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Thanks for the update!!! You got caught in one of the things we throw at the handlers when doing the in-person seminars… we shake up their pre-run routine on purpose (mean, but useful LOL!) I like your note-to-self to double check all info! But sometimes there are random changes even when you’ve executed your routine perfectly. So, an additional challenge to add to your mental prep:
Do it all in under 10 minutes – look at the map, analyze, get the song going, walk it, be ready to run – less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
Can you do it in less than 10? Yay! Now go to less than 8. Then less than 7. Then less than 5 🙂
I challenge myself to do it all in less than 2 minutes because I often run 2 or 3 dogs, so i need to leave time to get the dogs ready too – and often one of my small dogs is early in the ring. Yes, doing it all in under 2 minutes totally makes my brain hurt! LOL!! But I practice it at home and at seminars so 10 minutes fees like a luxury 🙂I like that your afternoon went well and also that you were able to build in rest. Yay! And keeping yourself AND the dog warm is hugely important (and, in the summer, keeping cool) because it allows for true rest so you can both work at your best. Nice!!
TracyThese are great!! Perfect for a Monday morning 🙂
>> Remember you once dreamed of being where you are right now”
This one is my favorite – great for all of us!
T
Hi!
>> You ask ast time we failed on course…. Pretty much a given there will be at least one NQ at every trial for us right now. That’s where we are at and that’s ok.
Only one NQ? That’s pretty darned good 🙂 With my 6 year old dog, he is so fast that I can go entire weekend without a Q. And it is OK because the runs are still amazing – but yes, it takes a powerful mental game.
Part of it is the realization that agility is a high failure sport – we fail a lot more than we succeed in terms of outcome. That is why it is so important to have these tools in place or we risk losing the joy of the game.
>> It was harder to accept when we first started trialing. I would be frustrated for a week or more until I could figure out what the issue was and I could get out to practice.
Totally agree! And now, with so much more experience (plus access to almost-immediate video review) we can sort out problems so much faster, which reduces frustration for all.
>>It is a lot harder to accept when we hit a plateau in training and when there are levels of stagnation. Somehow in my brain I think we should progress faster. Looking at it as time to step back and look more closely at the problem is + tip.
Yes! And this is part of the “fake it til ya make it” process.. keep telling yourself that the training is a puzzle that you *will* sort out, even if you have to seek help in places other than you normally would. And also keep telling yourself that we *all* progress slowly and it is up and down. It is incredibly rare for someone to never hit a plateau. I’d say 99% of us have these plateaus! So keep telling yourself that it is normal, it is fine, and you will find the answers. You might not believe it in your heart at first but you will be able to re-wire your brain, which will convince your heart 🙂
>>>Knowing what the problem is though, and understanding when to change something up have been big learning curve : ). It can be overwhelming since everyone wants to help with their input …honestly I think it’s human nature to avoid seeing someone struggle.
Yes, and that is where “consider the source” comes into play – if the source of the info is worthwhile, go ahead and consider the input. But if it is well-meaning but not worthwhile as a source, you can just ignore it. That makes it less overwhelming.
>>Had to lighten up…. makes sense to make errors an opportunity to revisit challenges. I think I struggle with the self talk a lot more when our error rates are higher.>>
Yes totally normal!!!!! That self-talk will really be the critical element in times of failure – so that is why rehearsing how to work through the failure is so important (based on your question from a previous thread) – allow your mind to wander into the failure (at home, not at a trial) then rehearse how to get out of it and back to a positive place.
T
Hi Patrice!
Yup, those are the top distractions for most of us!!! I recently had a pepperoni pizza distraction: entering the ring for a flyball race and 2 folks were sitting 3 feet away, on the floor, eating pepperoni pizza. There were no ring gates and the flyball rules allow this, so I had to put the distraction away and trust the training! (I was distracted, but my dog was not. He did his runs without even looking at the pizza!)
Maybe start with an easier distraction or move one of the distractions on your list further away in your visualization. You can also add a distraction like an annoying song being played or someone finishing their MACH or something right before you. These are minor distractions and might be easier to work through at first.
T
Hi Patrice!
>>How long do you use the song you have selected!… When do you change up?… Is it When you change up speed? … As in when your dog increases in confidence and in speed, or do you change up when you change events?>>
Both! As my dog’s speed increases, and I will change for events. I might have the same song for a couple of local events, then change for a bigger event or special occasion. Or I might just change it when I get a little sick of it 🙂 or find a better one 🙂
>>I have my song stuck in my head a week later, sometimes when I go to sleep!! Hope that’s normal (lol). I have been practicing visualizations with music in my thoughts when I do laps at the pool, or in the middle of store line when everyone is chatting.
