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Good morning!
The head turns on the barrel with motion (leading into backside circle wraps) went great! You did a great job by starting to move sooner – as soon as he was past you, you tucked in right behind his tail on the second half of the session. That asks for a LOT of countermotion and he did well. Placement of reward really supported it!
So since this went so well – add the verbal cue for whatever you want to use for your backside circle wraps (mine is dig dig dig). Hold him, say it a few times, then let go and start to move. Since the verbal is a new variable and it might be a little distracting, you can dial back your motion at first. If it goes really well, you can ramp up your motion by moving sooner. And when he is happy with that – start further away from the barrel because you can both add more speed š>Also reverse retrieve but only 1 toy was correct apparently.>
He was a super good boy retrieving the toy!!!! Yay!!
He definitely had āfirst toy is best toyā vibes here! It might be that the first toy was higher value or that it had moved so it was more fun in the moment. You can totally do this game with just one toy, or you can whip out the 2nd toy and throw it or drag it for him to chase. A more active 2nd toy might be very engaging too!
When you have footing where he can really grip and you can really run – send him to the toy you have dropped an then take off jogging at first, building to running š That will be both a good retrieve challenge and also a commitment challenge: can he commit to the skill of getting the toy even with da momma running the other way? That helps when we eventually add huge countermotion commitment to jumps.
Great job here!!!
Tracy
Good morning!
>She got very distracted and someone is mowing their lawn. She doesnāt love that noise. After the first rep she took off zooming and it took several minutes to catch her.>
It is hard to tell about how distracting the lawn mower was – there were no overt signs of concern about it but her brain definitely had to process it! It was definitely loud. So that changes internal state and her brain has to devote bandwidth to it.
But what we could see here is that she was indicating she needed to move move move š You were trying to set up a controlled session with treats (pattern game then the minny pinny) but she was trying to move more. Then she just couldnāt contain it and had a big zoom (zooms are arousal regulation).
Think of it as reading the room š If you have a plan but she is indicating she needs something else (by moving away), change plans! I think bringing out a toy and playing at the start of a session will help more than controlled movement with treats. She seems to be doing well using treats and toys in the same session (the end of the session went great!) so you can start with tugging and play mixed in with the treats to really optimize the arousal while allowing her to move move move š
>Sheās still not sure about driving around. Iām clearly using too much arm to āhelpā her.>
She was off to a good start, offering it a bit – it is a big change of picture! You can drop rewards in around the circle – so when she begins to go around it, you can toss a treat or drop the toy on a line past the middle wing. That will help build it up. Also, in these early stages – if she tries to offer going another direction than you originally planned, just go with it rather than react with a verbal and stop her – you can praise, give a quickly reward then reset her on the other side with ore clarity. We like the offering and really donāt want to stop her and tell her she is wrong.
You had the verbal here too – I think it was a little too soon to add it and might have been a distraction. She was like āwhat does that meanā while also trying to figure out the full minny pinny LOL! So you can just let her offer it a bit without a verbal. Then when she is zipping around it, you can add the verbal in pretty easily š
Find my Face went great! Part of the usefulness of this game is it basically asks for engagement but also allows a lot of freedom of movement. You set it up well, with good environmental options but also not a million options LOL!
I love how she came running back to you to get engagement! Super cool! And you can sometimes reward with the next cookie toss – or surprise her with a big tug party. Surprises are GREAT for both learning the behavior and keeping it fun!Great job here!!
Tracy
Good morning!
He did really well with the prop on the ground here – he love his prop, zillions of cookies given for itā¦ but he held his stays really well! Mission accomplished with the holding of the stay except for one moment where he stood up and did a shake. Be more connected so you can see if that happens – to was correlated to a higher arousal level: after tugging and also when you tried to fix his line up (he was a little sideways). But after that you kept tugging and did quicker releases which helped. We *need* this behavior in higher arousal so we donāt want to avoid the arousal.
