the SERPs I think I need to build my courses better since the jumps were not quite on line for her. >>
Yes, the jumps can be moved over a little, but also you can be closer to them for the serps. Ideally, we are not further than one relaxed arm’s length away from the serp jump and then keep moving along that line to the next obstacle(s).
For example at :34, you were a little too far from the serp jump and moving away, which made the line to the tunnel harder. And that means adding extra handling so being closer will be easier! If you are close enough to touch the jumps, the line will be easier to set (and you are ahead, so she will have plenty of room to land :))
>>At least on these tries I opened my shoulder to her before she took off for the jump.>>
Yes! You can have it back as she exits the tunnel (or previous jump, depending on the sequence) and it doesn’t need to be as dramatic of a swing back (save that for threadle slices :))
Tunnel verbals: Her speed and commitment to the tunnel looks great! Your timing of the GO verbal at 1:17 was the best – well before she got into the tunnel. The other reps (like 1:07 and 1:25) were a little late, she was already just about entering the tunnel.
She was actually correct to NOT go to the wings here because they were off the line for a go – they were on more of a ‘get out’ line. The go is a very straight line so she was correct to not flick away. You pushed her away at bit at 1:19 and throw the toy so she did go to the wing, but that is more of a ‘get out’ line. Moving the wings over so an invisible bar would be visible is a great challenge: can she drive ahead and get to the wing? I think she is ready for that challenge!
Looking at the RDW work:
I definitely like the longer mat!! I think before you do the next session, we can make a couple of changes to get more consistency:
– elevate the mat, attaching it to something that is about an inch tall or so, so it is raised up a little
– put the MM behind a wing (with the beep off and test that it is indeed off LOL!) – the wing entry can be on the same straight line but the MM is tucked in behind it, kind of sideways with the treat bowl part of it on the side of the wing she comes to. You can use your ‘dish’ marker or just let the gears grinding be the marker. And delay triggering it til she has moved forward and not jumped up 🙂 It is a hard shaping moment for us humans!
– you can also have that wing/MM combo on a slight curve – like the banana line game. It might be easier to stride/harder to leap on a curve
For now, don’t move or change your motion/position in the session – that was different on a lot of reps here, so she is trying to process what the actual cue is and the footwork. So taking out your motion is a good starting place. The recalls are good and you can recall her back to you and reward her for the hits… but sending her away to the mat is more important than the recalls.
Great job here! Let me kniw what you think!
Tracy
Good morning!
The ladder games to the left looked great and the toppl looked like a big winner! She might not find the snuffle mat interesting or decompressing in that moment or context and that is fine… licking might be more of her thing than sniffing.
FC on the wing was great, nice exit line connection!
Circle wrap on rep 2 – nice commitment and nice exit line connection too! The Toppl seems to be a big hit
Last rep – really super! Great commitment, great connection, soooooo nice!!!
On the 2nd video:
Also a nice FC wrap!!>>then got some leaping as I was looking back at her when she came out of the tunnel.>>
I think that was more of a “I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO TURN RIGHT AT THIS SPEED IN THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW”. She seemed to be trying to set up a left turn there. I have run into this with all of my dogs how have a strong side preference – breaking it down like you did to do the ‘harder’ side at a slower pace was great!
Yes, she might have been tired/depleted from a busy week too – so next time start with some simple right turn stuff early in the day, and see how it goes! And also do lots and lots of go-straight, run-fast, no-real-brain-juice-required stuff to balance all of the turns 🙂
>>It’s supposed to rain most of tomorrow so I was looking at the baby tandem turn on a wing and the lazy contact targeting as good indoor games.>>
She has done a lot of turning lately, so give turns a few days off and just do contact stuff and maybe some goofy tricks (I realized I was sorely lacking in the tricks department with the youngsters so I trained goofy tricks for a few days and no agility LOL!)
>>I don’t do tandem turns much with Kaladin and I use his threadle wrap cue (in in in) when I do. Not sure if they should have the same cue or not since while the beginning is similar, the tandem turn tends to accelerate back the other direction while the threadle wrap keeps circle to go on. Although maybe the exit line connection just clears that up?
