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Hi!
The FC went well! I think the main thing is to start it a lot sooner 🙂 Ideally, when he exits the tunnel, you will be up by 3 and and ready to decelerate into the FC. At :03 and :18, you started it as he took off for 3 so he was wide (and that made it hard to keep the bar up at :04).
And the way to get up to 3 sooner is to not start as close to 1 with him (he is too fast for that 🙂 ) Either send to 1 from further away, or having him stay facing 1 and see if he can take it with you leading out a bit further up the course – a very useful skill!
The BC at :33 is able to be finished earlier because there is no foot rotation but this can also start sooner (see below for the timing of your BCs on sequence 2 :))
Showing the exit line connection at :40 helped a lot! Yay! The more you show that to him, the easier it is for him to find the next line.
Sequence 2:
The lead out push is basically a serpentine, so you can be further across the bar at 2 so he can see the serp line more as he lands from 1. You were going straight as he was committing to 2 so he had a Big Mad as you mentioned at :46 when you pushed in. So you can lead out a little further and be halfway across jump 2 with a serp arm back and big connection, as he lands from 1. I think he will read it really well!You had absolutely great timing of the blind at :54 and 1:03- he was jumping the turn side of the wing and found 3 well! The last blind cross timing was not quite as perfect as the previous 2 reps but still really timely, so he read it well and that set up a lovely turn to 3! Super! This is the timing you will want on the FC or BC on sequence 1: as he exits the #2 tunnel on that sequence, you can be up by 3 and beginning the cross.
The ending line of both sequences looked lovely: connected and fast!
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi! Glad you have good weather! His sequencing is going really well.
Sequence 1:
He sent to jump 1 really well. You can also try a sit at jump 1 and see if you can lead out more, to get further up the line. This opening is getting more and more popular in AKC lately.You can blind cross even sooner at 3 🙂 Be more connected to him as he exits the tunnel – when he exits the tunnel, that is the timing to start the blind. For some reason at :05 you extended your left arm and disconnected, so he almost changed sides at the tunnel exit. No need for extended arms here, you can just run with low or bent arms 🙂
He was really paying attention to the handling you had too much decel and shoulder turn on 4, good boy to follow the line at :08!!!
The FC on 3 at :32 was well-timed, and nice and tight. Lovely!
I don’t think he needs an arm up on the 5-6-7-8 line – just connect and run run run. That will show him the line even better and get you up the line even faster.
Sequence 2:
A lead out push is basically a serp, so you need the same arm back and direct connection to cue the line.
On the first run, you were looking forward and running forward at 2, so at :54 he was jumping the center of the bar at 2, not knowing you wanted the line to 3. He tried to save it at :56 but could not.You had better connection at 2 at 1:22 but then you looked forward so he had a slightly wide line but found 3. Ideally, keep the connection and keep moving to 3 so he can land from 2 already looking at 3.
Lead out pivot: he found 3 well at 1:52. Your ideal position would be right at 3 – you were on a straight line past 2, so he jumped straight over 2. He read the FC really well but being closer to 3 will get an even faster line from 2-3.
>Official UKI measurement is 15″ so he can jump 12″ (or 8″S) in UKI. This was also the temp measurement for AKC as the official is a VMO for both.>
Great!!
>He does better with the set point than when he has to adjust his striding as the 12″ jump moves further and further away. Should I continue to do this every few days until he looks smooth at all distances before trying 12″ in his novice class?>
It is normal that trying to adjust the striding is harder than seeing the new height in a set point. So yes, keep working on it and also yes – don’t put the height up to 12″ in his class yet. What you can do in class is chose a jump on an easy line and put it at 12″, just to start introducing it. Then add more and more over the course of a few weeks. It sounds like you already started a bit of this and it went really well!
