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Hi! I am sad that we were in the same place for 5 days and I never once got to see you or meet her!
>We won’t talk about what happened when I leashed her up after this and went to leave said field and a couple of kids with a soccer ball came in right after us. Brain explosion! 💥 (Second time this trip kids with a soccer ball caused her brain to come exploding out of her ears, also happened when I tried to take her and Roots for a walk through a public park for some leg stretching).>
Ha! Noted: soccer ball is HIGH excitement! We can eventually use it (and kids :)) with the pattern game and with the stealth self-control framework. It is not the starting point, but we can totally work it in pretty soon!
Looking at the wing wrap video:
She was so cute and pouncy with the back and forth using toys! She did well letting go of the toy. You had a subtle hand movement that cued the out and that really helped. I think she did a great job being thoughtful to figure it out while in the higher arousal state that the tugging brings. Super!!!It looks like she thought the garbage pail was a little weird at first when you moved it into the game, so this toy game helped her work through that by presenting it as a puzzle – it was cool to see her work out offering to wrap it confidently! I love that you gave her both at the end LOL!
Looks like she was doing a little shredding decompression on it? So you directed it really well to a treat scatter at the end (much more cost effective than toy shredding LOL!)When you get home and get some rest and decompression for yourself… you can take this game through the next steps pretty quickly: have her going around a barrel or large cone while you sit in a chair or on a couch. And if that goes well (even after the first 4 or 5 reps), add in standing up. This can be with food because you will get a lot of quick reps in and it is easier to drop the treats than it is to tug when you are standing.
Once you can stand up? Then we move to the turn and burn game added last night – I think she will really like this one!!
Nice job shaping the collar grab! She seems very happy to put her harness in/towards your hand, I love it! Be sure to switch sides 🙂 And you can also ask her to do it with the treats not right there: you can have some in a pocket or you can have them in a bowl on the floor or on a table next to you – that way the treats are very accessible for speedy rewards like you did here, but you can be sure that the empty hand is the cue to target to and not the proximity of cookies 🙂
>Have not even looked at the week 2 material yet, forget week 3. Knew I’d end up way behind with the Open in the middle of this course, but oh well.>
No worries at all! The games list might be long but they are short & sweet, and build on each other. You will find it very easy to roll from week 2 into week 3 because each game just expands a little (and nothing needs to be perfect before continuing to the next step). And we have some calmer weeks ahead so you will easily catch up.
Great job here! Safe travels the rest of the way home!
Tracy
Hi!
He is doing really well on these games!
First video – He did beautifully switching from the toy to food here, and offering behavior on the mat! YAY! You can fade the click and just use your markers now (the clicker tends to build in more looking at us, plus not needing to click frees up a hand for other stuff 🙂 ) So you can mark with your ‘toss’ marker instead of a click then toss the treat (rather than feed him in position). Fopr the prop game, you can definitely go to the sending and then I think the games we added last night will be easy to do too!
He definitely likes to tug, but we can tweak your tugging mechanics a little to get the tugging even stronger. For his age & size, that toy is a little too short and moving a little too fast away from him, so he didn’t really get a good grip to tug on or have a way to shift his weight back. To help him out, you can make it longer (tie another toy to it :)) so he can keep his lower jaw parallel to the ground. That way he can pull back on it more and have a better grip. While he is doing that, you can tap him along the ribs and move the toy side to side, but no need to pull it up as that cranks his neck up and makes it harder to get a good grip on the toy.
On the decel video – he is driving to the treat after tugging really well, then driving back to you really well too! This game can go to the stuff we added last night: cookie toss to blind to decel to pivot to driving ahead 🙂 You should probably do it outside LOL!
>> He struggled with the hollee roller – I suspect he’s never played with it before and he couldn’t figure out how to bite it. I’ll have to work on that toy separately because it’s my favorite toy to use for agility, but not going to use it as a reward for now.>>
I think he wanted to engage with it but it was too high up for him to get a good grip on it. So for now, attach it to a longer toy so you can keep it lower and move it around nice and low. He was gripping it until you raised it and his chin was pointing upwards – that was when he couldn’t really grab it as well. So making it longer and using the lower mechanics will really let him get into it, which will help make it easy to use it as a reward 🙂
>>My dogs don’t wear collars (just slip leads and martingale/leash combos). For Pattern, I utilize a chin rest, comfort with being restrained by the chest, and a fluent put your head through the loop behavior to achieve the same things. What would you suggest I work on for the purposes of this class as a substitute for the collar grab?>>
The chin rest and head through a loop are great for getting the pup to move into us. But in terms of lining up at our side and getting arousal/verbals/forward focus before a behavior for some of the games that are ahead, you can have a training collar or harness just for the games. He can slide his head into it 🙂 then you can have your hand on it for the games… then it can come off between games. That can fall into the category of things we use only for specific sport training, like a tracking harness, flyball wraps, whippet racing muzzle, etc – we don’t leave them on but we put them on for training and the dogs get super happy about it 🙂
Great job here!!!