For the Lazy Contact targeting game and a 4-on position, what are you using as Elektra’s foot target? It looks like it stays put well when she paws it. Lift will paw a block of wood with gritty paper stuck to it when I hold it up in front of her, but I’ll need to work on getting her to do that when it is on the ground. I like the idea of the foot target over the nose since I think the pawing helps her shift her weight back more than leaning forward to nose target. Does it matter if her board is on the ground vs raised? For smaller boards I have the Cato plank, an old travel plank that is about 2in off the ground and a board that would be more flush to the ground.
>>I don’t do tandem turns much with Kaladin and I use his threadle wrap cue (in in in) when I do. Not sure if they should have the same cue or not since while the beginning is similar, the tandem turn tends to accelerate back the other direction while the threadle wrap keeps circle to go on. Although maybe the exit line connection just clears that up?>>
Sometimes tandems are on the front side of the jump, so I use the front side directional that matches the turn for those (left/right/wrap/etc)
For tandems on the backside, it is basically the same behavior as a threadle wrap so I use the same verbal as my TW verbal. The dogs read the different context based on context 🙂 and also our lower body. The current course trends are that we are really only seeing TWs but a tandem turn is a great way to get the behavior started and support the youngsters.
>>For the Lazy Contact targeting game and a 4-on position, what are you using as Elektra’s foot target? It looks like it stays put well when she paws it.>>
If my memory is correct, it was a piece of plastic-coated paper with duct tape under it. FANCY! LOL!!! The duct tape was the key 🙂
>> I like the idea of the foot target over the nose since I think the pawing helps her shift her weight back more than leaning forward to nose target.>>
Yes, I prefer a foot target for the 4on behavior. The lowered head of a nose target can be useful in 2o2o (I have long since abandoned the repeated nose presses to a target) but the scratching for the 4on produces a lovely weight shift plus it gives the smaller dogs something fun to do while the teeter goes down… it takes FOREVER for that thing to drop, so they might as well be doing something fun that maintains the weight shift. I have faded the scracthing for Elektra and her teeter is still super (she is 4 now).
>> Does it matter if her board is on the ground vs raised? For smaller boards I have the Cato plank, an old travel plank that is about 2in off the ground and a board that would be more flush to the ground. >>
I like it to be slightly raised so it is salient, in terms of getting on it and not touching the ground.
Nice work here! Have fun!
Tracy
Good morning!
>>. I left in all the times he ran up the board without me. I think that’s showing confidence?
Ha! I guess he is loving the teeter! LOL!!! And he was hilarious when he got up there at :45 and was looking around like WHERE IS MY COOKIE! LOL! I think either you should carry him as you reset, or have him wait on a station (like the table or a mat) so he doesn’t have teeters without you, especially as the tip increases. We don’t want him to surprise himself with a big drop when he is not expecting it.
He did well here! If possible, increase the tip by less, so it is almost imperceptible. Rather than a couple of inches, try a centimeter or two. That will maintain his drive to the end while slowly but surely adding more tip.
You can also play the bang game where he hops on the side into position, to help build love for riding the board down as you keep adding tip to the ‘uphill’ mountain climber game 🙂
On the Wingin’ It game: I love how your verbals sound so different! That really helps!
He did really well here and your connection was particularly excellent on the exits of the tight blinds and spins! NICE!!!
He had a couple of questions when you added the middle wing after the blind – the smoothest reps here were the ones like at 2:09 for example, where you gave him a clear view of the wing and stepped to it with the dog-side leg. At 2:24, he could see the wing but you didn’t step to it, so he was not sure if he should take it. And his other question was at 2:38 where you blocked the wing a little so he had to go around you.
>> he was getting bored.>>
It was probably more that there were a lot of really tight turns, so you can mix in a few easy race tracks about the wings and through the tunnels. You both did great with really complex handling skills!!
Nice work here!
Tracy
Good morning!
The link just takes me to regular youtube (with all of the tempting Taylor Swift videos and Olympic videos LOL!) Can you re-post the Taq video? Thanks 🙂Tracy
Good morning!
>>I’ll see what I can set later this week. It’s heating up and we have a trial Fri, Sat and Sun.>>
Yeah, the summer heat has been HARD. Even sunrise work gets hot really quickly. You can probably set this up at home with one jump and wing wrap before it (21 feet away or more if you have the room), getting her REALLY excited with a toy, send to the wing then accelerate – as she exits the wrap, decel and get really intense with the YOU MUST TURN NOW PLEASE AND THANK YOU: direct connection and opposite hand as a stop sign near the takeoff spot.
