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Good morning!
I think there were a zillion good things in his NFC runs here!! He got stronger with each one and did really well. I would say the big off courses were because the handling supported those lines. No worries! You supported the lines really well and he had lovely sequences in the last couple of runs, even in the harder two ring outdoor environment. He was even able to do some stays and that was nice! The stay in the indoor place stressed him out, but that could be for a variety of reasons so we can make a different approach to that.
So for this coming weekend, first a couple of questions:
– how did he do outside the ring? Was he able to eat?
– what type of environment is the trial this weekend? Indoors/turf, or outdoors/2 rings or something in between?
– how many runs are you doing?Ideally, you are able to do pattern games outside the ring, then do some tricks for treats or tugging right before you go in, then also on the way to the line. Tricks-for-tugging is the key to that, not just tugging, because responding to the cues for tricks is what will help optimize the arousal.
Inside the ring:
You can totally bring your pivot bowl or Cato Board into the ring for the NFC run! That can help him be able to line up. But also, going in and moving into a sit stay/line up is really hard. So maybe let him do a short fast fun sequence, then tug, then go to the line up game. And the line up can be further from the entry gate (somewhere in the middle of the course) so there is less pressure from the stuff going on outside the ring. You can have a friend bring it in for you (totally legal in UKI NFC :))You can also see if he will respond to an engagement cue instead of a line up cue: maybe a hand touch? Basically, the goal there would be to see if he is locked onto obstacle only and where his arousal level is.
But mainly, you will want to do simple fun lines (no need for a lot of stay work) for now, so he continues in this trend of having a grand time being successful in the ring š
Let me know what you think!
Tracy
And if it is
Good morning!
>>Great, now I can tell people that we are working on our ādivided attention stateā>>
Yes! If you really want to nerd them out, tell them you are working on shifting him from the divided attentional state to the selective followed by sustained attentional states. That is what we are doing and also it is a little nerdy LOL!!
>>As far as treats go, I use high value like grilled pork or turkey meatballs when Iām teaching Iām something. For pattern games, I usually use kibble, but then again any food is high value to him. Do I need to rethink this?>>
We can play around with it and see what the results are. There are no exact ways to do things because dogs are all so different, but the results we achieve will help us know what works best.
In general, I follow the guideline of paying the dog with a paycheck that matches the level of challenge. Easy stuff, at home (even if it is new stuff): minimum wage, kibble or dog treats. The dogs are very motivated to work for that because the environment is easy (internal and external environments). Hard stuff at home? I will pay better, maybe using cheese.
But then if the environment is harder? I will give them a pay raise: cheese is my go-to and if the skill AND environment is hard? Rotisserie chicken (yay Costco!) or meatballs to make them a billionaire š
Your grilled pork and turkey meatballs sound like billionaire level payment, so I would be interested in seeing how it goes in the harder environments with those rewards.
The other thing about those super high value rewards: they bring a ‘surprise’ element which produces the dopamine release… which produces the learning and motivation we want. When the rewards are “the same thing” then we get some good practice, but not necessarily the dopamine release.
This is because is the dog predicts the reward accurately, there is no dopamine release. Now, that is not a bad thing because practice is also useful. But if we want to make a bigger impact in a faster timeframe? We can surprise him with a crazy delicious reward in an unexpected location and unexpected moment and Boom! Dopamine release. For example: when starting my young dog in a crazy trial environment, I changed from cheese to meatballs as the reward. He loves cheese but the meatballs were a big surprise. That seemed to make a huge impact and I got engagement very very quickly.
>>In the last video, yes the treats were crunchy, crunchy Cheetoās in fact. >>
I too would work for Cheetos. YUMMY! And I can relate to eating half of the bag hahaha
>> they do show up when I toss them in the horse arena
I think the Cheeto snack is probably pretty high value. Maybe not as high in value as a meatball or pork? But maybe it is (it is for me hahaha)
So one thing to consider is how quickly you need him to eat the reward and offer the next behavior. If you are throwing a reward for weaves, for example, I think Cheetos are a really good choice: high value, very visible, and you don’t need him to immediately offer the next behavior so he can crunch crunch crunch.
