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Good morning!
Outside back and forth looked good, he was very quick to re-engage and your timing was good with the cookie tosses! He definitely did get to practice assessing the environment and re-engage, because every now and there something caught his attention and he looked at it… then looked back at you. Perfect!
When you added the new obstacle – also a great session. It was the perfect level of distraction: out of place but not too weird and definitely not scary. At first I think he was wondering if he should target it LOL! And there was one moment when an outside distraction caught his eye but he returned his engagement to you there too.
Volume dial was definitely a different energy level and that is perfect!
His downs look good (although he doesn’t quite move into the sit easily after the down, so maybe keep those separate). The spins are great for this game. And the touches are also great. Talking a lot during this game is PERFECT FINE 🙂 It is the pattern games that we want to keep quiet on.You can take the volume dial game outside and into other locations and see how he does!
Looking at the handling:
At the end of the first video, you said something like “most excellent” and I agree! There were no warts on this video LOL!
That session of 1-2-3-4 on the first sequence went great! Lovely stay, he found the line very easily, and you got the FC 3-4 very easily. Yo can try starting the FC sooner to see how well he is committing to 3: when he is halfway between the tunnel and the jump, you can be saying “jump” and starting the FC. Otherwise, don’t change a thing!!On your first sequence outside: Also lovely! I think he was confused when you lined him up and stepped backwards so he ended up being lined up sideways especially on the 2nd run. O the 3rd run, he was a LOT straighter and found jump 1 with no questions. So be sure he is totally straight and facing the jump so he has no questions.
He found his line here really well on both runs so you can totally start the FC sooner on jump 3: you were starting it when he lifted off for 3, so now try it at the halfway point between the jump and tunnel. As long as you are connected, I bet he has no trouble.
>>taking it outside takes it to a whole new level, he stays with me, but he checks in sometimes and I think I talk too much
Yes, outside amps things up but it went great! I don’t think you talk to much and in fact, I think you need to talk MORE. The checking in happened when you got quiet, either on the 2nd to last jump or on the jump before the tunnel at the end.
On the first run, you told him to go and then you got quiet, so as you fell behind him he looked back at you to be sure. On the second run you were saying go then you said something else (I am not quite sure what it was, maybe ‘get in’? ) so he looked at you, thinking you wanted at turn – then you said go so he tried to adjust and hit the bar. And on the 3rd run you got a little quiet and mixed in get in with go, and I think that caused him to look at you. So feel free to be extra noisy and name the entire line by continuing to say go go go tunnel tunnel tunnel 🙂 He seems to understand that better than get in, because he looked at you when you said get in.
Great job here!!
TracyHi!
>>So I’m watching everyone else’s pattern games and their dogs don’t seem as frantic as Tipsy gets…I’m using pretty low value treats and she is hyper-arroused to eat anything. Is that normal and okay?>
It is normal and ok and actually pretty helpful! Terriers can get into that more frantic-looking state, but it is possible she is not frantic but just REALLY motivated 🙂 And that is helpful because it simulates the higher arousal state you get in classes, for example – so she is offering engagement and practicing self-regulation in that higher state! Super!! One thing I had to learn when I got my first terrier was just how quickly they can move – fast feet, fast decision making, fast everything. BIG learning curve for me, but they were not necessarily over-aroused or frantic. Sounds like she is similar 🙂
>> Last night she started being focused on where the treats would be thrown next, to finally offering focus to me.
Brilliant and hilarious! And totally terrier, trying to think 6 steps ahead of us. If you have done a lot of shaping, it is possible she was thinking it was a shaping game and looking for the reward placement? Definitely an overachiever 🙂 But she sorted it out nicely. And I am glad the up and down game is going well!
You can definitely add moving and the leash, and even a novel object in the environment. Keep me posted!
Tracy
Hi!
>>Covers don’t help. It’s the sound I think.>>
Could be the sound! Will she lick something off a lickimat or from a Kong?
>>I can try outside the pickleball courts in a few days. >>
Oooh that is a fun distraction!
