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Good morning!
The get out session went really well here!
>I think I was having trouble because I kept forgetting to throw the toy until after Ellie had landed. >
Things were happening very quickly which made timing harder in the smaller space. But we like speed š so you can spread things out a little more now, to give yourself one more stride for the timing of the toy throw as well as the crosses after the jump. Now that she is getting the concept, it is not as important to throw the toy super early.
>although I think I surprised her with the crosses at the end. >
Yes, but that was just a timing issue because she was moving so fast! The crosses work best when you start them as soon as she looks at the bar, which you were basically doingā¦ but she was flying so by the time she saw them you ended up being a little late. No problem, adding a little more distance between the wing and jump will help with that. The commitment was what we wanted here and that is what we got. Yay!
>Using just the dog-side arm and waving to the jump seems like it would be a whole lot easier for the human.
Yes, totally easier for the human! Butā¦.
>Do the dogs read the opposite arm a lot better than the dog-side arm? >
Yes, they read the cue so much better with the opposite arm š You can see it here: your go straight reps had your shoulders going straight forward on the line, she knew exactly where to be. The get out with the opposite arm completely changed the line of your shoulders, it looked completely different, so she was able to change her line to move away and find the jump.
>If so, Iāll work on my twisting, but only if you think Ellie will really appreciate it. >
Ellie says āyes please and thank youā š It gets easier and feels less twisty as she learns it more and you get more comfy with it.
I think the zig zags also went great! She I holding her stay brilliantly, and then changing lines when cued super nicely too.
>I noticed that she was turning in the gap between the bar and the next wing instead of hopping directly over the bars. I figured I was probably late (wild guess, lol), so I went down to 2 wings and then back up to 3.>
It is always a good when problem solving to assume we are either late or disconnected LOL!! Yes, you got the cues in sooner so she started going over the bars more.
The other thing I think was happening was that she was just being efficient – and the most efficient line was closer to the wing where there was no bar. Clever!
I donāt think she was avoiding the bars. You can change the set up to emphasize the bars more by having wing 2 touch the bar that comes off wing 1, and wing 3 touch the bar of wing 2. Basically, shorten the distance so there are no gaps. That will tell us if she was avoiding the bars (she would go around them at that point) but I think she will do really well with it.
Great job here! Keep me posted!
Tracy
Hi!
He was definitely trying hard to sort the RCs out but they are hard! Part of what was happening seemed to be that he wants to maintain a certain working distance from you (6 feet or more) so it makes it hard for you to get close to show the RC line. And the other part seemed that while you were moving up the line for the RCs, your feet were facing straight but the actual motion was to your left, pushing in towards the other side of the jump rather than forward to the center of the jump (let me know if that makes sense of if I need more coffee – it is subtle LOL!)When you ran parallel to his line, he took the jump really well! And when you turned your shoulders to the line to the jump (:22) he also took the jump. Yay!
So 2 ideas for you:
– jog up the line towards the center of the bar, directly forward, as if you are going to jump the bar (and since the bar is low, you ight end up going over it as he is figuring out how to run really tight to your line. Donāt try to change to the other side of him til he has passed you and looked at the bar (which might be why you end up jumping it too at first LOL!)– since he has a great stay, you can teach him to love you being right next to him and also to change sides with this game:
I am teaching her to let me get very close to her on the RC line (apologies for the pajamas haha) and then when I change sides, to turn her head the new direction. She is in a stay, I am moving behind her (rewarding that a lot) and then moving up on a rear cross line very close to her and rewarding when she turns her head the new direction. You donāt need to use a clicker, you can use a release marker or āget itā.
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
That was weird – he looked happy (not in pain or stressed by anything) so it might have had more to do with the tire being the first obstacle, and you trying to turn to obstacle 2. They was changing his line a bit, making it hard to organize the jumping effort for the tire. When you cued it straight, he got it with no problem.
He might need more experience with the tire as obstacle 1 and also on slight angles on course. It is challenging footing because he can’t really adjust really quickly (he was dropping bars here when you were late on the cues) so he might be going around/under the tire to avoid hitting it if he isn’t sure what the turn is.Did he take the tire as part of a sequence in the class that night, or was it always obstacle 1? Let me know what you think!
TracyI can relate – we get so focused on the skill we are training that it is easy to forget to play during the in-beween moments!
Tracy
Hi!
>We should be back on deck tomorrow. I have been sick, mostly in bed, with a cold/flu, >
Oh no! I hope you are feeling better!