For a pattern game or tricks, since we want the next behavior very quickly, the Cheetos are harder because of the crunch factor. So if he can easily find a chunk of string cheese, that might be better for the pattern game. Or, if the string cheese gets a bit lost or gross on the arena floor, then we can adjust the pattern game and use the targets you already have for the other pattern game. That way the reward can be placed on the target, making it easy to find & eat!
Let me know what you think š When is his next seminar or trial?
Tracy
Good morning! I am glad the class went really well!
>>Yes I had his regular treats the first day. On the second day I had a variety of treats ā steak, cheese, and his regular treats.>>
How did he do on Day 2 with the steak & cheese? I am trying to get a feel for his preferences and what helps him š
To help him *not* shut down, the pattern games are going to be a great first step. When is your next scheduled seminar or place where he might struggle? We can make a plan š
Tracy
Hello and welcome! I am excited to see you and Wayne here!! He sounds fun!! We have a few 15 month old male BCs in this class, so it will be really fun to see them all develop and mature as they start their trial careers š
>>opinionated kleptomaniac PWD>>
OK please tell me more about this dog too LOL!!!! Especially the kleptomaniac part š¤£š
You will have fun at the NADAC trial! They have slightly different rules about where food can be relative to the ring, leashes, etc, and they also provide a welcoming structure for young dogs.
Is Wayne having any struggles? We can start planning and also get you ready to handle what sounds like a really fast young dude š
Tracy
Hi!
>>My space is a little tight so I edited out jump #5 for sequence #1. Iāll try breaking it up so that the important parts are included as I move through the dfferent sequences.>>
This sounds perfect!
>>I have not been setting up courses and it was so much fun! We both needed it. Weāve just been working on weaves and running contacts and a tiny bit of teeter work. Why did I save all the hard stuff for last!?!? I was feeling a bit burned out. >>
Yay! The sequences are a nice balance, because they are fast and fun. Contact training is HARD!
>>The running contacts training stresses me out. I am second guessing her understanding and I am a little paralyzed on moving forward. >>
I can totally relate. Running contact training can be paralyzing for sure! Just remember she doesnāt have to be perfect to move to the next step – she only has to be at about 80% correct. That will keep you moving forward.
>>I submitted the unedited video so you could see out start, finish & all the in betweens. I have a crate in the yard and the dogs take turns, so I let Bazinga out of the crate before we started >>
I think it worked well! She was happy and engaged, and you rewarded a LOT. A really strong session!!!
>>then I did a Volume Dial with her at the beginning. Then I waited too long to start after the Volume Dial ā youāll see!>>āØ
That went great! And they yes, she lost patience when you took too long to start LOL!! So have the cookies ready so she doesnāt have to wait for a while between the end of the volume dial and the beginning of the sequence.>>We need to get our connection mojo back but I was happy with the session.>>
I think you got the connection mojo back! The tunnel was a little offset, so you can drive to it more and use big connection so she propels away from you – you did that on the on the first run and she got it with only a small question. Then on the second run, 2:24 and 1:56, you pulled away too quickly which broke connection, so she came with you. Compare to 2:07 where you had the best connection (arm back and eye contact) so she got it really well. The rest looked strong – the only other suggestion is to add exit line connection after the FC at :35 – keep your arm back to her nose and eyes on her eyes as she is changing to the new side and until she passes you.
>>I did an inventory of our action tricks:āØspinsāØhand targetsāØleg weave (work in progress)>>
These are great! And adding a high 5/10 and barking on cue re also good ones for the toolbox!
