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Hi!
This went really well! She IS paying attention to the verbals!!! You were pretty disconnected (on purpose haha) and she was processing the verbals really well – especially the tunnel verbal. Getting the tunnel when cued was great because it was not on her line when exiting the wing wrap, so she was really listening to the verbal. SUPER!!!! Progress being made!!!!!!
Great job here!!
Tracy
Hi!
>Sorry it is so hard to hear on some of the videos – outdoors with the wind blowing does not work well with my iPhone.>
No worries! Usually it is the quieter verbals (turn verbals) that are hard to hear, but that is good because we want them to be quieter. Although a MaxPup student wears her ear buds which videotaping outside and the sound is amazing, I am going to try that soon!
>I’m still wondering about #4. I think if I had seen that with Patt in real life, I would have done a Japanese. That way I would carry him to the backside and be out of the way on the jump to tunnel. Might have to try that…>
Yes! I love a good blind cross on the takeoff side! It also takes out a lot of the discrimination option which is why we didn’t really suggest it here. But it is challenging and fun!
>that I got my new 10’ tunnel and it, of course, lives in the barn because it is all new and beautiful. >
Of course! New fancy obstacles live indoors for a while 🙂
>We did the “Jump-Tunnel Discriminations Around The Clock Verbals” and I was astonished. Possibly because of doing the first week’s work, but at any rate, Casper was GREAT at this.>
Yay!! Yes, you will see these games improve with practice. I think the easier version of this game is the first part, and he did great (jump closer to you). The harder version is the 2nd part, where he has to find the jump on the other side of the tunnel. Many dogs really struggle with this one!
This is where the handling all kind of looks the same (you were facing the wall the same way for most of it) but he did really well! And on one rep, your motion said “jump” but mouth said tunnel so he took the tunnel (:58). You did end up with the weaves at one point but I think they were visible when you changed sides and he might have been guessing you were changing the setup.
But overall, a very high rate of success! Super!! This will help as you move into the handling games too.
Nice work!
TracyHi!
>and for now I will stick with walking them on leash when we go to the beach with an occasional stop to swim. If there is any jumping on me, I will put him back on leash and get walking again. He will likely be annoyed if Artie is allowed to continue off leash. Does that sound like a reasonable plan?>
What is happening when he jumps up on you? Give me the details 🙂 That way we can plan to have it not happen in the first place. Putting him back on leash is for if it happens, but it would be better if it did not happen 🙂
>His default behavior is to offer a sit. So if we are playing tug and I say give…he will release the toy and wait to see what is next….if I don’t throw it, I am pretty sure he will offer a sit. I will test this tomorrow.>
Does he have a stay verbal? I build my freeze off my stay verbal.
>I would like to do some handling because he is so different from Artie!!! (I would also like to do a Masters handling with Artie.). I wasn’t sure if I should ask for something like crazy commitment or distance/layering or discrimination…..any suggestions?>
It can be something like New To Masters Handling – young dogs that are just getting up into Masters and are faster/bigger strides/still learning all the skills. That way we can look at timing and handling options. I don’t think crazy commitment or discriminations are as useful – and distance/layering is built into everything nowadays 🙂
>Also, have you started to plan your 2026 calendar? Will you still be able to come to JAG in early May? Just figuring if you are, that Ringo would get another opportunity to work with you then. yeah!!!!>
Yes, I think that would be great – which dates do you have in mind? I think May 4-5-6 would work best!
Thanks!
TracyHi!
Her stay is looking good! Be sure she doesn’t stand up or self-release when you stop moving, and add in a ton of reinforcement thrown back for holding the stay.She is really getting the idea here and did well coming in to the threadle side of the jump. Super! For the next sessions, you can add a reward target so you don’t have to move or handle to get her to take the jump – if you are too early in your movement, you push her around the jump. And also, we want her finding the jump on her own and not waiting for handling from you.
For a reward target, you can put an empty food bowl or manners minder down on the landing side (where you were throwing the treat) and then when she comes in to the threadle side of the jump near your hand, you can trigger the MM or you can toss a treat to the bowl from the other hand without moving much at all.
Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
>The exercise I’m having trouble with is the parallel path and denting lateral to the weird object. When I have food she just runs snd hits the object(chair pad) without caring if I sent her there or not. Will try to get video one of these days.>
Yes, grab some video and we will figure it out!
The 360s look strong and easy to her left! Nice! It looks like the right turns (2nd half of the video) were a little harder so you can help her out by slowing your hand down and giving a big clear turn away cue. That will keep her tighter and turning her head more.
Nice work here! You can start looking at the circle wraps (advanced level).
Tracy
Hi!
> I have no idea what the beeping was. I didn’t hear it. Must have been concentrating very hard – lol!>
That is because your adult brain can tune it out very easily. Her puppy brain had to work hard to tune it out but she did great!
>Side-swiping the hand target – How do I judge that? Do I consider she is coming in as long as she goes through the stanchions? Or should she still be coming close to the target?>
She should be heading towards your hand and making the S-shaped line we want even if she doesn’t touch the target. Basically, it should look like a grown up dog doing a serp where they don’t touch our hands 🙂
Tracy
Hi!
>Tried to do crate training in the living room and she zoomed all over after the release. It’s hard for her to focus in there now. Previously she did ok.>
Seems like she is in an active, zoom-filled stage! If she is zooming a lot, you can add zooming around to appropriate places: on a long line in the park, in the yard, in front of the house, etc. That way she gets the ‘must zoom zoom’ need fulfilled and won’t feel the need to do it in the house.
The pivoting is off to a good start – you can toss the treats on an angle that I more toward your heels/off to the side/almost behind you. That way she gets her front feet on but pivots back to center with more steps.
Also, because she is still small, do you have anything lower (maybe an inch tall) – a lower perch can distribute her weight more evenly and a tall perch puts more weight in the rear (so she is less likely to move it).
Nice work!
TracyHi!
>He has trouble finding the tossed treats and gets a little put off.>
Being outside definitely game him more room, which is great! You can put a mat down for the treats to land on, making them easier for him to find (and move the mat around to the different positions). But also, I think he was a little put off by not being sure when the toy was available.
For placing the toy on the reward line: try to put it down (rather than toss it, that was hard) then reward him with cookies for walking with you away from it to start the next rep. And use your ‘toy’ marker when he comes in to the threadle side. Tossing it got him a little too focused on the toy and I think walking away from it with food rewards will help him focus on the game – plus I don’t think he liked being moved by the collar, so walking away will be more fun for you both!
We can also clarify when the toy is available after he comes to the threadle side of the jump: When he touches your hand, don’t turn your shoulders to the jump – that is what was pushing him to the other side. You can stay frozen in position and use your toy marker – if you move and he goes around the jump but you’ve already said the marker… no worries, he can have the toy and we can smooth out the mechanics on the next rep. It was when he was told yes then no that he was unsure of what to do.
He is doing well understanding the game, so I think clarifying the rewards will smooth it out really well.
Nice job here!!
TracyHi!
I love that he loves the perch work! I think what is causing him to stumble a bit is that he wants to go faster (which is fine because I think he generally has the correct mechanics) but his head is too high to go faster AND stay balanced. He was having to reach way up to get the treats and that was causing him to lose balance on his hind end.
An easy adjustment to try would be to have your hands lower, so you can deliver the treats with his lower jaw more parallel to the ground (that would probably mean your hands a few inches above your knees?)
That should allow him to keep offering the fast balanced perch work while staying balanced, and you wouldn’t need to reward faster because he will be able to offer more steps without jumping upwards.
Nice work here! Let me know how he does with lower hands!
Tracy
Hi!
Happy Halloween! 🎃👻This is going well! He definitely understood to keep wrapping so you didn’t need to help him a lot with your hand. You can stay even closer to the upright so he can be even tighter.
The tandems also looked really strong! You can give him a cookie for lining up at your side so he doesn’t start without you LOL!!!>I will definitely send you a video of Spirit when he decides to nip and go over the top.>
Yes please! Usually that behavior is rooted in frustration, so video will help up figure out why he is having a Big Mad about something.
