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Hi!
Really good work here on course 1!! Some ideas for you and interesting info from Enzo:Opening:
On the first run, I thought the lead out handling was well-executed and well-timed, but a little out of position – that caused him to rattle 2 pretty hard at :16 because he was looking down at the line at your position by the tunnel, and drop 3 because of the big decel to set up the layer at :18. So for the lead out push opening, being closer to the wings to set the turn to 3 will help, and moving in steadier motion (no big decels) will support the line better. The connection being clearer (like on the 2nd run and last run) totally helped but the steadier motion did too.
About getting that backside after the DW more easily (that backside after the RDW is getting REALLY common nowadays!! ):
I don’t think the lead out push into the layering does you any favors here because you end up pretty deep to 4 and 5 then need a tremendous amount of hustle to get the backside. And you did the big hustle on run 2 at 1:18, but you can get it to the point where you lead out less and set up more convergence to the backside after the DW – clearer, earlier info, without running as hard: yes please LOL!!
So a re-imagining of the opening can make it a lot easier: lead out dog on right and then either do a BC 2-3 or a RC on takeoff of 3, then send to 4-5 and you will not have to go past the blue tunnel at all, you can just directly converge to the backside – more accurate and less hustle required! Ideally you would be between 2 and 3 while sending to 4-5, which is an easy saunter to the backside after the DW 🙂 Rear cross seems counterintuitive but it creates a lot of momentum into the line and sets up your position easily too.
I think he new the opening by the last run, because he powered through it without you needing to move much at all – but you an see how getting onto the convergence to the backside sooner (2:56) makes it much easier to show him. Yay!
Middle section:
In the category of “This Is Good To Know About Enzo”: I think he reads convergence on the a-frame pretty early and shifts leads on the down ramp based on that. Here is what I mean, looking at the A-frame to backside at 10:
– on the first run at :30 you had a very straight line so he was coming towards you naturally off the frame. Nailed it! At 1:20 on the 2nd run, you converged towards the frame for a few steps as he got on it, and then turned and ran straight, which put him on his left lead so the push cue sent him off course.
You had no convergence to the frame on the re-start a 1;33, and he turned to his right of the frame. (The bar was just because the re-start there made it hard to get into the correct line)
Next run at 2:00 and last run at 3:00 – no convergence to the frame, similar to :30, and he was already coming towards you on the exit. You added a ‘come’ at 2:01 and 3:04 (understandably!) but he didn’t need it because he was already turning to his right, so you got too much turn on the ‘come’ cue (and made the line to 11 a bit wonky, but the good boy NEVER grabbed the off course tunnel that was right there!)So one thing to be aware of is as you go around the obstacles in your path (that 12/2/17 jump was in your way), you need to think about if the dog is seeing convergence or not. And if he might see convergence on his line, you might want to consider layering. But in this case I don’t think you needed layering, I think the straight line running you did was what he needed to see.
He did well following the turn of your shoulders 10-11 (line after the frame)! And you can do the FC 12-13 even sooner – trust his commitment to 12 so when he is looking at it, you can be finishing the FC and leaving for 13-14. the layering worked well 13-14. No need to call him, because we don’t want to draw his attention to the 10/3 jump.
One other small detail: you can give him the ‘out’ cue for 18 before he takes off for 17 – probably when he is halfway between exit of 16 tunnel and 17 jump. You did at at leaning at :52, so the bar of 18 came down. On the other reps at 2:32 and 3:29, you did it as he was over 17 and the bars stayed up, but the line had a big zig zag. So trying it at the halfway point between 16 and 17 might be the sweet spot for him, for best lines and best jumping.
Great job!!! Let me know what you think. Onwards to course 2!
TracyHello!!
>. I believe most of her bars are happening on a little drop of connection on my part.
Connection and timing! Because she is young and fast, she has to do a lot of processing and that is HARD and things will be delayed… thus the dropped bars. But as she gets more experienced and gets more mature, she will not have to actively process as much and you will see things get much easier for you both!