On the down video from class:
She was not calm here, and that is fine! She was able to hold a stay and self-regulate a bit. Relaxed? Nope, but not frantic and able to do a stay. Yay! So then… what happens next will be good to know. Was she able to work with focus and engagement?On the 2nd video – thanks for the singing, Gemma! Very cool! EVERYTHING moved faster in this session and that is great – we need to add arousal to all of these games and this definitely accomplished that. Plus YOU were in a higher arousal state too, probably closer to what you are like at a trial, and that is great for her to see in training 🙂 Sprite was great here!
>>We played in the backyard with Gemma and the ball. I’m tossing small pieces of food, so they might be hard to find. >>
You can use bigger pieces and shorter sessions so the amount of food remains overall the same.
>>Interesting about the left and right. Is it my tossing to that side?
I don’t think it is your tossing. I see it here, and in the park video, but not the first home video. Interesting! Notable! But nothing concerning. Maybe it is a processing thing when in slightly higher arousal. The answer will reveal itself eventually 🙂
Great job :)
TracyHi!
He read 1-2 really well on most of the reps! At 1:40 it was hard to see if he was in a line up spot that was off the line or you pushed to it too much (or both 🙂 ) so he missed it but the rest was good!The send to 3 depends on what your next cue would be. When you went closer to the 3 jump at :54, he had a better line and that sets up the rear cross really well. To get the BC, though, you would need to send from much further away so you can takeoff to do the BC between 4 and 5.
On the RCs, you can put more pressure on the line to get a better turn to the tunnel: you were running straight for a few steps then adding the RC pressure, so he was turning to his right first before turning left.
For the blind – sending to 3 from far away (as soon as he lands from 2) then taking off for the line 4-5 should get it! Doing the blind on takeoff side of 4 totally supported the off course at 1:58 – that is totally rewardable with the toy 🙂
You can do a BC between 3 and 4 but it would have to be finished before takeoff for 3 and it doesn’t set a good line to 5, so it works better on the landing side of 4.
Great job here!
TracyHi!
This also went really nicely!!!
The best reps on jump 1 were when you set him up on more of a slice facing jump 2 (like on the 2nd run) so he had a better angle and a more direct line rather than turning after he landed.
The 3-4-5 line looked really good each time!
Be sure to cue the turn on the exit of the tunnel before he goes into it. In this context all he needs is a soft name call to tighten up the turn on the exit.
The only tricky part here was the 7 jump. The bar came down at 1:50, due to a late turn (you were facing straight til after he was in the air so he tried to adjust and hit the bar). At 3:24 you were too early, disconnecting a bit early so he came off the jump. If that happens you ca just keep going. The last rep looked really good, it was a nice balance of timing and connection!
Great job here!
TracyHi!
This is going really well too, especially because he has a strong stay. Keep rewarding it so he doesn’t release when you reconnect. When you get to your lead out spot, always reconnect, then praise.. then either reward or release so the release/reward is not simultaneous with the reconnection.For this type of lead out, you will want to be positionally further across the bar at 2. I like to stand on the line I want him to take to set up the best turn (because of course when he lands, you won’t be there anymore LOL!!)
That will set up a better turn over 2 – at :41 and 2:25, based on your position he thought you wanted a straight line over 2. He turned after landing, but that didn’t give him quite enough time to set up the tight turn at 3. So better position at 2 (more in the center of the bar) will get a better turn, so when he lands from 2 you can start the decel to get the tight turn for 3 🙂The ending line looked great! He is very committed and very fast!!!!!
Tracy
Hi!
Great job adjusting the handling to show him the lines! One thing to keep in mind is that when you are running sequences, his response is a reflection of the info you are giving. So if he ends up somewhere unexpected? Just keep going, get on the next line, then reward. That will be less frustrating for him than stopping or being marked as wrong, because he is not wrong 🙂
On this first sequence, you did really well with making the adjustments to show the line such as calling him less out of the tunnel, and connecting more to show him 3… then you got earlier and earlier on the FC, added the turn verbal and it was great!!
The 4-5 line was tricky here – the natural line as to the backside of 5 so you had to decel and get the turn. That is a good place to keep going – if he ends up on the backside of 5, note it in your brain but keep going and fix it on the next rep.
