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  • in reply to: 🐾💖Cindi and Ripley (Border Collie) 💖🐾 #83655
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Welcome back, and congrats on all of your successes!!! It was great fun to scroll around on Facebook and see you & Ripley standing on podiums 🙂

    This is a good choice of game to get back into home life 🙂 I am sure you saw a zillion jump-tunnel-weaves discriminations at the camp and the UKI event.

    He also did a good job with going to is mat even with a jump & tunnel right there, although he did not do it as passionately as he did the jump & tunnel 😂🤣

    He was quite perfect with the jump versus tunnel versus weaves – finding the tunnel was especially impressive because it was tucked in between a jump-weave sandwich. He was definitely thoughtful about all of his jump approaches – possibly because he was thinking hard about which obstacle and possible because he was also thinking about organizing a good takeoff.

    Since he was fantastic here…. Let’s add more motion 🙂

    You can take the 2 start wings and move them further away (20 feet, perhaps?) so that as he is exiting the second wing, he has to drive ahead of you to whichever obstacle you are saying – while you are also moving. And by being 20 feet away, your motion will not be a huge help because you will be moving forward by not really handling a specific obstacle.

    Since that will make the game harder and there was not a lot of motion in this session, you can start by walking to see how he feels about processing the verbals with motion added (and motion that might not necessarily support the verbal). If he is successful with that? Cool! You can add more and more motion.

    Great job here!!

    Tracy

    in reply to: Kim and Sly #83654
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Good morning! The went well, both starting with the weaves and from the fast line before it. The fast line was much faster of course 🙂 because he had so much momentum. Super!!

    My only suggestion is to give him a name call before entering the tunnel. You had a little decel happening on the first run but he was a little wide on the first rep, so a verbal will help (I think his name is all he needs there).

    Everything else looked great!

    >I’ve got a couple other PopOuts that we played with yesterday and still want to review the times on the 2 different ways of handling PopOut 6.>

    Sounds good! I am looking forward to nerding out over which is the fastest option!

    Great job here!
    Tracy

    in reply to: Diane and Max #83653
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Good morning!
    >But running big courses I am sometimes behind so I think it’s just him learning his verbal, or us getting more distance as team>

    Yes – part of it is about him learning verbals, but also part of it is strategically sending then going directly to your next position so you can get ahead anywhere on course 🙂 More on that below. He has very good sends!

    Rep 1 wrap:
    Nice decel, nice connection, nice wrap!! You can play with starting the decel earlier: as he lifts off to the jump after the tunnel, you can begin the decel rather than start it when he lands. That is one stride earlier and might get an even tighter turn.

    SUPER nice rear cross! Nailed it on the first try, right after a wrap. Well done!

    On the push, strategically you will want to be further ahead – you can do this by running a sharp angle to the line between 3 and 4, rather than running the curved line of the course with him. To do this, when he exits jump 1 you can send him to the tunnel with one step. Then head directly to the push line (landing of 3) so as he is jumping 3, you are ahead and looking at him.

    This is more of what you did on the last rep – after sending to the tunnel, you went directly to your line past 3 and trusted him to take 3 (which he did of course :)) and got the backside beautifully. You can probably send to the tunnel with even fewer steps, which will make getting to the backside line even easier.

    On the reps where you he took the front side, you took a couple of steps to send him to the tunnel, then rounded the line to run past 3. That meant he was parallel to you as he took 3 (like at :57) so it was hard to show the push. When you do get into a position where you are parallel to him, make a HUGE connection and maybe even use an outside arm (pointing at the backside entry wing) to turn your shoulders to the backside line.

    Great job!

    Tracy

    in reply to: Diane and Max #83652
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Good morning! This is a hard game (and I think it also feels a little weird to be sending backwards) but it went REALLY well!

    >I am so bent over! It doesn’t look right…>

    You were only a bit bent over when you were looking at him and starting each rep – when you were moving, you looked good.

    On most of the reps, you did a great job shifting your connection from his eyes to the wing behind you as you pointed & stepped to it. You can really see it when you were on the wings closer to the camera (like at :23 and :39, but also on all the successful reps.

    He only had 2 questions (coincidentally on the same wing):

    At :11, he went to a different wing because you were blocking the wing you were sending to a little. You moved over a little so he could see it and he got it really well on the next send.

    At 1:17, you didn’t step to the wing (arm and connection was good but your feet didn’t move) so he didn’t go. That is good insight into how important motion is to him as a cue. On all the other reps, you used a big step and he did great.

    >tight, fast work is not my strength.>

    It looks like it is becoming your strength 🙂

    Last run when you did all 4 was GREAT! You nailed the countermotion and the connection shift to the wing behind you. Absolutely super!

    Another thing that went really well here was that he was able to ignore the big toy in your hand and go to the wing. That is hard but he did a great job!

