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Hi!
She is so cute! I love her! She did a great job with her foot targeting. I think after each cookie she was not sure if she was supposed to come back to you or touch it again. No worries, we can clarify that for her!
Start by standing closer to the prop, so it is more obvious to her. When she offers the touch, you can say ‘get it’ (instead of the click) and toss the treat off to the side for her to go get 🙂 then when she turns back to you, the prop will be right there and she will probably offer it. Then you can say “get it” and toss the treat the other direction.The ‘get it’ marker can replace the click at this point, because ‘get it’ will tell her she is correct AND tell her where to go get the treat. This will serve us well in upcoming games!
And good job adding tugging in! She definitely likes it, so you can tug then trade for a cookie to get the toy back. We will eventually add a real “out” cue, but for now you can just offer a trade (cookie near her nose) and see if that helps her give it back.
Great job here!!
TracyHello!
>.For the Accordion setup for Bazinga, should I start introducing a bar?
>Should I do a set of the regular setpoint and add a bar on the last jump before I do this new game?Yes! And also yes – do it as bar 2 on the set point first to introduce it to her and see how it goes. I am sure it will be fine 🙂 Then us bars from jumps 2 and 3 of the ladder. If that is fine, you can use bars on jumps 2 and 3 of the accordion. Bar 1 can still be a noodle, because she is so little 🙂
>> If so, what would you recommend I set it to? My jumps don’t have jump cup strip. They are a single, slideable cup. I think I can approximate 4 inches (it may actually be a little lower than that). My bars won’t lock in on the cups though, so they will just sit in the cup.>>
Yes, try to approximate 4 inches and see how she feels about it 🙂
>>I missed the beginning of the class chat this week about Weaves & Teeters & Contacts. Will these classes ever be offered “live” again or should we sign up for the independent study versions?>>
The might be offered live when we get closer to spring, so folks don’t have to contend with snow!
>>Should I be signing her up for group classes to get her used to a more distracting environment>>
Yes!!!
>> or should I wait until the MaxPup4 class?
No need to wait, the next MaxPup 4 will be in the late spring.
>> We are going to a puppy seminar this week with Dudley Shumate and I’m curious to see how she does in that environment. I’m going to bust out the super bowls and Resilience games when we get >>
You will have a blast! And yes, bring all your pattern games 🙂 Dudley is great about reinforcing dogs and handlers so I think you will both enjoy it!
Tracy
Hi!
>>. However, outside the ring, she was nervous. We tried some pattern games, but with the grass and my selection of treats they didn’t work so well. Neither did our rally run thru. Just too much for her.
The video doesn’t have any of this, so some ideas to try:
– higher value treats, really delicious stuff that she doesn’t normally get
– adding distance between you can the other people and dogs
– if the gass makes it harder to find the treats for the back and forth patten game, you can practice in grass more frequently (I find big pieces are string cheese are great for use on grass). Or, you can do the up and down game where you put the treats on your shoes 🙂She did really well with the run through! My only suggestion is to clarify the contacts for her – she does not seem entirely sure where to stop, so she is trying to decelerate and line up with you. Ideally, she goes to the end fast and independently – you can use targets to help her with this. And targets are great during run throughs – and UKI allows us to put targets down during an NFC run!!
The sequence work went well!
On the first sequence here – remember to line her up on a slice to be facing 2, not directly facing 1. Goo djob working on the timing of the verbal and FC before the tunnel: on the first rep, you were a little late. On the 2nd rep, you were too early 🙂 She saw the connection break when you started looking forward as she landed from 4 and was coming off the line to you, reading the BC. The third rep was really strong (1:41) – you had clearer connection to commit her to the tnunel, your verbal was timely and your outside arm was coming up to start the rotation all before she entered the tunnel. And it produced a nice turn on the exit!
2nd sequence – really good slice lineup on 1, she read 1-2 really well!
