[Tracy Sklenar]

Looking at the reverse retrieve:
She is doing well – very fun! Yes, she had a quick race track on some of the reps but it is a very exciting game 🙂 Sometimes you can tell her to go for a run with the toy! And other times, you can immediately have another toy for her to grab for coming to you so she gets into the mode of tugging with you, then you can add in tugging on the toy she brings to you. The cookie helps get her to come right back, and at the every end you can see she came right back AND tugged. Super!

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi! Lots of good work here!

Backside slices – going really well! Nice job with the line of motion, verbal, and toy placement, and using the cookie toss to have her start behind you. This skill is basically just something to revisit here and there, moving gradually across the bump so she gets more and more distance. At some point, you can swap ut the barrel for a wing, and you can also start moving faster 🙂

The left/right minny pinny looks great! Nice job with the verbals and reward placement. Looking at all 3 videos:

Loved the audience on the other side of the glass door! So cute and so polite!

She is doing really well committing to the barrels so you can swap them out for 3 wings.

She was slipping a bit on the deck, so she dialed back her speed to trotting. Time to move this to the grass so she can dig into the bending and also so you can add running out of it 🙂

>> I wasn’t sure about the angle of the jumps.>>

I think they will be best at slightly less than the full 45 degrees, but you won’t know til she is on grass or turf – she will trot them on the deck, so you will see the bouncing on the grass or turf.

To help really solidify the verbals, start with her at your side and your hand on her collar. Say the verbal 3 or 4 times and then let her go – that way she hears the verbal separately and before the motion, which should attach it to the behavior even better.

Looking at the stay video:

She is doing a great job with her stay but yes – she is reading subtle cues from you as the release (such as the hand moving for the catch, or when you look at her more clearly when releasing forward).

So to get it on verbal only:

>> am not sure how to do the “catch” without her seeing my movement which she wants to use as her release. I did decide that the verbal needed to come first followed by tossing the treat.>>

I agree – say the catch verbal, count to 1 in your head, then toss the treat. That should help the verbal come before the movement. And a hilarious side benefit is that when you say catch, she will start to look up in the air for the cookie (makes me laugh when the dogs do this!).

For the release forward – stay connected the whole way through, ideally, so there is no connection change or reconnection paired with the release. And if you do look ahead then look back at her – you can praise or remind her to stay, but don’t release for another second or two or three, so she doesn’t pair the re-connection with the release.

Great job here!

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

The hints are in a separate document because many folks don’t want to look at the hints 🙂 It is important to plan your handling! And I liked your handling choices a lot!

The main bit of feedback on the first course for your handling is to leave for your next line when he tells you by turning his head to the line, rather than waiting for landing of the jump. It is not about leaving faster… it is about leaving sooner and trusting his commitment. More specifics on that below!

>> The first run was a bit of a mess; I planned the BC from 3 to 4 but had to RC instead but kept going. Got the first side of 7 and swung around to repeat. Screwed up 16 because I couldn’t get the correct turn out of the tunnel. Fixed that and was good after that except skipping 21.>>

I was confused because the furst run was really good! I am guessing you put the 1st run 2nd on the video LOL!

So looking at that first run versus the 2nd run – it was a matter of when to move to the next spot so you could be close to whatever the next challenge was.

run 1 – RC 3-4 looked good but did put you further behind for the backside at 7 (you can get it from a bit behind with more connection to him and more motion towards the entry wing). But in this case, leaving the 1-2 line as soon as he looks at 2 will get you closer to the 3-4 line to do the blind.

The threadle wrap at 1:02 just needed a bit more hand-turn cues from you, you indicated the jump before he had turned his head to it so he stayed on the slice line.

I think you had the 14 jump the same as the 3 jump here, which makes the exit of the 15 tunnel much harder for he left turn. To get it as the 3 jump, you would either have to send to 3 and get past the tunnel entry before he enters. Or, you can stay closer to the entry side, execute the backside as a whiskey/rear cross, and either blind the exit before he enters or keep him on your left to threadle-slice the 16 jump.

Having 14 as the 12/21/4 jump is easier because you will have a massive head start to get past the tunnel and get the left turn exit.

