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Hi! He did really well here! You can call sooner and urn away to introduce more countermotion, and you can also add in a more active distraction by letting him see you put something down, like tossing a toy off to the side. If treats are a really high level distraction, you can introduce them by doing something like a closed bag of treats on a chair 10 feet away – he can see you get a treat from the bag and then move away to start playing. I think he is ready for that! And if you can do it with people around, it is a great way to introduce stealth self-control around people 🙂
Keep watching your toy transitions – when he gets a good grip, you tend to lift up and turn away so he loses his grip. The best toy play is coming when you keep the toy nice and low and continue to face him, so be careful to do that then ask for an out, then reset for the next rep.
Nice work here!
TracyGood morning!!
His backing up is looking really good and is also very festive sounding hahaha!!! Adding the verbal is appropriate for him now because you can pretty much be sure he will offer the behavior. I like how he is independently using his feet (also like the head toss right as he starts the motion hahaha!!! What a character).
I think, specifically for him, this was not too long to go before breaking it off for a toy party. It was a little under 90 seconds of thoughtful behavior – perfect for him, because he is a drivey little dude. We don’t need to build drive as fas as I can tell 🙂 and prolonging the thoughtfulness and body awareness is on point for him at this stage.
To get straighter, add more challenge: have him back up over a single jump bump – very close at first, just behind his back feet. Then we can get that bump moved further and further away as a target. You can do the same with a mat/dog bed or into a soft crate 🙂 Targeting backwards (and not turning around haha) is really hard but I think he is ready for it!
2nd video – nice retrieve, right to hand! I think you can hold off on the verbal out cue, because when you say it he is tugging harder LOL!! So… no need for out verbals yet. Because the retrieve is so good, we can work specifically on the out element. Generally I don’t put this in the puppy class because often the toy drive isn’t strong enough…. but his is certainly strong enough AND many of his classmates also have great tug drive.
Step 1 for the self-control will be to get him to release the toy without fighting you for it 🙂 Here are two games to add to your play with him:
Game 1: Getting Relaxed Releases, Part 1
Let’s begin by teaching you how ask the dog to give the toy back, without having to wrestle it out of his mouth or lure with a toy or treat.
On these relaxed releases, note how it goes from one-handed tugging into the 2 handed relaxing with your hands right next to his face, then ultra patience 🙂 Volt might need you to really go to your happy place, and just wait. If he pulls back, just move him closer to you, sit down, lock your elbows into a bent position. Think happy thoughts hahaha and don’t say anything. Then give permission to get it right after he has released it and not regripping it. Resist temptation to grab his collar or wrestle with him 🙂 No need to reward with food or another toy at this point, because we are working specifically on the toy in his mouth.
Game 2: Adding Self-Control
This will begin to help you work through common errors: re-gripping, grabbing for the toy, leaping up for it, and so on:
And here is a bit more about the self-control but don’t add this until he can release it pretty readily and he has lots of reinforcement where you give the toy right back.I am also going to post the full class page into the forum here, there is a ton of toy play info for the high drive tuggers 🙂
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi Jayne! This is important stuff – individual sports are very different than team sports sometimes, right?!!!
>>my whole team struggles with the idea that if one of us makes an error we are letting down the whole team down. We are a very tight knit group & we really try to be supportive, we all make errors and know that, but it can be really crushing!
A couple of ideas for you to apply to the team:
first, make sure they do 3 things:
* put in place their release valves & reframing techniques
* have “run reminders” and trigger words (mine is patience so I don’t pass early)
* be sure they are able to visualize their passing windows – this is SUPER important because it all happens so quickly that it is easy to be early or late! So the visualization should include the entire run of the dog they run after (or the start timing) so the handler can predict the passing window and see it as if in ‘slow motion’. I almost never get to practice with my team so all of my passing is done based on written notes about where to start and what the window is – and visualizing it.These 3 things should be done as individuals, privately, then maybe one-on-one with you as Team Captain.
Then, do a team building exercise where everyone shares their release valve and reframing thoughts! And that way you can help each other release nerves, have a chuckle in the lanes, and reframe in case of error. I also suggest your team members share their trigger words & performance goals for each heat/race and each dog. For example, my performance goals are to hit my passing window (and my ‘patience’ trigger word is helpful for that so I don’t rush my pass) and to drive to the line and back to get the most from the dog while staying connected to make sure he gets the first jump off the box if the ball goes flying away (he is really small and that ball is not easy to grab).
I suggest having team members share this so that in the lane, in the moment, you can talk to each other. We have a ‘coach’ telling us these things – she might look me in the eye and say ‘patience’ and it is great to re-center me 🙂Also, as a team building exercise, you can do a recovery-from-failure moment. The handlers and dogs are in the lane, ready to run: you tell them that they just bobbled the last heat and now to remember how to nail this next one… then let them race. Then analyze and discuss what happened, how it felt, etc.