>>Bazinga loves to boing ā but to be honest, Iām afraid she will hurt herself. Am I being over protective? >>
Yeah, I can totally relate here too – we donāt want her jamming her hind end by boingingā¦ so you can ignore her if she offers it and encourage her to do something else instead like a spin š
>>I have 2 opportunities coming up to enter her in FEO at a 1 ring, outdoor trial. Nov 10 and December 8. I can always pull her but I signed up in case it was good timing with this class.>>
That is great! As you build up to that, you can refresh her toy play so she is ready to use a toy in the ring doing the FEO runs.
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Hi!
>>Today in class while waiting to go into the ring, I did the 2 pattern games lead and off lead as well as the spin that he knows and he did great. Before our run in class I did the 2 pattern game again along with the spin and no issue.>>
How did class go? Was he happy and focused?
ļæ¼
>>Yes very food motivated. When I started working on certain turns, etc, I used the Treat Holding Fleece Toy that Clean Run sales.>>Great! We can use the food and the treat holder toys to play all of these games š
āØ>> I have tried working on the practice jump with him outside the seminar and he loved working, but going into the ring he shutdown.>>It sounds like he was concerned about the pressure perhaps? In the seminar, did you have the treats with you? And, you can also develop a hierarchy of treats: for the practice jump, he can get lower value treats. For entering the ring, you can bring out the amazing treats like cheese or chicken. What are some of his favorites?
We will develop a series of games that you can use to help him enter the ring with confidence, so practicing the pattern games and then doing the tricks as you move to the line are an excellent start! And later in class, we will be teaching him to do it all without the treats in the ring too š
Great job!
TracyHi!
>>& I have been working pattern games for quite a while now, I use them at least weekly in class and other settings. So I opted to video what it looks like when we first come into class and heās super excited. I donāt think he was overfaced, especially in the 2nd video, but Iām curious if you think we should back it up at all.>>āØ
In the first video, I thought he did great here!! Especially after Shenna greeted him š He was able to focus on his games and quickly engage with you. It is a really challenging environment and he was definitely excited! But able to engage and he didnāt try to bark or chase the dogs in the ring š>>But he had a few moments of having to look around so I went to a less busy spot (behind the desk) for the 2nd video and added some tricks to that one.>>
He might need a little decompression in there too – would he use a snuffle mat in that environment?
He was great in the 2nd video too – pretty perfect pattern games. I think he was getting a little like āMove on, already!ā by the end of the pattern games (like when he jumped up towards you hands) so I think it was great to do the tricks. He rocked those! Note how when the woman walked past him at about :25, he was a little distracted (I think she was talking to him maybe?). He was doing the pattern games at that point. When she returned at about 1:16, he was doing the tricks (which put him into higher arousal) and he completely ignored her. YAY!!!! That is great!
How did his runs go in class? That will really give us insight into how the games are working for him.
>>He has figured it out so so fast, and I can see how much this stuff helps him. Itās so frigging cool.>>
This is exciting! I like his demeanor: definitely ready to do things, but also very focused. That is fantastic for a teenage boy dog!!!
>>Mochi is on IR for a bit (another dumb motherf*&#$ing toe)>>
Noooooooooo š Maybe she needs to see the whippet toe vet! Or we can show you how the toes get wrapped in flyball (yes, we are obsessed with toes :))
>>so Iām taking him to one of her classes and weāre just doing outside the ring stuff, start line work, and tiny low sequences to get him some exposure. Itās such a great opportunity to practice the low volume stuff in a high volume environment!>>
This is perfect and will really help prepare him for future trials!!
Great job š
Tracy
Hi!
>>I also find that the need for arousal changes training to trialing.>>
This is totally true!
>> In training when itās just the two of us I generally need to amp him up a bit to get speed. In class or trials with other people and dogs around, I need to dial him back. >>
You can approach it the same way in both situations, because the games will produce the results you want in each scenario: increase the excitement level of the tricks and the food value in both cases.
