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Good morning! This looks really good!!
he has great commitment on this parallel path line!! He is looking forward for the most part (and not looking at you). I think he was a little better looking forward on your right side, so you can click/toss the treat sooner when he is on your left. You can also get rid of the clicker and just use your era ‘get it’ when he is looking forward, because the clicker often gets the dogs to look at us a bit.
Since he did so well here, you can add a little more lateral distance – when you toss the start cookie, you can be 2 or 3 feet away from the jump on the parallel line. And if he can still find the commitment with you moving parallel a few feet away, then you can add even more distance over the course of a couple of sessions 🙂 Have fun! Great job!
TracyOmg, this looks so good! He is doing such a nice job looking for his destination with his back feet! That is a very mature behavior for a baby dog! He was perfect with the flat target, and of course the disc was a little harder but he was still great. Yay!
The next thing to add to this is a little more excitement – the goal is to see if he can still use his back feet this well when he is more excited (thinking ahead to him needing to remember his jumping form or weaving when he is VERY excited in the agility ring :)) So starting with the flat target, get him excited with the toy or with chasing a few cookies… then go into the back up mode you did here and reward him even if it is not perfect. It is hard for baby dogs to remember to use their bodies well when they are excited, so this is a good next-step to begin to build that up.
Great job! Enjoy your weekend!
TracyHi!
He definitely has value for his prop!!! He was moving ahead of you for it, but I think he was slowing himself down so he would not get too far from the cookie hand. That made the rear crosses a little harder, so the only thing this game needs now is to throw the rewards. Thrown rewards will make it much easier for you both. On the next session, no more cookies for your hands for this 🙂 All rewards can be thrown, so if you are in the grass, use a big white cookie or something that is easy to see or grab. That will get him racing ahead of you to the prop… which then gives you a lot more time to get the rear crosses going 🙂 If the cookies are too hard in the grass, you can use a small toy that is easy to throw, then reward him for bringing it back.
Great job!
TracyHI!
He is definitely getting the idea! Super!!! Both directions are good, but he is a bit more comfortable turning to his right than to his left right now, I think – so for the next session, do all the reps to his right (starting on your left) – and now when he exits the wrap, you can run and play with a toy, rather than stop and feed cookies. The toy play in the 2nd video looked great, so you can add it to the turn and burn now 🙂
The other thing that will help is if you always start in the same spot, relative to the cone – that way, he will have an easier time remembering to go around it. You were changing your starting spot so he had a few questions.
He wants to put his feet on the edge of the cone – do you have a barrel to use instead, so he doesn’t offering touching it? That can help him understand to keep moving and not try to touch the cone.
Great job!
TracyHi!
First of all…Thank you for posting it!! He looks amazing, there is NOTHING to worry about, and any questions he had here were just a matter of clarifying your cues as you learn to work with this new baby speedster. He is also a pretty level-headed dude, which is great!!Since you said “have at it” LOL!!! I think you are worried about struggles from previous dogs and you are micromanaging SB… which is confusing to him and also resulting in you telling him is wrong way too much. He reads you beautifully and so any errors were confusion issues where you wanted one thing and you didn’t cue what you wanted.
As a puppy, he cannot help you out or save you – so from now on, if something goes wrong, I want you to reward it as if it was correct rather than withhold or tell him he is wrong. Because… he was 100% correct on all of these, even the ones where you told him he was wrong. If you are not sure what happened: review the video frame by frame before the next rep (we are doing that at a seminar today and it is a THING OF BEAUTY :))
So here is what I see:
The first couple of reps of just barrel wraps all looked good!When you added in the bowl… you were saying get it but also decelerating in your physical cue, so that is where some of the confusion was happening. Bearing in mind that the get it verbal is not as strong as the decel cue in terms of natural understanding, so he was going to the bowl so on those first reps, he was learning that even with decel, you go to the bowl because you were not really moving (you were either standing relatively still or decelerated a lot and sent, or just decelerated).
So then at :39 it made total sense why he thought it was a send to the bowl: in your mind, you wanted decel but the physical cue was exactly the same as when you wanted him to go to the bowl… so he was like, “wait, what?” Then at :52, you decelerated (really far from the bowl) and wanted him to go to the bowl: big confusion because sometimes you wanted the bowl, sometimes you wanted him to decel to you…
So easy answer: when you want him to drive to something, you need to RUN RUN RUN RUN RUN to it. Eventually you will be able to transition into a decel and send but that is not this game and he is not ready yet for the physical cues to look that much the same. (You also had a lot of decel later in the session, like at 1:11 and 1:22, so he had big questions).
Using the barrel: do the FC, and run run run run to the bowl if you want the bowl. Or send to the barrel, do the FC, and decelerate if you want him to come to you. Make it very very different because that is what he is relying on: the black and white difference between acceleration and deceleration.