The only other place to leave sooner is while he is weaving: he has great weaves so you can be well past the entry to the #20 tunnel before he exits, which will set up an easy line to 21 and 22.

The 2nd run was so nice!!!

>>Still missed the #7 backside and #16 backside but the rest was ok.>>

Maybe my screen is too small but it looks like you got them at :11 and :28?

So this is where you can think about leaving sooner. Yes, stay connected, but you can watch his head: where he is looking will be a direct cue for you to leave (or hold position because he is not committed yet). The spots you can leave sooner, based on where he is looking, are:

-Blind 3-4 – when he looks at the entry line to 3, head to the blind
-flip 7-8 = when he turns his head to the tunnel, move to the next spot at 9.
-At 9, the threadle wrap – you can move away as soon as he turns his head to the bar.
-Same timing for the threadle wrap at 13 – you can proceed to your next spot as soon as he turns his head, which will get you through the 14-15 line sooner.
-Weaves – as soon as he is in the entry, you can basically proceed to meet him at the exit of the 320 tunnel.

All of this has connection and verbals and physical cues of course, but leaving sooner will make it easier to cue the next line, all around the course.

On the 2nd course – I don’t think there was a lot of trouble here, just a spot or two to smooth out and leave sooner.

On the opening line – the lead out position between the uprights of 2 doesn’t really indicate the turn to 3 so he was wide there as you pushed him to it (jumps straight over 2 like at 1:18 then is wide over 3 at 1:19). So you can be closer to the with the lead out position or moving into a BC or FC, or leave a lot sooner to show the line (as soon as he lands from 1 and looks at 2, which will be immediate, you can be moving to 3).

The 4-5-6-7-8-9 section looked good! Those lines are a bit wonky like we often see on course, with little lead changes that need to be helped, and I think it went well! The weave entry is a little harder when the dog slices the threadle at 9, but the slice line is so much faster that it is worthwhile to do the harder entry.

As he is weaving, stay in motion – you might need to move towards the end of the poles for a step or two, then start moving the other way, just to have a steady movement there. When you were stationary and suddenly accelerated when he exited, he considered taking the 21 tunnel after 11 on the first rep (and was a little wide on the 2nd run).

>> First time through, we missed the #14 backside >>

Yes – the timing of your verbal cue on both runs was spot on! The first set of physical cues at :32 did not support the verbal so he took front. You were much clearer at 1:38!

>>Although, I think I caused a bit of my own problems by putting 15 on the wrong side.>>

Yes, that changed the shape of the line indeed! One thing to consider, no matter which side 15 is on, is to slice 14 the other way (entering nearer to the tunnel and exiting away from the course, so he is jumping to his right over the bar). Then if 15 is the backside, you can do another slice to get 16. Or if 15 is the front side, you can get a very simple line to 16, either on the inside or around the outside wing as a push – I think the outside wing to the push sets up a better line 17-18.

The entry to the 14 backside was easy/obvious the way you pushed him – but one thing to add to your course analysis is looking at the exit line first and then seeing if the threadle is a better setup for the line than pushing to the other side. He is already curling towards you to his left on the line from 13, so the threadle is very doable there!

The rest of it looked really strong!!

Great job on these! Let me know what you think!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

Hooray for getting in the saddle! Yay!

>>Here is Bob’s Lazy drill. Gotta start somewhere, right?>>

Yes, and the lazy game is the best place to start. His commitment looked great, both on the smaller pieces and the last rep where you put it all together. So fast and soooo goood!!!!

>>I was using treats that were far too small and I see I was really late,>>

I didn’t think you were late, but yes, he didn’t really see the treats. The lazy game is valuable to revisit here and there, so you can definitely use big chunks of mozzarella (I mean, he is Italian, right?!?!) and also use a marker that indicates to look ahead for the reward. I use “get it” (not fancy but very effective LOL!) I don’t think you were using a marker so he was not sure if he should look for a treat (and where) or keep going.

You don’t need to do this again, we can move on – but definitely start using the get it marker for the thrown reinforcement in the other games too.

The sending drill is going well! Commitment looks great, and you’ve got your verbals going. Super!

