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Hi!
The forward focus looked great, and you’ve got the “look” cue added too. Super!!!
The two toys worked perfectly when the high value toy was the reward! He retrieved the forward focus to you and then came directly to you when you whipped out the favorite toy 🙂 great timing with that!!The threadle/serp foundation also looks good 🙂 you can toss the start cookie, but then feed the reward cookie from your other ha nd after he hits the target. And hold that position til he gets to the reward rather than break out of it- I want him to see you facing him even as he goes to the 2nd hand, so he gets used to the in-then-out of the movement.
If he has trouble finding the tossed start cookie, you can use a mat to throw it to so he finds it easily.
Super job here!!
TracyHi! I think he did really well here! I love how well he started offering getting into the box! The mat seemed easy too.
You can elevate the box, maybe a little bit more PVC on each corner so it adds a couple more centimeters in height? That way he can hop in and out more which is closer to what he will do on the frame.The mat work looked great too! You can make the mat smaller and pick up where you left off with him going back and forth across it.
Nice work!
TracyHi! She did really well here!!
As you said, the first side was super. Nice tug break after it!
[he still heads to the prop when doing the left turn.]
On the 2nd side, what happened was that as she turned back to you from the start cookie: she saw you toss the prop to the ground. It is highly likely that she understood this as a cue to go to the prop LOL!! I mean, I can see her point 🙂 then the prop was on her mind after it. But she didn’t run off with it!!
So a couple of ideas:
Have the prop down on the ground before you send her to the start cookie. That way she won’t see it moving and thing it was a toy.
You can mix in more toys, even having her come to the turn hand with a toy in it! And you can tug between each rep. I think she got a little less interested in having all of the cookie reps, which could be part of why she couldn’t get the thought of the prop out of her mind lol! Adding the toy will allow you to do lots of reps, but it won’t feel like repetition to her because there are lots of parties mixed in 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
You can mix in more toys, even having her come to the turn hand with a toy in it! And you can tug between each rep. I think she got a little less interested in having all of the cookie reps, which could be part of why she couldn’t get the thought of the prop out of her mind lol! Adding the toy will allow you to do lots of reps, but it won’t feel like repetition to her because there are lots of parties mixed in 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Welcome back! I hope it was super fun!!
The parallel path game went great. I agree with you that he had more success on your left than on your right – that could be a slight side preference, or it could have something to do with your throwing all the treats from your right hand… so when he is on your right, he’s locked into the cookie hand more.
For the next session, try throwing from both hands (alternating) so doesn’t lock onto any one hand.
He also did really well with the tunnel! He was at his best, in terms of finding the tunnel and not running on top of it 😀 when you were clear about the line up and when to start, like at :55. So you can totally line him up, hold his collar, say the verbal a few times, then let him go and give a little step to the tunnel. That will work on both the regular tunnel sends and the inside/threadle sends too!
I see what you mean about him running behind the tunnel when he has to turn left (from your right). To mark and instantly reward, you can put a lotus ball inside the tunnel, maybe 3 or 4 feet in it, so he gets a quick reward for finding the entry.
Great job here!!
TracyHi!
>unfortunately my phone must have been on photo and not video as all I have is a still of the patio.>
Yay for a great session! But bummer that the video didn’t work. At least you have a photo memory LOL!
She was great here, thinking her way into the sit! I love how she looks at you, processing and figuring it out. SUPER!!! Great job adding a few steps away – you can do that more with the clicker and treats: as you move away, click and throw a treat back. Adding the praise worked great!
>. I’m not asking her for a sit, I wait until she offers it. should I lure her into position and then ask her to sit?>
I like letting her offer for now! You can add a sit verbal if you are pretty sure she will sit 🙂 And when she is sitting on cue and able to hold a stay… we can add a lineup. But she is off to a great start here!
Nice work 🙂
TracyWelcome back! It sounds like a fantastic vacation!!!
>But we are back at it and just a little behind now. I assume I can just keep working along?>
Yes, move at whatever pace works for you, we have plenty of time! You are getting into week 4 so you are not that far behind at all.
Collection sandwich: this went great!!
The decel on the first rep ws a little late so she shot past you a little. But then the decel on the 2nd rep and after that was better because you decelerated almost immediately after the blind. And because you were earlier, she could collect and be ready for the pivot. Super! Just be sure not to pivot too fast, she swings out and loses you a little when you do that.You are ready to add the advanced level, with throwing the toy after the pivot for the go go go race 🙂
Turn and burn:
Left turns looked very strong. I think on th right, she didn’t know if she should offer the wrap or maybe something having to do with heel position and focus on you…. That was on your left side, so it is entirely possible she thinks your left side is ‘focus on momma’ side.No worries! We can clarify it for her. On both sides, line her up at your side, hold her collar, then let go and step towards the barrel. That can give a very clear indication of “start now” and also, it will be very easy to add your verbal cue (which we add very soon :)). You can also add the line on the ground that moves around the barrel, as the indicator for you to know when to the do the FC and run away (earlier and earlier :))
Pattern games looked great! Notice how when she is heading to upper right side, she doesn’t offer anything other than engagement. But when she was heading to your left side on the first few reps (:10 for sure!), it looks like she was offering lining up at your left side. That might be why she thought she should stay on your left in turn and burn too! She stopped doing that here when she realized what the game was. You can move to the next level of this for sure – it was easy peasy for her 🙂
You had her doing the cookie recalls past a toy and then also a ball on the ground in the next video, also super easy for her. What a good girl!
