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Hi!
Yes, it is fine that she doesn’t finish the tunnel, because we will quickly move the reward to the tunnel exit so she will only stop for reward a few times, maybe one session total.
Have fun!
TracyHi!
>>Do you mean for me to stop doing the threadles on right turns & go back to only doing the “tunnel, tunnel” (dog/human/tunnel) exercise and put the MM inside (or toss a cookie inside)? Or would I do it for the threadles>>
Oops, sorry I neglected to mention the very important detail of whether it was a threadle or not lol!!!
Put the MM in the tunnel and then warm her up with regular tunnel sends so she knows the reward is in the tunnel. Then you can switch to the threadle side, but keep saying tunnel (and not the threadle verbal). I don’t want to add the threadle verbal on that side til she understands to turn awY for it. 🙂
Let me know if that makes more sense or if I need more caffeine 🙂
Tracy
Hi! Really super session here!
You got the skill going with cookies then went to the toy – lovely! She found the skill easy. Nice placement of reward to get the left/right turn on the exit of the Minny Pinny too! She was great with all of the things you showed her here: you standing still, countermotion, toy arousal, working both sides, etc – easy peasy 🙂One suggestion for the next steps:
When you add the left/right verbals: Hold her so you can say the verbal 3 or 4 times… then let her do the Pinny. When she is starting at the same time or before it, the verbal is not quite as impactful in terms of it being paired with and predicting the behavior.How tall is she, approximately? I am thinking you can spread out the bumps a little more so she has more room to bounce.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi! These are definitely looking good!! He is offering really clear head turns on these! Your mechanics are looking good and he seems to have the idea of “turn your head and do it again” 🙂
One suggestion, to really isolate the best reps:
On each rep here, he is going around the barrel 3 times. The 2nd rep is the highest quality turn and head turn on each, so you will want to click that one and not ask for the 3rd time around.So for example, looking at the rep that starts at :15 – the first time around was fine, the 2nd time around was perfect, the third time around had some slipping. So the second one (right at :18) is the one to click. The 3rd one (at :19) was wider with less front leg coordination. You can see it on the last rep here too – at 1:08, first time around he was slipping a little (just the footing and he was trying to go fast :)) 2nd time around, tight, bendy, great head turn (1:10) – yes! 3rd time around was good but the 2nd one was GREAT.
This is a good one to practice in different places too (different surfaces) – but look to click that 2nd time around the barrel and not worry about getting the 3rd time around.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyOMG that was Bazinga trying to climb the mountain of weirdness? HAHA!! I guess she is pretty resilient 🙂 It looks like she was like “what is that? OK cool I am going to tackle it” hahaha! Good girl! And was thank Frankie saying “this is definitely weird, I will hang back”. So interesting to see the difference in the dogs!
Tracy
Good morning!
>>He is an adorable puppy, making me laugh even if I don’t feel like laughing much.
Thank god for dogs, right? They lift us up!
He was such a good boy at the barn!!!
>>This was his third time in this barn, and finally he was able to play a little. We just did a little cone wrapping with this real fur toy he likes.
It was so cool to see him play with the toy!! Super!
>>And, as you can see, a major distraction behind us. I didn’t trust him not to run off, so again he had his leash on and I stayed very close to him. But I was really thrilled he played with the toy!>>
Once again, you did a masterful job of setting the baby dog up for success. YAY!!! Click/treat to you. Yes, you recognized that it was a new environment and you kept him on leash (smart!) and helped him. He froze a little at first, probably because he knew he didn’t want to run over to the distraction 🙂 but he didn’t quite know what to do instead 🙂 So you showed him a couple of times and then he was able to do it by himself. A winning session for sure!!
>>And I did a little stay on a platform. It’s not his platform, so I thought he did pretty darn good.
Oh heck yeah! This is the best stays he has had so far!! He gets up when you go back to hand him the cookie, so you can toss the cookie back behind him (he can release off the platform to get it when you cue it). He did a great job ignoring the distractions – that is really great and he made it look easy 🙂 YAY!!