>>So excited this is about connection because that is our top priority right now >>
I think connection is pretty important too LOL!!!! We will definitely be watching it 🙂
>> I laughed that you said it was easy😂. I certainly didn’t think so 😂.
Ha! It is only easy if you drive the lines aggressively and don’t try to help too much or slow down with the handling. When you were slowing down or being too helpy? Things went wrong. When you moved aggressively up and down the line? Nailed it! That is one of our summer themes: move aggressively, always 🙂 And depending on the context, to avoid getting too far ahead, you can move closer to the jumps because that will set the line and allow you to move aggressively all the way through. These sequences and courses are perfect for that: moving aggressively (big strides, staying in motion, lots of acceleration and early cues) and being close to the lines).
Run 1: You were moving a little more carefully on this opening line here, which made you late for the blindat :09 – as she is comitting to 2, you can be driving to 4 and as she is landing from 2, you can be starting the blind.
Waiting a bit too much 2-3-4 made you have to suddenly accelerate and that made you late to 5 and which made it hard to get the serp to 6 (:13)
2nd rep was smoother motion but can be more aggressive (driving up the line with bigger strides & more speed, which will help the bar at 20>
3rd rep – being a bit too careful was when caused you to be in the way on the blind 3-4 at :51, which set the line to the backside 🙂
4th rep – better moving up that opening line for sure!!! Yay! Then it became a question of aggressive handling of wrap exit of 6 to get the turn and keep the bar up.
>>Broke down the wrap at the end. I may have been getting the bar because of pulling my shoulder??>>
It was more of a late timing issue: the handling looked like an extension slice exit but then it changed to a wrap exit after she had committed, which was what caused the bar questions.
At 1:06, you cue the wrap sooner and leave sooner so she can collect (not sure if it was a wrap verbal cue you used) – as soon as she is over 5, you can be decelerating and starting the wrap send – then as soon as she turns her head to look at it, you can leave for 7.
On the last rep, you had more aggressive movement on the opening line, really trusting her! And that set up a great ending and timing for the wrap: check out your timing of delivering the cue and leaving 6 at 1:34 – early and aggressive, and she was great!! YAY!!! This is the timing she needs 🙂
>.Also, I realized I said a verbal wrong🫣🫣🤯 in the homework. It was my right, but she was on the other side so that was a left!!! Oops🫣!!! I’ll get there someday lol!>>
Ha! I was like…. wait, what did she just say? And make sure it is the wrap cue for the exit of 6 – it was hard to hear wat you were saying (and I am not at the car repair place anymore either haha)
>>Here is an example of the bars and me losing connection I believe.>>
Yes and no (is that helpful? HA!!!) I think that yes, she can use more support in the form of your dog-side arm pointed back to her nose all the time so that she can see more connection. The bars came down when you closed your shoulder a bit to run, a mild disconnection. So in your jump class work, add in closing your shoulder to run, on the grids she does really well with.
But also, both bars came down when she had to follow handling past a potential off course that you had to run around – the AKC Open version of what we are working on here! So I bet we see some bars come down as we add the distraction of the other obstacles nearby. Then with experience and practice, that distraction will melt away and the bars will stay up. On the demo videos, I highlighted a CRAZY jumping moment from Contraband. We don’t realize how distracting the nearby obstacles are until we look at the videos. He is 3.5 now and almost never makes a jumping error… but there was a bit ass-over-teakettle moment when I added the tunnel distraction! It was definitely a processing question, and then he was fine after that. So, with Promise being even younger and less experienced, I bet her bars here were an example of the same distraction/processing question.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyYay! We are going to have fun!!! And yes – be a goldfish and also: BELIEVE!!
I thought you posted a video, or did I make that up in my brain? Lol!
Hello and welcome! I am excited to see you and Spot (and maybe a bit of Wager too?)
Definitely take your time adjusting to the altitude! The sequences are short enough that they should be a good starting point. The courses are BIG yardage, so don’t start with those til you’ve adjusted. 🙂
Have fun!
TracyWe will definitely take a look at the collection work on the sequences and courses.
