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Good morning!
Looking at the retrieving videos – I see progress here!!!!! This is especially cool to see because he is an independent critter š His toy play is looking strong and he is starting to bring the toy back sometimes (and NOT running off with it is a big win too).
On the first video:
He definitely liked the squeakers when the toy squeaked, but he didnāt like it when you squeaked LOL! The human squeaking must sound like a distress call to some extent, because my 10 year old dog was sleeping on a bed across the room, and he got up and came running over to make sure things were ok LOL! And Casper responded similarly: ARE YOU OK MOM?!?!?On the 2nd video – he actually had 2 little retrieve moments! Hooray!!! I am excited!
And yes, he thought your noise here in this clip was strange too – he wasnāt sure if he should rush to your aid or to get the toy. Soā¦. No more noises LOL!!!! They are confusing him.I bet he would like it if you squeaked the other toy, though! When he picks up the first toy and maybe turns to you or at least doesnāt run off: Squeak toy #2. He might not bring the first toy back but squeaking the new toy will reward him for at least considering it and for not running away.
>>Even when I went to the breeder when I got him, and I ran away from him in her back yard, he just stood there and looked at me like I was a weirdo, I thoughtā¦ oookay, weāll see how this goes. LOL
Some puppies are born very independentā¦ my Export was the same way as a puppy, and so was my Contraband: when I went to meet the litter, Contraband was the puppy that took his toy and went under the breederās deck with it LOL!!! But, because we are not pressuring the pups and we are developing this play relationship with them, they will be even more bonded to us and great with retrieving, chasing, etc – without losing that independent spark that we love š So, I see Casper as like my Export and Contraband – sure, he doesnāt automatically bring the toy back at this age but he doesnāt need to, because we know how to develop that play bond and he will grow up to be an amazing partner š
>>Iām not sure if heāll pick something up and place it in my hand yet, he still tends to just run off with things. :p>>
2 ideas:
– shape with a clicker, just like it was a trick to pick something up. He loves clicker shaping games!– since you have kibble bowls scattered around, you can set up lots of trade moments by putting something down he might want to pick up and when he does: you scatter a bunch of kibbles on the ground. That will help him NOT run away and also start to condition him to bring stuff to you š
Stay video:
Yes, he is definitely trying to figure out what this āstillnessā is about LOL!! To help clarify for him, donāt click any downs otherwise he will keep going back and forth between sits and downs. You can also help him with a small platform? That might give him more boundaries for hitting and holding the sit. Also, to help hm understand still need, you can try crate games. They are very effective to help these fast-footed creatures figure out stay behavior. The trick is to do a TON of reinforcement. Let me know if you have played crate games in the past, or if you would like me to dig up some videos š The first two steps are:Teach the dog to NOT bolt out when you open the door by feeding fast and in the back of the crate (no sit needed yet):
Then you shape the sit by putting your hand on the door: when the pup sits, open the door, deliver a treat, close the door:
You can also take a rapid-fire approach to the sits, like here:
The tunnel shaping is going well! He id driving back and forth really well!
>>He really doesnāt like me to hold him or hold his collar, which I need to work on separately Iām sure, to make those good things instead of icky>>
When you gently slip a finger under his collar, what does he do? We can make the collar holding fun by putting it into this game:
He goes through the tunnel, gets a MM treat. Then comes back to you, gets another treat while you touch his collar (but donāt hold it yet) then back through the tunnel. You can build up to holding it by putting it into this loop with the tunnel and MM š That will allow you to start adding the tunnel verbal and changing position more, both of which he is ready for.How does he feel about you putting a hand on his chest, instead of touching his collar? That is an option as well, if he likes it better. Or, has he ever worn a harness? Some dogs like that better too.
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!!
>>I tend to obsess over them a bit.
Ha! Same here! And people ask how I remember themā¦ it is because I obsess. LOL!!
>>If she starts on my right side & ends on my left side, she is turning to her right. Is that correct?
Yes, that is correct for rear crosses.
The right turn rear crosses are coming along nicely!!!! You donāt have to be faster, you were good! She had a light bulb moment after the 2nd rep and then was all good!!!! Yay! Her only other question was when you went back to them after all the left turnsā¦ but then she remember to turn right. The left turns also looked good! Because the right turns are harder, maybe keep them to their own session, no left turns š That way she is not even thinking about those left turns when you want a right turn.