Since I think she is VERY similar to how Voodoo ran at 3 years old, I dug up a video of the connection and cues he saw as a youngster. You can scroll past the other 2 dogs and look for the big dog that is getting DRAMATIC cues:
I was able to fade all of that drama and he ended up being a dog that could turn very easily.
>>I’m really trying with the arm back and connection. But, it’s not easy!
So true! It is about the individual mechanics and getting comfy with the connection to the dog and also running full blast. Like a yoga move while sprinting LOL!
Have fun! Stay cool!
Tracy
Good morning!
>>Camp is keeping me on track this summer for training as I feel like being lazy from it being way too hot 😊>>
I can totally relate! Without needing to do CAMP videos, I would probably never go outside this summer LOL!!!! So it is sunrise training nowadays 🙂
>>Buddy nailed it first run. There was no one in the building 😊>>
Yay Buddy <3
>>I had to change it to the front side of 15 due to a pole in the way.
Mookie ran clean first run. I could layer 7 to 8 to tunnel from behind jump 10. I did a threadle wrap 15 to 16.>>Excellent!!
>>Alonso: I could also layer 7 to 8 to tunnel from behind jump 10. However, he needed me to go deep to 14 as it was close to the ring gating. He is affected by the pressure of when you have to jump close to ring gating or walls and I have needed to support that more.>>
That is good to know!!! And definitely something to isolate in training and reward him for, since soooooo much of the training and trialing in your area is now indoors. I think there are very few (maybe zero?) outdoor trials left, so getting him to ignore walls/ring gating/crowds will be very very helpful.
>>He also needed a threadle feet face dog 15 to 16.
He might also need a stronger turn cue as he exits 14 to set up the threadle 15-16. That early turn cue before the threadle can really help.
>>Jumpers 2: Buddy was on a role with no strange people distractions and nailed it first try. I was able to do a blind cross between 3 and 4 to the weaves which I didn’t have time for with my other 2 boys.>>
YAY BUDDY!!!!! So glad to hear he had fun!
>>Mookie needed a strong threadle out of the tunnel 6 to 7 to get the proper side of jump 7 otherwise he was great. Second run was clean.>>
Be sure you can early turn cues for the tunnel, starting before he enters (probably 6 to 8 feet before) to set up the next line.
>>Alonso: I knew to run to the fence at 12 and he was fine. He needed even a stronger feet face dog threadle coming out of the tunnel 6 to 7. His second run was clean.>>
Good job supporting him!! And as with Mookie, give a nice strong turn cue for the tunnel before he goes in.
>>2 Poles hid the entrance to the weaves for both courses but all 3 dogs found them without a problem. I say weave and it is like a sending a guided missile to them.>>
That is fabulous! You have the poles at SOTC and I think there are also poles at the Erie location? So being able to ignore them is really great!
>> I can beat Mookie out of the weaves to even blind cross in front of him. No way can I do that with Alonso who is way faster.>>
Will Alonso let you sprint while he is weaving? That is a good project! Most dogs take 2.5 or 3 seconds to do a set of weaves, so if he stays in while you run then you should be able to get to your next position really easily.
>> Afterward I played with the set up and layered the tunnel going to the line of jumps not sucking into the tunnel as they followed the line past it. Mookie has it solid. I used a toy at the end of the line for Alonso as I continue to work on this. For the last try I did not use a toy for the other direction for Alonso and he got it. I then threw the toy reward 😊>>
Perfect! Layering the tunnel is cropping up EVERYWHERE now, so I want to be sure everyone has the skill super strong for when you see it in a trial.
Keep me posted on how the live class sequences go! Great job here and thank you for the update 🙂
Tracy
Hi! This went really well!!!
>>ach was only done once except the tunnel exit. It looked really wide to me in real time, but it was an excellent turn.>>
I agree, the turn was lovely! All 3 of the warm ups looked good. As you work out the mechanics, you might find it feels smoother if the dog side arm is even further back. That will rotate you more at the waist which can reveal even more connection.