For the tunnels, it could be a number of things:
– maybe she doesn’t want to break visual connection with you?
– maybe the handling is not quite clear enough?
– maybe she is going so fast that she can’t quite coordinate herself getting into the tunnel?
– maybe all of the above, or none of the above?I am sure she will show us here in class so we can get it sorted 🙂 Have fun!
TracyHuzzah for CAMP!!!! We can also include the arousal pieces too, if folks will be coming to FF to run the courses with you…
Good morning!
>>I was definitely baby-ing his teeter. He has been leaving early and I am worried about the bounce ups hitting him. We have been retraining it with the touch, but I am noticing that when I say “touch” that is when he typically stops and rides the teeter down instead of running to the bottom. We have been redoing some of the exercises from your Terrific Teeters class, really working the driving to the bottom. Hopefully we’ll be able to get through it and I can leave him more confidently soon!>>
In your course work, you can totally leave a target out or whichever aid you used to train it. That way he can focus on teeter execution while you run to the next position.
>>>GD-it! I did not number the course correctly!! I thought it was weird ending at 18!! LOL. I may get another chance on Wednesday– fingers crossed>>
Ha! I thought you did a great job with it, but it was easier than the mapped out ending and I figured you’d want the added challenge 🙂
Have fun!
TracyHi!
The 16″ class will be great fun!!!! I’ll be cheering for you!
I don’t really want a lot of competition at the Open, my goal is to be able to make it through the 18 hour days and still be upright LOL!!!
And please tell the MN weather to calm down, we have dogs to train 🙂This is a FABULOUS list!!!!
My favorites:
>>2. My responses
Yes, this has been a huge one for me too.
>>3. How many dogs I have (yes, I can if I really want to!)
Wait, what? All.The.Puppies!!!!! Haha
>>4. What I agree/commit to
So true!! Rather than feeling guilty if I don’t agree to or commit to something, I tell my self that over-committing never has a feel-good result, and the mantra of “No is a complete sentence”.
>>5. WHO I WORK WITH & with whom I choose to spend time.
This is a zillion percent true. Those external voices become our internal voices, so we need to choose wisely. And if it turns out we need to make changes? Perfectly fine to do that and much better off in the long run.
>>5. Others reactions to your success and/or failure>>
This is another gem. Plenty of folks are struggling with their own mental management, and that can manifest as poor reaction to you and your success or lack of success. But that is on them, not on you. You can add that to your self-talk: THEIR mental management is not YOUR responsibility 🙂
Great thoughts here, keep ’em coming!!
T
Yes! Just like everything else, the mental management skills need to be maintained 🙂 It will be fun to dust them off this summer!
Hi!
>>Everyone expects me to make a mistake
Ah yes, that is a really big negative self-talk moment!!!!
One of the things you cannot control? What other people think. So when that negative, intrusive thought pops up, you can remind yourself that you can’t control them. Then you can refute that (there are a TON of people rooting for you and knowing that you will be excellent!) And replace it with something like a reminder to focus on your performance goals which you CAN control.
>>My first thought -No one us paying attention anyway-
Second thought – Hoke is the best trained dog I’ve ever had>>These are good too! And acceptance that agility is really hard and we all make mistakes, so it is great to find the successes 🙂
>>How can we use that training to run this course?>>
Yes! Performance goals! Looking at your toolbox of skills, what do you need to run the course in front of you? Make Performance goals and then try to execute them.
Tracy
Good morning and excellent list of things you can and cannot control!!!
If you feel stress or anxiety creeping in, ask yourself:
What is creating the stress?
Is it something you can control?
If yes, what specifically can you do to make the situation less stressful or anxiety-inducing. Even if the answer is “I don’t know” that is great because then you can pursue ways to find answers.
If no, you can’t control it? Take a deep breath, let it go, think about what you can control instead 🙂Tracy
Welcome to the brain training side of things 🙂 the science behind all of this is rapidly expanding and really cool 🙂 have fun!!!
Tracy(And same here about Zoom recordings being the new books on tape haha!!)
