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Hi!
>>I will place a toy or have someone drop it. She can be a little thief with the toy.>>
If she is grabbing the toy instead of doing the behavior, make the behavior easier š
>>I sort of lose track of how many failures. That will go to the top of the list to be more aware of so I keep it to two.
Keeping things to 2 makes it easier to track.
>> Would this scenario be okay: We are playing a game and she has two failures. I stop and go do something else with her. Play a different game, take her for a potty break or running around break and then try again? Or, if she has two failures are we done with that game for the day, or are we done with any games for the day? >>
Think of it as shaping with successive approximations, making things easier or harder to ‘get the behavior’:
After the first failure, if you think she has a chance of success on the next rep, try it again. But if you think she won’t be successful, or if she fails a 2nd time (either in a row, or in the session), make the behavior easier by changing something (jump angle, less motion, etc).
You don’t need to stop the session or be done for the day, you just need to make it easier so she can be successful. If you don’t know how to make it easier – then yes, you can be done with it til we figure out how to make it easier š
So for serpentines – if you get 2 failures, angle the jump a lot more so there are no more failures in that session. Then the next session starts there, and if she is successful, you can tighten the jump angle by an inch or two, or add more motion (but not both).
>>I was foolishly hopeful that I would be outside for tomorrowās live class. We have gotten more than 20 inches of snow in the last two days so no outside work.
Holy sh*t you have had a crazy winter that seems never-ending!!!
>> I am planning on joining Keith and Bob at their place tomorrow. The only concern is if the weather continues to be uncooperative. I am two hours away and there is a canyon/mountain pass that I have to go through to get to their place. It can have terrible roads and is often closed.
Safety first! You also have the option of doing the Thursday live class!
>>I know that we are getting into games that really require some space. If I canāt go tomorrow, should I just skip it or would it be worth doing a compressed version at Debbieās place?
I juts double checked the games, you can totally do thm at Debbie’s place!
>> And finally, if I do go to Keithās tomorrow. Could on the last game, I be the first one so I can get back on the road to get home? >>
Absolutely! Keep me posted!
TracyHi!
>>The ending scene is from this morning and looking out the window now, itās started again. Crazy!
OMG WITH THE SNOW!!! Crazy!!!
I love how the crowd started chanting the correct very, that was SO FUNNY!!
With all the speed and excitement, angling the jump will get success on the serp so you donāt need to over-rotate your upper body or stop your motion. Angle the jump so as he comes around the start wing, the bar is clearly visible and you can job with your serp arm back – but you donāt need to do any extra swinging of it back. He was starting to get better and better at it by the end, so the next step is more of your motion. And adding more of your motion will mean less time to rotate your upper body – so the angled jump will really help.
Great job on these!
TracyNice work with the MP here! The gentle collar holds worked nicely! And yes, he was HILARIOUS when he wrapped the first thing he saw: the tripod LOL!!!!!
>>Should I split the difference between center and staying just a bit left or right of center (so add another position in there) or should I stay right in the center, but help him a bit more with my body?>>
He is making tremendous progress with these verbals. Training verbals is like training weaves: takes a relatively long time. This is different than, say, a front cross sequence where if you do it right, he does it right š So with that in mind, you can very gradually begin to split the difference. Starting between your feet without any handling help was very hard, so you can be a bit left or right of center (the position will help) so you donāt need to help with physical cues as much. And it is a game of inches now to get to that center position – youāll probably end up moving over inch by inch over the course of multiple sessions. But in general, the goal here is that he understands that left and right could be towards or away from you, so he needs to listen for the verbal cue. And he is definitely getting the idea of that!
Nice work!
Good morning!
Here was pretty darned perfect here! Wheeeee! So you can add more distance between the jump and tunnel, as well as keep varying your position to get more lateral distance, get way ahead, or run all the way to the tunnel so he drives ahead to the jump.
>>When I was watching the video, I was thinking maybe my verbals for wrap versus left/right are off given where I was starting him from as he was heading to the tunnel. Is that correct? If I start him from the side is it more of a left/right into the tunnel than if Iām by the wing, send him to the wing and then back to the tunnel? I wondered about it as I edited the video. >>
The verbal on the start wing depends on his starting position and the line it creates. So you were generally a little past the wing, which creates a left or right turn. But when you were between the wing and the tunnel, that creates a wrap.