Quick question about the verbals – is ‘cap’ your wrap-to-the-right cue? If so, it is correct at :29 when he comes all the way around the wing. When you add the middle wing (:41), you will want to use your soft-right cue (I use ‘right’) because he is not wrapping the first wing, he is doing the L shaped turn on those.

As you build up more speed and start the other sequences, two suggestions:

– rotate sooner on all of the FCs – his commitment is very strong, so you can send and as he is passing you, start to rotate to move the other way. This will get him used to countermotion, get you further ahead, and get even tighter turns! Ideally as he arrives at the wing for a FC, you are already rotated and moving the other way.

– use a tug toy for sequences and not food. Yes, you can trade the tug for a cookie but for the main reinforcement, use a toy. You might be thinking “but he is going to get too high” – nope, he won’t it, will be all good! He will be more stimulated, yes, with the tug but a couple of reasons why it will work out better in the long run:

– he likes it better than food, so you will actually get better turns and lines and better drive to you because the reward is better 🙂

– it will teach him skills in an arousal state that is closer to what he will be like at a trial, which also means that he is more likely to be able to do the skills at a trial! There is so much science behind this that it is mind-blowing but basically, he needs to work in a higher arousal state in training to set up better success in trialing.

– it allows us to see if he has any questions about these skills when he is that higher arousal state. I would MUCH rather answer those questions now, in the foundation stages, before frustration sets in – rather than in adulthood when he starts to trial.

So, onwards to the other games in both the sequences and the wingin’ it games 🙂 And get that toy out!

Great job 🙂
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi! Nice session here!

>>. I think I am taking a step back to try to help her commit, which I’m guessing needs to be eliminated.>>

Yes – on the circle wraps, you were stepping back and that was making it harder to get ahead of her and get the countermotion. You didn’t show any of the reps where she didn’t commit, but also yes – dropping the toy works like a charm!

So, ideally you would cue her to go around the wing for the circle wrap as you walk forward the whole time – and as your feet are moving forward, your eyes and hand both shift to the landing slit (other side of hte wing :)) to help commitment. Doing this at a walk can really jump start it, and definitely keep dropping the toy in behind you as you move forward. That will get her committing nicely to the wing without you needing to step back on the circle wraps. The front cross wrap commitment looks great!

Nice work 🙂
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

Nice job working this out – at the beginning, it took a minute to set her up on the correct angle – I think you were blocking the wing a little at first, and she was widening out to see more info.

Looking at :53 and 1:07, you clearly showed the wing and she got it nicely!

The countermotion after that is looking great! Her commitment is very strong. Only 1 blooper, at 1:11, when you looked at her cute face and not at the landing spot. You adjusted that on all the other reps (shifted connection to the landing spot).

The last rep in particular was lovely because you were rotated SO EARLY so you were facing her and sending her backwards to the wing – TONS of countermotion and she nailed it! the last wrap had a little bit of a fancy dance move but that is probably because it is hard to do the countermotion multiple times in a row.

You can definitely add in the race tracks to this now!!

Great job 🙂
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

>. I filmed 3 and 4 too after a break. But, she was tired. I’ll post those next.>>

You can post them all together, no need to wait!

Looking at pop out 1 – good timing starting the FC wrap to the left on the first rep! You can start your decel even sooner, before she even takes off for the previous jump – not for her, she is reading it really well, but so you can be rotated fully sooner and running the other direction sooner.

Her start position on rep 1 was great, she was able to take powerful strides to start the sequences. She was too close to jump 1 on rep 2, so had to sort out strides and leads an dthat contributed to bar 2 coming down (the BC can start sooner too, so it is finished sooner with the connection visible before she takes off).

But even with that, the wrap to the right was faster! Yay! It is a better line 3-4-5, which contributes to it being faster. Remember to turn her on the 4-5-6 line with a name call and shoulder turn so she can land facing 6 and not facing the backside line.

The 3rd rep had a better approach to jump 1 but it was overall slower than rep 2 there (yes, I was timing it :)) because she was turning over 1 rather than going straight. So the straight line entry and start spot you used on rep 1 was best for her.

