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Hello and welcome!!! I didn’t know Yowza had puppies – SO FUN!! I’m excited to see Arrow! Who is the daddy?
Have fun!
TracyGood morning!
>>The idea here is to teach them the concept that they CAN drive ahead of us,>>
Yes- to teach them to drive ahead with forward focus, while we hustle along ahead/next to/behind them. And also to start to build the understanding of when to drive ahead and when not to drove ahead.
Adjunct behaviors layered in here include getting the handler connected by watching the puppy, adding arousal, a little bit of retrieving, happy collar holds/gentle restraints (a bit of arousal regulation in there) and teaching us humans to use the various words we need to use 🙂
About those words:
>>especially if we give them a verbal cue that supports some object/obstacle ahead of them, not that “get it” becomes the cue to drive ahead correct? >
Correct! Get it is not my drive ahead on a line cue. That gets added pretty soon.
Starting with a get it type marker helps solidify the marker for the pups and helps get us humans to use it 🙂
And then when we have the behavior of driving ahead, I like to name this new behavior “go go go!” But I don’t want to add Go until I have the pup driving ahead nicely.
You can hear me saying Go to my big pup (Contraband the blue merle BW) on the demo video when I’ve added movement.
>>So we would just be using the cue that means grab your toy (Toy toy for me) and not our drive ahead cue (go-on-go for me)?>>
In the early training, yes – I use get it to support getting the behavior and as an easy way to strengthen the get it verbal.
Once we get driving ahead and motion is added? You can switch to your “Go” to be able to start building that cue.
The dogs *might* need us to use both Go then Get It when they are learning this or when working with placed rewards later. But the Go cue is also predictive of reinforcement on the line, so it is ok if the get it marker gets faded in that context. I would never place a toy on the pup’s go line and expect them to run right over it (seems rude LOL and could devalue the placed reward). So if I’m yelling Go Go Go and there is a toy on their line, the Go cue indicates they can have it. My verbals in agility often have a predictive reinforcement element, which makes them much easier to train and remember.
Let me know if that makes sense, or if I need more coffee 🙂
Tracy
Good morning and welcome to you and the adorable Rip!!!
It sounds like you are already really knowledgeable about agility, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy the adventure with Rip!!!
Keep me posted on how he does with the games 🙂
Tracy
Hi!
>> I’ve done enough with you to have connection burnt into my brain.>>
It looks great!!!!! Nice exit line connection here!
>> It does get overridden on occasion by my desire to know where I’m going.>>
Ha! This is totally relatable 🙂
The leash off engagement on game is going well – he was quite perfect here! In these quiet environments, you can surprise him by taking the leash off at random times – as soon as you enter the ring, while you are walking, before he sits, after he sits, etc. Mix it up to keep him on his toes 🙂
>> It does start to degrade if there’s stuff going on behind him. So keep building incrementally by slowly building the distractions?>>
Yes – take the excellent stuff he was doing here, and add a distraction behind him. It can be a giant bag of treats right by the ring gate as he enters the ring, if you are training alone. Or have a person standing by as leash runner to add people distractions. And any trial-like distraction you can add will really help him – so if you see him noticing something in the environment in class or at a trial, you can note that and use it in this game.
Great job!
TracyHi –
>> I almost think I will do drills>>
For most of your waiting time, do the plain ol’ pattern games (back and forth, up and down) rather than tricks or anything super active. The active stuff can both get her too aroused too quickly, and also doesn’t let her really process the environment.
>> then do a mini snuggle (food brings her brain down) >>
Yes to the snuffle! Do it further from the other dogs, because a snuffle mat will attract other dogs near the ring especially novice dogs.
>>and then put toy and food in a container on food table outside of ring and with two to three dogs ahead try to do chill by rubbing her chest and having her come up on me.>>
That might be too long for her, especially that close the ring. 2 or 3 novice runs can take hours LOL!! So you can put the toy and food up on the table and bring a few more pieces of cheese or something with you, to give her in those last moments of waiting. This is especially useful if something happens like there is a delay or a dog approaches her.
>> We have an obedience trial Friday here and I’m bringing her in just to see how it goes
Perfect!!! Let me know how she does!
Tracy
Yay!!! No worries about the handling – you are a great handler, and you can totally break it down into baby dog elements. It will be great to get her into new places!! FUN!!!
Hi!