So 2:00 was more of a left, and 1:15 was more of a wrap, for example. To keep it really clear for him (and you :)) you can exaggerate your start position by either being clearly between the wing and tunnel (wrap) or clearly on the other side of the wing (left/right).
You should move the random wings in the middle of the ring so you donāt run into them LOL!
>>One other thing I noticed is when Iām holding his collar to say a verbal (rather than just having him sit beside me), I am sometimes pulling back on the collar or up (opposition). It wasnāt intentional, but I noticed it was creeping in. On exercises where verbals arenāt as critical, should I go back to letting him sit on his own and then try and be really careful to not add opposition on exercises where I really need the verbal distinction (i.e.minny pinny)?>>>
Good observation! Pulling the collar back adds stimulation and can also cause a weight shift where the pup will start moving with more weight shifting forward. So in something like the find the jump game, where the line os obvious (no verbal discrimination) and there is no bar to drop and he wonāt fall on his head :), I think it is fine to add more arousal/stimulation š
But as you mentioned, in something like the Minny Pinny where we need more thoughtfulness and less explosiveness for now – a gentle calm line up and collar hold is best (for now).
Great job!
TracyGood morning!
Look at that green grass! And you are not wearing 10,000 coats! Spring is arriving, finally!!!
Find the jump looks fabulous, like she has been practicing it while you are at work and is ready for more LOL! You can run faster on these – we usually start without a lot of motion because it can be distracting to the dogs but I think she is doing great so you can just run for real, as long as you stay connected. You can add more distance laterally now, and you can also start right next to the tunnel and send to the wing, so she drives ahead of you at the tunnel exit. And you can also send to the tunnel and get waaaaaaay ahead and see if she can still find the jump.
The only thing to really work on is the reward delivery. It looks like she was doing some crazy-ass acrobatics to get the toy, and we would like her to not smash herself for it LOL!! Yo can throw earlier so she is till looking forward (throw as soon as she looks at the jump) but also maybe a large hollee roller is a better option because it moves slower and she can scoop it up? Or, maybe you can enlist someone to reward moving-target-style with a dragging toy so she chases it and gets good placement but doesnāt do anything too wild for it
Zig zags – She is doing really well pushing away to her left when you are at wing 2 and just a little past it. Being further past is still hard but she was getting it! Super! For now, you can refresh that skill (push away to the left) by standing at wing 2 or a tiny bit past it, then you can keep moving back like you did here.
All of the other challenges looked great, so that is where you can add the additional challenges of smaller distances so she has to do the lead changes more quickly š
The first serp rep was GREAT because she considering going around the jump then decided to come in and take it – YES! Then the rest was all about coming in to take the serp jump. Happy dance! Super! So now we add your speed to it, to work up to you running through the serp lines (your line of motion and position relative to the wing looked great here).
Do everything the same with your handling, but now go faster š Try jogging in the next session – but because the speed might be a significant distraction, repeat the angle of the jump you did here (super obvious to start, then you can angle it but maybe not as much as you did here). She will either find the added motion challenging so you donāt angle the jump back to flat much at allā¦ or she will find it relatively easy so you can change the angle of the jump relatively quickly like you did here. She will tell us š
Great job!
TracyGood morning!
All the set point reps looked really good! They were all consistent and powerful, pretty much identical form except the last one where she lifted her head over the 2nd barā¦ but I think she was chewing something while in the stay (watch her head LOL!) so it is possible she still had food in her mouth. The only advice there is to be sure she swallows the treats or donāt use treats for his LOL!!
The set point can stay where it is for now, we will be using it to build the next jumping game (coming tomorrow!)
The serp is definitely going better! Super! And I think she liked the toy play mixed in too š Your footwork was great, heading towards the reward target on every rep. Your upper body can do the rotation as a little sooner (turning t the waist) so she sees it as soon as she exits the wing.
Be sure that the wing stays 6 or 8 feet from the serp jump – on the first rep of the second side, the wing was very close setting up almost a wrap on it, so she missed on the first rep (you did end up moving it further away after a few reps)
The next step is to add more motion to build up to being able to run through the serps like you would on course. To do that, angle the jump again so that she can easily see the bar. That way you can start to jog and sell get her to take the bar without changing your pace or adding foot rotation.
Minny Pinny also looking good! Now that is it getting more complicated, remember to hold her so she hears the verbal a few times before moving. Without holding her, she is basing decisions on the body position and moving as soon as you say something. The body positions here were helpful here (slight rotations, slight leans) so she was successful for the most part, but when you were not helping as much she had more questions.
