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Good morning!
Yes, walking agility is definitely eye-opening but also allows you to set up really good skills work! This session was lovely.
I think sequence 1 looked great! You did a huge lead out, she had lovely forward focus, and you were able to get commitment to jump 1 while easily getting to the FC at 3. Yay! And the connection on that opening and the rest of it looked great. Plus, using all the verbals was super helpful.
On the FC at 3, timing was really good and her commitment was strong! You went a little past the idea line so her turn was a tiny bit wide (:25 and 1:18, for example). When walking the course, choose the perfect path you want her to take, with nice tight lines – and put the FC on right on that line. In this was, it would mean not going much past 3 to set the best line. It looks like you were on the best line at 3:23 and tat was the rep where her turn was the best too!
She only had one other question, which was turning left at 4 on one rep. In that moment, you stepped in strongly to the line, which caused your motion to go more to the center of the bar so it looked like a RC cue (1:20). Great job continuing there, though, because you still had a really fast, clean run!
On the other runs, you sent her to 5 and turned to cue the right turn, and it was terrific (:36 and 1:52and 2:41 and 3:27). Plus, you were miles away from the jump and she committed brilliantly!
She was also moving really fast even though you were walking – she is really driving her lines! Love it!!! Since she is driving hard, you might want to get a few more tunnel bags – I think it is moving a bit too much and she fell in it or got caught on the exit on the first run. We want her to be perfectly sound when you get released to run!
Great job here!!
Tracy
Hi!
>>Oh, speaking of FDSA Camp, I have to give Reacher credit for hanging in there like such a champ all three days in that crazy environment. >>
What a good boy! That is a really hard environment, plus add in a travel… sounds like he did really well!!
>>I do have a furry lotus ball that I tried but it’s super hard to get open to quit. >>
Try attaching the furry lotus ball to a longer toy so you can drag it for him to grab 🙂 That will be exciting! More on that below 🙂
>>Where do you get your furriest exciting toys that the whippets like? >>
Roadkill! No, just kidding hahaha 🙂 Tug-away Cu U Win is a great place, and so is Clean Run.>>Good news – the UKI trial I entered him in WILL have the food box available. So we can make a plan for that. Julie H. was kind enough to remind me of that!>>
Super!! Try to practice that beforehand: leave a bag of treats in a similar set up, do a short sequence, run back to the bag of treats We don’t want to surprise him with this concept 🙂>>I’m trying out my husband’s new 360-degree view camera to keep the flow consistent moving from outside the ring to inside. >>
That was cool!!!!! Love it!!!!
>>Reacher wasn’t as jazzed about the toy like he is at home and even at the end of the run he left it to chase me instead. But let me know what you think of the porridge-heating.>>
Looking at the toy use: you should use a longer fur toy, or tie this one to something longer so you can drag it along the ground for him to chase 🙂 Plus, you can be more upright and move it away from him more easily which is more enticing for toy play.
He was playing nicely at the beginning, but you can ask for the tricks right away. That way he doesn’t get tired out by tugging for so long, but he will also be ready to play in the ring!
Then as you move to the line, keep him on leash and stay engaged til you get to your destination – the leash came off early so he kind of did his own thing for a bit. A a trial, the leash will stay on longer so we can get him used to that.
At the end – he as going really fast but then the toy drop was kind of a buzzkill, so he didn’t really think of it as a reward. With the really long toy, you can drop one end and then drag it for him to chase you praise and continue to run – I bet he will really like that!
On the 2nd video: He definitely likes the Lotus ball, and you can also attach it to a line so you can drag it like a toy for him to chase and grab at. That can make a super motivating reward at the end!!
On the sequence video:
He as interested in the flying squirrel, but it is small and he couldn’t really get a good grip on it because you were lifting it up and down. You can tie this one to something longer too 🙂 and that way he can grab it as you drag it away, tor drag it side to side. He did best with the toy when you were moving it side to side and keeping it low, like at :39 – :46 ish. That was great!>>I rewarded the error as that was definitely not great handling on my part>>
Yes! He totally read your info correctly and was super fast.
Then when you threw it to him at the end of the first run, he stopped and didn’t engage: the toy was too ‘dead’, like in the class. So dragging it away from him or throwing it ahead for him to chase will be very exciting!!