>>However…when we first get in the building she is nuts to see him. Over the top, crazy. So, this was the same with the leash runner at the trial. >>
Aha! That is a great training opportunity!! Since you can predict it will happen, you can come in prepared with awesome high value treats and before you even enter – start the pattern game. Let her sort out the environment and ignore him as soon as you enter. Stay as far away as needed til she stops being nuts for teacher 🙂 This will transfer nicely to being ringside as well!!
>>It’s when I’ve envied my friends with aloof, non friendly Whippets that just want to cling to them.>>
I love the friendly whippets though 🙂 My Ramen whippet and my Lurchers are all very social but thanks to the pattern game, they appear aloof because they can ignore people. One of the Lurchers is around is breeder all the time at competitions and acts completely aloof like he doesn’t even know her…. until he gets the cue to go see her then he goes nuts with delight 🙂 The pattern game is what got him to be able to ignore her.
>>I’ll add more people to the ring. We did this for one person’s Golden.>>
Perfect! And before trying to sequence, use the pattern game to get her focused with you. That can set up a lot of success.
Keep me posted on how she does!
Tracy
Hi!
>> I am just not sure how to deal with this little “bitch”.>>
Tell me more about what you mean by this, because she is a perfect girl on all of the videos 🙂 Is she snarky or reactive to other dogs that come close to her? Lunge or bark or…? Or is she just super aroused?
Let me know and we will make a plan 🙂
>> Is there something I should do to work through this in steps easier? I am ok until I have to line up and I don’t want to work her up even more.
>>Absolutely – and you will want to work this in a trial environment before you enter her for real. Or if you enter her, be prepared to pull the run if she is struggling being close to the ring. Many agility trial areas are very very tight, so we want her to feel comfortable before getting too close.
Also, you can enlist a friend to help with the whole waiting in line thing – the friend can wait in line for you as you hang back, or the friend can help keep other dogs away as you work with Roux.
But the main things will be the pattern games to get her to ignore the other dogs/people/etc. The pattern games from Package 1 need to be very fluent so she knows them in her sleep – then you take them around the ring in different situations. So start with those, and let me know how it goes! That easily turns into the chill games but mainly they help her relax in the environment and regulate her arousal.
Tracy
Hi!
>> I have a very talented 2 yr old field breed male golden retriever, Olee. I haven’t been able to enter any agility trials, even FEO, because of his start line behavior. I do settling games outside of the ring. I make sure we’re connected when coming to the line. As soon as I take the leash off he starts to run around. He will come back and I reward him when he comes back but as soon as I ask him to sits, it starts all over again. If anyone had this problem and successfully resolved it, I would like to know how you resolved it. Thank you for your help!>>
This is actually a pretty common struggle! And we have successfully resolved it. Here are a couple of ideas for now:
The zooming away is often a sign of overarousal and stress, which he is seeking to relieve by zooming. For now, stop trialing so we can sort out what he needs to be successful. 2 of the most important things will be to:
– teach him how to work in higher arousal and regulate the arousal. The pattern games help but also, the volume dial game REALLY helps! And add in decompression (snuffle mat is a good possibility) to help him with arousal. The A.R.E. Toolbox games address all of this. Calming games alone do not help, because he is not going to be calm 🙂 Getting him into higher arousal in training at home and in class is really important, while adding the distractions he might see at a trial: other dogs, people, etc.
– At home and at class, work on the Leash Off, Engagement On game. This game plus the A.R.E. Games can really help him!
When he is ready to go back to trialing, we can ease him into it by not even taking the leash off at first so you can play and get him rewarded in the ring, then gradually working through the NFC progression. But for now, start by teaching him the games and not trying to do any NFC yet.
Let me know what you think!
Tracy–
Hello and welcome! He is gorgeous and smart!!!
Both of the pre-games are going well. I like your choice of prop for the foot targeting LOL!! Great timing and markers in both sessions – he did great!
When he is targeting the hat, he is trying to work out how to watch you AND hit the hat 🙂 So we can help him understand that he doesn’t need to watch you and he can focus more on the hat. A couple of options for this:
– you can try it standing up, which makes it harder to look at you and easier to look at the hat (theoretically :))
– you can also mark sooner – using your get it, you can mark and toss when he looks at the hat, before he touches it. Then you can build up to look at it and touch it, but marking looking at it might be a great first couple of reps.