    Nice work!

    Tracy

    in reply to: Kim and Millie #83651
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Good morning!
    You totally nailed the first blind and all of the blinds here!!!! I couldn’t find a first pump emoji so here is a high five 🫸🫷

    She was definitely on board with the earlier timing because she added a new her of speed on run 2 and the next runs! Super!!!

    She is also looking so good, finding her lines! There was only one moment where things were a little unclear to her, but she still fought to find the correct line:
    At 1:04, you hesitated a little bit near jump 3 – you still got the blind in time but you were a little on her line so she for a moment thought about the backside at 1:06 but came in to the front side. Good girl!

    On this sequence, it is hard to keep connection on the exit of jump 5 without slowing down so you can also talk to her (name call) to keep her driving forward. Usually verbals can cover the moments when being super connected is more challenging.

    Great job here!

    Tracy

    in reply to: Zest #83644
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Hi!

    >He was good with the sequence wrapping right but struggled with bars when we changed direction.>

    He did great! And you were really running! The bars were just late timing stuff, more on that below:

    First run was LOVELY connection and timing, and he responded perfectly. It is what your future in the ring will look like! So fun!

    The second run was also really good. At 1:24, your shoulder turn was late as you gave him his whoa and brake arms – you were facing straight when he took off for that middle jump, as compared to the previous run and the next runs at 1:39 and 1:53, where you were already turning and he had no questions about the bar.

    You got a little past the wrap jump at 1:41 – that caused you to have to push him back to the next jump which made the turn late at 1:43 (bar down).

    You cued a SUPER nice wrap at 1:54, which set up the easy send and good timing of the shoulder turn, so he found the line and had no trouble with the bars. YAY!

    >I don’t think my teeter food was good enough tonight so I’ll up the game next time. But he didn’t fly off! >

    He was very good! And I agree – when you had placed the food at the top, it didn’t even register at first LOL!! So using amazing stuff will really help him drive to the end of the board.

    Great job 🙂
    
Tracy

    in reply to: Joan & Judge #83643
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Hi! I am glad he had a great check up!! Yes, start with some hind end conditioning and plyometrics before doing a lot of grids – then you can start set point work with a higher bar to help get more hind end se.

    >And we are going to start working at some height – he actually looked better doing a set point at 20″ than at a lower height.>

    Yes, that makes sense because he has more bar to have to get over! But don’t do a lot of that until he is really great with his plyometric work. (Side note: does your conditioning person have him doing plyometric work?)

    He did well with the sequence here!
    No need to be stationary at the jump when he driving to it, that might be confusing about being stationary when you want a collection.

    When you started running, he really looked great! Nice timing with the cues and the reward throws. You can totally run in closer to the tunnel so he drives ahead of you here too, and keeping adding the distance as well – looking lovely!

    Nice work 🙂 

Tracy

    in reply to: Michele & Roux #83642
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Hi! It was very windy! Wow!

    Good work on these sequences! I am definitely going to try to convince you to do the walk throughs running at her speed, with connection and verbals. That rehearsal will lead you to be able to nail the runs the first time – no bloopers, no wide turns 🙂

    Even if you did walk each sequence, you should definitely video and post so we can see where the rehearsal happened which caused the blooper in the run.

    You had one walk through here for sequence 1, but you were walking and very quiet 🙂 And you didn’t put the other walk throughs in. Ideally, you run the sequence as if you are running her, video it, then post it with the run so we can see where the common good stuff is, and where the common oopsies are. That way we can keep the good stuff and eliminate the oopses 🙂

    And rehearsing running at her speed (with connection, verbals, etc) will directly correlate to much better trial runs. Side note: you can also set these sequences at smaller distances to get the feel of AKC courses.

    Looking at the runs:

    Seq 1:

    The opening went well – nice timing of the left cue to get the turn on the tunnel exit!
    You can send to 2, no need to go as close to it because you will get a better turn by sending and leaving. She had a bar down there because you drove to 2 then pulled away, making the turn info late.

    On the backside wrap on jump 4, you can get into backside wrap position, tucked in to where the wing and bar meet while facing the next line. At :59, she sliced the backside jump and landed wide because you turned to face the slice line – she was reading the cue there. You can get the wrap more by facing forward to 5 (and not facing 4 as much) and letting her go past you to the backside. That should get a nice collection there! She was tighter on the next reps because you didn’t turn to face 4 as much, but I think you can get even better collection without rotating to the jump at all 🙂

    Then be sure to make connection as she exits 4 to send her to 5. At 1:01 you looked forward which she read as a blind cross cue. She still had the line, so you can keep going and try to finish the sequence! The connection made a big difference on the next rep – you can make it even more of a send by using connection and 1 step with the wrap verbal to get it.