>>I’m still not getting the threadle wrap or tandem turn away turns. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but she’s locked on the jump and not looking at me or my hands reliably. It’s a similar skill for me so I’m sure I’m doing something wrong.>>

Her questions are about how your shoulders are turning. If your shoulders are facing the line to the front side and you are moving that way, those cues override hands and verbals. So to get the tandems and threadle wraps more consistently, turn your shoulders away from her (towards the tunnel, turn her on the flat… then indicate the jump).

On the pop out 1 RC wrap moments (tandem turn) – the first rep didn’t have the shoulder turn to pull her to the line – you were turning and indicating the jump all in one move here so it looked like a wrap cue. At :54, you had more shoulder turn then you got on the RC line and it looked a lot clearer to her!

Pop out 2 –
Very nice backside slice line at 1:11!! You can open up your shoulders more and look at the landing spot as you move to the tunnel, to help her with the slice jumping there.
Nice job NOT falling! And getting the toy thrown too!

Looking at the threadle wraps:
this is where it is even more important to decelerate and turn your shoulders away from the front of the jump (towards the tunnel in this setup) and as she is coming towards you, use your hands to turn her on the flat (and decelerate) – this is where watching her head becomes super important: don’t indicate the jump or move forward at all until you see her do 2 things: come to the backside and look to turn away to the bar.

The reps were she went to the front of the jump had moments where your shoulders were facing the line to the front.

The last rep had the shoulder pull (a little late, but clear enough that she responded) and she got it! It can come sooner: you can be decelerating and turning your shoulders before she takes off for the previous jump, but it was a really clear visual of how well she will respond to that shoulder turn as part of the cue!

She got the threadle wrap at 1:32 mainly because you were standing still facing her – which will work when you can do that (like a lap turn) but it was very cool to see her read it in motion with the shoulder movement on the last rep, without you having to face her.

And after all of that handler focus – Nice GO on the tunnel exit at the end!!! She responded beautifully to that!

Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

>. I thought we had that but then I realized last weekend that with the weaves angling away from the line, it added another degree of difficulty to layering. Some day I will figure out all the ways it can go wrong & how to be prepared!>>

One common trend now in AKC, in particular, is the weaves going away from the course, directly into a corner. That is a good one to train because even if we handlers go with the dogs, it is still really hard for the dogs.

>>It helps when I can at least get as far away from Montana as SLC to watch other fast dogs & how people handle courses. There is only one other fast dog in the state.>>

Watching is great learning! I like to watch videos on Facebook, especially from the UKI Festivals/Cups/Classics, and the AKC Premier Cup videos were super fun to watch!

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

She is definitely figuring out the layering here! Yay! Adding more distance went really nicely.

Two ideas for you:

Even in the sequence work, try to throw more rewards after the layering jump to keep building up massive value – that way you won’t have to stop and send at all. You will be able to keep moving up the line, trusting the commitment! If she stays on her line, the handling elements are super easy (as they were here) so tons of value for staing on the line will really help.

In a smaller space (whether it is at home or in a trial with less distance between the jumps), the other thing you can do is run in closer to the tunnel (when it is #2) so you are not as far ahead when she exits – that way as she exits the tunnel, she is seeing a lot of motion and no deceleration. She will fly up the line! Some of the variation in her speed on those lines was based on whether you were decelerating or not.

Since she did so well, you can definitely move to the next games which add layering the tunnel and sending her to a jump on the other side of it.

Great job here!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning! Thanks for the update!!!

Yes, the heat makes things challenging – both for trying not to overheat, and for brains to process heat AND doing agility. And I mean dog brains AND human brains LOL! So if it feels like it is harder in the heat… it is because it is indeed harder in the heat. Super short sessions can help, and heavy emphasis on connection like you mentioned.

For the wingless jumps, yes – those bars do tend to come down more because they are a ‘smaller’ visual for the dog. Try to keep them on simpler lines and not backsides, so the pups have an easier time with them.

