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Good morning!
The NextLevel Pup game looked really strong here!! Adding motion after approx :45 was easy for her, and she was happy to find the jump.
>>I tried to walk a straight line from the middle of the tunnel without creating too much lateral distance that would cause her to question the jump.
Since she is ready for you to keep adding lateral distance bit by bit, you can use a jump pole to draw lines in the footing so that you can use the lines to run on – this way you can stay closer and closer to the start wing (and further from the jump).
You can also add getting her to drive ahead by running in really close to the tunnel before moving forward again, so she ends up ahead of you. This might be harder for her, so you can be closer to the jump and throw the reward really early.
On the contacts foundation game –
>>She actually knows how to do this but in an entirely different way. I taught her when I face her and she’s coming to me, there’s a command for stopping in motion and sitting or laying down immediately.>>
Super! That is the obedience version of it! The agility version has the handlers facing away, as if we are running a course. This is really hard for the dogs because motion is saying one thing (move forward) and the verbal is saying the total opposite 🙂 You were probably moving a bit too fast for her at the beginning, which is why she needed multiple cues to get the sit going. Ideally, we want her to sit pretty quickly after the first & only cue, so to get this going you can dial back your motion to the slowest possible shuffle (barely walking LOL). For some dogs, we start by just marching in place to start this game. And then when they understand to respond to the verbal even if the motion is doing something else, then it is easier to add more speed back in.
She was definitely working to figure it out! And as she gets the sit happening faster, you can also clarify the release by either releasing forward using your release verbal (mine is “break”) or throw the reward back with a separate marker (I use “catch” for that). Try not to praise her until after the reward or release forward, so she doesn’t think the praise is the release.
Looking at the teeter game:
>>I’m just not familiar with how it’ll translate to the teeter.>>
The dogs need to shift weight into their rear end to ride the teeter to the ground, so we like to shape them to really think about their back feet on the board as sign a good thing. And it is great for balance, since the teeter is in the air and they really have to use their core strength and hind end to avoiding falling off 🙂
>>Your dog makes it look so obvious that you want her hind legs on the board but I don’t know if I’ll get that? >>
Before starting it, the dogs have been taught to back up on the flat – it is a great game for hind end awareness, so if she hasn’t done that yet then we can get that started. Otherwise, you are correct: she will have no idea that we want her to back up onto the plank.
Here is how I start it:
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyYay! Super update!!! I have found this game translates to super stopped contacts (without having to actually work on the contacts themselves :))
You can spice it up by having something interesting out ahead, like a toy on the ground – walk towards it and use your sit cue to see if she can still respond to it 🙂And I moved Ken’s question over to his thread 🙂
Tracy
Good morning!
Nice job working through the rear cross versus FC on these! At the beginning, the cues at :14 and :18 were both on the wrap-to-the-right wing so that is what she did. On the next couple of reps, your motion was more towards the center of the bar so she read the rear cross info. Yay!When you add the tunnel and more speed, you will want to be running that line to the center of the bar before she passes you, so she is making the turn decision as she lands from the previous jump. And if you are running the RC pressure line, there is no need to turn your feet to the new direction til she is just about taking off. If you run forward to the other wing then try to cut in to show the RC line, she is likely going to wrap back for the FC. And if you turn your feet to early to get the RC (before she passes you) then you will get a backside.
The last 2 reps here had the backside pushes (deliberately, I believe :)) and they looked great!!!
Nice work!
TracyHello and welcome back! It sounds like the break weeks were perfectly timed to re-charge a bit 🙂 All 3 boys are doing well – congrats on qualifying for Nationals!!!!
I am looking forward to hearing about how Sealey does with the new games. Have fun!!!
Tracy
Good morning and welcome back!!
>> his fixation on other dogs playing agility is a major obstacle that we are working hard to overcome.>>
This is not that unusual at his age. The pattern game from MaxPup 1 will be really helpful as you navigate adolescence!