>He did have trouble sitting with the toy in sight so I put it away. >
Yes – when the toy was in front of him and you were not using a hand cue, he did not seem to know what the sit verbal meant. This is GREAT information to have from him!!!! You can revisit the tug-sit-tug game where the toy is right there and you tug, then with the toy still present you cue a sit – then release and tug. That will help improve his understanding of the sit verbal in that context. Donāt worry if the sit is a little sideways for now – it can be confusing if he sits immediately but then you try it fix it to make it straighter.
>Also, when I lure him with food into position, I am giving him the food. Should I phase that out?>
The part to phase out is the cookie in the hand as part of the lure. Use an empty hand to get him into the sit at your side. Then you can still deliver a cookie sometimes – or just lead out with connection. I personally donāt give a lot of cookies for getting into position because it can then be confusing: is the rep over? Many many dogs get up to get the cookie (lifting their feet) or they move forward after eating it – it becomes a bit muddy and there are too many āyouāre wrongā moments. But since he is used to seeing a cookie in the lure hand, you will want to fade it out gradually first with an empty hand.
Skipping to the release video:
It looks like you did the sit cue with an empty hand here and he did well! He still needed a bit of a hand movement but didnāt need the cookie in the hand. Super! Be sure to look at him more directly as you lead out in case he is moving or looking around. You can totally try the releases to the prop now – it will give him a good object to focus on and help make the releases more exciting too!
Find My Face went really well too – he is very good at the pattern game and so the transition into find my face went well! He definitely had a question about why you turned you back on him LOL!! Note how he slowed down and looked up at you like āwhat the heck, human?ā But the rewards kept flowing so he was starting to drive back to you with fewer questions. It was definitely hard – he was a little slower and then towards the end he did a big shake off. You must have felt his questions in the moment because you said something like āyou didnāt like thatā. But it was a good resilience exercise for him, so revisiting this here and there will be great and you will see he get happier with it each time he does it.
Great job here!!
Tracy
Good morning!
>Skizzle has been very fun to work with lately.>
Yay! This is awesome!!
The turn away into the wrap is a different picture than the sends to the barrel and he did really well!! He was very confident and even trying to start without you LOL! But it was because he was clear on what to do and excited to do it, which is a very very good thing.
>I was a little caught off guard that he didnāt stick to the barrel on wrapping. >
Do you mean him being a little wide? I attribute that to him coordinating the mechanics of turning away while also widening his visual scope to watch you (as a way of making sure he was doing it right). But when he was starting without at the end, it was like he was saying āI GOT THIS!ā and then I think he would get tighter and tighter.
āØ>Can you remind me about the words you use for this? Is it ādigā or āinā? >For a threadle wrap – the pup has to come between me and the barrel (eventually the wing of the jump) and turn away to wrap back on the entry wing/barrel: that verbal for me is āin in inā (repeated as much as needed). Be warned that most people in agility use āin inā as their threadle slice verbal, I am a weirdo in that regard LOL!!
For a backside wrap – the pup has to leave me to go around the barrel (like a send) and wrap back towards me: that verbal is dig dig dig dig.
>One word, or 2?ā¦left or clockwise and right or counterclockwise?>
I repeat the one word (like in in in in in) but the context indicates which way the dog should turn so I donāt need a left/right version of each cue. By context, I mean the handler position/dogās position relative to the line, and where the wing and most importantly the jump bar is! The position of the jump relative to the line is the main context.
There are people out there who are using different cues for threadle-wrap-to-the-left and threadle-wrap-to-the-right (and for all of the threadle and backside cues) but so far, I have not seen a single instance where that is actually needed (not a single one in all these decades LOL!) So for now – no need to worry about it. If something changes and suddenly there is a context we need it? Ok cool, we can always add it š
> I should really watch more agility, so I can connect some of these exercises with the end result. š Though Iām content with trusting the process, and weāll figure things out as we go.>
It is fun to watch! If you search for 4LeggedFlix on YouTube, you will see some good streams from various events to give you an idea of the flow of courses and application of the verbals/handling moves š
Great job here!
TracyGood morning!
This went great!! She committed to the minny pinny beautifully, so you were able to do the FC/turn and burn while she stayed committed. And you added your left & right verbals – these will be super useful! Super excellent to you BOTH!!!!