Let me know what you think!
TracyHi there!
Good job on the perch work! At this point, time to fade out your movement 🙂 Try just moving your leg towards him rather than your whole body, and c/t for him stepping with his hind end. You can also see if he will offer it, because the perch might be enough of a cue that he offers it. You won’t get as much hind end movement at first without you moving, but fading your movement will get him really concentrating on his hind end and can also morph into lovely come to side line ups. It is totally normal that he is better going one direction than the other – chiro is a great thing but it might not be a chiro issue. I would definitely split it and shape it by starting him straddling the bump and then stepping over it with the one leg first to the strong comfy direction. Then, straddling it and with a little step from you (just reaching forward with your leg, not moving your whole body), stepping over it with the leg in the less comfy direction. When he can do that (you can lure him into the straddle position to start), then you can start him next to the bump and both legs step over it, then work back up to a lot more movement all the way around the perch. Going back to the ‘regular’ perch was totally a smart idea!
Backing up is coming along nicely! I think at this point you can add in backing up to a destination, such as a flat dog bed or mat. Start him on the mat with his back feet, then maybe do a hand touch to get him off then c/t for stepping back to it. You can also start with the same set up you have here but add in the mat just behind him, and c/t for stepping back to the mat. Then the mat will get gradually further away so you can extend the distance.
Nice work here!!!
TracyHi! Super fun session! And yes, EATING the treat during a toy-food exchange is always a good thing with Border Collies LOL!! They can be masters of the cookie spit haha!!!
Speaking of cookies – your voice was exciting on the cookie delivery, but the delivery was always passive (very stationary). Compare the delivery of the cookies to the delivery of the toy or the shaking of the cookie box – you can incorporate some more movement of the cookies too. Yes, cookie delivery has to be exciting when it is passive/stationary but we can also have moving cookie rewards. She tends to get calm (watch her tail change positions) when you deliver several cookies in a passive way, so you can deliver one stationary treat, then have her chase you for a treat, then stationary, and so on – alternating/mixing it up so the food reward is as exciting as tugging (not an easy thing with a BC, right?)
Yes, you can reward the sits (you already caught yourself on that). You can also make the self-control element of this game less formalized by starting her from a cookie toss so she moves away from you, then after she eats the treat she is already in motion back to you with all of the good distractions out there (including you running :)) You can also start it with a toy throw, so it incorporates retrieving – she can get the toy, drive it back to you with you running – then either get rewarded immediately or turned and sent to the other thing on the ground. The only thing to be careful of is that there are not obstacles remotely on her path during all of this crazy running – not because I am worried about her taking an obstacle, but because I don’t want her to learn to ignore obstacles when you are running 🙂
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi Caren!
>>I find it difficult to upload pics and videos, but this one, with a written assignment, I can provide Fraser’s response (13 week old Aussie).
I think the best way to upload videos is via YouTube, let me know if you need help figuring that out – youtube links then can be copied and pasted here.
>>Different locations: Whole new locations, both open areas, outdoors and tight spaces. Fraser was confident and inquisitive. A lot of new smells in the potty area, but I could keep him focused on what he was supposed to do. No problems walking down a close hallway. Head-up, strutting his stuff. He has also been to the local hardware stores riding in a basket and loves checking out everything and welcomes all the attention. Love our Home Depot. They always welcome all dogs and help with socialization.
This is great! He sounds really confident in new locations even with a lot of different distractions.
>>New People: He believes everyone should love him. Goes right up to them confidently, head up and should sit until they pay attention to him (not always…still working on how to greet people). Even won over a lady who was ignoring him, by just sitting there staring at her.
Ha! This is great! Who could resist him? I love that!
>>New Dogs: A little timid around the bigger dogs, and is not enthusiastic about dogs jumping at him and will back up. Will try to meet them calmly, but if they are a little much, he will back up to my lap or beside me. Once the other dog calms down, he will approach cautiously to say hi.
This is pretty appropriate behavior! Good boy.
>>Noises: Head up, back straight and inquisitive. If the noise is close (something falling, car door slamming, etc) he will check it out. If it is in the distance, he will become alert, but never shows any fear. He loves watching low flying airplanes and helicopters.
This is also super appropriate: interested, inquisitive, but not freaking out.