Pre-games 1 and 2 are looking super, especially with him holding his stay til released while you drag the toy! YAY!!!! Onwards to the games coming tonight!
Tracy
Good morning! Welcome back! I am SO GLAD the surgery is done and you are cleared to play! No worries about the tunnel bags, sounds like you’ve got a plan that will work 🙂
>> Many dogs are unable to run at that location. He walked into that building like he owned the place.
Heck yeah!! That is BIG!!!!
>>generally gave me lots of hope he’ll be able to trial in that building. >>
I am sure he will. What struggles do other dogs have there?
>>I put him on the table, put the wicket on his back, he just stood there looking around. Think he’s going to be very close to 15″ >>
Under 15? That would be great – 15″ and under would mean 12″ in UKI and that is lovely!!!!
>>He did lose his mind when a friend was in the ring running her dog and then a BIS completely destroyed his brain. He couldn’t even eat a treat after that.>>
He will learn to ignore other dogs running as well as BIS – he has probably never really experienced that. Do you have any friends with intact girls who can send smelly stuff to train with when they are in season?
Have fun!
Tracy
Hello and welcome back! It sounds like he is doing great!!! And fingers crossed that you have plenty of good weather to play outside 🙂
Have fun!
TracyGood morning and welcome!!! I am excited to see more of baby Jimothy 🙂 He is growing up fast but still absolutely adorable and charming 🙂
Tracy
Good morning! Welcome!!
Look at him bringing the toy back, even with the other dog there! Super!!! Cheese is very powerful (and trading is fine for now because it gets the behavior and eliminates all conflict about it :))
The moving target is looking strong on the video too – we will be using that for jumping stuff and also it will help with his stay!!
>>He tries hard to keep his head screwed on tight, but life is just really, really exciting sometimes.>>
Great job working on the pattern games, also known as Adolescence Survival Tools haha!!! You will start to see big changes ahead 🙂
Have fun!
TracyGood morning! Welcome back!!!
>>Nine month West is very distracted! And is off to check things out!>>
Ah, the joys of adolescence! We can work on that to help him handle the added distraction.
>>He is getting the idea to move next to me without tackling me and to work through a little excitement or frustration without jumping/humping – and I know him better 🙂>>
Yay! Super!!!!
>>Right as max pup 1 was ending he got so stuck – he could turn and push off the wall or grab the tennis ball but he could not figure out how to coordinate the two, but he has figured out that it’s possible>>
Nice!!!! For now, you can give the box turn a break because he is a little young to do more (ideally we finish it off when he is closer to 16 months or so, when his brain and body have caught up to each other LOL!). I can give you a ton of flyball games to play in the meantime, which will help with his focus 🙂
>>New challenge: our stay around distractions is oh so delicate and fragile and then poof, sometimes it just disappears>>
Adolescence! This class will definitely have an Adolescence Support Group element to it LOL!! We will work on this too 🙂
Have fun!
TracyGood morning and welcome!!! It sounds like he is doing GREAT in his multi-sport foundations 🙂
>> our main issues right now seem to be flanking and running behind me.>>
Pretty normal baby dog stuff and we will be able to sort that out in this class 🙂
>>I have been setting the bars at 12” for quite some time. He is currently 11 months old, so I wanted to ask you when I should begin raising the height.>>
You have literally months to very slowly raise the height – he is a big boy so you have a ton of time to let him physically and mentally mature 🙂 For now, leave the bars at 12″ as we sort out the flanking and going behind you. Then when he is over a year we can work up to elbow height for when he is 15-16 months old. Then 20″ around 18 months and so on.
Side note about bar height: get off of social media or hide people so you don’t have to see all of these people putting the bars up at full height for 14-15 month old BCs. LOL!!! That is 10000% against the advice of sports vets because of the lack of soft tissue development. Plus mentally, their brains are not mature enough to deal with the coordination.
Tracy
