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Good morning!
I am glad you were able to get ring time! Yay!I agree, Karma sends well and commits well, making all of this look really good! You were emphasizing the connections and that really supported her. Super!!! With that min mind, we can strategize to use those strengths to get more distance, further ahead, etc.
Video 1: The wing to jump sends are looking really strong! You can stay closer to the start wing for the send to the jump (stay basically next to it until she exits, then send from there: that way you can add more distance and challenge while also leaving for the next line sooner.
Video 2 – This also went well on all of the reps! On this one too, you can stay closer to start wing so you can send sooner and therefore leave sooner. You were getting really nice turns already so leaving sooner will will help you get to whatever handling is next on course. What I mean by leaving sooner is: connect and send like you did from near the wing – and as soon as she is passing you and looking at the jump, you can start moving away to the next jump.
Video 3: Also really strong!
The rep at :40 was perfect – you had big connection, you were relatively near the wing, took one big step and you then immediately stepped away all while maintaining connection. Yay!
At :55, to compare, the send was happening too close to the jump and a little later, so she clipped the bar.You had really clear exit line connection as you were passing the 2nd jump, especially on the last 2 reps 🙂
Question: for the jump commitment cues – Do you have a directional verbal like left or right? I think the “go go go jump” might be causing her to think you want her to go straight over the jump instead of turn, so a left/right or a just the jump verbal without the “go” can help her out.Video 4:
This went really well too! You ar definitely ready to add the rest of the sequence. One suggestion when you put it all together: when getting ready to send to the wing so you can run back between the jumps and get the cross, try to decelerate near the jump before the wing and send to the wing from the jump (trying not to go past it by more than a step). That will make it really easy to get the cross because you will be so far ahead of her there.On this clip, you were sending to the wing while being closer to the wing, which worked but will make it harder to stay ahead of her as you drive up to the FC or BC between the jumps.
Great job here!!! Let me know what you think! Tracy
Hi!
The extreme connection went really well too! He had NO trouble reading the difference between the fire 8 FCs and the ‘get out’ to the jump. Super!!!
O nth first couple of videos, the shifting connection looked really good and he was very happy to go out to the jump. You can use a different cue than “go” because go should mean straight not the jump – I use ‘get out’ for this extreme connection send, so he knows the difference between that and the go cue.
Video 4 and 5 added the wing after it, looked great! He had no trouble doing the ‘out’ then finding the wing after it.
On videos 6,7,8,9 you used the ‘get out verbal and that is a great choice instead of ‘go’ – and also super nice job with your connections so he knew exactly when to go to the jump versus stay on the line.
Great job on these!
TracyHi! Good job working this skill!!
I think the first video was probably the last rep you did? It was great! Very strong connection shift to your hands, plus you shoulder turn and line of motion really helped bring him to the threadle side – and nice turn away too!
The other videos showed the building up to it and they were lovely: breaking the behavior into small pieces and putting them together. The last video was probably the 2nd to last run here – really nice job breaking it down so that you could put it all together. Yay!
Great job 🙂
TracyHi!
>>I know – this is the middle of January! It’s 40 degrees and no snow!
Shorts weather! Wow!!!!!
>>So how do I set myself up better to execute it? Is it where I’m sending her from? I kept thinking I was blocking the wing so she couldn’t see it too.>>
I think she could see the wing pretty well, but you can also show her more of the wing. As she is passing you – stay super close to the wing and step directly forward behind her tail 🙂 To get myself to NOT step to the side or step backwards , I lean forward a bit so my weight is ‘falling’ forward. That means I am more likely to move forward as the dog passes me. And as you move forward, the arm next to the wing can point to the ‘landing’ spot and your eyes can look back to it. Try to do this slowly a few times so you can move directly forward, and so she can commit because there is so much countermotion when you are literally right behind her tail as you walk forward. Let me know how it goes!
Tracy
Hi!
He is getting the idea of the stay really well! He was offering a lot of the down because it has a lot of value, so you can cue him to sit if you want him to sit at this point (otherwise he is guessing, because the down has so much value). So you can just cue the sit at this point 🙂 He did really well when you help him out with a couple of rapid-fire clicks/treats in a row, so for the next session you can start like that then gradually slow down the c/ts and get more duration on the stays.
Good job getting his mouth onto the toy here! Yay! Thinking about ways to get him to grip it and not drop it immediately and two ideas come to mind:
– you can toss it and when he picks it up, you can move away and that might entice him to carry it a few steps!
– you can get one of those treat pouch toys and fill it with treats. When he grabs it, you can open it and give him a treat 🙂 Then you can extend the amount of time he holds it or pulls on it, so it is longer and longer before you pull a treat out from it. That can build up to a lot of duration and a retrieve because he will learn that holding it or bringing it to you is what gets you to open it for a treat 🙂Grea job here!
TracyHi!