>>This weekend I noticed he watched everything going on with the training of the other dogs, like he was studying them. He laid patiently in his crate, didn’t really chew on his toy because he was focused on what was going on in front of him. But he was totally calm. I was able to play with him, roll him on his back in my lap (cradle) in this environment. During our turn, even with other dogs in the ring, he stayed focused on what we were doing.>>
Terrific! Sounds like a really successful weekend. Because he is confident and happy, I suggest adding in some things for further down the road, when the game, people, and dogs become much more exciting and it might be frustrating to watch:
He didn’t want to chew his bone in the crate, so you can see if he will chew his bone when out next to you, sitting in a chair or hanging out on a bed. You can also try some sniffing games like a snuffle mat or licking from a Kong. These are designed to prevent frustration in the future, but building in a ton of resilience/coping/relaxing at this early stage, when he is easily able to be calm and relaxed 🙂 So that way, if he ever says “wait, this is frustrating!” you will have a bedrock of resilience already in place and can whip out one of the tools to help him.Let me know if that makes sense – he sounds like a fabulous little guy!
TracyHi there!!
>>Switch locations for toy game: This has worked great. She loves the excitement of running to another place. I have also been doing better quality tugging with her (I hadn’t realized before watching your video that I was doing most of the tug work and she was happy to just chew on the toy while I held it) and now she really pulls back on the tug. She is doing better on switching without changing locations now also.
This is great!!!
>>We are having difficulty playing with a toy outside of home and our own yard. She ignores my efforts to make the toy exciting.
This is pretty normal – new environments can be super distracting and many dogs can’t play tug in them. You can work on her relaxation/coping games in the new environments. Also, you can use ‘other’ things as tug toys. What does she like to grab? Paper towel roll? Broom? When one of my dogs was a pup, she would not play with a toy but she would totally tug on a broom, so I bought a little hand broom and played with that until she was comfortable enough to tug on normal toys. Also, you can tie a food pouch or treat hugger to a long toy and see if she will chase it for a treat – that is relaxing and fun!
>>Restrained recalls: We are definitely not doing this enough. She tends to jump on and lick the restrainer. If I am holding her she wants to bite me.
There is a fine art to holding for a restrained recall. I have found that the flyball-style of arm under the belly, hips between my knees, hand on chest is really stabilizing and the pups don’t feel the need to wiggle or jump around. They can relax and focus on da momma.
>>She seems to do better when I am holding her with the restrained cookie toss game and when I show her the cookie she is much more focused. She also is not a fan of the collar grab game so I think this is part of the problem.
Yes! Good for you to recognize this might be linked. You can do a quick collar grab then a cookie toss to start the game – showing her the cookie first to get it started, then gradually switching things so the collar grab comes before the cookie toss.
>>>In the house, she already has a pretty good retrieve where she brings the toy within reach but not to hand. If I am sitting, she climbs into my lap with the toy. I tried holding out my hand for the toy, but she tends to drop the toy and then do a hand target.
Awww that is so cute that she climbs into your lap!
One thing to try is having a giant empty bowl as the target instead of your hand. One of my dogs had the same struggle – he just didn’t get it that I wanted him to plop it into my hand – so I used a huge empty water bowl. When the toy got near the bowl, I would click/treat. Then when the toy touched the bowl, then I worked it up to the toy landing in the bowl (I was holding the bowl).After a couple of sessions, I faded out the bowl and now he drops the toy in my hand.
>> Also, when I have given her a treat once or twice (low value kibble) she often becomes focused on getting more treats, ignores the toy and then starts going through all her tricks to get another treat.
You can reset the game after each treat by re-throwing the toy to retrieve – it is kind of like saying “we are working with this right now, kiddo” LOL!
I think I have video of the shaping to drop into a bowl somewhere, I will try to find it. Let me know what you think!
TracyI personally think it is fine, and we can teach the dogs the parameters. For example, my dogs seem to understand that it is OK to jump on me with a toy to ask to play at any time… unless I am holding a cup of coffee in the morning. Do NOT spill the coffee!! Ha!
Hi Lisa!
She makes me snort with laughter! She was so funny with her toy tossing.
She is definitely ready for more – You can reset the game with the toy by tossing it again after each c/t so she remembers that it is the toy we want her to pick up (so she doesn’t offer things like backing up, etc.) And I suggest adding your empty, open hand as a target for the toy (now that you have the carry). You can switch to the “toy touching my hand makes the click happen” criteria and see how it goes! Clicking a carry without a target to bring it too can sometimes lead to accidental clicks for dropping (or throwing) it, but she is beginning to carry now so you can have a hand out there for her to drop it in. I also used a giant water bowl for one of my dogs as the drop target – when the ball hit the bowl, I would c/t. I did it because he wasn’t exactly figuring it out with my hand LOL!On the toy retrieve clip – she was doing a good job bringing it back! She still has some thoughts about NOT bringing it back LOL! but I like that you did convince her to bring the toys back. One thing to add to this is that after an ‘out’, give the toy right back to her as the reward for the out (“out” – good girl, get it!) so that she gets some immediate reinforcement for the out – which will get her to want to bring it back faster, because you won’t be taking the toy away at all. Now, you weren’t taking the toy away in a bad way, but many dogs perceive the out cue & response followed by having to re-earn the toy as a punisher for the out, so they don’t out or they don’t bring the toy back. So, lots of instant get its following an out really help this!
