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Found it!
She is similar to my CB so it would be similar wrapping. For him I use powerflex and wrap 4 times around for flyball and 2 times for agility. And I take it off after each run.
T
Winter is here too early, it can go away!! Ugh! I have been collecting course maps for Muso’s winter training 🙂
T
If you are having rain issues but will have dry times over the weekend, feel free to submit! I might not be able to look til Monday but we definitely want to gt in as much work as possible 🙂
T
Hi!
It is one of the Laws Of Dog Training that all awesome reps do NOT end up on video LOL!!
He did well here – the hard part was finding the cookie at the beginning but then when he did, the rear crosses looked great.
>I tried your other rear cross exercise in the backyard earlier, but I think i need to build more value for the foot target,>
If he is doing well with this version of the RC game, don’t worry about doing it with the foot target. About half of the pups are so focused on the foot target that they really don’t even consider turning the new direction, even when the handler is on time with the RC info. This game takes out that focus on the foot target so we get the RC behavior much more easily. An this version of it transfers to the jump really well too.
Great job!!
Tracy
Hi!
>
It wasn’t that hot, less than 20 celcius (65f), but I’ve noticed he seems quite sensitive to the heat, seeking out shadows. Goals for this summer is getting him keen on a paddling pool. (I will try to groom him this weekend to get rid of some coat!)
>We don’t think it is that hot and the adult dogs think it is hot… but it he is new to the world so he might be like, wow this is hot LOL!! It will get easier as he gets used to it.
T
Oh, I will take that to mean the food reward did not help him come back LOL!!
You can put taking the toy for a run on cue – then let him do it for a bit. And when he has had a nice victory lap, call him back (don’t let him give you the toy until you call him back). That will help get the woohoo out with the toy and builds the retrieve because we can more consistently get the behavior.
T
>I’m saying “payday” as my marker cue (but haven’t got the ear buds wired for sound), then ‘wow’ ing. Probably the “wow” is overpowering the payday, so I’ll try to make that cue bigger.>
Ah yes! If the marker was there, say it big and loud in the same tone as the wow, then be silent of a few steps before adding the praise so the payday marker is really salient.
>> He didn’t seem stressed at all,
I’m so sensitized to Franken-feelings, it was quite revealing to me how happy Bazza was with this exercise.
>Yes! It was very cool to see him enjoying it 🙂
T
Good morning!
>Sent you a DM so you can see what Sprite is doing. We can work on it in the privates? It was never her best skill before, but it’s much worse now.>
Sounds good! I might not be able to answer the DM today (9 hours of driving ahead, ugh!) bit I will go back and see what helped her before her injury and we can look at how to refresh and update that to help her out again. Dr. Canapp says hello haha 🙂
First video – look at that line up and lead out!!!! Very cool! Great job with all the stay rewards too.
On the straight line release, I think the fast movement drew her eyes off the jump. You can release and just walk at the same pace for now. Placing the reward out in a really visible way past the jump will help too – she is just more locked into your motion right now (totally normal for a herding breed :)) so a reward target is very useful. She was getting it by the end, but we want the first reps to be successful too 🙂
The wrap to the left looked great! Nice collection and she finished the wrap. Really nice!
2nd video: this also went really well. The lineup and stay looks good – she was predicting the rhythm of your release a little (standing up when she was predicting you’d release, so you can mix up the time difference between releasing/rewarding quickly versus praise for a few seconds, etc. The wrap to the right also looked good – she might be a little stronger to the left on this skill but both sides looked good! She did miss the jump on the straight line when you were moving fast an holding the toy (on your right side) so I think a lot of reward target will help – it is a good spot of that manners minder, because the MM can just sit out there the whole time: it gets triggered for the straight line stuff, and the FC then toy reward is used for the wraps.
Great job!
Tracy
Good morning!
>I’m glad we didn’t get an ice storm here. It does look like winter is here to stay now though.>
Maybe winter will do what summer did: come in gross and terrible but then settle down into a lovely weather pattern.