Your connection looked really good! On the first jump, you can be bent over holding him but be sure tat you are connected to help him commit to jump 1 so you dob’t have to run to it.
For the FC 3-4: try to decelerate into jump 3 rather tan run past it. That went well on run 1. When you went past it, he was confused about the line and that is where he slowed down. He was quite fast on the rest of it!! So the decel to set up the turn will give a clear cue and then you can stay connected to drive him trough 4-5 and beyond.
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi! Welcome back! She is looking great 🙂
On the tricks video:
The spins are super fun!! The line up and leg weaving is also great. The backing up and treat catching were excellent too! Her downs and crawling look good but are probably not as useful in the volume dial game as the action tricks where she is standing and moving. These tricks (plus her ‘blink’ hand touch) are very useful because you can get her moving and excited but you can also do them in a small space like outside the ring at a trial.The next step here is to try it outside. Pick a couple of her/your favorites, and do 5 in a row (trick:reward, 5 times) and then see how she looks: is she pumped up and ready to play? Or is she a little distracted? That will help us know how to help her get ready for her runs 🙂 You can also use a tug toy as the reward.
>>We did this extensively in those months she had to stay on lead, and it was a game we played every day. Bits of Control Unleashed.>>
Exactly! They are Controlled Unleashed games 🙂 Because she is strong with them at home, you can take them on the road and see how she does in different environments.
Great job here!
TracyHi!
>>He was doing great with his tricks, but holy cow is he one-sided on his spins. >>
Ha! That is pretty normal. You can help with a lure or a slower cue on the harder side.
>>I think you’re dead on that he gets over the pattern games easily – it’s a great way to start out, but I will need to watch to make sure I don’t bore him by doing too many.>>
Right! It might end up being too repetitive, so if he is engaged you can move to the next thing!
>>Anyhow, here’s some video of him doing his baby sequences in class last night. There are some elements that are kind of similar to the sequences posted in this class, but I had to use the course that was there, so it’s not the actual sequence >>
He did awesome! Totally engaged, didn’t look at the dog in the other ring… what a good boy! He read the lines really nicely 🙂 My only suggestion is to be sure that you don’t accidentally pair the release verbal with your movement – he might think the motion is the release, so on the forward focus sends you can put your arm & leg in position to indicate the jump, then hold still when you say the release til after he moves.
>>To me he feels engaged and ready to go – he turns to me for his toy when I take his leash off, and he’s snappy to line up and do stuff. >>
Totally agree!!! So great!!!!
>>We also had some teeter fun in this one, I think he scared himself a little bit with the first one, but he got right back on there. So we’ll keep working teeter stuff separately.>>
Yes – he was definitely a little concerned but he worked through that very quickly. Super!!
>>I hate them so much. I didn’t know you have a whippet toe vet!>>
Yep! They specialize in whippet and greyhound toes because both of those breeds are made of matchsticks and paper, so they injure toes all the time. I will find the info for you!
Nice work here :)
TracyHi!
>>yes, the Cheetos are way up there.
They are delicious 🙂
>> I’ve been doing the marking and rewarding for focus on me rather than focus on the outside of the ring. You can see his head turns to what’s going on. Is this focus forward stuff helping or am I just letting the adrenaline build, you can see the result of the 1st release, I gotta run a bit Tom!!>>
He did well here!! He came into the ring and lined up beautifully! After that, I think he was on the start line a little too long… he came into the line up with a lot of focus. But then after a few rewards and a fairly long time n the stay, he started to look at the other ring. So you can move through the line up and lead out and release more quickly. And to keep things exciting – you can throw a reward back to him when you want to reward the stay (I use a ‘catch’ marker then throw something back, a cheeto would be perfect for this!). Or you can release him into the sequence, I think he would like that too 🙂
And yes, he was really fast and you did well getting the handling on time on the 2nd and 3rd reps!
In between the reps, you can bring him back to the start line by doing tricks so he doesn’t consider taking off at all.
>>Regarding seminars, got a few in the real near future 10/19 -4 hours with an Ana Mrksic 10/22 – 4 hours with Lee Gibson and Ola Kordas>>
Fantastic!!
