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I agree – a social puppy is a great thing!!! He will be able to ignore people while working š
Tracy
Hi!
He is super confident on a lot of these big lines! Powerful and totally independent – I love it!
Overall, this is looking really strong. Some ideas for you, looking at the different sections:
When using the slingshot start – you will shave off time by doing it on more of a slice angle instead of sending straight on, or by using a brake arm as he approaches 1 to get collection. The straighter the line you set up or if you send him away on an angle away from 2, the wider the turn is (like at 1:02 and 1:52)
Try to be moving more to 3 for the turn 2-3 and not across the bar at 2 as much, then finish the FC 2-3 sooner or do a quick blind – jumping wide at :04 and 1:04 based on position and timing there. If you are moving to 3 and also finished before he takes off, you will have a great turn.
I thought your line was more towards 3 at 1:55 and his turn was much better!
Turn cues needed on 6 for 7 at :10 and 1:11, something subtle like a name call just to get him to turn before 6 so he lands facing 7, rather than land straight and then turn to find 7 (it will shave off time to get the turn before takeoff for 6).
You had a little too much turn cue at :12 for 8 – yes, I think you had a 180 verbal going but it is more of a backside. You also turned your head to look forward and peeled away – he sees everything!
I donāt recommend marking him as wrong there, he really had to choose between several different cuesā¦ keep going in the moment rather than resend from a different line.
You supported that line to 8 so nicely at 1:12!! And still had plenty of time to handle the line on the tunnel exit.
The BC on the end of the tunnel had a wider turn, you can cue a turn before he enters (or do a RC on 10 so you donāt have to do a spin or decelerate or anything). I bugged Jen about this too LOL
The RC at 2:08 was just needing you to turn your feet to the center of the bar more; it looks like your feet were pointing to the backside line so that is where he went. And when you did get the RC on the next rep, you were miles ahead for the weave entry and could really help him. That RC skill is definitely going to be useful as you get more comfy with it!!
The backside of the jump in front of the weaves was a big distraction! Handling it a bit more like at 1:30 with more connection and your outside shoulder coming forward helped. And more experience passing a jump t find that soft side entry will help too!
On the threadle on 13 – donāt leave that threadle spot until he looks at the jump (:39) you gave a threadle verbal then changed the cue as he came around the wing and peeled away – the cue didnāt override your motion away, so hold position until you see his head turn to the jump, then you can take off.
You stayed there longer at 1:36 and he got it easily š To be able to get to the blind after the 14 tunnel sooner, you can split-step away from the threadle rather than move along the bar. What I mean by that is to hold your threadle position on the entry wing – donāt move til he looks at the barā¦ then when he does, you can start cuing the tunnel (looking at the bar is confirmation he will jump it, I would be surprised if he didnāt). And while you start cuing the tunnel, you are leaving directly to 15. That will save you 2 steps or so, which are very valuable in getting to the blind to set up the FC turn for the last line.
I think you were pretty much doing the split step exit of the threadle at 2:27 and you definitely got to the blind sooner. YAY!!! Add a little decel as you send into the FC and it will be perfect (a brake arm will help too when you cannot use decel as much, more coming on that tomorrow!)
Getting to the blind earlier on 15 on that last run set up the whole ending to just be lovely! Yay! Amazing how one or two steps make such a difference on the next section of the course. Great job here!
Tracy
Hi!
>>The video is 3:35, with lots of starts and stops. Do you want me to pull out the main pieces, or do you want to see all the bits?>>
Put it all in, I can slide through stuff we don’t need to discuss, and editing takes too long š
>> when I do I feel like Iām just standing around watching her and then Iām late to get moving to the next thing. The handling always looks fabulous. How do I combine waiting, watching, and moving?!?!?>>
Experience! You know how we talk about neuroplasticity, etc etc with the dogs? Well it is for us too. You just need to keep practicing moving along the line while watching for your window. There are already sooooo many significant improvements in how you are attacking the handling! Before you run her, walk the course and think about/visualize what you are looking for her to do, and it will get easier.
Also, give yourself permission to be late! Only one of you needs to go really fast, and she has elected herself. She goes fast and you just navigate. Don’t try to be fast about it, just be clear about it. So you will be a little late at this stage, which is fine because you can move up your timing as you get more experience on these big courses š
Tracy
Hi!