>>I have signed up for Max Pup 2, and I don’t know how much I”ll be able to do in a timely manner, but having this class and Casper to work with helps me a lot on a day-to-day basis.>>
Perfect! And no worries about timing – we have about 5 or 6 weeks til this class is done, then that one starts in mid-march when you will hopefully have more access to be outside (bye bye snow :))
Great job on these! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>>I was wondering. What are some of the factors you consider when you are thinking about training running versus stopped contacts? I don’t know if this is something you will cover later in class :).>>
We don’t really cover it any time soon, so we can definitely start the conversation!
It is a personal choice based on the dog’s structure and your goals and your access to equipment/training time. Running contacts demand a lot of time on the actual obstacle, and a lot of training (so, a lot of bang on the dog’s body). Stopped contacts require very little training on the actual obstacle (it is all trained on a plank at first) so it is easier, less access needed, and honestly the criteria is clearer to the dog. People claim that stopped contacts are harder on the dog but I 10000% disagree – if they are trained properly, they are much easier on the dog because there are far fewer reps (many injuries are from over-use) and also less speed so the forces of physics are safer for the dog.
So why to people train running contacts? Well, for some dogs it is really easy for them and doesn’t take much time at all. Your tall boy is not likely to be one of those LOL!!!! He will need to be trained to them. So them it becomes a matter of: can you find criteria that is clear, do you have access to the equipment regularly, etc. The reason to train running contacts is that they are fun 🙂 and also they are faster. Faster = easier to win. But faster also means harder to train and handle and all sorts of extra training/verbals are needed.
So it is a matter of preference. Running contacts are an excellent training puzzle as long as we don’t over-work the dogs 🙂
TracyHi! This is going really well too!
One suggestion: Try to ping pong the number of steps before you reward: you tend to do a two-step dance, where you both take 2 steps and then he gets rewarded LOL! So ideally you would mix in more reps with varying # of steps. And also, I think you can fade out your movement so he offers the behavior on his own. You can either stand still and let him offer, or you can try the ‘return to center’ approach by progressively throwing the treats more and more off to the side so he enters from different approaches and does varying # of steps to get back in front of you. At the very end, you you had him pivot to heel position which is great too – just feed hn with his head a little lower, so he doesn’t look up as far – that changes his hind end balance.Nice work 🙂
TracyGood morning! This is going really well!!
>>He’s a lefty as you’ll see that going to his left is easier for him. I felt like I still had to help him more to the right as he kind of straightens out. But maybe it’s my mechanics as well???>>
A side preference is totally normal and that is fine 🙂 He is a lefty indeed, but his right turns also look good. Slowing down the cue to turn away was helpful for him on the right turns: your first cue to turn away was a very quick flick, but the others were all slower and the slower cue allows him to sort himself out more easily 🙂 The left cues were all nice and slow too, so he did great. The hardest part was getting the clicker and cookies going from the same hand LOL!!
So overall, this is going super well – the right side skills will catch up to the left side skills, so just keep revisiting this here and there. It is a nice warm up too, something to do before you then train something more explosive 🙂
Great job!
TracyOmg this was great!!! Very nice rehearsal session with The Big Brother. 🙂 Then you nailed it with him, then nailed it with Charlie.
You got your verbals and handling really well, and made the adjustment to add more connection (after Charlie did not quite see a FC) while staying in flow. Then the rest was great!
And yes, the pup was on fire because he did not like having to watch his brother first lol!!!
So, take a look at this week’s Rocking Horse games with the spins and race tracks, and do those next 🙂 Do them like you did here: practice them first then try them with the pup. 🙂
Great job!
TracyGood morning!
I think she really liked the minny pinny haha! She was happy to just keep going around and around it LOL!!!
>> I may need to do less hand movement?