And you need to reward All.The.Things 🙂 in these handling games because errors are handling errors, especially if he is asking questions like at :52. And if he is not perfect? Reward anyway – at 1:02, he asked if you wanted decel and not the bowl (even though the cues looked pretty similar) but you didn’t reward (maybe because he was not tight enough?) but it was a VERY rewardable behavior because it was a closer approximation to what you want – and he had just asked a lot of questions and told he wears wrong, so find the way to tell him he is right 🙂
Speaking of telling him was right: on the FCs at 1:15 and 1:23, you were late (really late :)) getting the FC done, his decision on which line was already made, so he was correct. Compare to the timing at 1:01, when you were earlier and he was wicked tight coming around that barrel! He got a verbal correct each time you were late… I want to you go with it if he ends up on the wrong side, tell him he was right and reward, then go watch the video frame by frame before the next rep to see the timing. For example, at 1:30, you started the FC as he arrived at the barrel so you completed it much earlier, so he picked up the correct side. Compare it to 1:23 where you were way late getting that FC completed (he was already exiting the barrel). it might not seem late to us humans because we can see him… but he needs to see the full cue and process it in order to do it, so we need to be pretty early!
So – no more verbal corrections and no more pulling him off the line, because he was correct and confident, you were late 🙂 By correcting him and pulling him off the line, you are adding confusion and getting questions, which we don’t want of course 🙂
One other detail: he does not like being lifted into position like at :57 to line up, so use a cookie lure to line him up instead.
Let me know if this all makes sense. Don’t worry about any past dogs or how tight he is turning – he is doing AMAZINGLY well and all things happen so fast with him, that it will be easy to have a handling error. That is what video is SO useful and that is also why you should reward everything 🙂
Tracy
Good morning!
>> There won’t be any scratching at home because he doesn’t wear his collar at home and he HATES wearing a collar !>>
Well that makes sense as to why it was a little stressful for him! You were asking him to process cues in a new environment, while something new & weird was around his neck. We need that collar to be something he does not have to process…. so he needs to wear a collar at home. Have him wear it as much as possible at home when you are supervising and playing… just make it a normal thing that fades into the background, so his brain doesn’t have to process it in a new environment.
He is definitely making progress with the backing up! Yay! It took a rep or two to figure out the mechanics but then you made it clear and he was beginning to get it. So definitely keep going down this path – my only suggestion is to have your cookie ready otherwise it takes too long to get it from your other hand to then reward him – so the reward ends up coming for him standing still looking at you 🙂 (everything happens SO FAST with terriers, as you know LOL!)
So you can have 2 cookies in your hand: one to drop in between your knees, then the 2nd one for backing away. And moving away from the cookie in your hand is also a really good self-control game 🙂 because he has to move away from the cookie to get the cookie 🙂For the wing wrapping… he is getting the idea here too! At the start of each session, use the bowls as targets rather than cookies from your hands. That will really help him do the behavior without looking up at you as much or getting frozen. He got some good reps going later in the session, so you can start the session with the bowls (or plates that you used previously :)) then move them back behind you to fade them a bit. You can keep the bowls in this game until you can be be standing up, then we will switch to the rewards from your hands.
The 3rd video was the backing up video posted again (not the toy video) so feel free to repost the toy video!
Great job! Enjoy your weekend!
TracyGood morning!
It sounds like you are doing the right things with the puppy class – it is really only for distraction training at first, because it will be really hard to learn new stuff at first 🙂 But it is a great opportunity to get him into that type of environment! And food motivation is a GOOD thing because it helps a lot in that environment (and the toy play will come roaring back when he is done teething and when he is used to being in group classes :))
Yes, the cookie pattern games are the resilience games – they build up in 3 steps. I use these games to get my pups used to new environments. My whippet pup has a working spot in a seminar this weekend and I believe there will be something like 50 auditors… and yes, I will be playing his pattern games as soon as we get into the environment 🙂
I am so glad he had a good time in the barn!!! And letting him sniff around a bit if fine because it allows him to investigate the environment before “work”. The short fast barrel game was awesome!!!! He was actually faster than he is at home, and look at how he is bending through the turn – so nice! And I also love that as soon as you put the barrel down, he came running over and immediately engaged with the game. YES!
He was keen to party with the toy, but not quite tug at the beginning of the 2nd video. So chasing you and the squeaky worked well, then throwing it got a lot of engagement! He didn’t quite retrieve it on the first couple of reps but also he didn’t run away with it, and he tugged! And lovely drive ahead! And look at the very end of the video: he is getting comfortable with the environment and the toy play, and he retrieved the toy to you at 1:10. Good boy! Be sure to play when he does that, throw the toy around a bit more, to encourage more of that 🙂
Good job using a napkin as the threadle target LOL!!! It looked like the normal target so he was perfect. More importantly, look at his offered engagement all the way through this session. By bringing in an easy game and a high value reward, he was easily able to both be super engaged AND produce great responses to the cues. I am really excited by how he looks here! Yes, the threadle looked good (nice mechanics on your part!) but I am MORE excited by his engagement and happy attitude here. And click/treat to you for short, fun sessions.