One thing about the line on the FC exit in the warm up and the FC on 4 at :51 – the exit line connection looked good but you were running towards the tunnel exit, so she was wide as she followed your line then re-adjusted. So as you exit the FC, be sure to run directly to the tunnel entry and when you see her on the line, then you can move to the tunnel exit.
>The FC at 5 was terrible. I felt like I was there and on time, but Sprite turned really wide and then wasn’t really on the line to 6 which created another wide turn.>>
When I read this, I was already to be like “no, it was good!” But then I saw it… nope it was really wide LOL!! She seemed surprised by the turn, which means she didn’t really catch the cues.
I think that the FC on 5 needs more *drama* on the transition into it and the turn cue itself: as soon as she commits to tunnel #3, accelerate like mad up the line so when you see her taking off for 4, you can decelerate into it and as you rotate, use a brake arm as a stop sign back to her nose on the takeoff spot (and very direct eye contact). That should set up the collection, and also set up the exit line connection.
>>What can I do better to help her. My guess is I didn’t slow down enough.>>
You were pretty decelerated, but what I think was missing was the acceleration before it – the shift into decel is the cue, not just being decelerated. So hitting the gas is really important so then she sees you hit the brakes. And if you are so dramatic that you pull her off the jump entirely – hooray! That is easy to smooth out 🙂
The spin on the next rep had the clear transition from the acceleration to the decel to the rotation and she turned really well! The FC requires more collection, so more drama is definitely on tap for it.
Nice brake arm on 5 to the backside! That also had a nice transition into it (a subtle decel) and she read it well. You can probably not be as close to 5 so it is easier to get to 6. Her turn at 6 looked good and you had good connection there – remember to exaggerate that exit line connection so it becomes second nature.
>>P.s. I still have pop outs from the 3 rd release. But, is package 3 a 10 ft tunnel? I only have a 20 ft tunnel.>>
All the tunnels are 15 foot tunnels, so you can spread things out to use your 20 foot tunnel. Have fun!
Great job! Stay cool!
Tracy
Good morning! This went really well, I am glad you are working these with her!!
On the first sequence with the big fluffy blind:
Super nice blind exit line connection! She had zero questions there or with the other reps you did. Yay!>>Still a bit late on the spins, but I was much better about maintaining connection and didn’t have her pull off any jumps or have big mad moments of her jumping up at me during the sequence. >>
Yay! And timing of countermotion is really tricky with baby dogs (she is a year old, right?) Better to be slightly late and get the commitment.
On the first rep, you can decel moving forward for longer into the spin – baby dog stuff 🙂 You did that at 1:43 so she committed really well! Committing in collection while the handler is decelerating is HARD for youngsters because of the countermotion – they know that the cue means you will be running the other way, so they have to commit forward while you are taking off. Hard! (Hard for many adult dogs too LOL!!).
And I am super pumped up about her lovely driving back down the line to the tunnel 🙂
Super nice commitment to the spin on the 2nd run, excellent exit line connection at :50.
She produced a lovely turn with a lot of speed too! I think that was good timing – you held the decel forward til she was closer to the jump but you started the spin before she took off. The timing will change with experience, of course, but looked great for now!!!!Next sequence:
You were a little too early pulling away/looking away at 2:22 but she committed (YAY!) nice reward there. That was Kal timing LOL! She will be there soon. You had super nice Lift timing at 2:37 and also super nice circle wraps!Very exciting things happening here! One thing to consider, because she is very young: she might need more breaks between the sequences (ok, both of you might LOL) rather than just go into the next one.
For example, she finished run 2 at :54, got a treat, and you went right back to line her up. She was not ready and you got leaping up instead of lining up.Looks like there might have been a longer break before you started the circle wraps and she did well!
Going right into the last sequence got some disconnection moments from you 🙂 like after the wrap (looking forward at 2:56) and on the way to the last jump (3:00 had a super high arm). She was not sure where to be in those spots.
So after each reward and before the next run, give her a decompression of running around a little, finding treats or licking a lickimat, chasing a toy if she wants to… and you can also re-plan the next sequence. That way you both come in fully ready. As she grows up, that becomes less necessary of course but I think it will help her for now!
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Good morning!