>Also, maybe in September since trials are opening already, I was thinking of trying FEO with him in AKC. But it would have to be novice JWW or premiere JWW since he does not have contacts now. There isn’t much UKI around. Of course the one that is in NJ in Sept is on a weekend I will be doing AKC.>
Yes, for sure FEO in JWW! I think he will be ready for that. Premier is often a weird course design, so only enter it FEO is the judge will let you make up your own course so you don’t need to do anything weird with him 🙂
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi!
Last week was just brutal for heat and smoke! It looks like you have blue skies again and hopefully it is not too hot 🙂
>We are struggling with bar knocking. She was jumping 10 in a few of the parts and 8. I know at some points it’s my fault when she knocks, but I feel like there are other times where it’s just her? >
The bars here were all handling – she is learning the handling and things need to be super clear and timely. The youngsters rely on us for all the info!
And if the cues were not timely or disconnected, she ticked or knocked a bar. Getting the turn cues earlier will help, and staying connected and not running as fast on the bigger lines will help too.>She has really been only jump 8. Should I start doing some jumping exercises?>
Yes – since she is sequencing, 2 things should become a regular part of life: jump exercises & conditioning, and body work (massage and chiro). How old is she now? You can start to revisit the jump grids she knows, like the set point and the accordion grid, and add some height to gradually work up to taller bars.
On the sequence 1 video:
She is holding her stay really well! You can start her further back from jump 1 so she has a powerful stride or two before takeoff. Right now she is clearing the 8″ bar, but will need at least 4 or 5 meters when the bar gets higher. And before the release, stop to look at her, praise for a few seconds so she can think about the line… then release. If it is a lead out then you suddenly reconnect and release, she doesn’t have time to size up the jump before exploding forward. And leading out a little more will get you further ahead for the cross at 3, which will make the timing and jumping easier.
For the crosses on jump 3: that was a hard bar for her, she was either ticking or dropping it on a lot of the reps. You can connect very directly back to the tunnel exit so you can see the timing of starting the FC: when she exits the tunnel, you should start to decel into it so the turn is finished before takeoff for 3. I think you could see her somewhat peripherally, but if you are looking at the 3 jump (:05, :35, :52,1:07) then you will be late starting the FC (ticked the bar at :06, dropped the bar at :36.) The FCs were in progress while she is jumping 3, when ideally they would be finished by then. The FC finished sooner at :53, so she jumped 3 well! You can give her more connection directly back to her as you finish the FC as well.
The BC 3-4 also works really well and is easier to finish on time 🙂 but be connected more – she was chasing your line because you were looking ahead and not at her. Without the connection, she was not able to find the new side at :23, and ticked the bar at 1:07. Eye contact is key, especially with young dogs 🙂
The other place to be super connected is the ending line back to the tunnel. You were looking a bit forward at the jump before the tunnel (:12) so she touched it. Really nice connection on the ending line at 1:00 amd 1:14! No bar touching there!
The other place she hit bars was when you stopped at :26 and :41 – slowing down and throwing the toy was why she dropped the bar there, so keep moving and when she has landed – then throw the toy 🙂
Sequence 2:
Lead out more to be able to start the BC sooner. Don’t go as close to 2 as that makes her think it is a straight line over 2 (she jumped the center of the bar there)
You started it at liftoff to 2 at :05 & :16 & :26 & :36 & :47)Great connection on the exit of the blinds, but because the BC was late, the turn cues were late (especially the decel) so, she had trouble setting up the jumping at 3: ticked the bar at :06, dropped it at :18 & :28 & :49
You got the decel in on time at :37 and she jumped really well at :38!So to make all the cues earlier: lead out a bit further but also, your running line should be towards 3 and not towards 2. That automatically gives into that it is a turn to 3. Then, as she is landing from 1, the BC gets underway so it is finished before she takes off for 2. That timing plus the connection you had will allow you to start to decelerate for the wrap at 3 as she is landing from 2, making it very timely.
The bar at :39 is an example of where you can be more connected – acceleration plus closing the shoulder caused her to rush a little. You were really connected and not accelerating as much on the last run and it looked lovely!
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Hi!