Looking at the blind cross session: I think you made a good choice to just play. If this was the last session, he might have been a little brain tired (engaging is exhausting!). I know you do great blinds, so it was not important for you to practice. It was more important for him to learn about the environment and how to chase the toy and not sniff. Excellent choice to switch motivators and run run run…. then be done.
So overall – you made a zillion excellent training decisions here and he looked fabulous! Any dog training facility is going to have soooooo many good smells and distractions, so I loved seeing him be so engaged here! The skills also look great, but that is going to be a natural by-product of all of the decisions you are making about getting play and making it fun without pressure. I am sending you a cyber high-five!!!!!
Great job! Enjoy your weekend!
TracyHi!
What is that white stuff on the ground? Ewwww!! Any time you want to make a road trip south, we still have green stuff!! I confess that I chuckled seeing you wack the snow off your boots with the hollee roller LOL!
Her commitment looks super solid – you were a little too early at :35 (she hadn’t reached the halfway point) – so you waited one extra heartbeat to give her a couple more inches on the next rep and she was perfect on that rep and all the reps after it when you did the FC at the same timing.
I don’t mind the error, though… there was only one error, you made an adjustment, then she was perfect. That was a ‘good’ error in two ways: it was a resilience moment of “that was unexpected” and note how she did not get frustrated or bark or anything, she just reset and tried again. And, operantly, it was a good moment of “this does not get the toy” versus all of the other reps where you were like “this is what gets the toy.” So look at 1:33 and 1:42 (the last 2 reps) – you were doing the FC and running the other way before she even got to the barrel. And all of it was done in high arousal. Super!!!
3 suggestions for you for next time:
– you were throwing the toy, and ideally we would have her drive to you for the reward (because wraps get the best collection when here is handler “chase” after them, for now). The throwing might have been that you were trying to run in the snow though, so having her chasing you for the toy might be better in the barn if you can get her there.– try not to block the line to the barrel, especially when she is in your left side. You were standing on her running line, so she had to go wider to find the barrel. Move over a step or two so she has a straight, tight line to the barrel.
– add your wrap verbals. Start this by having her next to you, wearing a collar. Hold her collar, say the verbal cue a few times, then let her go and start the game (keep saying the verbal cue). That will let her hear the verbal before motion gets involved, and it will also make for cleaner starts (she wanted to be out away from you to start, and being in closer will allow you to set up better lines when this game goes crazier 🙂
Great job here!!!! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
This was fun to watch! On the first couple of reps, it looked liked she started backing up before letting go of the toy, pretty hilarious! She was on FIRE here in terms of arousal, in a good way – wand yet was still able to produce really good backing up on almost all the reps!! She had one or two reps where she flung herself backwards a bit (first rep then one in the middle) but overall the quality of the backing up was REALLY strong with mostly independent footwork! It is fun to watch in slow motion! You can mark with the get it as soon as she gets on the bed, unless you are specifically looking for the down (but I think marking for the independent footwork will be ideal).I am doing a little happy dance that she is able to produce quality footwork even when in high arousal – really cool for an adolescent dog! (Although there will be some days where she can’t do it, but on those days just skip and it do other things :)) I am sure that this also has something to do with the other movement games you play with her (like the cool one you posted on Facebook yesterday) Those games don’t need the high arousal but they sure do help her out when we want to add in the high arousal!!!!!
Great job!!!
Good morning!
She is looking super confident here on her plank! The spins don’t need to be as fast – she is losing her feet when you cue it to be fast, so you will see she puts at least one back foot off. So she can be in high arousal but cue the spin slowly 🙂 That way she can keep her feet on – I think you were wanting to reward that (all 4 feet on) at the end but she had already gotten several rewards for dropping a foot off, so she was not sure what you wanted. The presence of the toy will make the footwork challenging for her, so the cue can be nice and slow 🙂
The other thinG you can add now is to ask for position changes: Down to stand to sit, for example…. ideally without her moving her feet 🙂 SO HARD!!! Make sure she can do it on the flat when she is stimulated before going to the plank – and a lure hand is perfectly fine, she probably can’t do that on verbals alone yet when she is amped up 🙂 Great job!
TracyHi!
>., that is a good point that Connor was eyeballing from inside the xpen. 😀 And him just being there could have been too much pressure.
It didn’t look like Connor was doing anything other than just hanging out being a good boy, but I think all of that so close was hard for the puppy.