And, the retrieve to hand along with this chase & retrieve game are almost ready to be melded together, where she will be able to get the toy and bring it to your hand for a cookie or more tugging.
nice work here!!
TracyHi!
>> So my question(s) is when the running order is short to tall ( Buddy would run first) Does Tanner perceive that he is not as special because he doesn’t run first. Like he might being punished for not running first?
It is hard to ascribe emotions to dogs like that, because we really don’t know what they are thinking 🙂 It is not likely that he feels like he is being punished. It is entirely possible that he gets aroused or frustrated, and that changes his state of focus and adds stress (there is certainly some science to support this).
>>How would one go about in trying to fix this behavior? If that is the right way to ask it. I know I am putting many human emotions on this but I am not sure how to say it or fix it?
I like to let one dog watch me run my other one at home or class, and the ‘watching’ dog gets to eat cookies, chew a bone, etc – then gets a turn to run. If you have someone hang out with him while you are running Buddy and give him treats, it is possible that he can maintain a less stressed state and be more focused for his run.
>>We stated in a hotel Saturday night and none of us slept well.
Yeah, that is hard!! Makes the next day a bit exhausting. It sounds like he was tired in his runs.
>>This one local individual comes up to me and says:” Your dogs are the only ones that didn’t Q that run”
I SAid: YOU are telling me this … Why???
she said: ” to rub it in”
I said : So .. THis makes you feel good to be mean???
she said: “well uummm ” and walks away>>>WOW someone really was poorly behaved! Must be pretty miserable in her world to try to dump that on you. Bleh! I hope you smiled broadly at her as she walked away LOL!!!!!
>>I shook my head and let it go…. or to say I put in the box to growl at later..
Yes, put it in a box to rant and rave and SQUASH later on 🙂 Yay!
>>Laura : Mary I hear that drew is on of your students
Me: So
Laura: He needs to quite leaning down when running and not talking so much to his dog
Me: He is aware he needs to work on that but nervous have kicked in , I ‘m not worried about it.
Laura: She goes into 10 minutes of her trainers told her and therefore everyone shouldn’t do chatter
( I think you get the picture)
Me: That’s great that it works for you and your dog. But they are not you or your dog they are their own team. I am fully aware of what they need to work on. Considering this is their second trial ever and they are green newbies. I think you have a lot of guts to come up to me,when you are only two years into this sport, telling me what I need to teach the students at our club. Granted I definitely prefer you coming to me and not him. But what you and your dog need to work on to be a team is most definitely not that same thing at this time they need to work on to be a confident team.
Laura: (eyes big as saucers ,mouth on the floor) UUMMM I have no doubt that you are a very instructor, turns around and leaves. (I am not the only one that helps these students at our club)
I put in the growl box.>>>WOW again! Was it a full moon?? HA! You handled it beautifully.
>> I couldn’t wait to pull them out of the growl box and discuss with you.
I love your phrase “growl box” LOL!!! And hopefully putting it away and knowing you could growl about it later made it easier to let it roll off your back. I am shaking my head too – crazy that these folks said this stuff!!
>>I have really enjoyed this class and all your feedback.. I know I will continue to go back over my notes and work on various areas to improve. You have been wonderful and really insightful. You have made online learning so positive. I will miss our discussions. Thank you for everything. May God bless you through this season and the new year.
Thank you for the kind words <3 Wishing you and yours a festive, joyous Christmas and the best New Year ever!!!!
Tracy
Hi! I think freestyle might be the BEST dog sport for use of visualization! It is a performance, so you can really visualize every inch and every beat of that performance. And you can turn on your music to help with that too – very fun!!!
T
Yes!! Performance goals can turn ANY run into a winning run – because if you nailed your performance goals, then you have won! And even a Q run can be a weak run if you didn’t execute your performance goals 🙂 And focus on performance goals will also help you get more of those lovely Q runs as well 🙂
Your plan for classes is a good one – and also your list of outcome goals is a good one. You cannot control any of those outcome goals you listed, you can simply do the best you can with your performance goals to help support the potential for those outcome goals.Tracy
Hi!
>>I am amazed as I concentrate on being positive with myself how much I hear my fellow competitors berating them selves. I am adding positive states to them like, I know you can do this. We can all do this. It is fun.
Yes, I agree, that there is a lot of negativity in the air at agility trials! Keep the positive thoughts flowing for yourself. And you can also add that it is really terrific to see Ace so excited to play this game with you!!!!
T
That is an interesting insight! Your jitters about running Ace might mean the walk through feels so much shorter! But it can also mean that you just nee to give yourself more time before it to prepare, as well as use the tools to reduce nerves like centered breathing, release valves, reframing, etc.
T