His tricks look really good! Lots of action and they are really simple and fun. Yay!! To increase the excitement level, you can get the reward moving more: rather than hand it to him in a stationary position, you can cue the trick then toss the reward to the side so he chases it, or you can have him chase you for a few steps to get it.
This will both get him more pumped up when you are alone and it will help center him when there is a lot of excitement in the environment. I know it seems counterintuitive that it works for both, but it totally does. The only different is I suggest using the pattern game before you start the tricks when you are in the more challenging class environment because that will really help shift the arousal to where you want it to be.You can also use softer, higher value treats – really yummy stuff that require no chewing. I recommend no chewing because I think it will improve the latency of the pattern game: he was taking a little longer possibly because he had to chew! But if it is a soft treat like cheee, he can grab it and immediately whip his attention back to you (no chewing required LOL!)
>>His brain is split between whatās going on in the ring and all the activity outside the ring.>>
This is also very true – it is literally called the divided attentional state. The pattern game helps shift focus to you and the tricks increase arousal – and both help him ignore the distractions.
Great job here!!
TracyHi!
>>think Imean something abit like latency. that she is doing it because i ask but she is easily distracted and progress is slow. >>
Got it! I think that part of it is that she knows it is some type of interactive game, but she is not entirely sure what she should offer to get the next reward. For example: she was going back and forth in the back and forth gameā¦ but not quickly re-engaging with you by looking towards you after each reward, especially at the beginning. So you can add 2 things to get the quickness and intensity, as well as clarifying what the behavior is:
Add a marker when she looks at you, rather than being quiet and tossing. The marker can add a lot of clarity for now. The marker should indicate what/where the reward is. So it can be āget itā for a tossed treat, or a tug marker!
And that is the 2nd thing: you can use more tug here since it is her highest value: toss the treat to tart the game, mark when she re-engages, tug, toss the next treat, and so on.
>>She can still put energy into it but easily cuts out.>>
It might be because she isnāt entirely sure, and this also might be because the value of the game is not high enough compared to the distractions in the environment. She did well in the videos here but that seemed to be an easy environment.
>>I havent really found the full art of reinforcement with her yet. slowly building food drive can now get decent food drive low distractions and high value.>>
Her food drive has tremendously improved!! But we can be very specific to improve it even more: add more tugging, more frequently. For example, in the first video with the tricks: she did great with all the tricks! So you can add more tugging: cue a trick, deliver a cookie, play tug. Do it every time like that (trick, cookie, tug) and you will see a huge increase in food value (and it will happen pretty quickly).
>>recently did a seminar where used almost all food and had huge drive . toys can send her over the top. >>
Using the food and toys together will help prevent the overarousal and keep her nicely balanced too!
>>left my dinner roast chicken and salad and what did she steal brocolli and carrotā¦>>
Ha! She likes healthy eating š
The videos went well. She has a lot of good tricks and she did well with her focus in the 2nd video as well. She did better when you were standing up in the first video, and I think the spins are the best trick š
Next step with the volume dial game is to add the toy after each treat. Then you can cue the trick with an empty hand, deliver a treat, then tug. Yes, you will need 3 hands but it gets easier with practice š
With the pattern games, you had the toy play involved which its great! Use the toy more frequently to help build the food value – and also try not to have the food in your hand when you indicate tug – it looks like she was unsure of which to focus on at first.
For the back and forth game, you can add the markers (see above).
The up and down game looked really good! You probably donāt need the single target in front of you – you can get even more regulation by having her get the cookies from your feet, alternating which foot you put it on or near (or you can put a target on either side of your feet – lots of options!)
Great job here!!
Tracy
Good morning!
>>Here I am trying to be good about clean training loops & marker cues and you come along with these games ā such a bad influence!>>
Ha! Yes, that is me – bad influence! The loopy training is all good of course, but it is best for when we are trying to train behavior. We arenāt training behavior in the operant umbrella with the volume dial game – we are stimulating arousal and helping regulate it. It is much more like play! And play is dirty, silly, and a bit wild. Trying to be ācleanā during play can turn it too much into work or training.