>Also I really noticed with him more then any of my other dogs that I have trained is that he needs to try it one day and then the next he has it. Yes I know there is a word for this and you have spoke about it so many times but the mind is blank.>
Yes! Latent learning! It is crazy, right?!?!! Learning is consolidated in the brain during sleep, so that is why we see the understanding ‘appear’ like that. Really fascinating!!
Great job here!
TracyHi! He is getting the idea here very nicely!
He did better once the toy was in your armpit not your hand, and sometimes a little lure can jump start the behavior.He was trying to offer a left turn (these were all right turns) – is it because he is a lefty today, or the visual of the white bump was drawing him that direction? So for the next session, start him on your right and see if the left turns are easier (or not :))
Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
He did well going through the box – the only question was finding the rewards 🙂 Yes, big white pieces of cheese will help! But also, I think what might have been causing him to miss where the treat landed was you were saying “yes” (s he looked at you) then “get it” so he looked forward but missed where the cookie went. Try to just say ‘get it’ so he keeps looking forward.You can also use a MM for one side and a tossed cookie for the other side.
>(also some SSC – there was a little bowl of treats next to the camera, which i showed him before we started).>
Wow! Good for him!!!!!
Nice work!
Tracy
Hi!
The TW foundations went well! The full 360s and the u-turns both looked good – I think he liked having more action when you tossed the treat behind for the u-turns, so you can toss it ahead for the 360s. And you can add the next step with your motion now too!
>I had previously tried to show him to pivot by stepping towards him. He does not appreciate that.>
Some dogs are fine with it, some dogs HATE the body pressure – ewww! He seems to like solving puzzles, so I can see why he preferred this method!
He was offering some good hind end movement! To get even more, we can tweak the reward placement: When he stops at your side or a little short of center, you can feed him either directly straight in front of you to see if that helps him rotate all the way to center, or you can feed him with an exaggerated head turn towards his shoulder so his bum continues to move around the perch in the direction you want. Then you can toss a treat to the next side and do the next rep. He might not need this adjustment because he might sleep on it and have it perfect for the next session 🙂
Great job here!
Tracy
The head turn game went well! You nailed it on the first rep then were a bit too quick to click on the next few – you were clicking when he got to your hand bt before he turned away. That is why he was a little confused 🙂
The other side (starting on your right) went better because you were slowing your mechanics down – but still clicking a little early on a couple of them.That is why he would look at you instead of turn away (click was happening too soon). So delay the click a bit to be sure he is turning away. I think the best example of that good timing was at :28.
Looking at the threadle slice video:
>Food tossing is a fine art, I am convinced! >
Ha! Yes, this is true!
He did well here coming in from slightly harder angles! I am happy with how well he found the threadle hand! The MM and the jump setup are a big draw but he was really good about coming to your hand. If you are feeling brave – replace the MM with the toy on the ground as the reward 🙂 That will be challenging!!
Great job! Have fun at the trial!
Tracy
Hi!
>Threadle wrap foundation was rough the first session- trying to get her to turn the correct way and/or not jump. our 2nd session– on a different day, was perfect. Same with remote reinforcement work.>
So cool to hear this! It might be latent learning at work!
Threadle slice – 2 ideas for you!
You can use a reward target of some kind (MM, food bowl) so she can come in to the hand target then send herself back out without you needing to move.
About getting her to threadle and not serp:
It was hard to see from this camera angle but I think your position was a little too much between the uprights (too serpy) and not enough outside the wing of the jump. She was going to where most of you was visible – the serp! So for the next session, line yourself up so your belly button is in line with the outer edge of the wing – that way at least half (or more!) of you will be visible outside the line of the wing and in threadle position. That should help her see the threadle.Remote reinforcement went great – she was SO FUNNY with her feet on the chair and supervising the cookies being placed for her LOL! Then even funnier STANDING on it LOL!!!
I think she did a great job of ignoring the food. She doesn’t have to sit to start the game – you can just put the food down on the chair and walk away. If you think she might steal what food then you can have it in a covered bowl or something so she can’t grab it.Since she did so well with the beginning steps, you can repeat them but use a toy instead of cookies. And, if that goes well, you can ask for some tricks or other behaviors before saying your ‘let’s go’ marker.
Great job here!!
Tracy