It looks like he is getting more and more comfy tugging in the barn! I liked the minny pinny session because he was also thinking about his feet relative to the bars: he was ticking them a bit at the beginning as he sorted it out, but then he seemed to make a conscious effort to work the setup without touching the bars. GOOD BOY!! We do like it when they don’t touch bars LOL!! It vey cool to see him do that.
>I think the rocking horses with tunnel games may have helped increase the fun for him on barrels. >
OMG yes! He was giving his excited squeaks and driving to the barrel even with you just walking! You can keep expanding the distance and so he can drive further away, and you can also add more running too 🙂 And depending if he is comfy with the threadle wraps on one barrel, you can start to put them into the rocking horse games too.
Backside slices are going really well too. The next steps build off the serp line of motion (that you started at :42) – then dropping the reward on the landing side just near the entry barrel. You had serp motion at :42 and after, but the reward placement was out ahead near the exit which can induce running past the bar when you add more speed. By over-exaggerating the placement by having it near the entry wing, he will round the entry barrel and be looking for the bump immediately, rather than looking at you 🙂
Since this went really well, you can add more lateral distance, getting further and further away on the parallel path. And on the lines of motion closer to him, you can run more 🙂
Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
>don’t know how you all get through the winters!
I live in the south now, so we rarely see bad weather. I had to travel up to western Maryland – snow, ice, COLD! EWWWW! 😆
The session with the food only went much better! She still doesn’t want the toy as the reward, so that is a good reason to make sure nothing hurts.
For the wraps: she is collecting really well! She was back jumping when you did a spin and/or moved fast, so try to do a FC and approach it like we did with turn and burn: wait til she is almost finished with the wrap, then do the FC and run and reward
The bowl definitely helped her with the parallel line to the jump! I think you can also add more connection – looking at her more will point your shoulders to the line better.
About the recall – I don’t think it is a male versus female thing, because females are less goofy at this age LOL! But you can turn it around with a chase game (without restraining): call her and run the other way to a hidden reward, so she chases you. Usually running the other way is very compelling especially when iy means cookies! And do a lot of them, informally scattered throughout the day, reward, then send her back to whatever she was doing. All of that can help her whip her head around and chase you when you call her 🙂
Nice work here! Keep me posted on the recall!
Tracy
Regarding using food – Great minds think alike. This session was done on the same day as the previous one. I gave her a 20 minute sniff and potty break and we came back to playing with this exercise. I didn’t have any trouble getting her to tug with me before the exercise, no problem with her release, but couldn’t get her on the toy after taking the “jump”. Switched to food and things went better. Came into me for the parallel path so I had to get a target bowl. Was pleased that she ignored the bowl for the deceleration turn, although most of them she back jumped. Here’s the video.
Hi!
Sorry for the delay, this ice storm and travel to rural Maryland has messed with my internet!!
>She definitely does this at home too though. Any time she isn’t jumping in full extension her hind legs are tucked. Not something I love seeing, but I’m waiting to see if she rounds out when jumps do go up? >
I think part of it is whippet movement and part of it will be smoother with more experience.
>>not sure wrapping her feet will help since I don’t think the problem was lack of traction between her feet and floor but more the whole floor would move under her foot but I’m willing to try if you have a video of how to do it. >
I don’t think she was slipping but she might not have felt like she could securely grip for takeoff, so she was adjusting to push less. And yes, I do have a video of how to do it 🙂
It’>when I watch the slow mo of Roots on that turf he looks more comfortable there than almost any dirt surface I’ve ever run him on (where I almost always see at least one “skitter” per run).>
I think small dogs on dirt actually have a harder time because variations in the surface are bigger, to them.
>Whoa, tried this this morning and it broke her brain. >
That’s good to know! Makes it easier to add training challenges 🙂 You can start at a much lower volume if that helps her process the distraction.
>Over the winter there’s a group of us that get together once a month or so to set up some international stuff to train on together. The whole point is to be able to talk over various handling options and give each other advice, so just working Beat on this wouldn’t be part of the spirit of the group, but if I can get my act together I might be able to work on some of the outside the ring behavior while others run. >
This is perfect!!