And also yes – early cues are the way to go with all the dogs… because that is probably on time for them 🙂 So keep on pushing the boundaries of how early you can cue, while still getting commitment 🙂

Thanks for the update! Have fun and stay cool!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

I agree, it is always fun to listen to Anastasia!! And it is doubly impressive because she is so fabulous at 1am in her local time LOL!!!

Sounds like you are putting a LOT of great pieces in place!!! The more you practice, the easier it gets!

>>And then we freaking nailed the last run of the day!!!

That is a BIG win in many ways… usually our brains and bodies are tired and toast by the end of a trial day. And often, the biggest runs (for whatever reason – titles, wins, tournaments, etc) are at the end of the day. So being able to step into the ring and nail it?!?! HUZZAH! Well done!!!!!!!!!!!!

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

I posted my reply there, but I will put it here too – it is IMPORTANT!!!!
Ugh, I am so sorry you were on the receiving end of ANY of that! It is really terrible.

A couple of ideas for you:

– you mentioned pulling off a brave front. One thing that is important is that you do NOT have to pull off a brave front! Comments like that are UNACCEPTABLE and you can set boundaries so you do not have to be on the receiving end, and so people do not feel like it is ever OK to say terrible things to you. More on boundaries in a moment 🙂

– if these people are repeat offenders and have said negative things that chip away at your confidence and happiness more than once… then it is perfectly fine to use a hard NO to hanging out with them or talking to them. That is part of boundary setting.

– yes, consider the source here – my guess is anyone who says things like that to you is NOT a source of good info for you. You can approach that with empathy, because it is highly likely that those comments come from their own insecurities and mental management issues… but that also means you do NOT have to take on their problems. We all have enough on our plates, brain-wise, no need to also take on the emotional baggage of others. This is especially true at a dog show, where we want to hang out, share laughs, play with dogs, and also eat snacks.

OK, back to boundaries. Comments like that, even if delivered with a smile and a laugh, are definitely outside the lines of your boundaries square. So – you have some options here to draw boundaries:

– first, you can simply stop hanging out or chatting with those people. This is a boundary for you and your behavior – if they approach or are chatting or want to talk to you, simply smile and walk away. You can say something like: gotta walk the puppy! Or even better: Gotta check in with my online class! And in your mind, as you smile and leave, you can give yourself a high five for boundary setting and nailing it, and saving yourself from having to get dumped on.

– second, you can set the boundary in the moment: if anyone says something hurtful or undermining, you can say to them something like “wow, I feel that is both hurtful and untrue. I will not be a part of any conversation like this.” Then smile and go do something else that brings you joy, like hanging out with people that will lift you up.

Standing up for yourself in the form of setting boundaries is very straightforward, very unemotional, very clear. Use “I feel” and “I will” to start your statements. And you don’t have to allow the other person the opportunity to discuss – that person will probably need to take some time to think about it.

Now the thing with boundaries is that for people like you and me, they are VERY hard to set and maintain especially when we need to speak up on our behalf. I think you are like me – a people pleaser, who wants everyone to be happy and have fun. I HATE conflict or confrontation, and I sense that you might be like that too.

However, setting boundaries is not conflict or confrontation. It is straight talk that will bring you SO MUCH INNER PEACE and will allow you to really enjoy spending time with dogs and the people who will lift you up.

So how to do this? Practice, practice, practice. I literally practice these actions and conversations in my head over and over, so I feel more confident when I actually need to use them. When practicing, be sure to practice setting your boundaries and NOT practice getting dumped on by other people’s crap!

Now, you might need to set boundaries with people who are friends or in your friend circle – so extra rehearsal is very important.

It takes practice and is hard AF at first but it is sooooo empowering when you do it and also you will have so much more peace and joy in your world.

If you want, we can get everyone in this class together for a zoom session where we literally rehearse setting boundaries! That would be useful AND hilarious!

Let me know what you think!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

The moving threadles are hard because they need to see a tiny cue and have it override motion. So hard!!
I think this session went pretty well! The wings are a good visual to have added. One thing I see here that might be throwing a wrench into the works is that he is releasing on the arm movement – as soon as your arms move, he is moving. And if he moves before the arms are fully in place and you are also moving, he might end up on the other side of the jump. So I think the main thing will be to reward the stay more, move your hands into position but do not release (reward more stay) then start moving slowly with the threadle hands…. then release (eventually LOL!)

