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Good morning!
It was really great to hear about Macklynn’s adventure with Vibe! SO FUN!!! And yes, Cindi is a fabulous trainer and an all-around terrific person so I knew you’d have a blast 🙂 And Macklynn and Vibe do kind of look like twins 🙂
> I’m worrying about judgement from other handlers, unfamiliar dogs reacting, etc.>
Yes, that makes it hard. People say & do weird things – just smile at them and tell them to bug off using the voice inside your head 😂🤣
On the video – I think maybe you were shocked at how well she did so you were being careful at first. And she was ignoring a new person and dog… good girl Macklynn! She is allowed to look (you mentioned side-eyeing) and it was really only in the in-between moments (after the reward). Cindi described her as being pretty relaxed and working really well, and I totally agree! She stuck with you even in the in-between moments, when you were planning the next rep.
Then you started moving faster and with more connection, so she found the lines really well! So your new motto can be: Run hard! If you are connected like you were here and really drive her around the sequences, she will be very happy to ignore distractions.
On the 2nd video:
> (neighbor dog was out and wanted to have a barking match and then she wasn’t too sure about the ‘new’ send)>
Keeping in mind the new motto of RUN – if the neighbor dog comes out and starts trash talking… just get Macklynn into the work as fast as you can. You can do front crosses on the barrels and race tracks, even if you start without her. If you start running, she will catch up 🙂 It is a great way to redirect her from the neighbor dog.
When you have her attention – you can decide on doing the new sends or not. If she is still thinking about the neighbor dog, don’t ask her for anything new.
For the turn away questions she was having: I think as you were turning her away at first, she could still see the other side of the barrel. A 3:55 & 4:45 she was lined up a little further past the front of the barrel, so it was easy to find the correct side. Compare to 4:19, for example, where she was still pretty far from the barrel so could see what she considered to be the ‘normal’ wrap side.
The reps at 5:03 and 5:58 were good comparison points too: At 5:03, you were a little far from the barrel and a little early on the turn away, so she went to the other side of it. Compare to 5:58 (and most of the turn aways on the other barrel) where you were closer to the barrel and waited a little longer for the turn away (she was closer to your hand) and she got it perfectly! So definitely tuck yourself in closer to the barrel and wait til she is just and inch or two from your hand before starting the turn away cues.
Great job here!
Tracy
Good morning! Really strong session here! Yay!
Super fun active play at the beginning! And nice transition into the line up and collar hold with food – smooth, gentle, and clear 🙂
The turns on the tunnel exits are looking good. At this stage of his learning, he wants to turn towards you when he exits the tunnel. As he gets more experienced, you will probably need to give the turn cues sooner (before he enters) but no worries about that for now.
The Go was harder for him at first – the timing of the verbal was good but he is still learning the skill so curled towards you at the exit of the tunnel on the first rep. You can still reward him for his effort there like you did at 1:39.
Then you get a giant click/treat for your dog training moments and your problem solving:
You starting throwing the toy early (so it was ahead of him before he exited the tunnel) to pump up the go understanding and keep it really fast and fun.Then you followed that up by sending to the tunnel from further away to be able to be ahead at the exit to handle to the wing – that worked like a charm! You were ahead and conencted, so he had no questions. Plus he loved the running. It was a really excellent way to break things down to answer his questions and then build it back up!!
And one thing I noticed – because it was such an active game with a high rate of success, he kept getting faster and faster throughout. He didn’t get tired and slow down, he was driving harder at the end! Really super!!
I know some of the games don’t require all of the running that this one does, but you can keep the super active play and you will also get explosive results there too.
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi!
It is supposed to feel pretty easy because you’ve built it up in small pieces. He did great!
Make sure on the ‘turn’ cue to send him out to the jump that you are not remaining stationary: keep moving up the line, using your arm cue and connection and verbal to send him.
You were using the dog-side arm for the ‘turn’ reps. It worked with the jump really close, but you can also consider and play with using the outside arm. That is a very clear cue that can be done from a distance and while you are staying in motion.
Speaking of distance: he is ready for you to add more distance between the wing and the jump – it makes the ‘turn’ cue harder but that is good.