Either it is completely normal, or we are both weirdos hahahah!! Same thing here – I dream the songs and visualize at odd hours and in weird places with the music 🙂
T
Hi! This is a difficult topic, right?
A few ideas for you:
>>I’m not sure I can imagine a situation from “others perspective” if they are hurtful or mean. I think I just have to practice to let that type of thing go and walk away because I honestly can not relate to that as standing in their shoes.>>
I recommend 2 things for this:
Yes, letting go! Put the hurtful comment in a room in your brain and close the door to it. You can revisit it later… or not!
There’s a line in a funny musical that I like. This part is beautifully sung, about imagining your brain is filled with tiny boxes, find the box that has the hurtful comment…
This part yelled: AND CRUSH IT! Ha!
It makes me laugh every single time lol. So I CRUSH hurtful comments 🙂As for empathy… I do sometimes think about how much pain someone must be in, inside their own head or heart, to have such horrid things spew from their mouth. That doesn’t mean that I accept or tolerate their meanness, but I makes it easier to walk away and forget it.
About picturing failure… this is more about recovery than actual visualization and is done away from a trial. For example: I might work through the feelings of failing in public, in a big run, hearing comments… and practice my recovery, affirmations, etc. This is done at home, away from the dog, etc. That way the tools are ready in case I need them.
At a trial itself, and in most practice outside of trials, all visualizations are done positively and without failure 🙂>>t, but why dig up the neg emotions if you don’t need to
Because I need to dig them up in order to sharpen the tools to deal with them when they try to pop up. That gives me sharp tools to squish them very quickly 🙂
And yes, at a trial (and in class etc), avoid getting into other people’s head space and avoid letting them pull you into a negative place. But taking a few private moments at home to explore it will help deal with being around it, which makes it less exhausting and also helps it roll off you very easily.
And when you see someone struggling… I totally avoid them sometimes too, I get it!!! If I saw the run, I try to drop in a “wow, great blind at 5!” Or something, but then I move away – in those moments, folks want to discuss the negatives so I don’t stick around for that (unless it is a friend or student, then I stick around to stop the negative and turn around their thinking).
If you haven’t seen the run, you can sometimes say something like “I feel you!”, smile, then walk away. A moment of sympathy after a bad run can go a long way for all of us.And yes, it is exhausting to keep smiling after a long day! Be sure to rest, give yourself some private time… then it will be easier to stay upbeat and smiling. I personally make sure that I have eaten during a long day – it is hard to smile when I am hangry!
Let me know what you think!
TracyThat’s great!! Your detailed routine is a stress-reliever which sets an excellent tone for the weekend 🙂
TracyHi there!
On the motivated stay clip – she is really a lovely tugger and also when she was in the sit, she did a great job holding the sit – so I think we can add a layer to this game for her: rewarding her for *not* jumping for the toy as you move it away from her mouth to transition to the next part of the game.
On a couple of the reps, you helped her a little but holding her but as soon as the toy moved, she would leap for it. It is a similar behavior you’ve seen in other places, so we can help her here. This is what I suggest:
Tug tug tug (that is easy hahaha) and then relax your hands, give an out cue if you have one, and wait. Let her back off the toy, release it, relax herself. Don’t touch her face/neck/collar.
At first, when she releases it, don’t move the toy: just take a breath, let the toy there, then tell her to get it 🙂
When she can do that, you can go to the next step of: after she releases it, slowly move the toy away (to the side) then release her to get it). Then you can add in moving it up – at this point, she can be in a stand or a sit – but I bet she starts to offer sits pretty quickly.
The sit part of the game is going brilliantly! So we can look at the transition element where we get her to stay all feet on the ground as the toy moves out of the picture and as you go into “game on” posture or she can immediately offer the sit as the toy moves away (as opposed to offering the jumping up for it :))The puppy class recalls were terrific! What a perfect opportunity to play this game with distractions. I like how the instructor is building in distractions for her while teaching the other dogs how to chill. Yessssss 🙂 And of course Lanna was a super star 🙂 We will be building on these recalls shortly.
Well done here!!!!!
Tracy
Hello and welcome!!!
I am looking forward to figuring out how to help him love to tug all the time 🙂 And seeing the shaping! Both the videos are marked private, though, so I can’t see them yet. Can you change the privacy to unlisted? Thanks 🙂Tracy
Hi there!
>> wish I would have gotten from start to finish in the shaping of this. I wanted to shape something he has never done so we worked on figure 8s around my legs.
I think he did a great job here!!!! He seems to be definitely figuring out. This is a useful skill – a great focus trick, a great physical warm up, and you can use it as a line up cue too! Yay!
>> Today after a good sleep he totally is figuring it out.
I agree! Latent learning perhaps? Yay!