>>Iāve been focused on trying to moderate her arousal when the pop rocks go off and now Iām thinking about whether I need to let her ramp up more and then see if she can keep her brains and still function.>>
We can track her pop rocks moments more specifically, but they tend to happen when she is not getting info as clearly as she needs it. It could be handler blooper, or could be that her arousal is high and the info is not getting prioritized in her brain, or both! But no worries – I think you should put it on cue and use it in the volume dial game š And also yes – letting her ramp up (or, better to say, helping her ramp up) and doing things in higher arousal will really help! All of the science points to learning in the same state she will be in when she needs to produce the behavior as the absolute best way to go. If we work her in a lower arousal state, we might not see the trained behavior in the higher arousal state.
Also, being a little ādirtyā in loops gives us room for building decompression and getting feedback from the dog. That is often forgotten when training in tight clean loops, so be sure to build in decompression.
>>Did the back & forth & up & down game and she snapped right into focusing on me. Granted we have done a lot of trick training in the kitchen in the morning but I was pretty impressed. She had a snappy response to the easy tricks (flip/turn ā spins left & right) and thought pivoting around my leg was easy.>>
Yay! Could be a variety of reasons about why she was so snappy with it all (time of day, adrenaline from the walk, very comfy location, the competitive nature of the other dogs not being allowed in, latent learning, all of the above, none of the above LOL!) but we will take the rehearsal! Super!
>>The leash always gets in the way with leg weaving so I use it less when out & about.>>
Good point, I take the leash off when doing leg weaves.
The class video looks great – fast and fun way to bring her into the ring, a variety of skills that she executed pretty perfectly, and a TON of reinforcement. Love it! She did great even with the person watching.
Question: how does she feel about treat carriers like the lotus ball (and its cousins) or treat huggers nowadays? I think we should start building in a toy-like treat carrier for even more arousal (you can drag it while rewarding for example) or someone else can throw it to be able to build really big lines and distance. The regular lotus ball might be a bit boring in her opinion, but you might want to try one of the lotus ball cousins – I found one (on Clean Run, I think) which is really big, easy to open, and covered with fur. Larry The Rental Whippet LOVES it and at this point doesnāt even need food in it LOL!!! There are also some really cool fur-covered treat huggers.
>>I was thinking about the Monday chat and behaviors that help dogs self-soothe from big feelings in regards to Liftās bouncy barky fits. >>
Think of it as just arousal communication – she might not be self-soothing, she might just be expressing her current state. And that is appreciated!
>>Ignoring it didnāt work >>
Hahaha yeah, that old thing of āignore it and they will stop doing itā just doesnāt work the way we want it to LOL!!!!
>>Sheād just bounce next to and off of me the whole way down the hall >>
There is probably a nice release of feel-good chemicals in her system when she does that – I am guessing adrenaline? Makes it fun! But also means she wonāt stop doing it LOL! I donāt think she is self-soothing there, I think she is really excited about breakfast and rejoicing in the beauty of a delicious meal š
>>so I ended up transporting her with her nose glued to my hand & treat and then transitioned into asking for a sit and recalling her to my side a few times. Sheās much better about that now. >>
Awesome! Youāve replaced the boing boing with a behavior that is really appealing too. You can also use her mat behavior, I think youāve got that pretty strong.
>>Another situation where she can boing & bark is when Iām moving around the yard to course build or do some yard work.>>
That is probably similar to the meal-related boinging. She is in an exciting scenario so the adrenaline gets pumping. She is bringing herself up for whatās ahead (which is also good!). I know it is annoying if you are trying to lug a tunnel across the yard, plus we donāt want her jamming herself by jumping up and down too much.