Since this went perfectly, you can move to the next steps:
– add more bumps so there is one for each wing
– hold her at your side for a moment so you can start the verbals. Then after you say the verbal 3 or 4 times, let her go so she starts moving independently. And as she is moving through the minny pinny, keep saying left or right so she hears it attached for each bump.Great job here!!
Tracy
Good morning!
>I was surprised at how quickly Jazz caught on to the MinnyPinny game. Didnāt seem to have any hesitation even when I added the jump bumps.>
She sure did! That is one of the reasons why I think it is so much easier to train the left and right this way – it just seems intuitive to the dogs (and very easy for us humans too LOL!!)
>Iāll add the verbals on our next session. Staying with āleftā and ārightā as that is what I use with my other boys.>
Yes, since she did so well, you can definitely add your left/right verbals. I think you were saying āgoā to get her moving here, but you will want to replace that by repeating your left/right verbals (take a moment before you start to plan, to make sure you are saying the correct verbal š ) If she is OK with you holding her – you can say it a few times then let her go. But if she is still not really loving the hold yet, you can start the verbals then step forward to indicate she can move.
> I did change the spacing of the bumps after the second ārunā as it looked like she needed more space in order to bounce it. >
Yes, that was good! She looked more comfy with a little more room and did really well.
>In the interest of time I edited out all the tugging between reps ā she was happily engaged even with all the school noise. >
Super! I did notice there was some good school noise and she was not sensitive to itā¦ maybe the session where she was sensitive to it was just an adolescent brain day where she had a sensitivity to the sound on that particular day (totally normal).
>Question on verbals ā Is your threadle tunnel cue the same as your tunnel bypass cue (if you use one)? Trying to keep my cues the same as what I have been using for my other boys. Thanks!>
I apologize, I think you asked this earlier and I answered in my head but clearly never typed it out! Oops!!!
First, what do you mean by tunnel bypass?There are 2 different definitions of bypass out there.
Is it āignore the obvious end of the tunnel to find the other one, closer to me?ā If so, then it is the same as tunnel threadle for me ākisskisskissā because that is how I define the tunnel threadle behavior.Or, does your tunnel bypass mean ādonāt take the tunnel at allā? Some folks use bypass to mean ātake nothingā. I donāt have a verbal for take nothing, I just stay apply whatever I have (verbals and handling) to the situation.
Let me know what you think!
Great job here!Tracy
She is definitely very smart!! She figures things out really quickly – so fun!
Let me know how she does with the threadle slices with you moved further over so she sees more of the threadle cue.
T
Thanks for the bloopers! He was being really good.
When he went to the tunnel and not the jump at the beginning, it was because you were not ahead to set the line, and not connected/looking at him when you started moving. He was looking at the tunnel so when you said ‘go’, be went to the tunnel. When you were facing the jump, he found the jump. Connecting to his eyes as you hold him will help you see what he is looking at and if you are facing the right direction.On the tunnels after the wing wrap when you wanted the backside: the FCs on the wing were a little late, so when you stepped out of it the forward motion did cue the tunnel. On the last one, you turned more but that set the line to the front of the jump. To get the backside, you can be finished with the FC just before he arrives at the wing, then as he is exiting the wing you would be moving up the line to the backside so he can see the wing.
I grabbed some screenshots so you can see what he was seeing:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12vGLxzVHjBHmlPx6DpQcEfESsui2DoNp6OgdTsXsFHg/edit?usp=sharingLet me know what you think!
T
This went well! Having the water bottle in your hand produced much better connection already! Try to have it in the dog-side hand where you are cueing from (you can switch hands as needed for the crosses) or you can have a water bottle in each hand š
>After this try, everything became a tunne>
Do you mean after the backside? It might have been that he needed stronger turn info – on this rep at :30 you kept him on your right which might have indicated the tunnel. If you still have the video, post up some of the blooper moments and we can see why he was so adamant that it was the tunnel š
Nice work!
Tracy
Hi!