>> He has not gotten the full continue in a figure 8 but he is definitely getting the idea.
I think better reward placement will give him the final pieces. On most of the reps, you were rewarding him dead center for coming between your legs, then he wasn’t quite sure what to do next. You can praise or click that, but toss the reward off to where he has to chase it for the next part of the figure 8 – which would generally be behind your knee. You did this on some of the reps and when yo did it, he was perfect in finding the next part of the figure 8. So – no more cookies delivered dead center – always toss the rewards to the next area you want him to go to.
>> After the restrained recall suggestions I worked with Sue Y yesterday and i would tug then make him calm and feed him for being calm then give him over to her. He immediately goes over the top, not as bad when I pass him to someone. One point he jumped and was biting my hand when I was trying to let go of his collar and walk away. I basically told him knock it off in a nice kind of way still in sue hands and he came back to earth and worked nicely. I am trying to correct him in a nice and appropriate way as I dont want to do anything to ruin his love to work.
Hmmmm…. yeah, he is really frustrated about something in the restrained recalls, and it could be a general “mom’s leaving” anxiety (my Hot Sauce is not a fan of restrained recalls either for that reason). And we definitely don’t want to correct him, as that will add anxiety. So – try a quick hand off and an immediate recall (don’t walk away – run and call immediately). Also, in the hand off, are you ‘making the introduction’ where you deliver him, he can have a cookie from the new person, then you go?
You can also do it all with food.
And, takes out anything in the recall that might frustrate him, like the 360s or front crosses or go cues – just do very straightforward, high rate of success recalls so it is really easy.
Let me know if that makes sense.>>Would you cut out the tugging in between the exercise and passing him off and only feed him as a reward.
Possibly, but that won’t necessary solve the issue of the arousal. You can start it with food only then bring the toy back in eventually.
>>I am not too concerned with how he is right now but I dont want to get him much higher and then it’s out of control. I love his drive and love to work. When we are not working he is the sweetest most cuddly boy with a great off switch.>>
I am not too concerned about it (a year of flyball has given me all sorts of new tools haha!) but you can add in a ‘go say hi’ cue to make the hand off and use longer toys that you can drag on the ground to help him focus on the toy and not on your flesh if he is jumping up at all. And short, fast-transition recalls will help too!
let me know if that makes sense. Nice work here!
TracyHi!
He was such a good boy in this video! I have a couple of ideas for you to build on all of the successes here!On the recalls – you can make the transition into running as soon as your holder has a good grip – take off as soon as the hold has him 🙂 And, drop the toy in and let the toy drag when he is halfway to you. The reason for these two is that he, in typical BC style, wants to flank out a little bit rather than drive right to you. So, but running sooner and dropping the toy in sooner, he will drive straighter and faster to you. The toy was an excellent choice! So you can just present it (as you keep running) and let it drag as a focal point so he drives to you even more.
On the sit tug sit – I guess all you needed to do was get the camera rolling to help him understand the game? LOL! Good boy 🙂 My only suggestion here is to use your release word (rather than ‘yes’) and move the toy away from him when he releases, not towards.
Now about being sticky when the camera isn’t on…
It might be a body language thing? On this video, you were pretty perfect in your transition – get the toy, stand up, wait. That is a body language that encourages the sit. You might have been leaning over in previous sessions?But, it was also highly likely some BC baby dog arousal stuff 🙂 So yes, keep working this game but also you can add the toy in as a visual distraction in your other sit games. When you do the sits for cookies, you can be holding a toy. Then build to dangling it, then swinging it, etc. The toy is just there, not a reward, but it will certainly be stimulating. Or you can do a bit of tugging, then some sit-tug-sit for cookies then back to tugging. That will gradually incorporate the toy more while keeping him from getting too locked onto it. And incorporating the toy into shaping will help too, because he will learn to offer lots of behavior even with the toy right there.
Nice work here!!
TracyThis is some pretty impressive planing, I love it! And yes, I understand the whole I-95 in Virginia thing LOL!
Do you feel like the packing/pre-trial routine is stressful at all, or smooth and easy? Sometimes it is stressful, in which case we would streamline it. But if the pre-trial routine actually makes things less stressful, then it is perfect! Visualizing the drive is great because I totally understand how it is to lose sleep over the whole ‘getting there’ thing in the morning. I love that your routine is so detailed!Tracy
Hi Diane!
I love this – a kindness crusade!! How fun! and it sounds like you are able to surround yourself with people who are joining your crusade. Yay!!! It really does change the whole day at a trial, right? And yes, I agree that the nasty comments can be so hurtful but with smiling and kindness, you will find that the positive people join forces to make it a great time for everyone. I am totally on board with the Kindness Crusade!!! Agility needs more of this!!!!!!Tracy