>> Sometimes Iāll station her on the cot but I also like to let the dogs wander around the yard with me as opposed to keeping them in the house (where Lift will boing at the deck door unless she is crated). >>
I think the cot station is the best option, or crated so there is no deck door boinging. She is probably a little too young to wander like the adults, because she is still a teenager š My younger teenagers (Larry and Jitterbug) are not allowed to wander when I am course building, for example, because Larry starts running the course and Jitterbug punches me in the stomach repeatedly. The dogs that are 2 years old and above are all fine to wander around – ore mental maturity and they have a better understanding of what is happening. So Lift will earn the wander freedom soon enough, but probably not quite yet.
This is where ācleanā training is very useful! On the video – If she is following you and getting you to do tricks or deliver treats, then gets bouncy/barky if things change or she feels it is getting closer to time to run a sequence (like the tunnel getting placed) – you are building in undesired behavior which is what the clean training is trying to avoid. So, no dirty training here LOL! She is excited and doing a bit of attention-seeking behavior, which is fine in that she wants t o engage! But also it is making the overall session harder in the long run.
You can see it in the video that she gets more excited as the sequence gets closer to being built – but that builds in higher arousal without you helping her regulate it. And also, it is possible that her bandwidth is depleted by this before you start the session (because she has basically worked for 3 minutes before being asked to actually work LOL!). So that is a place where I donāt want the dirty training to bite me (or punch me in the stomach, Jitterbug kthanks) so the youngsters are not in the environment until I can devote full attention to them. So I suggest that she join her long distance friends Jitterbug and Larry and wait in the crate until you are ready to train š
>>Iām currently enjoying an unexpected 2-week vacation otherwise known as being laid off. >>
Oh no!!!!! I am happy that you are going to be able to have time to relax and catch up! I hope it is not too stressful!!! I know the dogs will love the extra time š
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>>i havenāt got all the way through the zoom chat yet but it was great therapy>>
Haha yes, it is therapy! And towards the end, check out my videos that indicate that dogs are not robots and sometimes we find holes when we least expect them LOL!! You will get a chuckle.
>>I waited to trial until she was 3 as she was my first agility dog and the beginning of her agility career was pandemicāØWe trialed for a little more than 1.5 years and she had just debuted in flyball in March and then retired in June>>>
Ugh, that stinks that she had to retire in June.
>>mostly she does class and seminars only bc reactivity>>
She can be your helper dog as you work on sequences, to help get in the flow for West who is fast and inexperienced!
>>And West ā who I admit ā I am putting in the ring sooner than I would prefer because I want to go to some trials and at least I can walk the course and make a plan for his nfc run>>
Well, if you are putting him in the ring with a solid NFC plan and you make it a grand time with a lot of success? Then it is not too early š I am happy to help with the plan!!!
>>I do have some questions about our first 2 trial experiences definitely he is doing only nfc and easy sequences and avoiding anything hard etc>>
Send the questions!
On the video:
>>If I had used food this would have gone much better but this is often how West is when he goes to a seminar or makes a guest appearance at my girlās class so it was good to video>>
I agree! It was a great video! And I was going to ask if he would work for food š
Thanks for showing the stay stuff!! He wants to move move move work work work and the toy made things very arousingā¦ so he could not stay and also could not always see that first jump.
Even the toy behind your back was easier (like at 4:45) to get the stay.
He considers āfocus forwardā to be work and settled in nicely when you cued that before the release to the jump š That is good to know!
>>I would not normally try for a stay when heās like this but since we were training in my yard ā I tried>>
It was good! That is why we are here!! So yes, training the sequence with a little bit of arousal from the toy at the beginning then putting it away in a pocket and going to food for the stay will probably be our best next step. And food rewards for staying sometimes too (but the release is far more reinforcing for him :)) You can do the first couple of runs like that, then switch to the toy – he did fine later in the video with the toy! He held his stay for a long time on that last run (you lead out a little too far, but he was in a good mindset).
