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Hi!
On both of the jump games here, I think he did better when you led out all the way to the PT. When you were walking up the line especially on the first one, he seemed unsure if he should be driving ahead or collecting – walking might be too decelerated for him at this point, his question is a valid one 🙂About the PT – try moving it out another 10 feet past the last jump of these so it ends up being 15 or 18 feet away 🙂 I think when you led out to it, he was powering nicely (yay!) but then trying to stop himself to so as not to overrun the PT so changing the arc of the last jump (or second jump on the set point. You can also trigger it as soon as you release him, so it gives him even more of a reason to drive to it (which will then make it easier to add more motion back – as you walk or jog up the line, trigger it as you release so he powers to it). It is a fine line – too much motion is a big distraction, but not enough motion might cause him to think you want collection… so leading all the way out helps, and also triggering the PT super early helps too.
Here are some specifics:
On the progressive grid:
rep 1 had you moving, and he was a bit short in his striding – not sure if he was trying to process the grid or the motion or both?
rep 2 had a lead out – I liked this one 🙂 Lots of power. Wheee! You can move the PT further away to get even better striding over the last bar.
rep 3 – you had motion on this one and he was shorter in striding.
rep 4 – you had a lead out mostly to the PT and he was better, this was my 2nd favorite after rep 2.On the set point –
rep 1 – you had a nice lead out and he powered nicely into the gap! But he was trying to sit back too soon here so his butt came up a little higher. If he knows he will have to land and take another whopper extension stride, he will power his hind end into the stride.
rep 2 -this was a walking rep and he was definitely not sure if he should power or not, so he jumped up more than out. You can definitely trigger the PT on the release here, and lead out to it for now as well.
rep 3 – this one split the difference between reps 1 and 2 LOL!!!So overall, my ideas are more about the session set up and mechanics to get the power jumping on all reps, if that makes sense. His form looks good but he is asking questions about when to collect or not. Then when adding motion back in, you can use the early PT trigger and jogging to see if that answers his question about whether to extend or collect when you are moving.
Nice work!!
TracyGood morning!!
On the first video:
The Zig Zag grids are looking good! He is finding the bars nicely and changing his leads really well. On the last bar, he is coming to you more than hopping over it, so you can put one more wing on the last bar (nearest to where you were staning) to get a bigger picture of hopping/lead changing over the last bar too.On the get out section – you are not imagining things – I did say to say to wait til he turns his head… and he is not turning his head LOL!
He was perfect on all the reps where you wanted him to chase you line. And your verbals were good! and your get out mechanics were good to cue it! He was *masterful* at going to the jump without ever taking his eyes off of you LOL! Yes, probably waiting for the toy to be thrown but also on some of the reps he was going to the jump but totally looking at you the whole time. Impressive flexibility in the neck LOL!!
So, we can convince him to look at you less in a couple of ways:
First, you can angle the get out jump towards him a little so that as he comes around the barrel, he can see the bar a lot better. You can set up that angle by leaving the wing closer to the barrel where it is, and moving the wing furthest from the bar towards your running line. Let me know if that makes sense 🙂 That way he might look at the bar sooner and then you can reward sooner too.
The second thing to try is a game called “The Lazy Game” where we basically shape the dogs to NOT look at us and to instead look at and go to the jump (all while we can be lazy and walk back and forth). I just posted it as the Pre-Game for the Blind Cross class 🙂 so here is the video:
https://youtu.be/ucps-Z8ilq0
I think the pup in the video was 8 months old when I did the demo, similar in age to Kai. This will help him look forward more at the jump and less at you (and the cookies :))2nd video:
These are all looking really good! For all of these, a general next-step: spread out the wings so you have to run more 🙂 I know, I know, I am evil hahah but that will help him also open up and run – he seems to really be understanding all of the concepts, so now we can let him fly 🙂
First section: turn aways:
He is reading he lap turns really well, really responding to staying out around the wing versus coming into your side then turning away again. Super!! So now we add more speed 🙂 Other than spreading the wings out, you can send to the wing and then run forward to the next one – then decel and face him to do the turn away. You were facing him and running backwards, so he was correctly decelerating to respect the cue.
Tunnel & wings games – nice job on the tunnel discrimination! Look at him find the tunnel entry independently without needing you to help too much! Yay! Love all of your verbals too – very nice understanding!!! So now… spread it all out so you have to run more 🙂 He is reading deceleration properly, so now you can show him that he is allowed to run run run 🙂 When you were ahead and he chased you, he was really liking it. Your connection was just about perfect – one tiny blooper at the end but otherwise, lovely throughout. And great job on the tunnel discriminations to cue it and support the line, but also to NOT over-help 🙂 You allowed him to turn away to find it and he rocked it 🙂
The race tracks are good too – this is where you can really let him feel the excitement of big running now 🙂 He is understanding everything really nicely so we can let him rip 🙂>>May I still send more film this week? We have the last week of class to record.