So the next session can be zero movement from you (no leaning, no rotation), hold her, say the verbal 3 or 4 times, then let her go while you remain stationary.
Great job! New games coming tomorrow!
Tracy
Keep me posted! Figuring these reinforcement strategies out can be tricky at first, but they are totally worthwhile š
T
Good morning!
As your knee. continues to feel better, we can adjust things so you are training but not twisting š
>>I tend to be old school and use the opposite arm approach to bring them in for serps. Think just the verbal is all he needs?
The upper body can rotate to face the jump with the dog side arm back, which tends to help us move faster than using the cross arm.
>>Fingers crossed that I might be able to get in to the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow.
I will be crossing all my fingers and toes that everything is fine!
TracyHi!
Wow, look at her go on this big course! And at full height!! Speedy!!!
At :20, and 1:07 you can use a switch cue to turn her away and layer the tunnel line!
>>The weave entrance with the RC is beyond her pay grade. She hasnāt seen 12 poles in several months. ā
She tried so hard! She was SO CLOSE to nailing it! Good girl š
>>Also, in the corner after the blue tunnel I thought I cued a RC to turn left. But, she wrapped.>>
Do you mean at :47? You gave a big pull to the right wrap side, then as she was gathering for takeoff, you moved to the rear cross line, so it was too late for her to get it. You would need to decelerate at the jump before it to set the line, and then drive the rear cross line rather than accelerate to the jump then try to cut behind her. Great choice to continue on and then next part looked great!
This type of rear cross has even popping up a LOT lately and people are struggling with it, so I was actually thinking of doing a short class on rear crosses LOL! Now that the rain is maybe hopefully finally stopping, that might be a fun class!
Nice blind and connection at 1:01!!! WOW!
At the end, she had trouble finding the tunnel miles ahead with the jump right there – you can do a blind instead of a front to get more acceleration ahead and really support that line.
Overall, she looks fabulous!!!! This is going to be a fun spring and summer of running courses!!
TracyHi!
>>Do you suggest that I do one or two reps and check the video?>>
Yes, as much as possible! That will help set up a lot of success.
Serp games:
Starting on your left, she is definitely more comfy coming in for the serp jump. She is not really driving to that reward target, so you can definitely replace it with a toy. And since the toy is a lot more stimulating ā¦ angle the jump so she is very successful. And, as you move through the serp line – remember to move parallel to the jump bar. You were tending to pull back from it, which is more of a 180 cue and not as much of a serp cue. We want her to come in on the pressure of you being very close to the jump, so angling the jump will help at first while you establish the line.On the other side, remember the 2 failure rule š She is having too many failures, so you will want to angle the jump so it is much easier, with the bar very visible. And leave the jump in the angled position until you can really run and she does not fail. There is no rush to get it to the flat position.
All of the FC wraps looked good! Yay!
Find the jump also went really well! On the first rep where she messed the jump, I think the tunnel exit shoots out straight past the jump so she didnāt quite make the adjustment and was surprised, then he was perfect on the rest.
Otherwise she looked great! You can totally add more distance now. You can also throw the toy sooner: throw as soon as she looks at the jump and not after she starts jumping (your last 2 throws were better timed so she didnāt look at you!)
The left/right MP is also going well! When you are holding her collar, donāt pull on the collar or move her by the collar because that creates opposition reflex where she will lean the other way. So jus gently hold the collar and let go. If she is looking the incorrect direction, donāt move her over to the correct direction š You can let her go and if she is incorrect, no worries – reset cookie, try again, but also make it easier if needed (2 failure rule!)
>>Should I release or throw the toy for her when she completes it?
You can if you like but she is not coming in to the toy with a much speed as the other games, so she is not having the same torque when she gets to it.
Nice work here!
TracyHi!
The Minny Pinny game is going well for sure! You can do fewer reps of the regular one to focus on turning away a bit more while saving hi body – now that jump are in the picture, we want to limit the # of jump he does in a session – there were over 50 jumps he did here, so he was a little tired and out of breath by the time you switched to the turn aways. You can do a 30 second warm up of the left turns, for example, then do a couple of turn away reps, then switch sides. A timer set to maybe 3 minutes will help you limit reps too.On the turning away – he was totally guessing by turning towards you first LOL!! When turning towards you didnāt get a response, he cleverly turned away and got the reward LOL! So we can help him get it without first turning towards you by either putting the toy out as a visual aid, or using a physical cue (a hand cue, kind of like the turn away games youāve done on the flat and on the MaxPup 1 prop š ). That will help him get the turning away really nicely.