The other option is to work hi with the toy and use a Cato Board for the stay, to practice sequences in high arousal.
>>He has a set up at my side that was trained over months and months ā pivoting a bowl, then a disc prop, then lots and lots of practice doing set ups around various distractions/new environmentsāØIt often disappears with arousal and his back up to alleviate anxiety is a hand touch to sit>>
It probably needs more layers of arousal in training, like sending him through the tunnel then asking him to pivot a bowl, then rewarding with the tug. That will teach the behavior in the same arousal state as he will be in when you cue the behavior, which will make it easier for him to do the behavior.
You can also bring the pivot bowl into the course with you to work line ups on course (this is totally legal in UKI NFC).
>>after all the struggle with stay I felt my feet were turned and not facing the first jump and the distance from the tunnel to jump was further than on the map so I wasnāt surprised that was hard>>
I think you probably needed to be one or two more steps ahead of him to indicate the jump – you were a little parallel to him which brought the tunnel into view. And he definitely has hearts in his eyes for the tunnel LOL! šš
Run at 3:40 was great – and you had nice decel on 3 so he collected really well.
At 3:44 you pointed forward ahead of him to 5 and that turned your shoulders away, so he turned with your shoulders and didnāt take the jump.Compare that to the low arm and great connection at 3:56 which got the commitment! YAY! The closing line looked great there too. That is what your future looks like: smooth, fast, great turns! We will get everything else sorted out š
Part of sorting the arousal will be the pattern games and volume dial game, so let me know how those are going.
Plus, for this kind of opening, you can also try it without a stay – will he be happy to let you gently hold his collar then send him to jump 1?
>>We tried 1 sit stay for sequence 2 but too far to lead out>>
Yes, it was a little too long of a lead out so he broke, he was quite good til then! Good boy!
You can break it down and start him between 1 and 2, so the lead out distance is shorter but you are still in position to show 3.Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Hi!
>> her case both- she has decided that she should round up sheep. >>
Ha! She is half border collie, after all LOL!
>>will now work a little for high quality food if not too much pressure.>>
This is great! You can build up food value by doing something simple like running around a wing, then asking her to eat a piece of cheese or chicken or something…. then giving her a toy or sending her into a tunnel. The eating is a behavior here, not a reward, but it quickly becomes a reward because it is associated with such great stuff like tunnels, toys, and running.
>> I also stuggle clarity and timeliness of cues ā she is not very forgiving when I am wrong as often happens.>>
She is REALLY fast and REALLY small… that is a hard combo to handle at first. You will get it, I am confident of that! As you are sorting it out, don’t let her think anything went wrong. Either reward immediately or keep going – even if you make something up. We will tackle teaching her more patience with handler error too!
>>she likes snuffle mats. also the side to side game, have done less with updown game. but also done abit with novel and exciting and doing stuff in different places.>>
This is great! You can add toys in here: use great food then after every treat or two, play tug. That makes the food so much more valuable.
>> But unlike my other dogs I dont feel as if I have the same intensity of wanting to do it that I have with my othr dogs I dont know whether that is because she is still young or whether we dont have the same reinforcemnet intensity built up or whether it is that the reinforcement isnt as good as it is food. >>
Do you mean the intensity of wanting to do the pattern games? If so, I think it is because the food value is not as high as the toys. If you have a great “out” of the toy on a verbal cue, you can also do pattern games with 2 toys. But I think if we mix toys in more with the food, the food value will really blossom.
>>We did alot with tricks when she was younger but need to bring it back- life has been abit full on in last few months and her training has not progressed as much as would like for this reason.>>
Yes, life keeps us busy sometimes and that is all good. I bet she remembers her tricks!
Keep me posted!
Tracy
Hi and welcome! He sounds adorable!!! And he sounds like a sensitive little dude who will totally benefit from the toolbox games!!!
The sequencing will be fun too, of course, but it sounds like he is doing great on course when he is comfortable.