    (Since I am bugging you about the walk through 🤣😂, that is a spot to rehearse in the walk through so you can connect and send, avoiding the blooper there).

    Seq 2 –
    For the sends into the tight turn then FC on the backside at 2:31, you can stay o the line to where the wing and bar meet. After sending her to the backside here, you stepped across the bar as if heading to the tunnel. Then at lifted off, you did a FC right in her way so she hit the bar. When you repeated it at 2:59, you were not as far across the bar so she had a much better jumping moment there. Super!

    At 2:38 on the backside on 9 – you had a really good position and timing of the FC and she got it really easily! Super collection there! That was a great example of how to execute the FC on the backside wrap.

    Seq 3 – to get the best line on this opening here, you can turn her the other way on 1 (to her right). Wrapping to the inside (to her left) requires you to have to stay there to push her back to 2, and then turn her hard to get 3 because the send to 2 lines her up for an off course. Turning her to her right will set a great line 2-3-4. You lost connection she ended up on your other side on the first run. On the second run you got the connection (yay!) but that set her on the line to the off course jump, so you had to really pull her in.

    Seq 4 went well! You went a bit too far across the bar on jump 2, so she was wide on the line there (that is something to plan and run in the walk through 😁😁) The section from 3-7 was really nice! The wrap cues for 8 were late (4:44) so she was wide. You can plan to decel and begin the wrap cues as she is over 7, so get a really lovely turn there too!

    Nice job on the ending line!!

    So overall the sequences are going well. There was something you could do on each one a little differently to make it a clean run or tighten turns… and that is where we want the walk through to really see what to rehearse and smooth it out 🙂

    Nice work!
    Tracy

    in reply to: Zest #83634
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Good morning!

    I think that teeter has a lock of whip to it (watch the bouncing up and down of the other end as he reaches the top!) so he is being careful. That is good self-preservation!!! He will work through that of course and get faster and faster. The heavier teeters will probably be easier for him because they won’t bounce around as much.

    >When I added motion the first time I think it was too exciting and he just kept going off the end.>

    Yes, and you were not even moving that fast! It is also possible he was trying to get the heck off the teeter because of the whip under him, but he was really good on the next reps! When adding your motion, it will help him focus on the end of the board if the reward is placed at the end of the board. You can use a bit of duct tape as a target and smear some cream cheese or peanut butter on it – that way he is not trying to watch you and the end of the board, he will just go directly to the end of the board.

    Great job!
    Tracy

    in reply to: Kim and Millie #83633
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Good morning! She is reading the blinds and lines really well!!

    And I agree that the connection was better, really nice!!!!

    >Blinds are still a little late>

    I agree with this too 🙂 The blinds were happening at takeoff for the middle jump – ideally the blinds are finishing at that point. That is why her turn on the BC was wide – she couldn’t change her line until after she lands, based on the info. The more ideal timing would have the blind starting when she is landing from jump p3 (jump after the tunnel) so it is completed before takeoff for 4.

    What will help you get that is if you stay in motion on the line more – when you were waiting for her while she was in the tunnel, there were decel cues so she was not sure if she should really drive to 3. And that then showed acceleration to 4 rather than a turn cue. So you can flip that 🙂 by running in deeper to the tunnel (so you don’t have to wait for her after a send) and as she is exiting, she sees you accelerating up the line and getting ahead. That should lock her on the line so you can be getting to 4 and starting the blind when she lands from 3.

    That earlier timing plus the connection you had here so really get a great turn!

    Nice work 🙂 


    Tracy

    in reply to: Jean-Maria & Venture (Cocker Spaniel) #83627
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Hi!

    I’ll keep looking for a class with feedback. I’ve work with Leslie Eide (a sports vet) online and she is fabulous! I know she has a Jumping class and does individual conditioning stuff, but I don’t know if she does group classes.

    Thanks for the videos. I totally see what you are saying. Even before he came off the frame high and fell on his shoulder, he was not really pushing from his rear over the jumps. Even the bars that stayed up saw him pulling from his front. And it was weird that he didn’t want to sit. Definitely show the videos to the vet!
    He was mentally in the game, but seems to be protecting something physically. Yes, the mid-back might be ouchy and also ask them to poke around the psoas.

    Hopefully it is nothing and he feels better soon!!

    Tracy

    in reply to: Patty and Indy #83625
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Good morning! I am so glad you are back in action! Take your time, no rush, we still have plenty of class time 🙂

    >I thought it went well on rep 1. I did a second rep to see if I could tighten up her turns.>

    I agree, rep 1 looked fabulous! Rep 2 looked great to! I think her turns were generally lovely rep 1 – the only one that was a bit wide was 5 to 6. The 2nd run was a little tighter so I timed then runs… basically the same 🙂 Th 2nd run was a tiny bit faster but it was pretty negligible and might be because it was hand-timed. So maybe the thing that can make a difference is adding a brake arm to cue a tighter line 5-6 (brake arm begins as she is exiting 4).