Beat was a good girl here!Jumping towards the crowd on jump 1 went great when you got the go-around start. The environment was a little challenging, based on her jumping form at first (the whippet āhoistā) but then she really got on the line and drove the line – without running past things. I think part of that was because she could really trust the footing.
The second run started with a bunch of RCs and she nailed it!! The rest of the run went great too!
The most important element of these early NFCs is that she is happy and having a grand time in the environment.. mission accomplished, I think she looks very comfortable!
>Layering was a piece of cake lol. >
Yes! That looked awesome and fun!
>Then that closing line she couldnāt find that last jump, something we havenāt worked on that much, big long closing lines. >
That is coming in the next set of games! Big long closing lines where we want them to drive ahead.
>so I tried having someone with a second toy, which Beat wouldnāt even look at. As my friend put it she kinda went āhey maāam you dropped somethingā. So not sure this strategy will really work without practicing outside of a trial? Thoughts?>
I think she didnāt recognize it as a reward strategy – it was almost like it was a distraction to be ignored LOL! So yes, practicing will help so she knows she has permission to get it. You can practice at home to a placed reward (something big, like a jolly ball or hollee roller, so it is easy to scoop up without pounding her shoulders at high speed). And then at trials, you can let her see someone dropping it on the ending line for her to drive to.
You can also practice having a person dragging/throwing a toy for her to drive forward to – kind of like toy races, but with a different person involved š
Then it will be easy to transfer to NFC runs! We can even mess with it in the training ring at the Open if there is free time.
Then after the Open, we can shift focus to getting the bars taller, and the next steps of the NFC runs. I think that will be easy for her!
Great job here!
Tracy
Good morning!
>But I have a very exciting, though also slightly sad, announcement! Pick is going to a new home on my way to Jacksonville! >
It is happy/sad! And yes, you mentioned it and I am happy Pick will have this opportunity. He is a REALLY cool dog!
>I unfortunately didnāt have his favorite toy and you can see what he thought about the stand in.>
Ha! Yes, he was like āI WORKED REALLY HARD AND *THAT* WAS THE PAYCHECK? HARUMPH!!ā LOL!
The first run was great. He ignored the oh-so-close leash runner! He was surprised by the blind in the opening and went a little ass-over-teakettle but then he was great with the rest! At the very end – I donāt think he was visiting the person standing there. I think he was going fast and you pulled a little too much on the RC, so the turn was too tight: landing him facing the person as if the person was the obstacle (:43)
The 2nd run was also great!!
> If it hadnāt been his last run ever I would have ended the second run not near the out gate so he wouldnāt have the chance to run out, but I kinda went, āwho cares, itās the second to last run of the day, and thereās no one hereā and he got to end being the naughty little thief I have always loved. >
He was legit convinced that the run was over and he was heading to his prize LOL!!
>Iāve done some with it, I swear, but it doesnāt stop him from going for it NOT on cue sometimes!) but as it stands, he kinda gets āold dog rulesā and can do what he wants for the next week or so. >
Right! The context totally looked like he was done and the gate was open, soā¦ cookie time!
But really he was a super good boy here and I wish him all the great things in his new life!!!
Tracy
Good morning!
Looking at the 2 SSC videos:
Great job with the leaves as small piece of distraction- you can see how hard it is! Plus, it is definitely novel to have a bunch of leaves in the training area LOL! When introducing a really hard challenge, you can keep him on leash to jumpstart the game and get the impulse control going. Hi first impulse here when you took off the leash was to go investigate the distraction, and we donāt want him to build in taking off when the leash comes off. So start a few reps with the leash on, then when the game is underway, take the leash off and do a few more reps.
Looking at the hubby distraction video: big thanks to him for helping!!!
>not sure Brioche knew he was there (husband was advised to be very still>
I am sure Brioche knew he was there (sight and smell!) so it was an excellent small āsliceā of the really hard challenge.