> Sassy was just not keen to do the 3 jumps I tried to put her over NFC in a couple of runs which makes me sad because she is so good at everything, having done this course. >
Sounds like she might have been a bit overwhelmed in the environment? In the NFC run, what reward were you using? I think if she knows where the reward is and how to get to it, she can be a lot more relaxed.
>I actually got a time on (7.3m/sec) over a flowing 130m course, 17 seconds start to finish, 2 knocked bars.>
Wow, 7.3 METERS per second!!!!! That is incredibly fast!!! Great job!
āØ>Iāve tried raising her arousal with mad tugging sessions etc but it never seems to translate to a trial. I>That is good to practice at home!
Where else are you able to take her to weave to be able to reward her? The trial environment is the most challenging context, so maybe she can do a tour of other places first and runs weaves in sequence – first with the toy present, then without it in the ring.
>I did NFC to try and get her back in ā 3 attempts and no weaves, just straight through whichever gap she chose. >
Did you have a toy, or were these re-starts? We probably need to bridge the gap between training at home with the toy present, and trials without it – can she weave at home when she is really excitedā¦ but the toy is in the house? Let me know and we can devise a plan.
Tracy
Hi!
>I have a follow up question about this game/setup. Iāve seen videos online of some trainers in Europe training with off course jumps near the entrances of tunnels and the weave poles that are maybe one step off the dogās line. >
Yes, that is a super popular trend right now in course design in Europe and UKI here in North America.
>Itās almost as if they need a āpassā cue. >
They are using verbals but not a pass or bypass cue: usually it is obstacle names or naming the line (like GO!). There are some layering verbal cues too. The pass or bypass cue has fallen to the wayside because the dogs are just staying on their lines, or getting turn cues/obstacle names for discriminations.
> I am wondering for this game, when itās time to take the tunnel, should they be going around the wing to take the tunnel or just go straight into the tunnel without going around the wing? >
It depends on where you set her up: If she is on an angle and facing the tunnel entry? Then she can go directly to the tunnel. If she is lined up facing the wing? Then she can layer the wing and go to the tunnel. So be super precise about how you set her up and where you hold her, while she is hearing the verbals. I like to be sure the pups can layer the wing because it is a skill they will need (layering jumps to get to the tunnel).
>I know for most of the agility Iāll be doing I may not need training to that level even in local UKI trials but I like to think about my training criteria.>
You will definitely need layering skills, even in Novice AKC! It is popping up everywhere š Plus it is FUN to train š
let me know what you think!
Tracy
Good morning!
This session was lovely!! Soooooo much to be pleased with! And it was a busy environment – lot of people and noise, but she was completely focused and engaged. You did a great job with your connection so she was able to find each line and her turns were lovely. YAY!!! I could not really hear if you were using your wrap verbals, so if you were not – you can totally add them in now. You can also add a toy in, to get a little more excitement so she can continue to process her arousal regulation (she did great here). For example, you can tug before a rep, reward with a tug, trade for treats.
>The first rep she wiped out coming out of the tunnel, a prime example of her uncoordinated teenager-ness.>
Yes, poor girlie!! The tunnel might have had a little too much curve in it for the first run – she wiped out in the curve. You can keep it very gently curved for now so she doesnāt splat herself š
Great job!
TracyGood morning!
She did really well in class – fun sequences! And the triple didnāt seem to be an issue.
She was a super good girl getting the tight turn away from the tunnel after 3 tunnels in a row!>I had treats in my pockets, but didnāt use them setting up or until the end of my planned mini sequences. >
You totally can bring the food out mid-course for challenging moments, such as the tight turn when she did not go off course to the tunnel. That would have been a great surprise-you-get- treats moment! Rewarding only at the end or at the leash risks shifting the balance to the end and to the leash š so yes, do that sometimesā¦ but also have plenty of reward out on course with you for the excellent moments mid-course š
>Running Snooker for realzies is tempting if I can devise a good course, but of course the nice thing about running Snkr NFC is not risking getting whistled off after 2 jumps. >
Yes, good point about being whistled off – she is unlikely to drop a bar, so if she ends up off course you can mark happy hour time and run out to the reward. Or run it NFC is she can have a lot of flow – the decision can be made when you see the course design.