I will rearrange it next time. All these things I don’t catch and I appreciate that you do! It’s so nice to have more eyes on my training. 🙂
>>I love impulse control games! Casper really needs them. He hates waiting for anything and things he should have All The Things NOW. So I was pleased with the threadle game too. 🙂>>
His drive to want ALL THINGS NOW is great! We are going to maintain that while convincing him that impulse control was all his idea LOL
>>I took him to puppy class last night and we tried playing with those same skunk toys and he had a hard time playing. He is great at taking treats, but in that distracting environment, the toy play isn’t as valuable. I really need to remember that.>>
Yes – those puppy classes a A LOT for puppies! So if he could eat food? That is an awesome start 🙂
>>What’s the best way to keep toys high value in distracting environments?
This sounds strange, but the cookie pattern games will be the most helpful (starting with the first one, then easy distractions at home, then take it on the road). Those games help relax the pup and when he is relaxed, he is more likely to play 🙂
>> Keep the play really short?
Yes – if he does play, keep it super short and don’t use it as part of an training. Just make it a short little party 🙂
>>I do plan on heading to the barn today even though is bitterly cold. I wish I had a warmer coat that fit him better, but he’d just grow out of it in a week. >>
Ha! There needs to be a Puppy Coat Sharing program so we all had proper fitting coats without spending a fortune 🙂 Have fun and stay warm!
TracyHi!
It is fun to take the pups new places! Definitely look at the resilience games, because they are great for new places (especially the pattern games).He read the blinds really well! He was interested in the toy, but if there were cookies in your hand, he is likely to ignore the toy. So tugging separately is great to help him get comfy in that environment, and then try the tugging with the blind but with no cookies in your hands for now.
The jump post was harder for him! I think the new location, busy environment, different jump post,and being further away all caused too many variable changes so he got a little stressed. In a new place with big distractions, start with a version of the game that is at least 50% easier than what he can do at home for at least the first couple of reps (bowls and cookies, and you really close). By making it easier, you can set him up for immediate success and he will let you know if he is ready for harder stuff 🙂 He was able to get some good reps, but there were a lot of failures and some stress scratching. So try not to allow the failures by making it easier from the very start and if you see he has a question or failures, make it even easier. The environment is harder than it looks: people walking by, dog noises in the background, big space, tons of smells, etc. It is hard for a baby puppy 🙂
Backing up –
>>He immediately play bows and skootches himself across the floor lol! How do I fix that?
It looks like you were trying to lure the backing up with your hand on the ground pushing towards him, which is why he was in a bowing and going backwards in a bow. I think he was following the cookie and not even thinking about his back feet LOL!
So you can get more backing up by trying it without the luring: you can be kneeling or sitting, and drop a cookie between your feet/knees – then he will back out from under your feet, and then you can toss a treat bteween his front feet (which should keep him standing and not bowing :))
He looked super confident getting on all of the wobble board and disc stuff but also there was a bit of stress scratching – good to know that he did think it was kind of hard! The activity might not be what was hard, it might have been the environment. So sitting down and keeping things easier really helped him and he finished really strong!
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyStarted some rotated sends to the prop! First up, with cookies:
Then I switched to a toy, which was much harder because TOYS ARE LIFE. (And the blood mentioned in the video was his blood from teething 🙂 )
Ramen’s first turn and burn! I warmed up with some rewards from my hands to help fade the bowls. Then I spent some time trying to figure out if he was lefty or righty… I am pretty convinced that he is a righty but there he was, offering some really nice left turns (all got rewarded). When I wanted the right turn only, I set him up to have a better approach to the right.
Good morning!
Looking at the target looked great here! She drove in straight to the target each time really well!
When you used the toy, you used the bite marker perfectly. When using the cookie, you did a lot of “yes” then get it for the cookie toss…. try not to use yes as it gets the pups looking at us (it is SO HARD to not say yes!!!!!). You can just say get it and toss the treat, so she never looks at you 🙂
She definitely seemed more comfortable with the bigger playing field provided by the couch cushion and towel! She didn’t always use the whole area, but having it there really helped her not feel so scrunched up. And she also didn’t seem as concerned about the wobble board, possibly because there was more room and also because there was less noise. This was a good way to get all four feet on the board! You can stick at this level for another two or 3 sessions, then fade out the towel – not by removing it entirely, but by unraveling it a bit so it is a tiny bit less supportive. Over a series of sessions, you can fade it out entirely and also fade out the cushion.
Since I was bugging you about NOT using yes in the previous session: I think it is fine to use “yes” as the marker here because you are feeding from your hand, and she can look at you while doing this. It is the best (and potentially only 🙂 ) scenario for using a yes marker: when feeding from the hand and the pup can look at you. Otherwise, placement markers will be really helpful when you are not handing her the cookie.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