The teeters looked good here during the warm up – be sure to run more, because walking past them it a bit too easy at this point 🙂
Threadles – good job NOT rotating your feet! Be sure to show the threadle cues sooner: ideally the threadle arm is up and visible multiple steps before the release. If you release AND show the threadle at the same time, the threadle is now late. Walk through to the start position with the threadle arm already visible so when you release, the cue is timely. And be sure he is not releasing on the reconnection and arm movement like at :42 🙂
What was that thing on the ground? Looks like a wig I wore on Halloween once LOL
It was DEFINITELY challenging for him on the threadles!! But he worked through it really well – super!!! For the reward placement, you will get a better jumping effort is there is a reward on the ground (or even a target so he knows where to look for the reward). He is jumping with his head up and spine inverted, so a reward that is lower and not coming from you will help adjust that head position.
The object in the teeter session was not as interesting, so you can use something more exciting along with more running from you 🙂
Great job!
Tracy
Good morning! Hope you had a lovely vacation!!!
> I was surprised on the first double whammy by your use of the “off arm” send to the tunnel at both 8 and 5. It didn’t seem necessary.>
I was watching his head and body there – he glanced at me and was turning harder to his left, considering the jump. And since I really did not want to have the error, I used the off arm to make it very clear that he needed to stay out ot the tunnel, even if meant shifting back to his right lead to get it. It was a ‘know your dog’ moment for sure, because when he turns his head
> I also was surprised by your use of the threadle “in” on #6; I kind of thought I would go between 5 and 6 and use a backside send.>
It was super easy to get there and then send to the next jump, while getting me way ahead for the backside on the last jump. Super easy and gets me ahead? Yes please! LOL!
Staying on the landing side requires more running, a more complex push timing, AND having to get across the bar and using countermotion to show the line to 7 (more on that below). Too much work for not enough benefit on course.
And being on the takeoff side allows me to layer to the last jump = Being between 6 and the tunnel almost sent him off course to 1 on the way to 9 on the first run, and did get the off course at 1:04.
>. At 8:41 and analogous places, it appears to me that you could have started/completed the BC a bit sooner>
A tiny bit late at 8:41, it was better timed on the single whammy. But in the interest of video demo: the goal here is not to worry about perfection, the goal here is to keep going and get it done even if there is a late cue or wide line. In training, people stop and re-start to try to make it perfect but that is not the reality of agility 🙂 The runs here were the only runs I did 🙂
> On the single whammy, my question is how to go around #5 (slice or wrap) and the same question on #1 on the double whammy. My plan is to wait until it is built to decide.
> Definitely a tight turn on 5, so a wrap.
> I don’t know if all the bars are from 2 weeks off or failure of 2 weeks on (with jumping exercises and grids and such) or just poor handling. >
Having watched the video, it was handling questions. See below.
>I ran it with Enzo first, hoping to smooth out my handling but I’m not sure if that helps – except for remembering the course. They don’t run very similarly.>
The don’t run similarly, so while it is OK to run Enzo first it is not necessarily a good prep for Casper (like with the serps). But it is good to alternate them in training to make the handling adjustments, because they run the same courses at trials.
Looking at Casper’s runs::
Seq 1:
For the threadle ar 3, you were doing big rotations to pull him in, so that looked like a FC to 6. Then when you rotated again to send him back out to 3, he didn’t have enough time to set up the jumping on 3 and also on 4 on the first run (:08). Ideally the threadle slice like this does not have foot rotation at all – lower body continues forward and upper body pulls the arm back to show the threadle cue. He got better at clearing the bar on 3 as he learned the sequence and also as your rotations got smaller – but the first 2 runs (:08 and :24) were the most informative.
For the backside on 6 – he was getting to the backside nicely but then the info stopped about where to go next. It needs to have serp arm and countermotion past the exit wing. You were a little disconencted (and almsot pulling back towards the tunnel) and staying in the landing spot, so he kepy landing on the bar to avoid hitting you.