I think you were fine with the hand movement, because Bazinga was going to go around the minny pinny no matter what you did (this is a GOOD thing LOL!!!) Yes, you were moving a hand but she was not relying on it to do the thing – she was motoring through it on her own. YAY!!
My only suggestion is that after the cookie, you line her up again to start so she is not turning away from you to get into it on all of them.
>>I’m going to say the real, actual, scary words “Left” & “Right”!!!>>
Perfect!!! And it will feel very comfortable as we build the verbals in more and more 🙂
When you the left and right verbals, start by holding her collar, saying the verbal, and then letting go so she can move. That will solidify the verbals even more so that you can fade out handling eventually.
At the end you had one little jump “bar” visible (look like like a panel jump board?) – she is ready for you to have all 3 of them out there, or you can use 3 pool noodles (as long as they don’t go rolling away :))
Tunnel threadles are going well on the left turns! The right turns are a pretty classic example of young dog development… she can’t quite get the processing done in time to make the turn. So let’s approach the left turns and the right turns as two separate training skills:
On the left turns, keep adding more motion – on this video, you were walking forward and she was great. So on the next double whammy session, you can add in fast walking then jogging, building to running.But don’t do that on the right turns: for the right turns, start at a right degree angle to the tunnel entry, very close to it, holding her collar and saying tunnel tunnel tunnel… when she looks at the tunnel, keep saying it and let go of her collar (then throw the reward).
One thing that helped my dogs get it on the the it non-dominant side was to put the reward right inside the tunnel entry. So the MM was a foot or two inside the tunnel, or a toy. That really helped! then you can gradually move the toy to the exit of the tunnel, and also gradually move her start position so she is further from the entry.Basically, the left turns are ready for the fancy stuff and the right turns still need some time on the easier stuff to percolate. From my perspective, it is the same being able to draw full pictures with my dominant hand but still doing stick figures with my non-dominant hand. It all catches up and evens out with practice.
Rear crosses –
“” I think I need a lot of help about my mechanics for this.””
I think you are doing REALLY well! It is a hard skill and she is nailing it now, in both directions. Super!!! It will be soooo much easier when it gets added to a jump (MaxPup 2 LOL!)
>>My current rear cross verbal is “go jump” (I did not choose a very good verbal).
When we add it to a jump, we will just use the existing verbals like the wrap verbals if it is a wrap, or left/right, etc.
>> I also rely on my arms (I sweep the dog-side arm in front of me & then change to the new-side arm as Frankie approaches the jump).
This will also make more sense as we transfer it to a jump – she REALLY drives to the prop so I am guessing that she will drive to a jump the same way… which means you won’y have time to do much with your arms on rear crosses LOL!! So what you did here on this video looks really good – you used less arm swoosh and she was able to get the RC nicely!
My only suggestion here is to throw the reward so you don’t have to run as hard to catch up to deliver it to her 🙂 You can throw the treat or even go to throwing a toy! Yay!
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
>>Today’s 3 min video of Rocking Horse. WARNING! It is painful to watch.
I think you are being way too hard on yourself!!! Nothing painful here! And Charlie was happy!!!
Yes, things were moving fast so the verbals and connections were not perfect… but you stayed happy, kept rewarding him, and he was fast and happy. An example of that is at 1:26 when you had a little error, but you kept going and he got rewarded. That is exactly right – when we humans make an error, the answer is to either keep going if possible then reward, or just reward the pup if we can’t keep going (there was a little connection blooper later on where you just rewarded him).
>>Charlie at his peak of energy and abilities, I am at my lowest. I am a morning person. However unable to play Agility early morning. I cannot think fast enough or at all. I was trying to use the verbals. Total failure. I could get ready ( later on a day) and analyze the routine and be ready with correct verbal for routine.
>>What if you practiced the verbals for this game, without him (or with one of your adult dogs) in the afternoon when you are at your best and he is sleepy 🙂 Practice it a few times without him, get the verbals going… then in the morning try it with him. The verbals will be easier because you have practiced them.