>>I have a plan for the mat. The wait for a long one would be crazy but I have 3 shorter ones so thinking I can string them togethe>>
Perfect! Duct tape is our friend LOL!!!
On the video:
Great camera angle on the serps here!! You can have the serp cue in place a lot sooner. The jump after the tunnel is the serp jump, so the serp cue (arm back, shoulder rotation) an be visible as she exits the tunnel. My favorite rep where you had this timing was at :14, when she was on your right side.On the other reps, you had your shoulder closed forward then as she was approaching the jump, you did the serp cue. That is late… because at that point her takeoff decision has already been made. So you can see that she hit the bar pretty hard on the first rep, and had a wide turn to the last jump on the 2nd rep.
When your arm was back sooner, she had a great line!! So definitely drop the arm back for the serp as soon as she is exiting the previous obstacle (tunnel in this case) and keep your arm nice and low, pointing downwards to her nose. If it is at your shoulder or above your shoulder, the connection gets harder to see 🙂
I have a video with camera angles from the dog’s view, including a couple of smalls… it shows what they can see when running:
The bang game is looking strong! You can get lower for it (sitting or crouching, depending on how your knees feel). Since you were marking the head bob to the target: the X marker (food from hand, I believe) can be useful but then don’t praise exuberantly after it. What was happening was it was causing her to look up at you as the food was delivered… so the behavior was becoming bob-then-look up. And then the head bob was diminishing in favor of looking up. So you can use the X then deliver quietly nice and low… or you can use a marker which indicates the treat is coming right on the target so she doesn’t need your hands as part of the reward strategy as we start to move you further away 🙂
You can start to have her hop on from the side now, right at the very bottom.
Great job here!!
TracyGood morning! I am glad tech issues are resolved – they can be so frustrating!!!!!
>>In the past when we’ve done these walk it/run it exercises (which are great) I’ve tried to walk it and talk it through for the video which I think messed me up, couldn’t multitask that very well. >>
Yes! Turns out, the human brain (and canine brain) is NOT good at multi-tasking 🙂 So I remind myself and my in-person students to NOT be a sportscaster LOL!! Don’t narrate what is happening, as it happens, in the walk or in the run. Prep the handling then run it like you would at a trial (ignore the camera hahaha)
Looking at the videos: Lots of really good moments here!! And also a couple of small tweaks that will make a big difference 🙂
Sequence 2:
You waked his line at the beginning here – Walking the line works well for smaller sequences but you might not have time at a trial. You can learn the lines from outside the ring (or from helping with course building 🙂 ) then spot check during the walk through.Nice emphasis on connection here, and great to have the verbals rehearsed too!! You can add more speed to the end of your walk through, trying to match the speed of the run. I find this the most exhausting part of it but also the most useful 🙂
One suggestion (which crops up in the other runs too): add exit line connection to the exit of all crosses and also to sends. That means as you complete a cross, you are looking back at where he would be (jumping the jump behind you). And that is when the timing of the next cue begins, particularly when there is a turn on the next jump.
In the walk through, the timing for the turn cues for 5 was late… your invisible dog was already approaching 5 at 3:49, past the decision point, when you cued the turn. That is a bit late – the wrap verbal and decel cues should happen as he is landing from 4 at the latest. You had good connection there at the exit of the blind, so make sure that when you see him jumping 4 you start the turn cues for 5.
Practicing it in the walk through will make a massive difference in the run, because the timing you rehearsed was the timing you executed on the run at 4:08 – you will notice he turned after he landed rather than prepared for it when he took off. In this context, it is not as noticeable because he was already jumping toward a wall and not in full extension. But on a big course at a trial, the wider turn will be more noticeable and potentially cause a bar or off course.
The connection you rehearsed and the plan you rehearsed were all beautifully executed!!!
Sequence 1:
This went really well overall! And the exit line connection and send connection will smooth out the only spots where he had questions:Remember to look at him over 3 on the tunnel cue – all verbals delivered to his cute face and not to the obstacle ahead 🙂 You were turning forward there in the walk through which affected the run too.
The FC on 5 worked well and that is another spot to rehearse the exit line connection for the timing of the turn on 6. By looking back at him over the bar of 5 as you finish the FC, you will be able to start the turn cues for 6 sooner (no later than landing of 5). You were facing forward as your invisible dog was exiting 5 and approaching 6, which indicates an extension approach and not a soft turn.