Moving through it as it is a German turn without a blind cross will smooth all of that out nicely and he will keep the bar up because he knows where he is going next. That will also set up the turn on 7 – there was a lot of confusion there because you had stopped moving and he did not know exactly where to go.
Sequence 2:
>Looks like a straightforward set of serps.>Yes, very serpy, they are all the rage right now 🙂 – but be sure to show big, clear serp cues: serp arm back as your feet move forward so he can see the compound cue of come in, go out. What was happening on the serp errors here was either there was no serp arm happening, or it happened after takeoff so he landed then turned (like at 2:23 & 2:33)
Part of the reason I think you were not giving clear serp arm cues to Casper was that Enzo was able to serp without the clear upper body cues, because he approaches those lines differently (in sequence 3) – when y uare close to a serp line, he will slow down to land next to you and wait for more info… Casper will not do this and jumps towards you looking for more info. So Casper definitely needs clear serp arm cues. Also, Enzo was not moving as fast as Casper here so you were able to use your motion along the line ahead of him to get the serps.
A serp arm at 1-2 will help a lot: at 2:20 for example your upper body was not serping and he jumped directly at you – the send to 2 was late (bar down)
At 1:43 there was no serp arm so he came directly towards you. The serp arm happened a bit as he was over the bar at 1:44 but he was already jumping towards you and dropped the bar as he tried to adjust. Ideally the serp arm starts as he exits 2 so he can adjust the jumping for 3-4, and the serp arms stays up til he lands from 3 and looks at 4.
> I thought the FC worked better for us at 5, especially as it made it easier to control the turn 5 to 6.>
The FC is a good option here for sure! But be sure to finish the FC immediately without back up at all: running backwards at 2:07 and 2:27 and 2:42 widened the line even with the FC there. That is why I did a blind there: easier to complete the rotation without backing up and accidentally widening the line. The ‘easy’ cue can help with collection when you gave it earlier (it was late on the first one, coming at takeoff, so he dropped the bar trying to adjust). It is a good spot to deliver the easy and since you are rotated towards him for that, finish it with a spin. The spin faces you to the next direction nicely, while opening up for a post turn widens the line a bit.
> I was surprised that I had trouble getting him to come in at #8 >
He needed serp cues 🙂 You had a closed shoulder and no serp arm at 1:54, so he layered. You had a clearer serp at 2:14 so he got it.
>It was hot and I really didn’t want a bunch of reps with dropped bars, so I subbed in Enzo. It wasn’t a brilliant marvel but it went pretty well.>
Yes, it was good to let Enzo have a turn – Caspe was really gassed out in the last double whammy, slowing down with lots of extra strides – if each double whammy is 18 obstacles, then the singles plus the doubles were basically the equivalent of 6 or 7 full courses in a short time span.
Enzo’s first run went smoothly – pushing to the slice backside of 5 made sense here because the tunnel exit was pointing that way more. Getting all the way there like at 3:28 & 3:55 puts you pretty far behind on the next line though – send to it without having to get past the entry wing. When you did it in flow of the double whammy at 4:13, he did not need you all the way up there so that is good to know!
> we had a short review session on “FLIP” (threadle wrap) >
On the first double whammy, you were too quick to release it: at 3:35 he was still behind you when you send him back out, so he took the front, You will want to have your connection and hands visible to him until he is closer to you and definitely on the threadle line. The timing was better at 4:04 but ideally he sends himself back out so you don’t have to time the cue to go back out – all you need to do is hold the cue til he sends himself back out (more on that in games package 4).
Nice job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Hi! These are going really well!
The main thing here is connection – your eyes to his eyes 🙂 When you were connected, he was able to find the lines brilliantly AND go fast 🙂
On pop out 2, at :20 and :40, he needed more direct connection to go to the backside after the threadle wrap. When you did that at :52 and 1:01 on the home field? Lovely! And that made the blind easier and the next line smoother too. Yay! And you were able to get the blind. If you have a connection blooper and it is not perfect or something goes wrong: no worries… keep going and then reward him on the next line. That will keep him going fast – if you stop and turn away from him, he slows himself down to try to be more accurate.