And you can add the Advanced level skill of a front cross or blind cross as he is on heading for the jump.
> I should also say that I used “turn” as the cue as that is what I am using with Folger.
That is good, we want the cues to be the same for both dogs – I would never be able to remember different cues for different dogs!
Great job here!
Tracy
Good morning!
>I literally could not remember how to do a blind cross on a wing wrap so had to go back and watch your video. Major brain blip. LOL>
Ha! Yes, tight blinds are weird when they are a bit out of context – I think what made it feel weird was that you were a bit stationary/decelerating coming into it. You can think of the 2nd wing as the next jump, and commit with motion to the first wing as you do the blind to the 2nd wing.
He is committing brilliantly to the wing after the tunnel, so you can start the blind crosses sooner:
When you see him exit the tunnel and lock onto the wing, start the blind (this will likely have the blind starting when he is halfway to the wing, and if that is easy we can get it going sooner 🙂 Motion along the line supports his commitment, then keep moving as you reward.
Ideally, the blind will be finished just before he gets to the wing, and you will see him collect before arriving at the wing. You were doing the blind after he got to the wing, so he had to adjust after “landing” (past the wing).
The ‘out’ proofing went really well! He had no questions about chasing your line after the wing wrap but also went out to the jump really well! Click/treat to you for your great timing: he knew what to do next as he exited the start wing. Some of the reps had a placed toy but he was not using it as a lure, he was responding to cues. Good throw with the toy too LOL!
So for this game, there are 2 next steps to play with (can be done in the same session):
Using the setup as it is here, you can add the advanced level with the crosses as he is committing to the jump on the ‘out’ cue.
You can also move the set up closer and closer together, to show him approximations of the jump-jump discriminations we are seeing on course lately. The closest I have seen the obstacles together is 3 feet apart, so you can work up to that closeness 🙂
Great job here!
TracyGood morning!
Oh yes! Dana! Definitely send her my regards!
>I think he was just pent up. He seemed off Saturday when we were tracking too. Usually he is nose down but he did some big running circles around me which was odd>
Keep an eye on him and see how he does. The back-to-work schedule change might play a role so more running around can help (if the temperatures EVER get nice again haha), and if the behavior continues – off to the vet! He might have something as silly as a UTI and that is why he is not his normal perfect self.
The layering session went really well: sending him past the tunnel to the jump was pretty easy for him. Looks like the lotus ball was a great choice for reinforcement!
Well done to you for building it up to adding your movement. He glanced towards you a bit on the first couple of reps when it was true layering but then he knew to keep looking forward thanks to excellent reward placement from you! Yay!
By the end he was asking permission to do the tunnel haha! “Why is it out here is we don’t go in it?” – Dublin, probably. So when you turned a bit early on the very last rep, he was like “yay, it must be the tunnel finally” haha
You can add in a jump verbal for this too – that will help him with the discrimination of tunnel versus jump too!
Great job 🙂
Tracy
Good morning and welcome! She sounds like a lot of fun!!
No worries about the impulse control and arousal regulation stuff – we take a very different approach to it here because we have learned from previous generations of dogs 🙂 Plus, we tailor it to the individual pup so it will be really fun to “meet” Violet and figure out who she is, under all the cuteness 🙂
Have fun!
Tracy
Good morning and welcome! I am super happy to see you here 🙂 Rory is ADORABLE and spicy in the best way : )
>but not the pre-games because my ocd couldn’t settle on a prop!) >
Hopefully you have picked something 🙂 because we need it tonight for the live class 🙂
>My challenges include following directions, maintaining clear criteria, and reward placement >
That is the challenge for ALL of us 🙂 You are in good supportive company and it will be super fun!
>Rory’s joy to “work” seems to build with each session we do and she’s always excited to jump in the car, go to the backyard and head to the puppy training “closet”. >
Yay! I love that she is enjoying it so much!
See ya tonight!
Tracy
Good morning!