Yes, we still have time to submit (til the 22nd-sih)
>> Looking forward to Dec. class.
it will be a fun winter!!!
Tracy
Hi there!
I think she is reading these nicely and responding really well to the cues!
Some of the wideness you were seeing was because that is the nature of tandems, they are a little wider or ‘softer’ in terms of the turn. But also, some of it was because of mechanics – you were cueing the tandem as a pull-towards-you by turning your shoulders away, then turning her back out with the other hand. When you pulled away too much, you got a wide turn. An example is :41, where you pulled away a lot so she was correct to follow that line – we don’t want the pups turning themselves back to the wing, which is why it was wide there. So in terms of mechanics, you can turn the shoulder less away from the line (so it doesn’t look like a post turn), or you can use your opposite arm sooner (so you can stay closer to the line, which will make it tighter.
When you stayed closer to the line, she was definitely tighter like at :08. You were a little early on the RC element of the turn there, but she was able to maintain her commitment and set a nice tight line.
On the tunnel misses, I think on some of the reps you were a little disconnected and accelerating so that contributed to her missing the tunnel. But mainly I think it was just puppy stuff 🙂 – lack of experience finding something *after* the RC on the flat and anticipating the reward as you ran away without full connection. For example, on the very last one: you said “Yes” and she locked onto the toy and never considered the tunnel LOL! A similar thing happened on the first rep, where your throwing arm was already moving so she didn’t take the tunnel. At :09 and :27 : 34 you were more connected and not moving the reward, so she took the tunnel 🙂 So exaggerate the tunnel cue for another session or two, then she will naturally look for it on her own.The ‘easy’ sections where all she had to do was stay on your shoulder for a post turn are looking great!!!
>>I am wondering how much longer we can post videos…. – am planning to sign up for the next Max Pup course.
We have until the 22nd left on this course, give or take 🙂 I will be checking the forum for another week or so 🙂
Tracy
Hi! Yes, the pups will work 6-7 times in the mini seminars. Stay tuned for more dates being added, it is on my list for today as soon as I clear the Forums here 🙂
T
I call those “tooth hugs” or “raptor kisses” or “victory markers” (for when my boy would do it at the end of a run LOL!!)
I am so glad you are enjoying the classes! The shutdown has been long but hopefully by spring we can start getting back to normal. Have safe, warm winter – the boys will get a break from running courses but that means they will be fresh and ready when the snow melts!!
Tracy
Hi! Thanks for the T2B link!
I think he broke his stay so you were behind a little at the start and not quite connected over the double at the beginning – that is why he was curling into you. If he didn’t break his stay – give yourself a longer lead out, it will be easier 🙂
He was a good boy with the weave entry!!! The middle section looked lovely 🙂 At :34, you slowed down to handle it from behind but I think you can drive in to handle from ahead – either with a “german” turn which is staying on the landing side of the jump and then doing a wrap/blind exit, or driving into the gap to do a FC to a throw back on the takeoff side of the jump. You were on landing side and turning him away on the flat, so he was confused then you lost connection trying to get back ahead of him. In that spot, and at the very last jump – keep connected to his eyes even when you are behind. When you pointed forward in those 2 spots, it blocked connection and changed the line of your shoulders – so he questioned whether or not to take the jump or to pass it based on the shoulder info. You don’t need an arm to support at all on that last jump when you are behind – just run or leave the arm back, and lock onto his eyes (ok. when you are behind, you will be locking onto the back of his head LOL but he can see it and it lines your shoulders up really nicely too :))Nice work! Let me know what you think!!
TracyHi!
>>Will the live seminars be an extended version of the games offered online? Or will they be separate things that aren’t also covered online for the working online spots?
A little of both! And then it will all be posted, so all working spots can participate (both the live ones and the online ones).
T
Good morning!
>>Point the outside shoulder to the outer wing which moves the shoulder forward, but don’t confuse him with the inside hand coming back like it’s a serp.
Yes, you did a nice job with the outside shoulder here! The only thing I would add is to look at him as you do it, not ahead of him. It is that fine line between connection plus outside shoulder, and too much upper body rotation towards him LOL!
For example at :11 and :19, your shoulders were good but you were looking a tiny bit ahead, so he looked at you. (Disclaimer: this is a hard skill so sometimes they do need to look at us to figure out what the heck we want LOL!! We might see him looking up sometimes because he is only a year old :))
He was totally figuring it out as the session went along (:35 and :46 and after that) so the connection won’t be as needed in the long run, just for now.Nice variety in the exits of the backsides! The cross to get to the other end of the tunnel was easy peasy for him, and fun (wheee! Tunnel!).