This tunnel video looked great here too! Yo can delay the click of the MM – let her turn and get her head into the tunnel, then click it – that will help her realize that turning away into the tunnel is what you want when she is in between you and the tunnel.Nice work 🙂
TracyHi!
>>It’s a fairly distracting environment, with birds flying around in the adjoining loafing shed, plenty of old smells from 25 years of milking goats, feeding kids, you name it. But she’s still pretty focused on the training.>>
She was great! You would never know it is a distracting environment!!
The first video was marked as a backside slice but it was a front side wrap – not sure if it is the wrong link posted? But either way – it was a really good session! You stayed on the takeoff side and she wrapped really well! More rewards for the stay will help solidify it – she was really jazzed up to go so broke the stay a couple of times.
The 2nd video was also front side wraps- also really good! Her stay was better on this side so you were able to get very nice wraps!
Now if you want the backside, you would to send her away to the other wing of the jump so she would go behind it and come over the bar back towards you (on the front side of the bar, she is jumping away from you)
She did well turning into the tunnel!!! You can totally add in the verbal, but maybe not “kiss kiss”
>>, in an attempt at using, “kiss, kiss, kiss” on the tunnel threadle? Veto! That got her jumping up trying to kiss.>>
Ha! Ok, a different word is fine 🙂 Maybe something like “through”?
To add the new word you can line her up in the right spot (between you and the tunnel), gently hold her collar, say the word a few times, then let go – that will let her hear the new cue a few times before you send her into the tunnel, which should take it easier to get her to learn the verbal cue too.
The rocking horses looks fantastic! You were giving her very clear arm and leg sends and she nailed each and every one!! I am excited for when she can do the free running again and we can get all of her speed going on this game!!!!
Great job here!!
TracyHi! This went really well! Her stay looked great here!
That really helped set up a successful serp session. Great job adding motion oh-so-slowly 🙂 The first side looked really strong.On the new side, I think the change in position of the PT made it harder on the first rep! The motion might have actually helped her out there – it drew her focus to your line and helped get her to ignore the PT. I think the PT placement was good, but for whatever reason it was what she was looking at there.
On the very last rep, you had good clear motion and a connection shift to your hand: that was the winner! Really lovely serp!!
So keep adding the bit of motion and separately add in your threadle verbal for a threadle session or two, then we can put them together in the same session 🙂
Great job!
Tracy
Good morning!
The sending to the barrels is looking good!
Stays are looking super strong, and she is committing really well!When you are sending her back behind you to the barrel, you can use your full arm to point back as well s turning your head. That way you don’t need to use your shoulder or lean back – the pointing will help add in moving forward for countermotion more easily.
Since her stay is very strong, you can add in using a big step and send to get her to commit to the barrel that is not the one near you – you can send her to the other barrel by stepping and using a send arm so she commits to it at a distance.
Tunnel threadles are going well! She is committing really well to both the tunnel and the jumps, and her turns are looking good too!
Question about your tunnel verbals: does “tunnel” mean take the entry on your line, and “pow” mean to turn away into the other side/threadle entry? I think you had your verbals reversed on some of the reps: for the threadle handling where she started between you and the tunnel, you were saying tunnel and it looks like you were saying “pow” for the regular handling like at 2:20 but then switched to tunnel lat 2:45 sometimes and then sometimes used it when she was on the threadle side (3:12)
At 2:30 when she took the other side of the tunnel, she was actually correct for 2 reasons: if pow is the tunnel threadle cue (take the non-obvious side) then that was where she went. Also, her line up position was facing that end of the tunnel and the motion had not started before the release, so she was locked onto the line she saw in front of her.
So, to strengthen the verbals, use them as consistently as possible, as that will help her know where to be 🙂
As you get more speed going on these and add tunnel-jump-tunnel-jump sequences, you can add more connection to the tunnel exit to get a smoother line to the next jump. At 3:01 and 3:06, you were a little further behind and so it was harder for her to see the connection. Sending to jump more will also help you get ahead more on the tunnel exits to show the connection, so feel free to make the connection but send her ahead of you rather than running all the wy to the jump.
Great job here!!!
TracyHi! It is just so crazy that you have green grass to run on! But really great to be able to train outdoors!!
The shifting connection is going really well!
The FCs at the beginning when she was wrapping to her right – super nice, very very clear connection, nice transition into decel and clear connection shift: pretty perfect!!! Great turns!
On the other side the connection shift was not as clear (wrapping to her left) – you were looking at her a little more and not rotating as much to use countermotion with shifting connection, so she landed wider until the rep where she is wrapping at :59 – you nailed the connection shift there and her turn was great!