Here is an idea for next steps:
Starting with left turns because they are easier, you can do a warm up with the cookie tosses. And after a couple of successful reps, add the prop in again, placing it exactly in the same spot to where you are tossing the treats. And letās see if she can do rear crosses with the prop there! Try it with left turns only at first, then we can decide if she is ready for the right turns too šThe stay session went well!!! I thought you were very clear with the clicks, very clear with the catch-then-toss, and you were also varying the duration (some shorter reps, some longer reps) – and she was highly successful! YAY!!!
So keep going with this theme – in a comfy location like at home in the house, you can start to get more duration. In harder locations, like your backyard, cut back criteria to 50% of what it is in the house, to help set her up for success. In really hard locations like a trial? Start with very very easy click/tosses for offering the sit, in case the environment is really hard.
Great job on these!
TracyGood morning! Great job in class last night!!
>>Quick question ā if I am doing parallel paths using the jump uprights, can I then do the rear cross through the uprights too?
Not yet – we want the rear crosses to be more solid before we put them on a jump. The parallel path warm up for the rear crosses should be on a prop too, so you can do it in one session: some parallel path on the prop, then throw in some rear crosses on the prop.
Have fun!
TracyGood morning!
I am sorry to hear that she is still having trouble, I remember you talking about it over the summer.>>She is on a waiting list for a rehab vet just in case itās physical, but I have no evidence other than her weaving and occasional slipping when turning. We called in July and are still waiting.>>
July and still waiting?? OMG that is insanity. Is there a different place you can bring her? Can you come to the States, maybe Buffalo or Rochester or Syracuse? I have a ton of places to recommend in those areas and also down here in Virginia/North Carolina if you wanted a big trip.
Based on what you are seeing, I would say it is physical and she would need a set of X-rays, ultrasound, bloodwork (thyroid and tick panels especially) and definite hands-on exams with a soft tissue specialist. Anytime we had a behavior and then it deteriorates a lot plus there is a change in the dogās movementā¦ it is a physical issue. A lot of those issues are well-hidden by the dogs but diagnostics find them.
>>If you can help, or know someone who loves solving weave dilemmas, Iād appreciate the help.>>
There are lots of folks who can help, the main suggestion will be to start over with a different style of training (like leave the 2x2s and use channels from the very beginning). However, if there is any possibility of it being a physical issue, donāt even try to work the pole because the pain and frustration is getting paired with the weave polesā¦ which will make re-training them much harder. Pain will change how her brain works, which will make consistent weaving pretty impossible.
So, wait to start anything with weaves til after she gets the full workup (x-rays or shoulders/back/hips and ultrasound psoas and shoulders are my top two suggestions).
Is there anything I can do to help speed along getting her in for diagnostics?
Tracy
Good morning!
>>They are such a hard thing for me.
They are one of the hardest cues for humans and dogs, which is why we are starting them so early in training š
>>I think there was some latent learning, because she did great, but I am not sure she is cueing off my pressure or direction but maybe weird arm stuff.
I agree, she did great!!! Especially to the right. She was cueing off of the line and RC pressure, because the arm stuff was actually causing her to have to look at you then discard the arm info (especially on the left turns where you had a lot of arm stuff happening). I think you were using the arm to get her to drive ahead, but you donāt need to – mix in a ton of parallel path work where she drives ahead, and throw in a couple of rear crosses. So at this point, you can do at least 75% parallel path and maybe 25% rear crosses in the same session, keeping her driving ahead. That way you wonāt need arm cues to try to send her ahead of you.
>>I know that the food needed to be delivered ahead of her more but space and sticky treats didnāt help with me getting it placed where I would have liked. >>
I thought it was generally fine, and less sticky treats next time is the only suggestion but you were the one that made the suggestion haha!!
>>Would rewarding with a toy be a good idea or not?
It depends on if she can drive ahead on the parallel path game or not with a toy in the picture. So start using the toy in the parallel path games, then throw in the rear crosses. I love rewarding with toys but because they are more visible, we need to work up to using them when the pup needs to look forward, so the pup doesnāt look at them too much.
>>Also, do you ever use a verbal to indicate the rear cross?
Because rear crosses can different amounts of turn or GO after them, I use the verbal directional that fits the turn I want: left or right, for example. My directionals donāt mean ātowardsā or āawayā from me, they mean āto your left, dogā š That way they are very effective in rear crosses too because I donāt need to be in the picture at all š
Great job here!!!! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
Thanks for the play update! I see progress here! Yes, she has a run about with the toy for a bit but does bring it back relatively quickly when you are moving away and when you have the other toy. It appears like she turns towards you to see if you have the other toy? But at least she is turning towards you and bringing it back quickly enough.
Is it an immediate retrieve? Nope. Does it need to be? Also nope š She is happily playing with the toy, and bringing it back soon enough for now. So keep playing like you did here (making it fun to bring the toy back). Separately, have you started the other retrieve game of shaping retrieves with a clicker (on any object, can be a toy or something different). That can make a big difference too!