Tracy
Good morning!
Poor buddy, that pad slice must have hurt! But he does look good dressed up as a flyball dog 🙂
He did a great job with his goat games here, especially if this was his first time seeing the bigger boards! 🙂 He sorted it all out really well – he was easikly getting on all of the moving objects, staying beautifully balanced, turning around, etc. And also it looked like he was going back and forth between food and the toy nicely too.
Since this went so well, you can give him more time to build up even more confidence by changing the setup so it is a fun adventure: you can add in making a bigger pile of stuff to climb around on, or stringing things together for him to walk across like a trail. That can get him offering behavior on multiple surfaces all in the same session without thinking too long abut any single object.
Great job here!
TracyGood morning!
No worries about a new thread – iPhones and iPads sometimes don’t like to play with other software when the websites get too big (especially in the weeks after an update).Looking at both of the videos: she did best when things were predictable in terms of what was happening (leash, moving to the jump, stay, release). When things were less predictable, she was less sure of what was happening and not as engaged.
For example, on the first video:
When she got into the sit at the jump – you took the leash off at :34 then didn’t do anything other than stand next to her and praise. She seemed confused about that and left the sit. So once she is in the sit you can lead out or release or cue the leash, so she is not wondering what is going on.
It made more sense to her to get out to the jump and do some tricks, then do the next thing (like get the ‘reward’ marker).
When you did predictable thngs (like the stay and short lead out at the end of video 1 and during video 2) she did great!
I think I *would* keep the leash involved with this so the ritual of moving to the start line, leash off, line up, stay. etc, has clarity and predictability. That is where she thrives! When you were losing her (like at :34 or 2:19 on the first video) things were less clear so she was not sure what to do. The leash is a pain in terms of us needing 3 hands to deal with it but it is part of the predictability in the moment so you will find it super useful.
She totally did like the sparkle balls! They can be in your bag of goodies at the trial (treats, balls, long toys, bring everything haha!)
>>I have 2 more days before a trial feo JWW.
This is a good time to *not* train, then 🙂 No cramming! Let latent learning kick in, and let her brain rest to recover from any depletion (especially if her tummy was a little off this week). She can still have fun days, but I don’t like to train young dogs before a trial because we humans tend to cram and pressure and things go the wrong way 🙂 It is better for all of us to be chill for the 2 days before a trial – and it is HARD because I have 2 baby dogs entered for 2 days this weekend and I want to cram more knowledge in their heads so much! But it doesn’t work haha so I am being chill LOL!!!
Let me know how the FEO goes!!!
Tracy
Hi!
I think she finds this game easy in terms of doing things without the toy in your hand. She didn’t want to be finished at the end LOL!You can give a hand cue to help the left versus right spins, she might be predicting that you do right then left all the time LOL!
To be able to get further from the toy, you can use multiple rooms: the toy remains in one room, you go into the next room, do a few things, then use your marker to run back to the original room. And you can add in the power pattern using the 2 stations (simulating entry and exit of the ring) and a jump.
> I was going to add in a bucket or something next so I could add putting the leash on too.>
Yes! Totally do that. I don’t think she will have any questions. It appears that while the toy and treats are valuable, playing with you and running sequences are equally valuable to her, so that might make for a really easy transition into the trial ring! YAY!!
Nice work here!
Tracy
Hi!
I don’t think this was a fail at all! It was really useful info. She is reading your cues pretty perfectly, and it gives us info about when and how she needs the see/hear cues.
When you were moving to the serp, she didn’t find 3 because you were cuing an extension exit on the tunnel (running hard towards the extension line) and no verbal turn cues before she went in). So the last info she had before entry was go straight on the exit… and the angle of the tunnel here sends her past the the 3 jump. You called her when she exited the tunnel (:20, :55, 1:12 for example) but it was too late – by the time her brain processed it, the decision on how to take the line was already made and your motion supported it.
So call her at least 6 feet before she enters the tunnel (call her hard!) and let her see you turn to move to the serp line.
She reads tunnel exit cues well when she sees/hears them before she gets into the tunnel! When you went to pick her up on your left side at the tunnel exit, she saw the FC before she entered at 2:10 and 3:05 and after that so found the 3 jump easily each time.
Looking at the serp:
The serp cue of moving across the upright with feet pointing to 5, right arm back, shoulders facing 4, eye contact, etc) should be visible to her no later than landing of the 3 jump. Then maintain the eye contact as you move to 5 so she knows where to be as she lands.