One other thought: you can praise him less as you run (praise is not informational and he has plenty of motivation so doesn’t need the help). Give more directionals and obstacle names : )
Great job!
TracyThe up and down game is looking good here – nice quick response from him in terms of re-engagement. You were getting eye contact here before putting the next treat down – that is fine for an easy environment like this, but if the environment is harder he might not be able to offer eye contact. And that is also fine – you can place the next treat down for any type of re-engagement and looking towards you, even if it does not have eye contact involved.
Next step is the leash on for this game too.
And the step after that for all of the pattern games is to add a novel thing in the environment. Nothing scary, just a new random thing. That will teach him the pattern game framework to assess the environment and return engagement to you!
T
Aha! Back and forth with a leash on. Perfect! It seems strange to train with a leash in a comfy environment, but it gets you and him ready for doing this on leash in trial environments (where he will be on leash outside the ring).
He did a great job here too, both with the leash on and the quickness to re-engage. Yay!! I will give you the next steps if I don’t see them in the other videos LOL!!Tracy
Nice job here with the back and forth pattern game! He was very quick to re-engage, so he is clearly very comfy in this environment. Super!
The next steps are to add a leash and to start moving – you might have this in the videos below.Great job!
TracyHi!
He did really well here with the volume dial game! The spins are a great trick for this. For the sits and downs, be sure to release him from the position (so he doesn’t release on praise) and it is also fine to use a small physical cue: when he is in the higher arousal state, it is harder for him to differentiate verbals so you can totally use a hand signal to help him get the sit or down.Next steps are to add a leash (because you will be doing this with a leash on :)) and to try it in different locations to see how he responds.
Great job!
TracyHi! Super strong session here!! She is so fast and fun and bendy and ALL IN for everything here. Love it! And I agree – a definitely difference between the right turns and the left turns: super tight on the left turns, the tunnel was more in play, and on the right turns she was in more extension and never looked at the tunnel.
So for the right turns – you can isolate the commitment to the jump a bit more, so she always finds it even when you say GO or when you move a lot.
There are two ways to do this and you can do both!
– you can make a jump a double-wide by having 2 jump bars or jumps bumps next to each other, so the distance between the wings is 8 or 10 feet and not 4 or 5 feet. That is a much bigger visual to pop out during all the excitement 🙂 If you use 2 bars, one end of each bar will be in the jump cups and the other end will be on the ground, so there is a bit of a V shape to the picture she sees. I have used the double-wide concept a lot in agility and flyball and it really helps the dogs find the jump and is also really easy to fade.
– the other thing you can do is click the moment she reaches the bar. Yes, a third arm might be necessary LOL! But you can have the clicker in whichever hand is easier for you even if it means the toy throw is a little delayed. So as soon as she is arriving at the bar or you see her front feet liftoff, click and then throw the reward. That click will really stand out in the environment and should help her lock onto the jump, even when you are running. You won’t need to click for more than a session or two, but it might be very useful info for her!
On the left turns, leaving both ends of the tunnel down for a session or two should do the trick 🙂 You might get a lot of extension when that happens and zipping past the jump like she did sometimes on the right turns, but no worries, we can also do the double-wide and the clicks on that side too 🙂
Great job here!
TracyGood morning! Great seeing you in class last night 🙂
>>So, weird, here Winter is our best season for training and trialing. 🤪>>
I know! That is why I feel the need to come up with a winter class rather than skip the winter LOL!!! Stay tuned…
>>Do you think I will have enough space to do Pup 3?
Yes, it needs more space but not a lot of space.
>>Today we had an excellent private with Amy Mescher.
Thank you for the update! I am so excited to hear that things went really well, especially the part about the sudden appearance of the yard guys. Puppies are not robots so of course she noticed them… but the wagging tail and relaxed demeanor is lovely! And thank you to Paris for the social learning cues to Mochi. I love social learning!
>>So, in other news. Amy has kindly agreed to trying semi-privates with my Friend and her Corgi and Me and Mochi. And we will take turns working our pups while the other is resting/learning to be calm while watching another dog work on their mat.>
This is fantastic! And you can also start to play side-by-side games where they are both working at the same time, and eventually both off leash working at the same time. Fun times ahead!!
Tracy