Brioche did GREAT – it helped that your husband as stationary and a little further away than the leaves, and not moving. But we will take the big training win because we know that Brioche has trouble ignoring him š
>So, what do you suggest for progressing the self control game. Have my husband standing orā¦? Should I try the leaves again? Maybe once was enough on that. That was the first thing in all these weeks that got him!>
For the leaves or any outdoor distraction like that (twigs, leaves, etc) – try them again and start with the leash on until he is engaged then take the leash off. And you can add in different challenges: different objects for example. And if you are feeling really creative: get a fan and put leaves near the fan, so they blow around a little š
For the husband distraction: the next steps can be determined by what you think the triggers are for Brioche to go nutty over him, then taking a small piece of that to train with. It could be something like he stands up and walks around. Or talks to you. Or, what if Brioche was already in the room and your husband walks through it? It should all be small challenges like that because I think it is really hard for him š And you can move it to different rooms of the house, because the context of being in the training room will naturally bring more impulse controlā¦ but being in the kitchen or living room might have different contexts and history where it is harder for him to ignore distractions.
Looking at the tandem turn video: he did really well!
I think on the first couple of reps you were a shade too close to the cone – be a couple of feet away so it is very clear that he should scoot into the gap and turn away. Same with the 2 cones – you can be a little further away from the tandem turn cone so he has plenty of room to get to the correct side and set up the turn.
>I think it was better when I just kept the food in the one hand and not reward from the outside arm to toss it. >
He was responding to both here. When you do the tandems/RCs on the flat with Benni, which arm(s) do you use? When you had 2 cones, you were turning him away with outside arm on some of them then the inside arm. The outside arm might be more visible on a full course but we want to standardize it with what you do with Benni (because trying to remember different cues with 2 dogs will not be easy!)
Great job!!!
Tracy
Good morning!
She did so well here!!! Yay! She was sending really well to the cone and driving around it even as you were doing the FC earlier and earlier.
And nice job having the line on the ground for yourself – very helpful for us humans about when to do the FC and run šShe really loves that toy and also had fantastic attention in the transition moments from the tugging to the lineup with treats., while you were getting the toy squared away, moving the line, etc. You were not rushing or grabbing her, and she stuck with you. That is a big training win!!
She had one small question at 1:57 on the send to the cone – it was a small disconnection on the send (looking forward/pointing forward) but you caught it really quickly and reconnected to get the wrap. Super!
>She left once to eat hackberries, but came back. I knowā¦I asked for too many reps. But, it was much better than before.>
It was definitely much better, both in terms of engagement and the wrap skill! You can still set a timer to 90 seconds or 2 minutes – that is. The general time frame where puppy brains get tired.
Also, watch for signs that she is getting tired like at 2:19 when she was not really tugging as much and not letting go very easily, then trying to switch sides. That would have been a good last rep because her engagement was starting to shift.
On the video you said āone more, last oneā which always means you should have stopped on the previous rep š – she checked out, but came back really fast. Another sign that she is tired is when there is a loss of control of mechanics, like when she smacked into your leg. Typical brain tired puppy moment!!
Overall, though, super session!!!!
Tracy
Good morning!
> Winter has arrived early and Aelfraed is totally in love with the snow!>
He is so funny! He seems totally happy to hang out in the snow. And hopefully it is fake winter and it melts for a bit!
>We got a treat ball. I showed it to him at home first and he was quite into it. Brought it to the arena yesterday and although he didnāt fully chase it every time, he was quite keen and his energy/excitement was up. >
Excellent!!! And tossing it in the dirt introduces the element of eating stuff with dirt and playing with stuff with dirt š The backside skill is going really well so it was a good framework for adding a different reward strategy. He was driving away to the backside really well! You can move the start cookie bowl further back so you have more room to move up the line – that way you are setting it from a little further ahead and sooner, so that also means you can start moving your parallel line of motion a little further over towards the center of the bar.
And I think you were saying āpushā so you can add in saying it a couple of times – that will help support the one as you get further and further away from the entry barrel š
Threadle wraps are also going well (and also a great way to incorporate the treat ball š )
He was coming to the correct side of the barrel beautifully. It seems like he was waiting for your hand cue to turn away, so we can start asking for more independence. While you are moving up the line, give the cues but move very slowly so you donāt get too far ahead: and see if he will turn himself away. You can totally hang out near the barrel and mark/reward that very first instant of turning his head away (you can throw the reward back behind you to reward him for turning himself away).