>I left out the part at the end when Reese jumped for the toy, missed, fell over backwards and hit her head on the entertainment center. She seems fine. But, seriously girl don’t scare me like that.>
OMG REESE!!!!!!! Puppies do keep us on our toes!
She did have a good flying monkey move coming to the toy at the beginning of the first video!
She immediately got to ‘work’ with the foot target. Yay! Lovely session here!
Good transition from the toy to the shaping! One thing to add is getting the treat out before you put the target down – that will speed the delivery. Right now it is click then reach into the pouch then get cookie out then deliver, which is going to build looking at you more than we want (because she is looking at you et the treat out).
So the order of festivities can be: tug, get cookies out *during* tugging (but keep tugging – this is potentially hard and we can tweak it if needed). Take tug toy out of the picture. You can then toss a cookie away as you get the toy out and prop in: then you will get a super quick reward for that first hit. Yes, click or mark before the cookies move but having them in your hand will speed up the placement.
And great job with the toy play mixed in and getting the prop out during that so there was no confusion. YAY!
She is hitting really well and you were able to change the placement to the tossed treats, no problem. Super! You can now replace the clicker with your tossed treat marker (I think you used ‘find it’ for this, which is perfect). The clicker gets a lot of looking at us so moving to your reward marker is ideal at this point. She is ready for the games we are adding tonight.
The handmade coaster is perfect for the targeting to hand! And much nicer than a post it note LOL
She did really well touching it in both hands. And nice transition back to the toy after she managed to swallow her treat 🙂 If she doesn’t always remember to swallow it and chokes it up, you can take a moment between the treat and toy play: do a bit of ready ready engagement to see if that gives her an extra moment to swallow the treat 🙂
As with the prop game: reload the cookie hand before each rep, to speed the delivery. That way the order of festivities is “X” marker then immediate treat. Right now it is X then reach into the pouch then deliver the treat, which is getting a lot of looking up at you/hands. Then after the treat delivery, pull the target up, get the next treat out, put the target back in, mark, reward.
She is a speedy little dog already, which is why my suggestions are mainly about getting the cookies in quicker.
The hand target game looks good, so you can shelve it for a few weeks (it doesn’t get used in the first couple of weeks).
Great job here!
Tracy
Good morning and welcome! I am excited to see you and Benny 🙂 You will see Papillons doing some of the demos in this class – they are SO FUN!
> He is a picky eater but likes some special treats. >
Most puppies have a preference of toys or treats in these early stages of training, and part of what we will do is carefully craft a balance: building up food love while maintaining the toy love 🙂
Have fun! See you soon!
Tracy
That is FANTASTIC!! And the race track toy – is that the thing where they put a foot in and scoot a toy around in a fast circle? Adorable!
T
Hello and welcome! I love that she is a Taq baby (because I love that Taq dog!!!). And a 4 month old Farmdog is the CUTEST – and she is definitely ADORABLE!
And I love her name so much!!!! Perfect!!!
> I am a dog geneticist in my spare time. >
HA! Yes, just a small side gig 🙂
I am excited to learn more about Frankie!!
Tracy
Hello and welcome! I am looking forward to learning more about him and meet him in person hopefully soooooon!
>He is exptremly food motivaated. Think of if you combined a lab and a golden retreiver into 1 dog… that is how obsesed he is with food. >
Ha! This is actually good to have with a Border Collie! We can totally build up his toy drive, no worries. It will be fun!
He sounds like a real gem of a pup and I am excited to see him play!
Tracy
Hello and welcome! Thank you for the kind words! I am excited to see you here! Did I read it correctly that Eddy is a littermate to Reese? How fun!!!! I am excited to learn more about Eddy 🙂
Have fun!
Tracy
Welcome to you and Fix!!! I love terriers, as you know of course 🙂
>He’ll be a year old when class starts but he’s still pretty immature.>
It is a great age to do this – young enough that he is a total sponge and learn fast, and old enough that he will learn it really fast 🙂
> He is not very good at driving forward so I’ve been working that a bit with him. I’m looking forward to help, because I don’t want to work so much driving forward that he forgets to have some handler focus too. >
It is this balance that we begin working on in week 1!
Have fun!
Tracy