Strategically, if you are going to blind 4-5, you don’t need to be that lateral on the lead out because you got too far ahead on 3 (and a little on her line for the BC 4-5). Youc an stay closer to 1 and 2 and send away to 3, which makes it easier to get to the blind 4-5. The blind itself looked really strong!!!3rd sequence:
I like that you are trying all the blinds!Yay! At 2:29 you were too early with the BC – it was finished as she was just getting out of the tunnel, so she was correct to not take the 3 jump. To get the timing, you can make connection on the original side as she exits the tunnel and when you see her look at the #3 jump, you can start the blind.>>Question: I’d like to try to use the snuffle mat for decompression after runs. Is this something that can be waiting for her in her crate when we are finished or does decompression work best outside of the crate?>>
Great question! I think the snuffle mat works best in a quiet place, so in the crate (as long as you are supervising and she doesn’t eat the snuffle mat itself LOL!) or near the crate are both good.
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Hi!
We can get her set up with auditing if she is interested. She can email support@agility-u.com and the tech crew can help 🙂Tracy
Hi! I am glad she came home from the trial feeling pumped up!!!
>>For me, it is not about the ease on the knees when doing a BC, but the stiffness in the hips. My exercise now is to do variations on the grapevine exercise. The good things that will result from your webinar are infinite!!!>>
That is great! And it will help all aspects of agility. I find that human ladder work and yoga are also really helpful for our crazy agility dance moves 🙂
The 2 videos here were really interesting! The handling went well, but the most interesting part of it was the marked difference in her engagement when you had empty hands, versus when there was cheese in your hand or mouth, or when you pulled the toy out of your pocket.
Having her come into the training on leash then putting the leash on the ground adding a tiny bit of pressure/distraction and that really showed us her questions about empty hands.
When your hands were empty (like at :28-:45 on the first video, when you gave the last cookie for a trick then tried to line her up for the jump with empty hands, or at :25-:36 and 38-:48 on the 2nd run where she had to go past the leash and your hands were empty) – she was tended to freeze, or go really slowly like moving through molasses 🙂 This is a stress response and can manifest as freezing (this is pretty common especially in breeds that tend towards being pointing breeds).
But when you put a cookie in your hand, or reached for the ball… back to full speed! That is great info on how the visibility of the motivator can break through the arousal or stress of the situation.
So when working on harder handling? You can have the motivator in your hand for now.Separately, let’s build up the remote reinforcement so she can be just as fast without anything in your hand! Start with the reward station and leaving the treats on it, taking one step away, then going back for rewards. As she gets happier to leave the cookies on the reward station, you can add in more steps, or a trick, or one jump or one tunnel. We can really pump up this skill over time (and add some distractions, like a leash on the ground :))
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>.Yes, I mean the leash as a toy.She will run away with it.
Got it! You’ll want to work the retrieve of the leash separately in order to eb able to send her to it in the ring. That is a low priority for now, though – you can use it as the gateway to the cookies or toys! Leash on, cookies/toys are coming!
>>Okay, I need to praise first and then go for chips or toy – got it.
Yes, mix that in sometimes so she doesn’t anticipate the marker and run to the reward station.
>>>I have a friend who wanted to join the class but hasn’t heard back from you. Is it still possible to join for working?>>
Sorry! I must have missed this. We are almost halfway through, so I am not sure she will be able to get the same value from it in a working spot – might be better to audit so she doesn’t feel rushed?
>> would there be any value for us to sign up for Max Pup 1? Is it the only way to continue with you or are you planning some other class?>>
I think MaxPup 1 will be too fundamental for the agility skills (although the resilience element is definitely something worthwhile!) I will be posting other classes for the winter – smaller space stuff until the weather gets good again 🙂
Ttracy
Hi!
>>We’d been here once before. I got the same type of behavior.
>>This pattern game attempt was a good bit after he was all done and we were basically packing up and on our way out.>>It is possible he was relaxed, tired, and not hungry 🙂 Try it next time when you arrive and see what he does!
>>I know you have previously said this should be done at home with few distractions so we don’t poison the pattern. With that being said, should I also try to bring him out to quiet different locations and try to do this so he gets accustomed to doing it outside of home? Your thoughts on this?>>
Yes – doing it at home with no distractions will balance out adding the real world distractions, to keep the game neutral. But you can also add simple distractions at home and yes, you can take it to different places outside of home.
>>I did the second half of the mid-course sequences this morning. Little guy was on fire! So fun!
I love it! It is fun to see him driving his lines! He also seemed to get fired up by the leaf-removal – he was SO FAST after you did that!