Looking at the rocking horses:
Yes, she is pretty chill but that is what we want for now: thoughtful behavior and not recklessly throwing herself at the barrels.
She was looking at the toy a lot (so was I haha!) because you were holding it at the center of your chest or under your arm and switching hands, so she was not sure if the hand switch meant ātoy timeā or to continue. So to clarify that, you can keep the toy in the same hand and donāt switch it. If that is too hard for her, leave it in your pocket for now. And when it is toy time š you can use a reward marker so she knows it is time to go to the toy šHer only question was at 1:02 when another dog moaned about the injustice of not being allowed to run too haha but otherwise, she was great! You can move to the advanced level!
She did well getting in the box! It is really small with high edges, so if you want to use it for running contacts, I suggest a bigger box with lower edges so she can move faster in and out of it.
She is hitting the mat nicely too! There were a couple of reps you didnāt reward even though she hit it with her back feet too, maybe because she was turning to you? She does want to look at you here with the mat and also with the box, so that can be the next step: ādonāt look at meā š
Two things can help get her looking forward:
Instead of the yes or clicker, you can use your get it marker and toss the treat. And, you can use a target out front as a focal point and reward station, such as a manners minder or empty food bowl – that way she always knows where the reward will be coming from and look at you a lot less.Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
Backing up – he is making progress here for sure and getting those long legs moving backwards! Yay! This will take a couple more sessions to get even more backwards steps, so revisit it maybe once a week. Only one suggestion: It worked better when you had cookies in your hands, because you could reach in and out to get the rewards going faster. When you had to reach over to the cookie bag, things were delayed so he did other things (like sit). So you can have 4 or 5 cookies in your hands then break off with a toy game while you reload.Stays are definitely making progress too! He is able to hold position now for a few steps and seemed happy to offer the sit. I think you are adding too much by also having him sit at your side. Letās just get the stay going from anywhereā¦ then you add it on your side (he broke every time you moved he was on your side, it is possible he needs to see your face at this stage). So for now, he can sit anywhere he likes as long as he holds it til released for the catch reward – and over time we can fine tune it to sitting at your side or a line up.
You can add a little more movement – both as you are asking him to sit and during the release – that way there are no long pauses (in dog years LOL!) where he gets ramped up and wants to anticipate the release
The resilience game is going well! The distractions on the ground were visible but easy to handle, so he was able to offer engagement and not concern himself with them. Super! So the next step here is to take it on the road a bit, and use this game as a framework to explore the world š āØāØGreat job here! See you in Mississippi soon!
TracyHi!
He is doing a great job following your cues to turn away on both the lap turn and tandem turn cues. Yay! And he stayed engaged even when another dog came to visit LOL!Since he is doing so well, you can go to the next steps:
– for the lap turns, use a cookie toss so he moves away from you to start the game. That way, when he is done eating the cookie, you can be stationary in position and showing the lap turn cues (feet together, arm extended towards his nose). That will give him even more speed coming towards you, and will challenge your timing to be able to turn him away.
– for the tandem turns, you can also start him with the cookie toss so you can show him decel before turning him away for the tandem turn. Also, you can go to the Advanced level with the prop, where you use your hands to draw him to you past the prop, then cue the tandem turn so he turns away and hits the prop when he is moving the new direction.
Great job on these! Let me know how he does with the added challenges!
TracyHi!
You can try to recreate the ladder, or grab some time on one if you see one in your travels. I’m not sure the cavalettis will look or feel quite the same, but that is fine because we can keep playing with cavalettis š
THi!
He did really well here – nicely balanced and not rushing!
Cavalettis are a bit of a different thing than ladders, because the height and spacing is different. It looks like the bars here can do one notch lower, so keep them really low for now since the spacing is tight (there is a formula for cavaletti spacing but he is a little too young to get too deep into that) I am glad you took the leash off, so he can control his footwork without the leash pressure. He did really well! He didn’t know where to look at the exit of the cavaletti (would start looking up at you) so you can add in an empty food bowl about 6 feet from each end so that he has a focal point (then you can drop the treat into the bowl.>.Bob says entering from the middle is dumb, so we only did it once.
Yes, it doesn’t work with cavalettis because he can’t trot over the cones. So no need to enter the middle of the cavalettis, but it would be great if you can show him a ladder! The spacing is really different, which is a nice challenge in a different way.
Great job!
TracyGood morning!