> I thought I could have had a little more connection.>
>Pop out 6 slow out of tunnel 1, but faster out of tunnel 6 and 10.>I agree, on both of these there can be more connection in spots and then you will see more speed. A fun challenge is to try to handle without pointing with your arms – just let them move naturally as a runner rather than use them to show the line. When you are trying to show the line with your arms & hands, it actually blocks connection a bit.
When the line of motion makes the line somewhat obvious, he gets it really well and doesn’t lose much speed, like at 1:03-1:08 on pop out 5. Your arms were trying to point to the line and obstacles but he was behind you and needed to see the connection (you can see he was on a bit of a zig zag line to figure it out). He got it nicely but I bet with more eye contact he will be even faster 🙂 When arms are pointing ahead and he doesn’t see your eyes/upper body as clearly, he is relying on your motion so he adds strides to make sure he gets it right.
The slowing down you noticed was when motion alone didn’t fully show the line on more complicated sequences:
When you used your arms less (1:14-1:19) and had more connection, so he was smoother and faster with finding the line. Yay! Love it!
From 1:20-1:25, your arms were showing the line and he slowed down a bit to find the line.
On the more complicated sequences (like 1:38 – 1:55 on the next pop out) he slowed himself down to be sure he got it right, because motion alone doesn’t cue the lines.It will feel weird to try to run without your arms up high – ideally your fingers are pointed to his nose at all times when he is behind you, so you can look at his eyes and he can see your eyes. That lines up the shoulders to the line, so he will know where to go without waiting for more info. When you get used to running with the low arms and big connection, it gets really easy to show all the lines at top speed 🙂
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
Good morning!
>We were at Canine Sports Zone this weekend for a trial (looks like we are just missing you!). >
Yes! I start driving there tomorrow. Sorry to have missed you! They have all of those smaller areas which help us train the young dogs.
> We did back and forth and up and down. He started slightly slower with the reconnection to me, but then got into a groove and was offering eye contact quickly. We did a little moving back and forth too.>
Fabulous – starting only slightly slower then getting back to normal is great. Sounds like he was able to handle the environment really well.
> We used those for ring entry, leash off and party, then exit and repeat. He gave very good attention as soon as we entered, so I also took a couple of steps and the we sort of set up in from of a jump. That all went really well.>
This is all EXCELLENT!! Yay Judge!
>We also did some stationing on their podium. Not part of class, but part of his life skills program – watch things go by and be neutral about them.>
This type of stationing is great for a Malinois 🙂 Observe the world as you are bred to do, but stay chill, sir!
> Also did some measuring practice with the wicket (he does not care when I do it or when Terry does it). I may need to work on “strangers” – he’s generally neutral with people, but they don’t usually touch him. >
I think he would only need to be measured for AKC? I think UKI will not need a measure? But I will have to double check that?
>After tomorrow, the heat is supposed to break for a few days, so hope to get to the sequencing homework!>
Great news about a break in the heat! July has been brutal, but that seems to be the new normal. Thanks for keeping me posted!
Tracy
Hello and welcome!
>We’re doing run thrus tomorrow morning so I will get someone to video for feedback.>
Fantastic! I am looking forward to it!
>Was wondering – I would love to do the opening sequences as is but I don’t have that large a space to set it up; didn’t realize we needed something that large. Any recommendations for making it smaller that might still work?>
Depending on the size of the space, you can modify things to make the challenges fit: using a shorter tunnel if always good if you have one, or replacing the tunnel with a cone or barrel (or two cones or barrels and the pups goes around the outside of them to simulate the tunnel line). You can also replace jumps with cones or barrels. I also use 3 weave poles as jump bars in smaller spaces, because they take up less room 🙂
>And a quick question re: Up and Down Game. After I put the first treat down on my foot, and then the next, Saucy decided it was easier to stay down. Is that OK?>
Yes, as long as her head is moving up (towards your face) and down (to get the cookie), she can stay in that position. If you do want her to move more (adolescent dogs sometimes just need to move, whether they realize it or not :)) then you can hold your feet more spread out, so she finds it easier to move between them.