On the slice exits with the countermotion, you were getting some impressive distance across the bar (after those UKI courses this past weekend, I am more committed than ever to making sure the dogs know how to do this LOL!). My only suggestion there is to drop the reward in sooner: he wants to follow your motion, so try to drop the ball in as soon as he gets to the backside entry wing and before he can make a jumping decision. That can help get him looking at the bar immediately and not at the motion -do that for a couple of sessions until he immediately wraps the wing to look at the bar, then you can delay the reward more and more to reward the exit line. The other think you can do tuck the beloved Pet Tutor in near the exit wing on the landing side of the backside jump, and click it when he gets to the entry wing 🙂 It will be a combo distraction/lure/reward 🙂
On the circle wrap at 1:27, you were a shade too soon pushing into his line – for now, let him get more turned to look at the bar and take a stride towards the bar before you cut in behind him to complete the wrap. That is a youthful inexperience thing, you won’t need to wait that extra step for much longer 🙂Great job!
Tracy
Hi! This is going well! The regular wraps and drive to the tunnel all look fabulous on both sides 🙂
L turns:
Oh wow, these look good! On the first turn away, it looked very smooth (:14)! On the second one, it was harder to see (tunnel blocking the view a little) he looked a little wider at :21 but still got it, yay!
He had a little question at :23 going to the wrap – I think your arm might have been pointing forward a little, so he checked in a little. Keeping your arm back and making a little more connection will help him drive away to the wing when you are behind a little.The Right turns are also looking good, on the turn aways try to slow down the arm cues: see if you can get him to lock onto your hands and then turn him away after a step or two of being locked on – you were doing the lock-on and turn-away in one motion so he was wider there. I think this is the side you are less comfy on, so slowing it down will help it feel smoother.
Great job on these!!!! He is driving his lines so nicely – and also great job with your verbals!
TracyHi! Sorry I missed this!!!!!
>> Unfortunately I didn’t turn the phone on so had to do another rep for video….and as you said this really is physically demanding training so he’s a touch slower on this rep than the one I wish I had captured for you.
He did well with staying on the line and driving ahead!! I think part of him slowing down was the distance driving ahead – the change in striding was more of a question than fatigue, I think. So you can work this a couple of ways to continue the big extension in the gaps between jumps:
do a shorter line so the reward comes sooner, and then gradually add/extend it.
Or, you can use the long line and an early reward indicator: for example when he lands form the 2nd jump, you can throw a ball out past the last jump (if he likes that, even if your aim is bad haha) or you can trigger a MM with the beep (he is likely to keep driving to that if he hears it, I think). Then you can mix up the timing of the reward so sometimes it is early, sometimes later, gradually building to reward at the end of the line.>> This a training concept that I’ve never had explained in quite this way before I really do want to say thanks.
Yer welcome! It is helping us get to better spots on lines and solidifying verbals too 🙂
T
Hi!
>>CONGRATS on your UKI Open results!! You and Jen Pinder both did really well. I get a warm fuzzy feeling when my instructors are successful. [Even though I know that isn’t the “measure” of an instructor, it is still fun!]>>
Thanks!!! It was a combination of fun and brutal – lots of running. I only ran the Speedstakes classes with 2 dogs because I simply did not have the energy to build all of the courses with contacts by myself LOL!!! Jen did a GREAT job on all the courses and I think she and Wicca just got the Top Dog Award (results over all classes) as well. She had help with course building plus she is in better shape than me for all that running LOL!
>>The crossed arms are the Judge’s signal to the scribe that a “do over” is in progress. As a handler, I can use it to signal to the Judge that I know I’m going into “do over mode”. On the start line, there could be a question (if the dog doesn’t cross the line but the handler is not going to accept the dog’s behavior).>>
Good to know! In Europe, the judges used it to signal an “E” on course, also a very clear marker haha
>>Excited about Proofing 101. That is to integral to obedience and yet isn’t stressed much at all in agility.>>
Yes! I have been working on it (plus the independent backsides) and that plus emphasizes verbal-only tunnel exit turns – and that is why my Voodoo was able to do those big Speedstakes courses with no off courses tunnels and all good backside (and no bars, which might be the most exciting part with him!!)
T
OMG did she bite your NOSE??? She officially is a raptor.
That was a great run! And that last line was REALLY hard for any dog: different distances to read AND different types of jumps (single, panel, triple). She did a great job on the whole course and that last line in particular looked great. Your connection looked fabulous throughout which really helped support her!!!
T