>>I just need the other sound. I couldnāt hear yours in the video to get a feel for it. Do you have a video with you saying both?>>
I will see if I can find a video that is easier to hear, but it is basically a short hiss of a noise, with my tongue right behind my top front teeth: tss tss tss
>> but I started saying āget itā for food thrown ahead which was supposed to be for toys only. I felt like I needed a very specific food on the ground marker so she doesnāt look for things on the ground randomly, but Iām defaulting to get it every time I throw something ahead. Do you think I need to be that specific?>>
I have found that the dogs let us use ‘get it’ for thrown food and toys, because they are so good at context š And the reward markers and pattern games help them look for stuff on the ground a lot less than if they didn’t have those skills.
>>I never thought about Bostons having a smaller range of peripheral vision. I bet you are right. I have only ever run Bostons, so I may not have noticed a difference.>>
It is definitely something to consider… our human heads had a smaller field of peripheral vision than dog heads do, based on head shape/structure/etc. And my sighthounds can certainly see things differently that my little apple-head Papillon does… they ar ebred for wildly different functions. My Paps are built more like Bostons and move their heads/necks similarly, so my guess is that we can consider breed & structure differences on this stuff too. It is fun to think about!
>>We took a trip to a field that we rent to practice sometimes. I was curious to see if Bazinga could do her stuff in a new place. She had no problem.>>
YES! This is huge!!!!!!! Happy dance!
The blind cross foundation looked awesome – she read the blinds really well, you were super connected but more importantly: she was 1000% focused and not distracted by the obstacles, new location, or the holder. SUPER!!!
She found the parallel path to the jump with no problem here. Nice!!! And good job getting the toy thrown pretty early on most of them so she didn’t look back. I think she was not quite as sure about the release to the jump from the stay – it looks like she held some of them, and left early on some of them. You can incorporate the ‘catch’ rewards on this game too, so staying in position in front of a jump gets a ton of value as well. I use toys as ‘catch’ rewards too!
If you have access to a holder again, you can give yourself more of a head start on this to see if she will find the parallel path even when you are ahead, and then add in more of your running too.
Great job on these! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
Serps are looking strong and the pet tutor worked well – you can click it or mark the reward moment as soon as she turns over the bar so she doesn’t look at you as much as she is moving to the PT.
You can be closer to the jump as well, so she turns a little more before the bar and less on landing side. Getting there sooner will help too: When starting with the cookie toss, be near your position before you throw the cookie, so you are not trying to run to position. Trying to get into position was sometimes making the serp cue late, and sometimes landing you in the wrong spot relative to the jump which is potentially going to cause confusion with threadles and also caused her errors here (like at 2:14 where you were not in serp position so she was correct to just come to you). It was easier on the next couple of reps when you were closer to position and she could see the serp cue between the uprights. Nice!!For the next set of serps, you can add wings to the jump! And we build on this game tonight š
Toy races are also looking good, she is driving ahead beautifully! You can add the go go go verbal now too, to help pump up her response to it and understanding of the verbal. This is a good game to take on the road, because it is great to increase toy engagement and also gets a lot of focus and excitement in new places.
“” I realize it takes me a while to get into frame, but I promise Iām running. “”
I can see you in the mirror on the back wall š
>>Next up Iām going to work on some of the prop handling. I have done any of that since class, continue with stays and start the RDW foundation games since I can start that at home. Mostly this paragraph was a note to myself. Iāve been going back through the class material trying to pick up what Iāve missed.>>
Sounds good! And also – the resilience games š Those are probably the most important thing we do in this class š
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
The indoor countermotion game looked great! My only suggestion it to be clearer that you are about to start by making eye contact and saying “ready” or something. She was sometimes still in play mode when you were beginning to send, so the start ofeach rep was not always smooooooth š
And since she did well, you can add your wrap verbals and also move a little faster.>>I first attempted to do the start line work outside, but there was a pheasant moving around in the driveway and it had Caper very distracted.>>
Well, that is understandable!
>. but I did want to mention that I did the pattern game several times with her and that definitely brought her attention back to me and what was happening and not on the pheasant.>>
Super!!! So the session was still a ‘win’ even if you didn’t really work stays. You worked on attention with a BIG distraction!
The indoor stays looked good! Easy peasy. She seems to anticipate that when you stop and look at her, you are about to release… so you can be a little more variable about the release by sometimes doing it while walking or sometimes standing still.
You can also play this game with a toy – that will create more internal stimulation, which will make the stays more challenging! And you can take the game outdoors again – but rather than move directly to the stay, yo ucan start with the pattern game and see how she does in terms of focus with distractions, then ask for the stay game if she is able to ignore the distractions.
Great job!
Tracy