Find The Jump looked great! He definitely Ikes his tunnel š and had no trouble driving to it, and finding the jump after it. SUPER!!!!
>>I noticed he is checking for me as soon as he exits the tunnel. Am I throwing the toy too late?>>
2 answers for you there:
I think he was turning towards you on the tunnel exit because you were quiet and not necessarily visible on the early reps. So you can add in a GO verbal before he enters the tunnel.And yes, you can throw a little sooner: as soon as he look at the jump, you can throw the toy so he doesnāt look back at you when he reaches the jump.
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
Thanks for the play videos!
>>think I should do another rep of whatever game we are playing, play with the toy & be done. Her enthusiasm just dwindles. What should I do?>>
I think at this stage in her training, sorting out the reinforcement strategies is more important than the sport-specific skills.
So looking at these videos –
She seems to find chasing a thrown toy to be motivating and reinforcing. She also seems to like active tugging especially on a bungee-type toy. Dead toys (thrown back) seem to be not that engaging.>>I had forgotten the long toy didnāt work very well ā it used to.
I couldnāt see her engagement on the long toy after the jumping, but it looked like she was driving to it? Maybe you meant the long toy was not working as a lure to get her to bring the other toy back or stop running around?
So what I am seeing here is that the sessions are more about doing the skills so there seems to be a pretty immediate pressure to bring the toy backā¦ which is causing her to not bring the toy back. Even trying to trade for the other toy is not working, because it is paired with giving up the original toy and then being asked to work and earn it again.
What we think is reinforcement might not beā¦. And the pressure to bring the toy back, let it go, and get back to work might actually be a bit punishing so she is avoiding bringing the toy back! This is not that unusual, especially when we are thinking about the next rep and get the toy back then immediately cue the dog to line up to do something hard or not naturally reinforcing.
So might be happening is that the reinforcement side of things is very short, and ends up paired with a bit of punishment because if she comes back, she has a double whammy of the toy being taken away and then the pressure of work.
To try to change this, make each session more about longer reinforcement, more time tugging with you, winning the toy after some tugging, running around, trading for a treat, throwing the toy again, running around, trading for a treat, etc. Get a good reinforcement procedure going of toy- cookie – toy – cookie – toy. Then at some point, you can slip a rep of a skill in there so it is: toy- cookie – toy – cookie – set point – toy cookie – toy.
When she understands the procedure and it no longer predicts that the toy will go away, then I think that she will bring the toy back a lot more willingly! Let me know if that makes sense – sorting this out will make everything so much easier š
TracyFind the jump is looking good too! He is doing really well!!
In the indoor space, you can try to get as far ahead as possible to challenge him š Yo can send to the tunnel from as far away as possible, then you will be miles ahead of him. Then when the jump is as far from the tunnel as possible, you can go close to the tunnel exit then move forward to see if he will pass you to find the jump.
The snow should be melting very soon, then this can all go outside! He is definitely ready for the bigger distances, we just need the dang snow to melt.
Great job on all of these!
TracyHi!
He is doing his lead changes really well! Only one thing to tweak here:
Try to use a release cue and not āgoā because we want go to mean straight and not turning. You can see at the end he was confused when you said āgoā but your arms cued a turn, so he slowed down to figure it out.
If your knee is bothering you, this is a good game to play because you don’t need to move as much. So you can add challenge by moving the wings to 4 or 5 feet apart and see how he does š
T
Hi!
Serps are also looking really good!!For the serps that are now more of a backside like on the first video, you can go directly to the backside verbal and you probably donāt need the left or right anymore on the start wing, because the left and right verbals are a little too tight of a turn and we need him to carry out to the backside. He was finding the backside and serps brilliantly!
On the 2nd video
Nice job with the connection and verbals for the wraps! And he had no questions when you did the serps at the end. Nice!3rd video:
Also looking really good! I notice on these you were using a cross arm (opposite arm) as part of your serp cue – you can use it if you like, but you will be able to run faster if you use your dog-side arm š And I am pretty sure Sid will require you to run fast LOL! So feel free to try these with your dog-side arm open up behind you and without the cross arm.Nice work!
Tracy