Have fun!
Tracy
>Good morning! And welcome back! And well played with the outfit matching the tunnel 🙂
You and Skizzle are still really clicking as a team – the sequence work is looking good!
The opening of the first run looked lovely – super nice bind at :26! You ran a good line after the barrel (which is a nice substitute for another jump there! Smart!) Then a small connection blooper put him on the other side of you coming back down the line towards the tunnel. I think what caused it was reaching for the ball – that pulled your brain out of the connection for a heartbeat and also he saw it happening, so it pulled his focus to the side of you with the ball.
You had lovely connection in the opening and in the spot at the barrel on the 2nd run so he found that line easily!
>And it looks like Skizzle followed the direction I was moving at the cactus jump – which didn’t set him up well for the tunnel entrance. It seems like I should have been moving more directly parallel to the jump.>
Yes, he was also heading towards the last tunnel really well, but pulled off at the last minute – he saw a really subtle change in direction from you: you got a little too close to the bar on the cactus jump and ended up caught behind the wing. So he jumped it straight towards the tunnel… but then he saw you step to your right to get around the wing and he immediately changed directions. Good boy, he is watching everything! You can see it 1:09-1:12.
I think it was just a matter of you needing a little more room to run through the line, so you can move the yellow jump a little further away (to the left of the screen) so you have a straighter line to run without getting caught behind the cactus 🙂
You did reach for the ball here, but he was ahead and driving straight, and your connection was strong so the ball was not a distraction. You can also run with it in your hand or you can leave it in your pocket til after he is done, to help guarantee it doesn’t become a distraction 🙂
Great job here! Have fun on vacation and let me know how the patterns go!
Tracy
Hi!
>I was trying to stay further away from 2 but then was in his way on the landing?>
The timing was good here! And you were not in the way on the landing – his question was about connection 🙂 As he was trying to sort out where to be after 2, all he could really see was your back , so he followed you until it became more obvious that it was the next jump.
So as you finish the blind, use exit line connection: have your left arm all the way back and your right arm holding a toy on your left hip, as you connect to his eyes. That will make the connection very visible and he will read the line much better.
The rest looked really good!
Super nice job with the double whammys and Lennan! You did a great job staying connected and continuing, so there were no problems getting the double whammy. Super! There were some spots we can tighten up – some ideas for you:
Sequence 1:
1-2-3-4 looked really good!You can show him the turn cues earlier on the tunnel entry and at :42, :59. That would be decel, arriving into the threadle position, and verbal all while he is still 2 meters before entering the tunnel.
The RC works to flip him back to the tunnel – you can decel into it at :14, for example, to get a tighter turn there.
You can add a brake arm for backside at 9 (:18, :49) – as he is passing you to get to the entry wing, you can have the outside arm visible along with the dog-side arm (all before he gets to the entry wing) to ask for more collection so he wraps more and slices less there.
In the transition back to the sequence, you can do a spin on the 1/10 jump at :50. The post turn there sent him a little wide.
Seq 2 also went really well 3 spots where we can ask for tighter turns
You can cue 2 with both hands (brake arms), so he turns to find 3 sooner.
To get a nice tight line to the blind: use the exit line connection, placing your right arm across your body (hand on left hip) as you make eye contact to make the connection very clear. On those blinds, he could only see your back as you finished it so he was a little wide there.
On jump 8, you can handle with a serp arm (left arm back and extended out) – at 1:33 and 2:02 you were using a shoulder pull, which got 8 easily and made it harder for him to know o turn away looking for 9.
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi! These are going well!
On the first video:
First rep looked great! Her stay is developing nicely!Be sure to line her up at your side to get a clean start at :14. When you lined her up on the other runs, the send to the first jump was much smoother.