> Actually, if Iām not going to carry the toy as a marker that the reward is coming later, should I skip having someone toss the empty toy before heading to the reward box and instead just do the mini sequence and cue āhappy hourā to run to the box sans tossed toy?>
I think at this point, you can fade the bridge of the thrown empty toy and see what she thinks. Use your verbal marker only. If she thinks it is STUPID she will let us know (she is good at sharing her opinions :)) and then you can go back to the bridge if needed.
Have fun! Keep me posted about the weekend!
Tracy
Good morning! Thanks for the videos, he was a really good boy here!!
>This is working the stay and not as much on engagement.>
You can work on both at the same time – we cannot separate engagement out from anything we do š
One thing I notice here in both videos is that there are frisbeesā¦ but no play. He gets released to retrieve the frisbee after a stay, but you donāt actually play: you are moving back to start again. And note how he doesnāt want to bring it back because you take it away and put him back to work – in particular, being stationary to do another stay. So he is remaining further and further away from you. He brings it back when you present another frisbee but you donāt actually play, so he is going to stop bringing it back pretty soon even when you show another frisbee š Dogs are very good at predicting!
So definitely add in play that lasts twice as long as the stay: when he is released to get the frisbee, ask him to bring it back and then tug tug tug praise party! Then throw it š Then tug more! Then maybe trade it and do another rep. The amount of play should greatly outweigh the amount of work, especially on a behavior like a stay. That will also give him a lot of opportunity to move which is very reinforcing too.
>
I am working on the jumping on Momma! š >Those moments where he pummels you are frustration behaviors – you are using a lot of control but there is minimal outlet for play and fun (stays are really not that much fun LOL!) so the frustration is bubbling over. That will go away when you add in a lot of play!
>I try to change up my duration to keep him guessing. I also didnāt need to ask for the down since he automatically does it because I have always asked for it at home and there are less distractions.>
Changing things up is really good! Also be sure to change your position relative to the jump, so you are not next to the wing when you release. Plus, you will need to fade the frisbee from the stay and see if he can do stays without a frisbee there – and then throw it as the reward after the behavior (right now, when it is on the ground, it is actually the cue for the stay). And yes, cue the behavior because that will be useful in more challenging environments.
>In this video he does the butt up in the air, I wait long enough and he puts it down but then I try to move and he does creep so I decided to to tell him to get it so he didnāt continue to fail but I am not sure that is what I should have done. I donāt know if he creeped because I stopped and then I moved and he might not be ready for that. He seems to be more solid when I stand still and release or continue to walk and release vs stopping and then moving again.>
Yes that looked a little confusing – he was not sure if you were releasing or not. So after he puts his butt back on the ground (good boy!) you can walk forward confidently again, then stop, then release. You were kinda moving but not moving a lot, so he was not sure what was happening next.
>In the 2nd video you will see he was trying to get the frisbees so I asked him for a hand touch and after the hand touch I moved them to my other hand and he thought I was going to throw them so he took off over the jump and waited. >
Yes, he didnāt want what you tossed ahead of the jump because it is not a reward (not associated with play in this context). The other frisbees in your hand could potentially be thrown, which is much more rewarding – plus confusing to throw one and have 2 others in the hand. So any placed reward should probably be the only one visible for now, so he can direct his focus to it. Then be sure to play with that toy, to build up its value (rather than take it away and reset for the next rep).
>We do play frisbee in the backyard and after I threw it I thought I probably shouldnāt have since we are working on him not leaving me for a jump unless I ask. Other than that he did great.>
Well yes, there was confusion on that repā¦ but there was also play. And play is important! Frisbees often elicit the behavior of running out to wait for them to be thrown, so you might consider using toys that donāt elicit that response when you are holding them. Will he play with a tug toy? Those are also easier to play with between each rep.
>He is always better at home but you will get to see him in action at Fleischmann field in a little over a week!>
Awesome!! Bring a big variety of toys (not just frisbees) and we will keep building on this! See you soon!!
Tracy
Good morning! I am excited to see you in June – next month! (How is it May already??)
The video was funny! You got some great noises from Ronin and I think maybe even some noise from Reacher? You can reward grunting or weird breathing LOL He was definitely excited just not as free with his singing as his brother was LOL!!
I think Ronin was a good helper because Reacher was definitely processing the whole āhey, why did he get the cookies?ā thing. He might have thought it was a bit unfair that Ronin got the cookies – which can be great for getting a big reaction which can be shaped into a trick (which is what we want :))
Here is a video of the big response LOL :
Reacher would be the money on the right getting the cucumber š which is the equivalent of praise in this case as opposed to the deliciousness that Ronin is getting.You can try stuff that might set them off like saying whatever you would say if someone came to the door (Hi! Or Be right there! for example). Keep playing with it – it might take a bit to percolate but them once he has it, he will love doing it!