You had really good practice of that exit line connection on the FC on the on the exit of 8 (backside). And also great job adding speed to the walk through!
Run 1: The connection here caused 2 questions from him: You cued the tunnel by looking forward (disconnection) so he had to adjust, which caused the bar down no 3. And he was wide on 6 because you were starting the turn cues late as rehearsed (even with the bar down, he was looking ahead and not turning to his right).
Run 2 – better connection in the opening! Bar stayed up! Yay!
He was wide on 6 at 4:36, and the bar was up here so it was more obvious. That is why the bar came down on 7 (he was trying to adjust and find the line).
Run 3 – strong connection throughout and you had decel going into 6… plus he was anticipating it. The bars stayed up but the turn cues for 6 can start as he exits 5 (you will see him make the turn before takeoff). That is where the exit line connection comes in: looking back at him over 5 will be your cue to begin to the decel and turn cues 🙂As rehearsed, you had really clear exit line connection for the FC at 8 on all 3 runs! Super! You can be closer to his line to get a tighter turn there – as you ran him, you stepped across the bar before stepping to 9, which widened the turn. So you can decel, and stay right on the perfect line to 9 and he will be able to tighten it right up.
Seq 3:
>>“Got it done” but it didn’t feel smooth.>>He ran it well! There are a couple of places that will feel smoother with a slightly different strategy:
On the opening line, you can lead out more so you are further ahead to show the blind cross and also to set up the exit line connection from 2-3. Looking back at him over 2 will let you get the timely turn cues for 3 (starting no later than landing of 2).
He was a little wide there, and wide into the threadle on 4-5 (in the walk through, it was hard to tell what the threadle cues were so he also had to sort it out in the run).In the walk through, the backside handling was clear! So it went really well during the run too!!! And the walked ending line matched the run nicely. He was flying!
Good job adding the verbals on your walk throughs. You are pretty quiet when you walk with the verbals… you can add them more realistically so you have the loud ones (GO! For example) mixed in with the soft ones (wrap for example). That way your brain doesn’t have to devote much bandwidth to them in the run 🙂
Great job!
Let me know what you think!Tracy
Spin spin is great!!
>>do we continue with this above, 1 wing? Or go to ‘next step’?>>
You can go to the next step, but only a couple of reps. The rest of the reps should be straight lines or “racetracks” around the outside so he gets to go fast in extension rather than turn turn turn 🙂
Have fun! Stay cool!
Tracy
Good morning!
This past week was brutal in terms of temperatures! Yesterday capped it off with a ‘feels like’ of 107. Yikes!
Either we get out there at 6am, or we don’t get out there. Last night was pleasant after the massive storm blew through! But too wet to do any agility so we just toodled around while the whippets raced LOL!
>>. I’m not sure how much progress we’ll make with layering big jump lines. I haven’t given up on the skill, but I would never ask her to do that in a trial, so I will have to keep working on other ways to handle things when that’s not an option for us.>>
I think we can have a two-pronged approach to these type of lines:
– continue to break down the layering with reward placement on the line, so she gets really confident looking forward and following verbals
– continue to practice handling so you don’t have to layer!There are times where the layering will be inevitable (like the darned dog walk in your way!) so I do want to keep working it. And she is very motivated so I know she will be happy to look ahead when we build in all the reward placement on the line.
The #1 thing will be to throw rewards all along the jumping lines… not just at the end of a sequence and not for the tunnel (she has plenty of value for the tunnel at this point).
Looking at the video: Lots of good work here!!!!
One note for all of the sequences – since a lot of the big lines and layering is setup with a tunnel before it, you should cue her to go jump *before* she enters the tunnel. You were cuing the tunnel but then getting quiet and the jump cues were coming as she exited. If you cue it before, you will get more locking onto the next line (and throw lots of rewards out on that line).
Sequence 1:
For the backside, you can stay connected to her and keep moving forward for longer at :10 and :29. The commitment line is pretty close to the entry wing, so if you start looking forward or moving away before she is almost at the wing or before she passes you, she will pull off (or end up on the front of the jump).The rep at :44 was spot on! Look at how you stayed connected and kept moving forward until she almost got to the wing – nailed it!