On the first run at :21. yuou were showing straight line cues so she took off straight over 4 -the serp cue came as she was landing at 4 so it was too late to adjust.
At :58 you were standing still but not serping – the serp cue started just after takeoff for 4 she made the turn (yay!) But then you discconnected and looked forward so she thought it was a blind and changed sides – maintaining eye contact until after she lands and makes the side change will make a big difference there.At 1:13 you had a full rotation like a FC as she was jumping 4, so she responded with the straight line.
I made photos! They are here so you can see those exact moments:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nVDRsR65b0sa5y4iQKVe484KP5zI5Kp4uCVFqFrql-E/edit?usp=sharingTrying it from the other side can definitely work! The FC on the tunnel exit set a great line for 3! Then you have to set up the RC with decel, brake arm (yes, I said what I said haha) – you were turning hard and moving fast, which was harder to maintain connection and definitely cued too much extension. Decel, connect, brake arm… I think if we obsess on that skill you will see soooooooo many of the things that are hard get much easier 🙂
So for the next session: do it without her from the dog-on-left tunnel exit. And do it with a beverage in your left hand. Run that line and decel/brake arm/rear cross without spilling your drink! And get it on video so you can see what it looks like 🙂 I think the instant we lock that in, you will find so many things easier 🙂
Nice work
here!Tracy
Hi!
>I am very slow doing Max‘s blind crosses, I also tried it outside. It was no better. He gets the game and then he’s really fast. my Manchester terriers are much slower and I can blind cross them all day>
I read this before watching the video so I was expecting bloopers… but actually you were really good!!!! The trick to blinds with your little speedster is that you will do them nice and early: as soon as he is moving towards you in this game, do the blind. The first couple of reps, for example, we nice and early so he read them well.
You were a little late at :45 but you had excellent mechanics so he could make the side change immediately. And you were very timely on the last rep.
Was he unable to get the side change outside? I think this was a good session and you will get more and more comfy with his speed 🙂
Nice work here!!
TracyHi! Tiva is looking really strong here!!
She is doing well with her prop sends! She is hitting it hard enough that it is sliding a bit so you might need some duct tape 🙂
With this game, remember that you don’t want to loop her around into the next rep after the reward. You will want to call her back to you, get engaged and get her stimulated with a bit of ready dance… then send her. That works on getting her into handler focuus and then into obstacle focus. Plus it adds a bit of arousal to the game. which is good because we will want her to be thoughtful even when she is in higher arousal 🙂
I think she is ready for the sideways sending and backwards sending too!
Nice work with the cone here! She immediately got into the game and was zipping around the cone. She had a small hesitation at about 1:20 when she went most of the way around the cone then stopped… I think she was chewing and lsot her train of thought LOL! So you can reward it to get her back on track.
For the next cone steps, you can start to move the bowls a bit more out of the picture by having them back by your heels. That way she will have a longer distance to travel and we can start fading them out. We build on this game tonight!!
Great job here!
TracyHi!
She also did well with the wing wraps: she got the idea of the 2 bowls nicely!
>She was starting to tire a bit, and she finds the go slow and think activities harder than the run fast ones.>
I don’t think she was tired or finding it uninteresting, I think it was just a lot of repetition for cookies. You can keep things exciting if you break it off and play tug more frequently, and keep the session shorter.
When adding the upright, make the bowls a bit more visible at first. No need to add distance between you and the upright too quickly – let her get really good at zipping back and forth around it (as well as around a bigger barrel too).
For the next step, we are going to get you standing up! You can repeat this process (first with the 2 bowls, then with an upright or barrel) but with you sitting in a chair. And if that goes well, try it standing up because that will flow nicely into the new games 🙂 And after every 4 or 5 cookies, break things up and have a toy party to keep things exciting.
Nice work here!
TracyHi!
The forward focus is looking good! You can add more distance now, throwing it really far so you can also add your movement and build up to the toy races. As you set her up for the toy throws: rather than move her by her collar, hold her and adjust your position to wherever she is (most puppies don’t love to be moved by the collar and we want to keep collar holding fun for her).The drive to handler is also looking strong! Nice job with the low hand so she could drive right into position!
You can add more motion here too now – jogging then building up to running before you decelerate. That will allow you to show her a bigger difference between moving forward and decelerating. Because she is going to be moving fast, you will want to show her the big deceleration no later than when she is halfway to you, so she can adjust into collection.
And as you do this, be sure to reward the stays and also stay connected as you lead out. If you disconnect then re-connect and release, she is going to think the reconnection is the release and move before the word 🙂 As you add more running, you can also use cookie-toss starts so you don’t have to worry about the stay at all 🙂Great job!