As you work on the toolbox, keep me posted and we will bring it into the other environments to help him in all of the new situations. Get the games into a really happy place at home first, then it will be easy and fun to transfer that to other places š I am guessing his is motivated by food? Does he like toys too? And it sounds like moving really helps get him pumped up, based on how he enjoys running over th contacts š
Keep me posted!
Tracy
Hi! I am glad to see you and Obi here!!
>>We recently started taking a fundamentals class at a proper turf facility which also holds trials every weekend (Canine New England) and I can see a big difference in how he feels there (more hesitant) than in our regular High Fidelity spot or outdoors/back yard. So Iām sure the series will help with that>>
Hooray for a big ring with turf! And yes, it makes sense that he would be less comfy in a new place. The games in the A.R.E. toolbox will totally help that. The pattern games would be a great first step to help him get more comfortable there.
>>We had a slow agility training summer because of melting heat and life (not in a bad way, just super duper busy), but thatās ok and in the meantime we picked up fitness and Obi loves it. Heās a total gym rat >>
It is totally ok! He is young and large and male, so taking it slow is better š And the summer was CRAZY hot! It cracks me up that he is a gym rat, I can totally see him loving it š
One thing you can do is begin to bring him into different environments with the pattern games and volume dial games – and if he is happy to tug in those environments, then you can totally enter him in UKI NFC at a lower height like 12″!! All you need to do is email the trial secretary and they will put you in the low height. It is a great way to gain experience as the other things come together, like building up to the full height jumping. One of my whippets is doing his first trial next weekend: He measures into 20″ for real, but will be jumping 12″ NFC because his full height jumping is not ready, but I want him to play a bit in the ring and have a grand time š
>>Itās cool to see so much of Obiās style also show up in Breckās (and Allieās) runs ā¦ genetics!!!>>
Yes! They are the COOLEST dogs and you are going to have a great time with him in the ring!!!!!!!! Genetics ar so wonderful when they work in our favor, which they do in the case of Obi and his amazing family š
Have fun!
TracyHi!
That sounds like a fantastic trip!!! So fun!!!
>>I donāt think the issues we are trying to fix are due to stress or lack of confidence. If anything Coal probably has way too much confidence ā over arousal is not our friend.>>
I agree that it is all falling under the umbrella of arousal regulation and trying to help him not tip into overarousal (it is definitely NOT our friend LOL!!!) But with overarousal comes stress, especially when things are not 100% clear – and that is where dogs do things that look like confidence (like focusing on other dogs, for example) but are mainly ways to regulate arousal and relieve stress. So we will focus on making things super clear and helping with the arousal regulation.
On the first video:
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> He did well with his crate release! I think the mat and the targets for the pattern game were too close to each otherā¦ he couldnāt quite relax because he seemed unsure of if you wanted a mat behavior, or the pattern game engagement. So you can separate them more, with the mat near the crate and the targets either in your hand, or further away so you can be very clear about when the pattern games starts versus when he should chill on the mat. He did have some stress behavior there (full body shake off, scratching) but that was likely because he wasnāt sure if it was mat time or pattern game time.
When he is on the mat, you can look around more so he can relax and not offer behavior, and that will add more chill to his mat behavior š On the 2nd video, you sat in the chair and that was great for relaxing! No need to look at him intently during relaxation moments – looking at him might accidentally cue him to offer behaviors LOL! You had a nice long stretch of watching the ring and letting him chill on the mat- that was great š
When you cued him to get up and down a few times, I think it might muddy the meaning of the mat and delay the chill š What I mean by that is the mat should only really indicate one thing: relax. We donāt want Coal to think that the mat might also mean offering other behaviors or responding to other cues – so you can release him from the mat when you want him to move around and get more amped up.
These are looking good, so we can move to the volume dial game and tricks! What kinds of fun moving tricks does he know?
Great job :)āØTracy