Then keep going and throw the reward somewhere past the next jump(s) on the next line (not for the tunnel for her – you can plan to reward on a jumping line rather than the end of the sequence if it is a tunnel)
Seq 2 went well! On sequence 2a – at 1:17 you had a little too much decel and not enough connection so she came off 5. You can mentally note it but keep going, get her back on the line for the next jump, then throw a reward on the line.
2b – she did a NICE send to 5 at 1:29 and 1:44- you can tell her sooner (as she exits 4) and that is a GREAT spot to throw the reward out on the line!!
The layering is hard here! A little too much decel at 1:31 brought her back into you (and too much rewarding near you and not on the big lines). You moved more at 1:47 so she almost got it – you can step in toward 6 after the layer and help her a bit and then throw the reward out past the jump.
She got it at 2:03… that is a great place to throw the reward!
Super nice BC at the end and connection to drive her past the tunnel! Wow!!!!!
2c: She had a question about the tunnel here. You can move along the parallel line to the tunnel and stay connected til she is locked onto it at 2:21 (you turned away too early). GREAT job staying in motion there!!!!
At the very end – add a little more connection at 2:33 as you move into the box and she will pick up the jump. If you look forward, she will look at you to see if there is a side change started.
Great job here!!! Fingers crossed for cool weather!!!!
Tracy
Good morning!
>>I have been trying to work on some FOMO feelings with stationing one dog and having the other do some relatively unexciting things while the other waits their turn and then switching after a very short time. >>
That is great! When it is Kat’s turn to work on something challenging… Nox can go back in the house. 🙂 If Katniss is working something really simple like tricks or hand touches? Great! But for the hard stuff that requires a lot of mental bandwidth or processing, Not can have a chill in the a/c for that 🙂
>>I’m not sure that it’s actually helped at all (Katniss still usually throws a fit if I take Nox outside in the backyard or out of the car to work…),>>
Will Katniss chew a bone or lick a lickimat or eat from a toppl or kong? That can help! Or tape a Manners Minder closed and put it in t he crate with her so you can get rewards to her for being chill. (Taping it closed is VERY important LOL!!! Ask me how I know about the importance of taping it closed :))
She did a great job getting her back feet onto the teeter! Yay!!! Try to let her offer it without you leaning into her. Since this is going really well and we don’t want to add a lot more height at this stage, you can move to the bang game that was posted and we can work on solidifying the end position.
Motion override is going well and yes to delaying the reward a bit to get more duration. To help her hold the stay better:
She is very locked onto your hand, which mean the indicates are coming from hand movement and not the verbals. To help unpair that, be sure to say the word *then* move the hand. You were moving the hand just before you would say the word (hand-then-search, for example)
Also whatever position the hand is in… don’t move it 🙂 She is cuing off of your hand position. Try to just have it at your side, not bent at your waist or behind your back. The treat can be in the opposite hand if needed, but we want to take any hand cues out of the picture.
You can also move a lot more slowly and make sure that the release/marker does not happen when she is next to you. That will pair being next to you into the reward, so she will move to be next to you even after a sit cue. So be a step or two away before you release/mark then reward. You can add a bit of quiet praise as you slowly keep moving and she does not have to be next to you to start the game (you can toss a cookie back to her to get he behind you then you can cue the sit as you slowly walk forward).
Countermotion commitment is looking good! Remember to look back behind you and point the dog side arm back to her on the exit of the FCs so she sees the full exit line connection. You were really strong with that when you did 4 wings in a row, so she was pretty brilliant with that! And the more you use the exit line connection, the more you can leave sooner because all the connection supports commitment.
When you did the grand finale 🙂 your exit line connection was not as clear (1:21, 132, 144, 2:13 for example) almost caused an error at 1:48.
1:57 was much clearer though and her line was better!! I posted a series of exit line connection games in CAMP and I am going to move a few of them over here to MaxPup too – so feel free to do the simpler ones with her!!
The race tracks looked great throughout 🙂 Fast and fun!
She was correct to stay on the race track line like at 2:17 – more decel would be needed to bring her off the line with your upper body and feet turning to it. You added decel on the last rep – it can start as she is exiting the previous wing, then you can decel and keep moving rather than stop or rotate your feet towards her.Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