TracyHi!
> I realised I need to get better at keeping my sessions short – I need to set myself a timer I think. >
Yes, a timer is great, especially if you are going to do multiple games. To keep things fun, set a timer for 90 seconds. Also, with the food games, things can get repetitive very quickly with a lot of food, so you can break off and play tug after every 5 or 6 treats. That will keep her arousal pretty high and make things less repetitive.
She did well sorting out how to touch the prop! At the beginning, you can build value up quickly by placing the treat right on the prop, then when she is interacting with it a lot, you can move to tossing the treat away.
You can replace the ‘yes’ marker with a ‘get it’ marker to indicate the thrown reward – it is a fun and easy way to get that marker established (and ‘yes’ can indicate something else, like cookie from the hand.)
She looks ready to move to the next step, getting the sends started!!
Nice work!
Tracy
Hi!
Wow, he did so so well turning both directions on just a verbal!!! He did well on the narrow plank too – I think the hardest times keep him feet on where when you had exciting praise, so you can praise quietly instead 🙂 He did step off here and there on the narrow plank but overall he was very impressive!!!Thinking ahead, a couple of ideas for using this game:
– add tugging before it and after every few treats, so he can do this when he is more stimulated
– you can elevate the planks a bit, putting something stable under them so they are maybe a foot high
– revisit this every week or so as he grows, so he doesn’t lose this ability as his body gets bigger.Lovely work here!
TracyHi!
Yes, the goat tricks should feel just like this! We want the arousal and excitement from the tugging to carry over into the offering, to see if he can think about his foot placement and balance when he is more stimulated. That will work nicely for the ‘real world’ when he is learning the fancy things!He couldn’t quite do the down on the big blue disc, so you can try the down on the things that move a little less. And if that is fine, you can take ouf some of the inflation of the blue disc and try it. I think changing the equipment set up made it spicy and interesting! The only piece of equipment he had to think about was the pink mini teeter at the very end – that was hard but the rest was easy. I am sure the mini teeter will be easy next time!
My only suggestion here is to place the food rewards lower, so he is not reaching upwards to get them. Reaching upwards changes his balance, so you can deliver them by placing them at mouth level so his chin stays parallel to the ground, or by putting them down on the equipment so he reaches down for them (also a good balance challenge!)
Great job here!
Tracy
Good morning!
>My follow up to the Stealth exercise – this time we were a little more coordinated! >
You are doing great! These games do kind of need 3 arms 🙂
Super nice session here! He did really well with the bowl challenge and the added distance. No problem!
> It was hard to see if he was actually looking at his line, rather than the bowl – but I think he was.>
He was! I was watching the white on his nose 🙂 and you can see it pointing to the dish, then he would point it to the correct side of the wing. Yay!!!
The only thing to tweak a little is when you line him up, you can lure him into position with a treat then once he is in position, don’t move him. He was a little wiggly/tooth huggy when you were moving him around, so you can play this from wherever he is lined up.
He is totally ready for two next-level challenges:
– using the setup you had here, move the bowl so it is halfway between you and the cone. Do everything else the same… but now he will have to go past the bowl to get to the cone. Start the session with a warm up with the bowl in an easier position before making it super hard, though, just to refresh the skill 🙂– do this with a toy 🙂 Start with the easy steps, though, because the toy might be more stimulating which makes it all harder.
Great job hre!!
Tracy
Hi! I am glad she is feeling better! Hopefully she will decide not to beat herself up as much during play!
Backwards sends – these went well! Only two suggestions:
When you first start, don’t have the prop already on the floor as you bring her into it because it fades into the background a bit and she didn’t really see it on the first rep. You will have a better first rep if you bring her in, put the hat down, then start the game.The rest looked great and you were adding a bit of countermotion by moving forward a bit. Nice!
Also, it is important to remember that this game is not a loop – so rather than toss the reward then send again immediately, you can call her back to you and play the ready dance game. This game brings her into handler focus (so we can work on switching from handler focus to obstacle focus) and also gets her into higher arousal (which is good for learning all the things!)
The wing wraps are going well! You can now add something bigger to go around (like a barrel or laundry basket or huge cone) and also move the bowls back, so they are behind your heels a bit 🙂 That gives her more room to turn around and begins the fading process for the bowls.
She did really well going back and forth from food to toys! Super! She also did well bringing the toy back!
You don’t need to use the toy remotely for now – it can be stuffed into your vest so you can pull it out and not have to run back and forth 🙂 That will also provide some nice impulse control because the toy is right there and has to be ignored 🙂The next step to this involves getting a barrel or something big so we can build on it tonight. She is ready!!!
Great job here!
Tracy