>In the past I’ve found it hard to mentally run the adult dog (Roots) and then bring out the baby, as I have needed the time between turns to reset myself. I’ll just need the self control to do VERY short sequences for Roots and not push my brain too much running him (we could use the confidence boost any way!)>
Yes!! And Beat can do a small piece or a variation. And your training partners can help get you to do it 😉
>After tonight’s discussion, I feel like I need a flow chart for her pre and post run routines!>
A flow chart can help you visualize things for her, and move pieces around based on what happens.
, > But her waiting behavior I feel like is getting worse, as I got some barking at the last trial >
That’s where the engaged chill is key: we need to teach her to be able to be excited, but to just watch, ideally on a loose leash. Teach it at home, separately, til there is a pretty long time between cookies (and minute or so). When you take it places, you’ll want to deliver cookies more rapidly but she will soon enough be able to be chill while you are not engaged with her and not rapid-fire giving treats 🙂
> but where does it cross the line and those things become “entertaining the dog” the entire time? >
Great question! For me, entertaining the dog means I am looking at them, giving cues, delivering treats fast, for an extended period. Exhausting for everyone! Ideally, we have extended periods of engaged chill where I am not giving cues or looking at/talking to the dog. And treats are delivered slowly. But that has to be trained, so you can move it to the top of the priority list 🙂
A> to keep her from rehearsing staring at the next dog coming in, instead of trying to keep her on the toy post run, maybe just get the leash on and get the heck outta dodge far far from the ring to a decompression activity until she can regulate herself a bit better?>
I think leash on and toy play at the end can be pretty simultaneous which will help her stay engaged with you and not with the other dog. That is something to rehearse with your training partners this winter! Beat does a simple sequence, goes to leash & toy… as another dog is entering. That will make things trial-like!
> I’d hate for putting the leash on to become punishing and I could see that happening, and I’m not sure if this just avoids the issue rather than train for it.>
I think getting the leash on and getting out for decompression might be a little punishing and indeed avoids the issue. You can teach her go shove her pointy nose through the leash loop go get more tugging, then have treats right outside the ring too. She’s really a good girl so I think showing her the exit process and rehearsing it will make things easy!
Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Omg you were right, that velcro totally sounded like it was right next to you! That was a distraction plus the people nearby – he was a very good pup to stick with the tunnel game!
It also looks like it was hot – bearing in mind that this is his first summer of life, it might take him a bit to acclimate to the heat.
>On the second rep, he was making to dart round the tunnel, I stupidly reached out to him (should have just let him make the mistake), I think i accidentally bent barry’s tail – very slightly – he was very dramatic about it. Poor lad – just overwhelmed by everything i think>
Seeing these 3 videos in a row, I think he got sensitized to grabbing for/stepping on the leash. He felt it yank his neck a couple of times previously, then when you stepped/reached for him, he was super sensitive about it. So… no more dragging the leash in training so you cannot accidentally step on it 🙂 That opens up the opportunity to use food to reward him for moving away from the toy on the ground,ignoring the people, etc. The facility looks fenced wo i don’t think he is going anywhere 🙂
Nice work here!
TracyHi!
This went really well too! He didn’t seem stressed at all, just happy to play a new game 🙂 Nice work mixing up the distance away from the rewards before you marked and ran back – it was unpredictable in a fun way 🙂It was a little unclear as to what the exact marker was – the first word on most reps was “Wow!” but I don’t think that was the marker 😀 so be sure to say the marker first, then you can add in the praise.
Because this went so well, you can add in asking for simple tricks as you move away from the reward station.
Great job!
TracyHi! Thanks for your patience with my ice-storn induced delay. I hate winter!!
This session went well! Your mechanics for the handling were good! When you had connection on the exit of the blind, then pivoted slowly enough to keep connection: perfect! I think there was only 1 spot where you needed more connection and 1 spot where you pivoted too fast, the rest was great.
He definitely enjoyed his victory lap after driving to the toy! You can see if he will bring it to you for a food reward – the toy was not enticing enough. Also, take his leash off so you aren’t tempted to step on it (which can yank his neck). I bet the food reward will help him bring it right back 😀
Nice work!
Tracy
