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Hi!
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!
TracyHi there! This video looks good!!! He is so fun to watch 🙂
His understanding of “stay on your line” is lovely. The two pinwheel reps at the beginning look good in general! My only suggestion on these is to give him his GO cue before he enters the tunnel (and say it a few times) – he is looking at you on the exit because he has not yet received info on what is next. That slows him down out of the tunnel and into the next line (it also happens on the reps with the crosses, he even zigs in towards you on the last rep) at the very end.
You can also play with handling these plain pinwheels by being closer to the tunnel exit, driving him into the pinwheel and staying really lateral, as if you had to serp or blind the tunnel exit.FCs:
:34 and :51 FCs: you are starting on time (woot!) but finishing late (not woot haha) – you were facing him as he is jumping the turn jump. I don’t think you can start any earlier, I just think that FCs are really hard to get done quickly on lines like this (which is why I use BCs here as soon as the dog understands to watch your upper body even when a tunnel is looming, which Enzo clearly does). I also think you were getting a bit too “into” the bar on the FC jump – going past the upright to end up slightly between the uprights, a bit too much exactly on the top of the diagonal which was causing him to jump wide. You can stay outside the upright and get on the good cross diagonal for him a few feet further down, that will show him the line sooner (you’ll be more lateral from the cross jump). On these, he was jumping and youwere directly between the uprights, so he jumped towards you and landed longer than needed. The FC at 1:07 – MUCH better getting done quickly with the rotation (done before takeoff!) and your position on the line was further down the diagonal and less between the uprights, so his turn was better (you even said “much better” on the video :))2 BC reps at the end – ah yes, this is a MUCH nicer cue for him on these. He doesn’t get swept away and lose his head when there is motion towards a tunnel, so he *easily* followed the BC cues and they looked really nice! And plus, the BCs are much quicker to get finished (compared to the FCs) so you were finished sooner and up the line sooner, which also contributes to a better turn (he didn’t see you between the uprights as you were turning).
Speaking of finished sooner… I believe you were actually too early on the BC at 1:31 – you were finished and re-connected before he landed from the pinwheel jump, and that is the timing I would suggest if you were about to do a Forced Front Cross (or forced blind). So with the BCs, you can be later 🙂 letting him land. And you can also Use your jump cue so he commits even if you are early.Great job here! Let me know if it makes sense!!
TracyHi!
On the 2 jump serps – when he was coming in properly on the 2nd jump (on your left side, his right) you started off by handling like it was a 180 (turning your shoulder) and then later on you made it look more like a serpentine. On the other side, his left turn, it looked more like a serpentine running line at the start plus you were a lot further ahead. At :41 you started being closer and more like a 180, so he got it. It seems like when you are far ahead with your arm way back, he is confusing it with the open door threadle if you have been working on those? So 2 things to help him out – stay closer, don’t be as far ahead. And angle the jumps so they are not as flat – make the serpentine side almost facing his landing spot from jump 1 (the 2 jumps will look more like a V and less like a line). Then you can practice serpentines on both sides moving through it, gradually shifting the serp jump back to a straight line. For now, just walk through the serps, no need for speed.
How did he do on one jump? You can work the 1 jump game with you far ahead so he learns to serp with you ahead and moving faster (rather than threadle or run by). That is where you can add more speed for now, then we can put it all back together. I have a jump grid coming next Tuesday that will help this too. Let me know if that makes sense!
TracyHi! She is doing better on this 5 jump grid for sure. It is a hard grid for balance, so on the first video when she lost her balance on the 1st rep, she came up with a creative solution on the 2nd rep of jumping really big hahaha! And on the 2nd video, you being a bit less ahead was very helpful for her and she was striding better and staying balanced. So the next time you play with these, I suggest a 2-prong approach:
to help her stay balanced when you are way ahead, let’s back chain the grid: with you out ahead, maybe 10 feet past it with the toy down, moving a step on the release – but start her right in front of jump 4, so she only has to bounce 4-5 then out. After a rep or two, you can try her in front of jump 3 and see if she can stay balanced… then in front of jump 2, then eventually back to jump 1. The goal is that she can see the stimulation of you ahead and moving, and she continues to stay balanced in her approach to the jumps.separately, place the toy out about 6 feet from the last jump, and you will lead out to 3 with her in front of 1: and release and move forward very slowly. I think this should help her to balance as well while also adding in motion. This should help her look for the intervals and stride in between them.
I figure if you can play with these once a week or once every 10 days or so, it will be perfect!
Let me know what you think 🙂
Have fun!
Tracy