– and when he looks at it, you can mark the behavior but rather than toss the reward – you drop it right on the hat. If it perfectly fine to use a different marker if the ‘get it’ is for tossed rewards.The hand targeting looks great – he is focused pretty directly on it and hitting it really well. The only thing to add here is to begin standing up – you can start it in a chair at first, then work your way to standing. We have a few more weeks before we need this game, so he will be taller then and it should be easier to stand 🙂
Great job on these!!! I am excited to see more!
Tracy
Hello and welcome!! I am in Virginia too!
Have fun with the games here! I am looking forward to learning more about Tiva!
Tracy
Good morning! All the games look great!
He is doing well with his forward focus – you can definitely add more distance to the throws and all the motion of the Advanced Level. You already have motion going, so distance is your friend 🙂 Be sure you are looking at him and not at the toy, before you release him, to establish connection and see where he is looking.
He will get ahead of you to get to the toy, and that is great. To help with the retrieve: as soon as he gets to the toy, run the other direction, call him, and present something for him to drive back to: another toy or a treat! He doesn’t have to bring the original toy as this stage, this mainly focuses on getting him to not take the original toy on a drive through the countryside 🙂The decel to handler looks great – he is fabulous at finding the treat in the grass and immediately re-engaging (also, excellent choice of food to make it easy for him). And nice decel as you added motion, giving him early info so he decelerated beautifully too. Yay!!! For now, the next step to add is arousal 🙂 Use a tug toy as the reward for the decel and see how he does. You can then add in more distance so both of you have more acceleration before decelerating.
Prop sends: The forward sends and sideways sending are looking really strong! One thing to add: more ready dancing before each send 🙂 This is not a looped behavior – it is a get him nutty (handler focus and arousal) then send him (obstacle focus). You can stay close to the prop as you add arousal, then if he is happy with that, you can add the backwards sends and then a little bit more distance away from the prop. You can also do this with a tug toy 🙂 For the treats and the toy – I think you have some really good food and toy markers already, so feel free to use them with this game to replace the ‘yes’ marker.
Shaping the wing wraps with the bowls was easy peasy, he did great! You are standing, there is distance, he was lovely. Yay! You can add in breaking this up with tugging after every few reps (adding in arousal early in the training). And you can also change the cone to be different things to go around: laundry basket, suitcase, etc. This can help him generalize the concept!
Excellent job with the blinds! Really lovely exit line connection, he saw it very clearly. Because he has excellent commitment to going to the treats, you can start moving forward as soon as he is heading to the treat so you have more room to run – and potentially do 2 blinds! Great job adding the toy in, he did well there and seemed to have no problem working with the more exciting motivator 🙂
The games to add for him at this point are definitely the goat tricks (he is a lot bigger than he was originally LOL!) and also the first steps of the self-control games. I think he will find those super easy, but that is exactly what we want.
Great job here!
Tracy
Hello and welcome!!! Great to see you here!!! Trayce sounds adorable!!
>>She has unfortunately been on restricted activity for 5 weeks due to a bizarre knee injury and is just coming back to activity slowly…well she does NOTHING slowly but you get the drift! It has been killing both of us!>>
OMG! That sounds hard. How much longer does she have in terms of being restricted? Poor girlie!!!
Tracy
Welcome back! It sounds like a wonderful trip!!
>>what’s the secret to obtaining all the wonderful off leash skills I saw. maybe it’s being able to reward with a restaurant meal LOL.>>
I am willing to experiment and see if the restaurant meal is the key LOL!!! I think it is mainly lifestyle – dogs are European cities are raised in the lifestyle of being off leash but ignoring other dogs, going to cafes, etc.
Find my face is going really well! You can toss the reward even sooner: as soon as you see him looking for your face, you can reward. He doesn’t need to come all the way in front of you or make very direct eye contact.
Remote reinforcement is also going well!
>>with remote reinforcement – maybe step 1? I’d like to see some more drive from him back to reward, I’m thinking that will develop as his understanding does.>>
Absolutely! But I think he did great here. He knew exactly where the cookies were, but look at the last rep: he did his hop up nose touches with speed and precision, and didn’t just leave you to grab the rewards 🙂 He moved with you really well and that is exactly what we want. Keep building this up and check out the new games I added on Monday – he will be ready for those very quickly 🙂 And we can even incorporate a bit of this in class!
Great job!
Tracy