>>Yep, as she got hotter she was less likely to look at the first jump. It might be a tell.>>
Yes, the heat is hard for the brain! I can relate! I have been using very cold treats for the dogs when I train in the heat and high humidity and that has really helped! No toys in the heat, it just makes them too hot if I want to do more than 1 rep.
> Plus, where do I look? Am I supposed to be connecting to her eyes like usual or do I stare at the jump?>
Look at her, a general connection, so you can see where she is looking. If she is just staring back at you, you can get closer to her or the jump to help out. Or you can put a target out past the jump (like a food bowl or something).
>> Whatās the plan for indoors? Just a food bowl loaded?
If I recall correctly, she is able to hold a stay in front of a loaded food bowl. So you can set her up on a straight line to it. You move a little laterally away and start on the same line as her. Do you forward focus cue to the food bowl (hand cue, while you look at her). Then release her forward (I think she has a ‘dish’ marker, yes?)
And we can vary your position and get you further away, and further behind her.
And when you can get a jump involved, put the dish on the other side of the jump for a rep or two, then we fade the dish out and move to a thrown reward.>>She was pretty slow on sequence 3 with all of the turns. There was no where for me to go and it was a bit demotivating I think. Itās like the AKC pinwheels to nowhere! So good practice.>>
Right! The lower bars can help and also when I do ‘yawn’ sequences with the dogs, I throw the rewards really far so they can accelerate out of the sequence.
>> Butā¦she didnāt so I just saved it. Becauseā¦that happens.>>
Saving it and continuing was the 1000% correct thing to do!
>>Multiple moves in a row are not my strong suit.
We can play with that this summer: getting two transitions in a row, then 3 transitions in a row! Fun!
>> The issue is I cannot leave anything on her unattended. Itās possible that sheās better now, but Sprite has ingested things off of her body on more than one occasion. Not just shredded it. She actually eats it requiring ER visits to induce vomiting.>>
YIKES! Ok, she can wear it when supervised only then! Does she like water (like in a baby pool or getting a bit of hose spray?). Just be careful getting her wet if the grass is really dry -we don’t want her to rip a pad.
>>The good news is I have a trial this weekend that my friends talked me into. It is 3 ish hours away and near the coast with highs expected in the 60s to low 70s.
That sounds divine!!!
>>However, both of her agility classes were canceled this week which is unfortunate. So, no weave or contact practice beforehand.>>
It is unfortunate but you’ll still be fine! She might need a little extra exercise or mental games this week to offset the cancellations but overall, it won’t be a problem.
>>I thought about lowering the bars, but I didnātā¦obviously.>>
LOL!! I always lower bars in the heat or in tight quarters (you will see in the live class demos that the dog was jumping 4 inches lower, mainly because it was so hot even at 7am). It helps them have an easier time which keeps them cooler, and it makes it more trial-like for me in terms of speed and timing.
Tracy
Hi!
>>I think itās actually the focus bc we started this with her when you were here for the seminar and she did the same thing going around it. Itās like she can stay but canāt jump. 8ā seems to help.>>
It is probably like tapping her head and rubbing her belly… can’t quite process doing 2 different things at the same time yet LOL!!
>> I also think ābreakā has baggage so I liked how by saying jump each time and her getting food it seemed to release pressure. Normally doing some stays and using the break she gets MORE amped where here she seemed steady other then my ready cue which is a rev up cue and probs donāt ever need it with her.>>
Yes, if break has baggage then you can use jump (then break until she starts releasing with no questions on just the jump verbal). And true, you probably don’t need the ‘ready’ in the training building but it is good to have a way to make her wild LOL!!!
Tracy
Hi!
Lots of nice work here too! My ideas are more about the subtleties and where we can get tighter lines:On the opening, you can move sooner 2-3 (:06) so you get a better turn to 3, so he doesn’t accelerate almost past it when you accelerate
The second rep was much better at 1:15 (you kept moving better) and now you can tell him “around” sooner: the timing will be more ideal if you say it when he lands from 2 and is looking towards 3 (he was almost at the front of 3 when you told him about the around)Nice flip over 3 to send to the tunnel!!
More timing ideas: you can tell him to do the around at 6 before he takes off for 5, so he doesn’t look at you over 5 or turn to you (:14) . You were earlier there at 1:20 (he was landing from 5) but it can still be sooner. Once he is gathering for takeoff at 5, he is ready for the next cue so you can cue the around.