>>Both of these are in the turf arena, too tight inside to do much pattern work in there while waiting, but I usually work them right outside the open door. >>
You can work the back and forth game outside the door, then when you are in tighter quarters by the ring, use the up and down game where he is in front of you and you are bending over to put the treats on your shoe 🙂 Then as you enter the ring, do your tricks on the way to the line to get him pumped up!
All of these instructors will present some challenging international-style sequences, so there might be handling bloopers. Be sure to reward him a LOT (or keep going) so he stays motivated as you work the hard stuff. Then in the in-between moments when you are getting feedback, you can have him next to you (gently hold his collar). And before the next rep – do some quick tricks for treats to get I’m pumped up again.
Get video! And keep me posted, I am excited to hear about how he does!!
Tracy
Hi!
>>Also I should add on the second day we used the Treat and Train. Sat on the ground and let him go over the jump himself and clicked the Treat and Train and/or gave him steak. He started focusing and did couple jumps and ran out of the ring happy.
Terrific!!
>>Second time. He was in shutdown mode again and just engage with him on the floor as same at the first time out. >>
If you see him slip into shutdown mode, try doing the pattern game with really great treats, and let me know how he does. You might have to start a little further away at first and hen move him closer to the ring then into the ring.
>>Third time out. The Treat and Train was put in front of the jump. He took it. Next moved the Treat and Train about 2 feet. Over the jump by doing a backside and right to the Treat and Train. Did this 2 more times. Then he just did a sequence of 6 jumps focused and confident. Hope this gives you some insight.>>
So on the 2nd turn when he was more shut down – there was no treat and train? The treat and train makes reinforcement really predictable, and he might struggle when the reinforcement is *not* predictable – we will definitely be working on that in upcoming games! For now, the pattern game is going to be the way to go to jump start his engagement 🙂
>>I was planning on doing the 2 pattern games and spinning outside of the ring and then inside and gage him. >>
Yes! I like it 🙂 Get video, if possible. Use the super high value treats and when he is engaging with the pattern game, you can move closer and start the tricks. If you see him begin to get concerned or shut down, move further from the ring and go back to the pattern games.
>>Also I have planned to do a class on Tuesday at the place where he shutdown at the seminar. He has been to this place many times and was running great. I want to see how he responses in a class environment there again.>>
Perfect! Keep me posted on how he does at the run through then we can sort out the class 🙂 Enjoy!!
Tracy
Fantastic! They both found really fun!
Arousal regulation will help both! Basically, we are teaching their bodies to regulate through pattern games and the volume dial game. The pattern games help them begin to filter out environmental distractions, and the volume dial game helps bring both dogs into an optimized arousal state. Play both of the games at home, so the dogs recognize them immediately and enjoy them. It won’t take long at all! Then we can put them into the agility training in the harder environments.
Keep me posted on how they do!
TracyGood 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 🙂
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 “divided attention state”>>
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 I’m teaching I’m 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 🙂
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 Cheeto’s 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 🙂 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 – 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 🙂
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 🙂
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 🙂
>>opinionated kleptomaniac PWD>>
OK please tell me more about this dog too LOL!!!! Especially the kleptomaniac part 🤣😂
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 🙂
Tracy
Hi!
>>My space is a little tight so I edited out jump #5 for sequence #1. I’ll 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. We’ve 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 doesn’t 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 – you’ll see!>>
That went great! And they yes, she lost patience when you took too long to start LOL!! So have the cookies ready so she doesn’t 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: spins hand targets leg 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 – but to be honest, I’m afraid she will hurt herself. Am I being over protective? >>
Yeah, I can totally relate here too – we don’t want her jamming her hind end by boinging… so you can ignore her if she offers it and encourage her to do something else instead like a spin 🙂
>>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?

>>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 🙂
>> 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 🙂
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 he’s super excited. I don’t think he was overfaced, especially in the 2nd video, but I’m curious if you think we should back it up at all.>>
In the first video, I thought he did great here!! Especially after Shenna greeted him 🙂 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 didn’t try to bark or chase the dogs in the ring 🙂>>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 “Move on, already!” 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. It’s 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 🙁 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 I’m taking him to one of her classes and we’re just doing outside the ring stuff, start line work, and tiny low sequences to get him some exposure. It’s 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 🙂
Tracy
Hi!
>>I also find that the need for arousal changes training to trialing.>>
This is totally true!
>> In training when it’s 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 what’s 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!!
Tracy