Also, he might need a quick refresher of ignoring the MM or lotus ball so you can use it as a placed reward (it is very helpful to do that!) by standing still at the jump, with the MM on the ground. When he can do the stay and the MM on the ground, the movement will be much easier.

Rocking horses are looking great, outdoors with more distance! Yay! Nice job with your verbals and connections – he seemed to have no question about commitment on the FCs or the spins. Super! You can stay more on the center of the wings on the FCs – you were tending to run all the way to the entry line, which blocks the wing a bit and I don’t think he needs as much help to commit 🙂

You can definitely add the race tracks now! I think he will like all of that speed 🙂

Great job!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!
Both of these sessions looked great! Her speed and commitment continue to be super strong, even in a new location and with more distance. YAY!!! That is great! And her tugging continues to blossom 🙂 And I totally agree that there was a lot of success trading the tug for a treat: she was tugging like a wild beast and then you offered a treat and she was like, “cool! thanks!”. That is a really nice, balanced arousal state.

A couple of small details:

Yes, the verbals are the hardest part of it all if all of these verbals are new to you! You can run the sequence without her, to check your verbals (I am sure the videographer will give you feedback) 🙂
The left/right for the barrels are great! And you can call her name after the wrap, that is good too:
it can be sending on a left/right directional, then as she comes around, you call her, then send her with a directional, then call her. That is very much like what we would do on a course. Resist temptation to let a “go go go” slip in there 🙂

And you can use a “ready” as part of your start, just be sure she is lined up at your side, you are connected, and neither of you are moving. If she is lined up, you say ‘ready’, then send with the directional, it will make for a nice smooth start to each rep!

The only other suggestion is about the toy – when it is under your arm, it inhibits connection on that side (because you can’t open up your arm back to her without the toy falling out LOL!) So you can try a smaller toy scrunched up into your waistband, so you can move your arms and shoulders more clearly.

Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!
Lots of good pieces here! We can definitely smooth things out in the sections that were hard.

One important thing is to keep going after a bobble, no stopping to fix! He gets stickier when you stop (even when you reward, most dogs find stopping to be a bit punishing) which makes it harder to handle. Plus, carrying on gives you the chance to get things back on track quickly, like we would need to do at a trial.

Looking at the opening 1-2-3-4 line: to get the turn to tunnel. I htink all you need to do is call him and turn your shoulders. On the first rep, you ran too much of a parallel line. On the other reps, you used a cross arm which almost pulled him off and caused the bar down on rep 3. He got it on the other reps but did look at you more than needed because of the cross arm.

Nice adjustment to keep connected and moving to 6 at :43 and 1:49! On the first rep, you were too far away and pulling away. The other 2 looked good!

The line after the DW was the hardest part, I think:

>>I think the back sides are hard on these wingless jumps with 4 ft bars, so I”m not really concerned about bars coming down that as much now that I’ve realized he doesn’t normally do back sides on wingless at my place or trials.>>

Yes, backsides without wings on short bars are harder but also you were in the way each time at 9 (:54, 1:14, 2:00) so he was jumping towards you on the hard slice line and had no place to land, so the bar came down. You can send him to the backside and head directly to 10, rather than hang out at 9.

At 10, as you send, watch his face: he will tell you when he is committed to 10 by looking at it. At 2:02 and 2:16, for example, you never connected so he never saw the line and came with you as you turned your shoulders. That same ‘watch his face’ rule holds true for the send to 8 after the DW at 1:06 and the othr times he didn’t take 8 – you would send with an arm and verbal, but there was no connection and motion turned away, so he came with you. It wa smuch better at 2:26 where you connected until he locked onto the jump.

He did well with the weave layer!!! The open poles really helped!!!

I liked the RC wrap to the frame, that was super nic and go you way ahead! To get the threadle after it, keep runing towards the 17 jump until you see his head turn to look at it 🙂 There is a theme of watching his head so he can tell you when he sees the line 🙂

And a much clearer push to the backside on the last rep worked nicely! Yay!!!

Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy

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