The serp line is a hard exit so he had a bar on 6 at :15. To help show the line sooner, you can keep moving with shoulders open to him (facing the jump) towards 7. If you close your shoulders and move along a parallel line to the bar of 6, you will set a different jumping angle and the adjustment will cause the knocked bar. Your line was better fo sure at 1:22 – you can stick closer to the exit wing to get an even better line with collection before takeoff.
Coming from the tunnel under the frame, he needed a turn cue needed on 10 to set up the turn before takeoff so he could land facing 11. He got the info when he landed at :22 and :38. You had decel at 1:28 which totally helped and you can do it sooner: a bit of decel, turn shoulders, maybe a brake arm š as he exits the tunnel and heads towards 10. That will also get the ‘switch’ on 11 happening sooner so he doesn’t look to his left at all there.
The line from the 12 jump to the DW to the tunnel to the frame looked great with the layering! Fast and fun!
It is possible the accidental slice at 17 looked like the flip away/rear cross at :59 because you were moving forward of the wing and turned your shoulders to the slice exit wing for exactly one heartbeat (he sees everythin!) Good save!!! At 1:42 you stayed behind the wing and decelerated, setting up the wrap beautifully. A BC exit will get the last line even more easily.
>>ON the second (final) run, I sent him to #18 with āGO!ā so I have no one to complain to when he did, indeed, take off.>>
Yep! You wrote ‘cheater’ on the video LOL but in fact, I think that the cue you’ve (accidentally) trained to get the toy is when you say go facing the jump between you and the toy. You can see it in the previous video and he is pretty convinced here too. So, use a get it marker or something different than the go, to be very consistent.
Great job here!! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
I am glad you found this course interesting!! I had fun noodling around with it š
> On paper, I wanted to go to the far wing of #2 for the backside but when I saw the course on the ground, I took the nearside.>>
His focus forward on jump 1 was really strong!! This is the type of opening to try both ways – there is no “wrong” answer (ok, maybe a wrap on 2 is the wrong answer LOL!), just the answer of which is the faster line.
The reason I think the way you ran it might not be faster is because there was a tight turn needed on 1, a tight turn needed on both the entry and exit of 2, and another turn on 3. That’s a lot of turning! Handled the other way, there are turns on 2 but 1 and 3 really don’t have turns. There might be more yardage, though, so it is a matter of what the stopwatch says š
I would be curious to see him run it the other way (coming to the slice on 2 from the other wing) because I think that line will have fewer turns and could be faster. If it is still set up, and it is not a million degrees outside, you can do 2 sessions of just 1 through 5: session 1 begins with one version of the slice then the 2nd run is the other version of it. Session 2 flips that. Then we time it all and get an answer.
Nice job on the layering with the teeter! For training, you can throw a reward or have it placed out past the teeter, so he looks forward and doesn’t stop quite as far up the teeter board with you that far away.
You forgot the 8 jump on these, which makes the line a little harder on you -you added a FC on 6-7 to go to 10, which works so if he self-releases, be prepared so you can start the FC 6-7 sooner.
>>Enzo decided he was finished after #10 and left off to grab his toy: surprisingly bad behavior>>
The “Go” on the 10 jump at :21 might have contributed to the toy grabbing, be careful of your markers when leaving a placed toy! He doesn’t strike me as a naughty dog (I mean, he is not a Papillon hahahahah) so there might be something in that context that caused that.
At 1:00, you used a “go” and a similar body cue to indicate that he should in fact go to the toy… so I think it was not a naughty moment, just a bit of inconsistency in cues/markers showing up.
10-11-12 was easy for him, and fast and fun! We can tighten the turn on 13 at the weaves with deceleration and a brake arm: when he exits the tunnel, you are cuing the turn with decel, verbal, outside arm (stay tuned for more on that in the live class sequences tomorrow, it is something everyone is struggling with so I built the games around that skill!)
The distance work from weaves to tunnel to jump to frame was GREAT! Yes, the flip you did from the exit of the weaves to the tunnel at 1:35 and after that was much clearer handling.
And SUPER adjustment at 1:42 to move towards the bar on the threadle jump at 18 until he looked at it (first time, you didn’t move to it so he never looked at the bar).
The exit of 18 to get 19 was tricky – you can use a wrap verbal on the exit of the threadle jump (rather than a more general come verbal), and then the push cue was clearly the winner after it. I would also be curious to see if there is any benefit to the wrapping the 18 backside! He wraps pretty well and it is likely to be shorter yardage, so it is something to try and we can time the differences.
Great job here!