Looking at the circle wraps –
On most of these, you were using lateral motion to get the commitment, so it was more of a FC turn-and-burn style move (1:20, 1:35, 1:39 1:56 for example). On those, as she got to the wing, you moved to the side (not forward) so she is not really seeing the countermotion and a connection shift is not really needed on those: your position was supporting the commitment. But with position supporting commitment, you were in the picture as she was wrapping (so there is less independence) and also it puts you further behind when she exits the wrap.Ideally you use more of the line of motion you did at 1:26, where you were moving forward the whole time (and less to the side). She did not take the wrap there though, because you did not shift your connection to the landing spot. So keep that great line of motion and shift your connection behind you as you move forward.
She had a couple of accidental RC crosses (1:46 and 2:45) – those happened when she didn’t see a transition into decel or a connection shift to the wrap landing and instead there was too much pressure into the takeoff spot as you rotated – totally looked like a RC cue 🙂 You then made the adjustment on the next reps and it looked good!
One last detail:
Remember to show exit line connection to her after a cross or wrap, even when you are just rewarding her, to make it a habit. The exit line connection is what clearly shows the next line. At 1:57 she didn’t take the next jump because there was no connection as you ran forward – you were looking forward and had the toy out, so she ran straight and didn’t take the jump.
Using motion to get it ended up pushing her to the backside, then she got a little confused and offered a backside. Note the difference at 2:19 and 2:28 when you were more clearly connection on the circle wrap exit, and she got it! Yay!
So if something like that happens (where she goes past a jump while you are running), you can
reward that and reset for the next rep because calling her back without a reward assumes that is what canine error which it was not 🙂Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
Bummer about the video ending up being a photo! I wish there was an alarm on the device that asks if we should be videoing instead when it is on LOO!!The tandems at the beginning are going well – the next step to try is to use less foot movement on the RC line, keeping you on the same wing as you would be on for the regular straight line over the bar and just using the upper body to turn her away (hands, shifting connection). One thing that will help this is if you make a clearer transition into the shift: if your hands are already low and then you look at them, the dogs don’t read that as a connection shift that well (like at :26). But if you look at her and show her your hands a little higher, then drop them down as you shift connection, it is very obvious and you’ll get a better turn with less foot movement on the RC line being needed.
Looking at the threadle wrap:
>>It’s hard to get her to look at me and not the obvious obstacle as she rounds the wing.>>
You did a good job of turning your shoulders to the correct line on almost all of the reps here, so she ended up coming towards the backside. I only saw one time where she took the front of the jump and it was because you were looking at her and not making the shift, which caused your line of motion to show the front (1:40)
What helps a lot is making the connection shift more obvious by lifting your threadle wrap cue hand(s), looking at her, then dropping your hands down and shifting your connection to them. That just makes it more obvious so the dogs are able to pick out a small things (hands and eyes) even with all the motion happening and the jump right there. It is especially helpful for a one-handed flick.
And, while doing that, you will get the best turns while keeping your feet moving forward as much as possible. On the first rep where she was on your left, you were turning her with your hands and using your motion towards the jump to commit her, somewhat simultaneously, so she jumped on more of a slice line (and wrapped after landing when she heard the marker). You can see that at :46, 1:02, 1:26).
On the other side, you were stepping to the jump a lot less and moving forward a lot more, and those turns were much tighter – my favorite one being at 2:33! NICE!!! The line of motion seemed to really help her know it was a wrap and not a slice
When she was going straight to the other wing, I think it was just a bit of a timing and decel issue – you were moving forward and fast to pull her in, so she was not really locked onto your hands and without that plus a little decel, she thought you wanted the straight line. Exaggerating the shift from her eyes (higher hands) to your hands (lower hands) will help that too, because we never do that when we just want straight lines 🙂
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
It has been a cold, wet couple of weeks! I am glad things are drying out for you 🙂>>what is the last day that we can submit video for review for the course?>>
February 21st is the last day. Fingers crossed for more good weather ahead!
Tracy
That is great! A short tunnel is definitely easier at this point, she doesn’t need the long tunnel quite yet 🙂
Have fun!
TracyOh wow, I love your new training area!!! Lovely! It is great to see her back in action 🙂
>>I’m pretty sure I was using the wrong hand at first on the rocking horse. My handling sucks.>>
Your handling does NOT suck! You are soaking it up like a sponge and doing really well 🙂 Yay! For the rocking horses, your hands were correct (using dog side hand to send her. She did great!
One thing to add: you can step forward with your left leg when sending from you left side, and with your right leg when sending from your right. That will help propel her around the barrels, and then as we add more distance, it will be easier to move.
The next videos were the decel videos and they went well too! She did well with the toy and the cookies. You were tending to over-help a little by putting your hand on the landing side to draw her over the jump. I don’t think she needs that, you can stay on the takeoff side of the jump and let her go past you and over it. That way we will be able to start moving your position away from the jump so she won’t need you on the landing side.
You can see that on the 3rd rep of the 3rd video – you stayed on takeoff side, no hands on the landing side, and she went past you with a really tight turn!
Great job here!!
Tracy