>He has such a funny little personality and a lot of opinions! I was going to do some tunnels and have him chase the treat ball on the exit but he saw that auntie was watching and went over and stared at her, asking her to come help him. So, he chased auntie with the treat ball instead and he thought that was very fun.>
That is hilarious! He has always been an excellent communicator LOL!! And he did great with the tunnels and double whammy game with the auntie š
>Apparently weāll need to work on some tunnels with no auntie present as it seems she is now built into the tunnel game, lol!>
You can include her in the stealth self-control games! She would be a āsliceā meaning a piece of a hard challenge š She can be in a chair scrolling on her phone, because it sounds like simply being in the vicinity is challenging!
>It did occur to me that Lennan could show him so I took them in together yesterday. Lennan had a very dirty tug toy and Aelfraed was grabbing on it and tugging hard with Lennan for a minute or so.>
Brilliant! Social learning for the win! Social learning is an incredibly powerful tool, and since Lennan is a super good boy you can totally incorporate him. If they are both OK with being held by the collar, you can hold Aelfraed by the collar and sen Lennan through a short straight tunnel, then tug. Then either hold Lennan or ask him for a down, and send the pup through the tunnel and play tug. I bit the excitement of sharing a session will overcome the ick of the dirt and he plays tug š I recommend collar-holding for the pup because we donāt want him to potentially run through a tunnel with Lennan and have a collision.
The craft market adventure sounds SO FUN!!!! It seems like both pupils were really confident. What a great experience!
>He was very clear when he was done and had no more interest in people. He pointedly looked away from people who tried to talk to him and refused to acknowledge their existence.>
I mean, he is an expert communicatorā¦ LOL šš
>The ice cream revived him and he decided to greet a few more people who came up but once we were done sitting, he said this is the way to the exit!>
Ice cream revives me too LOL!!! And maybe he needed a little glucose boost to hang out more. But it really is funny (and great!) how he confidently communicates his needs in those moments!!
Great job here :)āØāØ
TracyGood morning!
Lots of great work here!
Backside slices: this went really well! When you moved up the line with more connection and less arm pointing – those were the really successful reps. On the two misses (one on each side) where she took the front of the jump, you started to point forward be the backside while she was still behind you. That turns your shoulders to the front of the jump, so that is where she went.
You can start to move yourself further and further over while supporting the parallel path with the connection, eventually moving up to the center of the bar! Also, I donāt think you had your backside slice verbal here, so you can add it – it is a great way to keep connection too because you will want to say it to her cute face šThreadle wraps: piece of cake! I like how you had a little bit of help with the physical cue at the beginning, but you quickly faded it out and by the end on each side, you were mainly using just the hand and the verbal. Super!!!! She was doing a fabulous job of turning herself away. It seemed like the left turns were easier for her than the right turns?
So with that in mind, go to the next step where you are walking forward – and have her on your left so you she turns away to her left for the first couple.
Threadle slices: She had some questions here (taking the front side of the jump a lot and not the threadle) but it is an easy fix to answer her question:
Be sure she can see you outside the barrel – on the misses where she took the front (especially when she was coming in from a harder angle), I think she was seeing most of you between the uprights and couldnāt see your hand cue, so she was going to the strongest physical presence which looked like a serp cue.
There is a good angle to see what I mean at 1:30 and 2:20 and 2:35 – the only thing visible past the barrel is your hand which is not enough info and it looks more like a serp cue.
The ideal handler position for the threadle has at least half of you visible outside the wing or barrel – so if your right arm is the threadle arm, your left hip should be at the outer edge of the barrel or wing. And if your left arm is the threadle arm, your right hip is at the outer edge of the barrel. That will make you very visible in threadle position and not at all in serp position.
She did really well with the MM as the reward target here!!! And because you are using the MM, you donāt need to turn your shoulders to it – as she is threadling, you can keep your shoulders in threadle position so she turns herself to the bar (that will make the skill more independent when we add this to courses).
Great job!!
Tracy