TracyWelcome back to you and Mister Jackpot!!!!
>> Some exceptionally welcome behaviors are emerging, but not without a few vexing adolescent concerns as well.>>
You have just summed up the entirety of canine adolescence in one sentence LOL!!! Ok, maybe human adolescence too. Ha! One of the “joys” of adolescence is that the brain is in a rapid development stage… and there is a lot of learning but also a lot of emotion. And days when previous learning seems to have entirely disappeared (this is normal).
As we get started, give me a list of the vexing concerns so we can make a plan! I am just getting out of adolescence with one dog, in the middle of it with another, and getting ready to go into it with a 3rd. So I am all about adolescent dog planning right now LOL!!
Have fun!
TracyHello and welcome back!!!!
>>we tried your suggestions at flyball ā running around him before recalls and changing direction before he reaches the tug and they worked really well!!!>>
YESSSSS!!! Very exciting!!!!
>>I am having trouble remembering his no reward cookie fast enough and he jumps on me ā sometimes even before I have processed that what happened>>
We have lots of little sequences in this class, so we can do a combination of getting you to either keep going or reward super fast, or going right into a pattern game after a stop in the action. His adolescent neurons are doing typical adolescent neuron things (JUMP ON DA MOMMA!!!) so we can definitely help him out š
>>And functioning around toys, people, other dogs, or a new place, or any situation where he is having a turn (class, seminar, recalls at flyball) is challenging. I feel we are working through this / but itās a significant focus right now>>
Yes, definitely a significant focus, I can relate! How strong are his pattern games? Those will be your absolute lifesaver š They give his brain a way to process the environment and really help balance the arousal. I promise we will survive adolescence LOL!!!
>>The struggle that I am feeling very anxious about is the lack of a stay when he is aroused ā¦. But that is a big topic ā so for now Iāll just say itās on āthe listāš>>
We will do some stay work in this class for sure! No anxiety needed, we will sort it and he is doing great. We keep the pressure off as we build it up. An example is a Golden from the previous MaxPup generation was having the same exact issues as West as this age: stay struggles, trying to balance arousal, all totally normal stuff. She kept the pressure off and she just started trialing (I think he is 2 years old now)… his stay is spectacular, no jumping on da momma, and he is very successful with his runs!!!! I mention it because I feel that West is on the same path and I know we will get there š
Have fun!
TracyHello and welcome back!!!! Perfect timing after your trip!
>> Now to see how we can get things done with 100 degree temps. Might need to look for ring rental options so we donāt melt.>>
Ugh, I can relate. I live in the mountains of Virginia and we are in the mid 90s every day now… EWWWW!! So, this morning it was training at dawn and with a lot of daylight at this time of year, I can train outside at 8:30pm LOL!!! I also use very very cold treats and that has helped the dogs a lot!
>>Ven turned 13 months old this week. How did that happen? Heās struggling with the concept of not getting to say hello to every person and dog he sees so we will also be going places to āwatch not greetā for a while.>>
He is the best boy! Do you remember that patten game from Maxpup 1? Use it to get him ignoring people… and then put ‘go say hi’ on a cue so he does get his fill of hugs and kisses š
Have fun!
TracyFor me, it is the Summer Of JimJams! First, Minnesota. Now, online. Next, Chicago. And then maybe Iowa too? I am so excited!!!! Have a blast!!
Tracy
Hello and welcome! I am so glad you joined us!!!
>>at the same time āworryingā if weāll do good and if itās the right class for us š
We will make sure it is exactly what you want it to be š
>>Fly is almost 2 years old Great Dane, so isnāt exactly āa puppyā by age (but Danes mature later LOL)
So fun! I love Danes. I got to work with a “tiny” puppy Dane in New York recently, and I have also had the pleasure of meeting and working with Tabitha Plambeck’s Danes from Alaska. Do you know her?
>>we didnāt do previous classes in this series ā but I hope ātraining and skills-wiseā we will be able to ācatch-upā and follow the class.>>
You will have no trouble at all – feel free to ask questions and we can fill in anything we might want to add for Fly. We have had lots of folks join the program here in MaxPup 3 and have a blast!
>> While itās our first class here, we have some āexperienceā with AG ā foundation classes at other online school and in-person classes.>>
Fantastic! I am really excited to see you and Fly!!!
Tracy
Hello and welcome back! He is ready for the bigger sequences and I am excited to see you both!
Have fun!
Tracy