One thing that made it harder for you was that he was really excited, really likes this game, and wanted to start without you 🙂 You can also add in a transition to line him up at your side before each rep – gently hold his collar at your side, take a moment to connect and remember the verbals, then start. That way you are ready for him and can be connected and giving the verbals. When he was starting without you, you had to catch up and that made it harder for you. I bet he would take a cookie for the line up and then chase the ball for the reward.
>>We started with his favorite ball, but as you can see we are still in stage struggling to gave it back to a handler No worries here, just a stage. I knew that and had another toy on me.>>
Totally agree that he was in the “I got my favorite ball” stage LOL!! You can trade him for the favorite ball with another ball (do you have another one just like this one?) or for a cookie. I think he likes that ball enough to go back to it after a cookie.
>>Tell me if there is hope for improvement and how to start.>>
Of course! You are already on the right track! I think practicing without him will be the key, then it will be much easier practicing with him 🙂
TracyGood morning!
I am glad you played the volume dial game – you can totally see her getting into the higher arousal state and how that changes behavior. Instead of one paw on the high five, the first high five cue produced almost her whole body doing the high five! LOL!
And towards the end, you can see how she had a harder time letting go of the toy and not jumping up to regrip the toy.
All of this is GREAT for 2 reasons:
– it helps her sort out how to handle herself when she is in the higher arousal state
– it helps us identify where she struggles and how we can help herSo looking at the toy “out” first – you can incorporate trading for treats to help her self-regulate: rather than try to pull it away or hold her neck/collar, you can trade her for a treat. Use your out cue (verbal and relaxing your hands) then immediately present a really good treat. When she lets go of the toy, toss the treat away for her to go chase and grab. The treat toss is key for a few reasons:
– it will maintain some action and we know this girl likes action!
– it will give you a moment to move the toy to a good position without her regripping as you move it
– it will encourage her to have a quick sniff to get the cookie, and that quick sniff is GREAT for self-regulation!And then using this volume dial game, you can incorporate this into simple training stuff that she is already good at. She has always been confident at the goat games and shaping games, so you can do the volume dial game while also playing those!
And also, you can add this into the tunnel – shorten up the tunnel and start on easy angles, but get her more stimulated to help her learn to do the tunnel (as an example) without biting the tunnel or the momma 🙂 When she is more stimulated, be as clear as possible with mechanics: have a collar on her to line her up, use cookies to help with the line up, and have the MM or a toy to throw for the tunnel exit. The volume dial game will add the stimulation so you will want to cue the tunnels as clearly as possible 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>>She likes work more than toys and treats? That explains a lot. I’m sorry, BCs are so weird. Cute, but weird. LOL.>>
Well… yeah. LOL!! They are definitely DIFFERENT haha! But the good news is, she is pretty normal and she is asking these questions early in her training, so we can find the answers. Every dog is a little different, but she is a really awesome girl and we will help her out 🙂
>> I laughed when you mentioned we have to make her understand when we don’t want the work, I’ve been wondering about that, when I train something I typically can’t get her to stop offering behaviors and I wasn’t sure what to do about that.>>
Haha! She is an overachiever LOL! Sometimes the “work” that we want is for her to be still. To *not* offer stuff. Developing training loops as well as clean line ups that are fun fun will help – because she will realize that the stillness and the waiting is also part of the “work” 🙂 Plus, bear in mind that adolescent brain development makes for some ups and downs in training, but that is also normal and we are ready for it!
>> THE BIG MAD made me laugh. We really don’t want that!
A lot of dogs show The Big Mads in different ways… and herding dogs tend to want to bite something. It can be the obstacle (tunnel and also I’ve seen dogs bite the teeter) or us – but either way, we are going to help her NOT get a case of The Big Mads both with the Volume Dial and also with all the levels of the pattern games (the game added last night is how I taught my bitey dogs to allow me to sometimes really screw up and not feel the need to bite me :))
Have fun!
Tracy