    I like to time things to see if tighter is really faster… sometimes it is NOT. The smaller the dog, the more often we see that tighter is not faster, so it will be fun to look at this with Indy too!

    Great job here!

    Tracy

    in reply to: Lora and Beat the Bippet #83623
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Good morning! This session went great, it is really so fun to see her putting the pieces together!

    I hope your neck is feeing better!!!

    >Being worried about whether she was broken did make it hard to concentrate on the right timing so I think I still wasn’t perfect but better.>

    I can relate to this – constantly checking the whippets that they are not broken. The BorderWhippets are so much sturdier LOL!!! The WhippetMalinois mix is a brick wall in comparison. But compared to the terrier and BC-types, I spend most of the time checking to see if the pointy dogs are breaking themselves.

    On the video – this went well! The reps where you had really low arms were super! And at :45 you started your decel and tight verbal as she was taking off for the middle jump… perfect timing and a she produced a gorgeous wrap on the next jump! YAY!

    Your first BC to wrap run looked GREAT! What made it harder was that she produced a new gear of speed – wow! And you still nailed the timing and got the wrap cues. Look at that gorgeous turn even with all of her speed coming into it at 1:06!!!

    The other side seemed a little less comfortable:
    Going the other direction at 1:24 was not as early with the timing (you can be furrther ahead to get 3 which makes. The blind easier) But if you get behind on the timing (meaning you feel like the BC is late) you can in that moment face the wrap wing for longer to decel, so she is more sure about where to go next. Rotated almost immediate at 1:26 which pushed her into the RC turn

    O n the 2nd rep, you had better position and timing! Your arms came up really high so that actually delayed the reconnection after the blind – but like with the previous rep, you don’t need to rotate as early after the blind. You can keep moving to the wrap wing and face it while you decel, so she knows where to be

    The last rep had good position and lower arms, which definitely helped you set the line to the correct wrap! YAY!!!

    >so I think that affected those blinds on my right and caused that bar at the end.>

    That bar was the high arms. It was the only spot that the dog side arm ended up above your head 🙂 You were flying plus your neck might have been feeling restricted, so I think momentum just grabbed your arm and flung it upwards.

    Great job!

    Tracy

    in reply to: Joan & Judge #83622
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Good morning! He is definitely getting the idea of the RCs, he just needs the info a little sooner 🙂

    >It’s so easy to see on the video when I’m late. >

    I think you were waiting til he exited the tunnel to get on the RC line, and that was why the cues were late. You are running the RC line but you can get on it even sooner so he sees it a solid stride or two before takeoff. No need to decel there to face the straight line, that is delaying the info for the RC – you can run in closer to the tunnel if needed so when he exits, you are already moving to the center of the jump so he can set the turn before takeoff.

    On the RC on the jump after the tunnel, he got it but had little questions – You were squaring up to the jump a bit, so he was turning left then turning right (watching it in slow motion from :17 – :19 and :21 – :24 for example can give you a good view of it)

    The other thing I think is causing a question is there is a conflicting cue when the dog-side arm comes across your torso on the cues. At :43 and 1:10 for example, your left arm is indicating that he should turn towards you, by turning your shoulders to the right turn line and not the RC. And you were not really on the RC diagonal, so he took off turning right then turned left as he landed (:43) or over the bar (1:10). So the combination of getting onto the RC diagonal (to the center of the bar) more immediately when he exits the tunnel, and not letting your arm come across your torso will make it even smoother.

    Nice work here!!

    Tracy

    in reply to: Julia and Grin #83621
    Tracy Sklenar
    Keymaster

    Hi! He is doing great with these games!

    >He can back up really well onto a bigger object but the plank messes with his mind. I am literally starting him standing against it and just getting him to step back with rear feet at the moment.>

    He did well backing up onto the board! It is more narrow than he is, so it is definitely harder – but great prep for teeter and dog walk in terms of knowing how to keep all feet on a narrow board.
    You can keep your hands lower (maybe near your knees) so his head is lower for more a little more weight shift – and you can be more stationary so he is not waiting for you to move forward. This can look like rewarding him between your feet, then standing still to let him back himself onto the board.

    Motion override is off to a great start! Just be careful about your dog-side hand moving as you cue the sit – on rep 1, it moved back and on rep 2, it moved up on the sit cue. He is totally watching it LOL so you can just walk forward (and build to jogging) with your arms flapping around 🙂

    He sure does love his banging around on the wobble board! You can take the board to different surfaces to get different sounds: grass, concrete, or even put stuff under it like something metal to get a bit of a ‘clang’ like many teeters make.

    Excellent job!
    Tracy

Viewing 15 posts - 196 through 210 (of 18,556 total)