Since the pattern and stealth self-control game went so well, I think you can take the pattern games on the road more. Will you be at a dog sports event soon where you might be able to play thee at a little bit of a distance from the action?
Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
Life does get in the way of puppy stuff sometimes but he didn’t miss a beat. He did great here!It is hard to believe there is cheese in the bowl because he was so perfect – he did great with the cookie toss then recall, and he did super great with the pattern game. You even said ‘this is too easy’ at one point LOL!
You can take this game on the road – bring great treats and try it on leash in new places to see how he feels about re-engaging in more interesting/exciting locations!
>we apparently moved off into handling and I don’t feel ready>
Ha! Yes we have added some handling stuff – keep moving through the games and you will see that it is very easy to add the handling.
Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
>Didn’t even think to toss back I’m so used to dogs running off with their toys lol.>
You can also toss a treat back!
For tracking purposes – this is the handling combo (more folding in self-control) not turn and burn – just to make sure we don’t miss the full turn and burn 🙂
I agree, it went great! He was able to ignore the toy on the ground until cued to get it, he moved away from the toy without needing tp be grabbed LOL, and he wrapped the barrel/found the FC easily (nice connection!)
Maybe the only thing to add is holding his collar as you start the verbal – you will get a really explosive drive to the barrel if you hold him, start your verbal, then let go and step the barrel. Without holding him, he is not really sure when to start to he is not driving to the barrel. So get his fancy collar out for this game 🙂
Great job! Add the decel and pivots too!
Tracy
Hi! This also went well!
He was happy to play the tug game here! Tugging with his feet up on you was easy but he seems to prefer to have his feet on the floor. He did really well when you added the retrieve! I feel like he was legit bringing it back to you and not trying to run past you with it. You can encourage him to lift it up to you when he gets to you so you can gradually convince him to put it on your hand 🙂
You can take this game to bigger locations to see if he will still bring it directly to you like this!
Great job :) Tracy
Hi!
He did great here! Was the ball the first exciting object? He actually ran right over it LOL! The treat bag was harder for a heartbeat but only because he saw you put it down – I think he was asking if you want him to offer behavior involving it.He also did great with you moving. Since this is going so well, you can totally take it on the road if you haven’t done so already. Are there places where he can play this game, like in an area where dog sports are going on and you can still be a good distance away? I think he is ready for more exciting things to be introduced.
The other thing you can do is teach him about things he will experience in dog sport venues… such as barking dogs, etc. You can do that at home by using YouTube videos for sounds. I do a search in YouTube for stuff like “barking dogs” or “agility trials” and you can play videos in the background while playing pattern games.
Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
>That lap turn is weird for my body, I’ve never taught a rear cross from the ground in this way.>
That is because the lap turn is mainly a threadle-wrap foundation, more of a weird RC on the flat. Same with the tandem turns.
> I have partially relied on the dog driving ahead (and hoping my timing was right) and when I have tried to teach it on the flat, the method was not like this at all! >
You will the advanced level of the parallel path game with the prop begins the traditional rear cross which is what you are describing.
He did well in the video! Your mechanics of the lap turn were spot on! My only suggestion is that you can be further past the prop then after the lap turn, keep walking forward so he hits the prop and keeps going.
For the tandems: thee went really well when you moved past the prop and turned him away – when you were next to it at the beginning. I think he was not sure if he should follow your hands or go to the prop. But when you moved past it and had lo & slow hands, he turned away really well! Yay!
Great job here!
TracyHi!
He did well here!! The forward focus looked great. He was doing ‘almost-retrieves’ where he was driving back to you then doing a fly-by at the last minute. So it is a good start and we can build on it:
When he is almost to you with the toy, whip out another toy as a reward. You were becoming stationary when he was almost to you, so he kept going past you. The 2nd toy as a reward will help him come right to you. Just keep toy #2 hidden til he is less than a meter from you so he come all the way to you and doesn’t drop the other toy too early.Great job!
TracyHi!
This went really well – watching the video, you can see she is actually offering the wrap more than you think, because the toy was not really luring for most of it. But don’t be twitchy! Stay totally still til she is more than halfway around, then takeoff and run. When you were twitchy and moving too early, she was not sure if she should move with you or not (2:33) 🙂And the lineups worked best when the toy was tucked into your armpit – you can use both hands to line up: the opposite hand to deliver another cookie while the dog side hand holds her collar.
>So, next steps?>
Put this game away for 2 days to let her brain lock it in, then do the exact same session and see how she does. If it goes great, we have you start leaving earlier.
Great job!
Tracy