>We havenāt done much agility in the past 2 weeks due to our weekly class being cancelled twice in a row for odd reasons, but do have a 1/2 day seminar this Friday and trial on Saturday (entered only two runs). If I get some agility practice video from tonight Iāll share it!>
A little break is good! Have fun at the seminar tomorrow – is it with Stefanie Theis? I hear good things about her seminar!! And keep me posted for the weekend.
Have fun!
TracyHi!
The runs here look excellent!!!
> until I slipped forward and fell straight down during a fun tunnellers run. lol I have a huge bruise on my hip as I started to roll so I didnāt land on my face.>
Oh no! Ouch! I am glad you were not seriously injured!!!
>Callan earned a Q and first place for both his Standard and Jumpers. >
Lovely! How fun!!! There is a standard course on the video that looked great!
>His other Jumpers was good but a bar down due to my late handling. >
Yes, I believe that is the run you put on the video and you were late at :20. You can trust his commitment and cue the turn as he exits the previous jump.
>We also did a fun run in the morning which went well.>
Super!! What a great opportunity!
āØ>He was very sticky on his dogwalk and stopped with his feet on the ramp, not the ground. Needs more work.>
Was he originally trained with a target? You can re-visit the targeting as you run the sequences to help refresh driving directly into position. And be sure not to release early – that is something that might cause him to get sticky on the down ramp.
āØ>He also is sometimes not running down his a frame but jumping over the contact, so we will work on that.>Interesting! He might need to learning to jump the apex more, to stride through the yellow better?
> His weaving was off, took a second attempt, and off again in class, not wanting to turn left tightly, so I had him looked at today and his lower spine and hind end are very tight so he had an adjustment and laser. >
Poor little guy! I did think his weave looked a little crunched up on the video so I am glad you took him to get checked out. That might also be why he was shorter on the a-frame striding too!
>We are taking a week off and will see the vet for more laser on Monday. Who knows how he strained or jammed himself up. Could be playing too roughly with my Malinois Tessa. >
Could totally be this! Or running around like mad at home, or slipping on course, could be anything.
> I will continue to strengthen his core and keep stretching as we do work out every morning.>
Hold off on stretching til the vet gets a good look – we donāt want to stretch if something hurts.
>I am feeling we are becoming a team!>
I agree! The runs are looking lovely so it is not a matter of getting him into more trips so he can get more experience. Great job!
TracyYes, I think she was pumped up and also really close to the wing, so she defaulted to the down. No problem at all!
Tracy
Hi!
This went really well and I agree that the RCs are getting more consistent and smooth! Super!>I think I was still mostly late in this video. >
She was reading them well but I think what might have made them feel a little late was that you can be showing the RC line before she even exits the tunnel, so your very first step is towards the center of the bar. That way you will be closer to her and running more towards the enter of the bar, rather than cutting behind herclsoer to the tunnel which puts you a little further behind.
So it is a subtle tweak – if you were really late, she would not be reading the RCs at all š
>I see that Ellie has some questions, even on the āGoā and balance āLeftā reps. >
I think on the Go lines you were close to the jump on the first rep so she might have been anticipating a RC? She definitely looked to her right at :05. You can be a little further from the jump on the straight or left turns (non-res) here. She had no questions when you revisited it later in the session.
>The last rep was our best one and Iām curious to know if you think this one was on time.>
I think the last 2 reps were really good (:29 and :34) and I also liked the last rep the best. Yay! On that one, you were driving forward to the enter of the bar sooner and she read it beautifully!
Great job :)āØ
Tracy
Hi!
He was a really good boy here!! Yes – it was easier for him on when he was on your right side, mainly because you moved up the RC line sooner. As he exits the wing wrap, you were already moving up the RC line and he was great!On the left side reps, you waited longer to show him the RC line, which meant he didnāt see the RC info til he was taking off for the RC jump. He was really trying to sort it out though, good boy!!
So to get the left side reps, you can run more š More motion heading to the center of the bar should get it really nicely because it shows him the info sooner. Run the same line like you did pn the first rep and I know he will read it well š If you push him off the jump, it just means that you cut in towards him too early – the trick is running directly to the center of the bar so he passes you but sees that pressure line.
Nice work here!!
Tracy