It was a little hard to? see – did she go around the jump at :24 & :44? And go around to the inside at 1:01? If so, you can isolate that send and reward when she takes the jump.
At :27 – she picked up the new side after the tunnel really well but you need to move to the jump you want
Much better at 1:05 & 1:30 but you can add deceleration to get a tighter turn there. And remember to keep moving to the last jump, so she doesn’t turn back to you.She took the backside at 1:34 – in that spot, you can use 2 hands to cue more collection, to get her to land facing the front of the next jump instead of facing the backside line.
Pop Out 1 went really well – she did really nicely finding the lines on the very technical part! That is because you were moving and being connected, so she was generally able to go exactly where you wanted her to go 🙂
She had one question spot, at the jump nearest to the camera at :03, 1:01, 1:31, 2:06, 2:32. That was when you had stopped moving and were trying to get her to take the jump with you just pointing your arm. It didn’t make sense to her there. But compare that to 2:18 & 2:45 you were moving the whole time, and she got it really well. Super!
Last video: She had a question at 2 on the first run – you can set the RC line better to 2 by running to the center of the bar (:21)
She did well with the lead out on the 2nd run (1:33) and 3rd run! Just make sure you are facing the way you want to go when you release her – she dropped the bar at 2:07 because you were facing her and not the line.
The FC 4-5 worked really well (last run). That set the line smoothly. When you tried pulling her in then sending her back out on the previous reps, she was confused about there to go to get 5. Staying in motion there really helped too
And she read the ending line really well also 🙂Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
He read the opening really well and the closing too!
>I couldn’t get him to take #4 except when I stopped and waited for him.
>That was a combination of more connection needed, and the visual of the toy overriding the jump.
On the first run, the toy as dangling right in front of him as he was figuring out where to be, so he went to the toy. And it was on the other side on the 2nd rep, bit the connection was not that clear so he was still a little locked onto the toy.
About the connection: connecting on the dog-side arm didn’t show him the new line because as he landed, he could basically only see your back. Exit line connection will do the trick: start with the toy in your right (he is on your right for jumps 1-2-3) then as you do the blind, bring your right arm across your body to rest the toy on your left hip. That really opens up the connection to the new side so he should be able to find the line really well.
Another thing to consider here is that this might be a better front cross spot for him – the FC will turn your feet to the 4 jump sooner. The BC for a moment turns your feet and shoulders to the off course, so he was a little wide (which makes it harder to get him to take 4).
If he does go past the jump though – rather than stop and give him the toy (which might reward passing the jump), keep going for another jump or two then deliver the reward 🙂
That is a very cute distraction puppy, looking right at him! The back and forth pattern was really helpful – I think having the puppy staring right at him was hard for Aelfraed, but he was really good about ignoring the pup!
And he did a great job with the up and down game – really good, quick engagement even though it is a new game. Yay! This is a great game for when he is standing outside the ring, getting ready to go into the ring 🙂
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi!
>You mean go on the road ( easy familiar places) with toys?>
Yes – we need to see where he will play with toys, and which he will play with, before adding them to pattern games.
>He understands context: >
That’s pretty normal, which is why we want to fet the toy play to more places before we really try to use it as part of pattern games.
>I gave all the dogs lick mats and took him out back to practice our 2o2o and he got a little wild running. >
Be sure to start each session with the volume dial game so he can engage before starting the training.
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> then he wanted the chicken. Like really wanted it. ( it’s close to dinner time) is it ok to do a little up and down with the chicken when he’s all in?>Sure! Being hungry for dinner probably helped him want the food 🙂
Tracy
Hi!
She definitely seemed to like the extra action of you moving more between the bowls. She was .ore stimulated and engaged, very quick responses 🙂 Yay! Just remember not to move until she has engaged with you – you were a little twitchy LOL!So definitely keep going with the bowls at a bigger distance. You can also do the back and forth/ping pong game, where there are no bowls but the cookie tosses are far enough to create lots of action. And that can allow you to move even more in the environment.
Great job!
Tracy