>> He continues to go check out the leash when I throw it aside like he did the first rep but is becoming more accustomed to it.>>
You can incorporate this into the volume dial game: toss the leash behind you and then move away from it or past it, doing tricks for treats or the tug toy. And try to throw it to a location that is not quite as challenging to run past.
>He is just a little weirdo LOL (said with love). Today he refused the cheese that he would eat the other day and decided kibble was the go to treat >>
He is like a Border Collie – picky eater especially when working. I think a rotation of the different treats will work best: whatever he ate yesterday as a reward should be put away and tried again in a week LOL!
1:03 good FC wrap but might be faster going to the outside 0 definitely more of an extension line.
Remember to add in a GO before he enters the tunnel, so he doesn’t look at you on the exit (2:28)
>> I so did not set him up for the second rep rear cross and he was so good to listen to his right wrap verbal. What a good boy.>>
Yes, he was great! I think you were waiting for him to get past you and then showing the RC, but that was too late – he was already committed to the jump and read the right turn after landing.
>> Third rep rear cross again I was a bad handler – pulled him off the jump because I decelled too much and should have gone deeper at least one more step.>>
it wasn’t the decel that pushed him off, it was the early rotation of your feet – he hadn’t gotten past you yet and you turned to the fence, which pushed him off the line. So yes, go forward to the center of the bar for another step or two so he can get past you.
>> In the moment I just circled him and repeated it. >>
That is fine, but do it with a poker face: don’t mark it or discuss it, because he will wonder what happened and it draws his focus away from the line 🙂 Just pretend you meant for it to happen and keep going like it was the numbered course.
>>Last rep was to steal your phrase, the Goldilocks rep :).
Yes, it was just right 🙂 Yay! Remember to say “right” and not go for the RC and it will be perfect!
>> He loved his toy today and was all about tugging and chewing.>>
It is great tugging weather – not too hot where tugging can be exhausting.
>>If you ever go to Rising Star or Quicksilver Canine for agility let me know. I may be able to enter something and meet up with you there. It would be fun.>>
I will probably end at Rising Star at some point, I need to check the UKI calendar 🙂 I go to Quicksilver for flyball but I don’t think I have any agility coming up there.
Great job here!
TracyFor the measuring, make sure he is good and tired out before you measure him, so he can relax. And make sure he has peed and pooped right before, because this can make a difference!!
And practice to see what helps him stand square – where do you need to be, does he need treats, etc and would it help if a friend helped him stand quietly?
Hello and welcome!!! I am excited to have TWO baby whippets in the class!!
Lovely sessions here with the foot targeting – you had really good timing with the clicks and adding the tossed rewards got her really driving back and forth nicely! The value is looking strong for the next steps that we will be adding tonight. You might need to find a reward that she doesn’t need to chew as much LOL!! And it sounds like she was able to tug between the cookie sessions? Terrific!
Did she clack at you at 1:00? LOL!!!! LOVE IT!! HA! Spicy 🙂
Great job here! I am excited to see more!
Tracy
Hello and welcome! Maui sounds so fun, devil horns and all! I like ’em spicy like that LOL!!
>> I was also at that seminar in Colorado Springs. You may remember I had a 3 week old cocker baby that I was tube feeding. The hosting club was very gracious and let me have a spot for him in the break room since it was so cold. 🙂 That seems like a million years ago and these puppies are distant relatives of that one.>>
OMG! I do remember that!!! Wow, seems so long ago!
>>I also have two more litter mates, Carley and Quill, and I will try to keep them following along as well, but Maui will be my focus.>>
You have 3 pups? I like your style! Fun times ahead!!!!!
Tracy
>>I don’t mind victory laps when training by myself but we are doing more advanced classes and I need him back a little quicker. I have been trying two tug game and rewarding with food. Any other suggestions?>>
They throwing the reward then just as he arrives at it – call him, run the other way, and offer a very exciting reward like a treat or cookie 🙂 That can help him drive back pretty immediately.
T
On this last video, you made two terrific adjustments:
-More active tricks, to get him into a higher state of arousal (which can give more focus when working with distractions)
-Using a bag of treats (great minds think alike LOL!!)
He was very successful! So definitely keep the higher action tricks when using food, and the cookie bag instead of naked cookies. And adding the leash should make it all even easier.
Great job on these! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
