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Good morning!
Good girl Gemma! I think she watched calmly when you did puppy stuff in the house, so I am not surprised she was so good here 🙂
>> Sprite as she was not reliably coming through the gap.
It was a motion thing – you were stopping in between the first and 2nd wings, so there was no gap to come through.
Keep moving through the FC – you stopped and tha is why she went to the middle wing or the wrong side when you did the blind. If you are connected with the cross body connection, she will read the line as you keep moving.
>> Gemma nailed the double blind! But, I also trust her more and kept moving and was closer to the middle jump.
Yes! It is the line of motion that gets the info to the dog that is it not the middle jump.
Bearing in mind that this is more about teaching handling than teaching a dog skill – if you get it right, she gets it right 🙂 So, don’t place a toy… she is going to get rewarded either way and this is a handling game. By placing the toy, she figured out the line by slowing down on the FC rather than driving through it, without you having to keep moving. We went her to be a mirror of your handling, so if something goes wrong, keep moving and reward as if she was perfect (because she was :))
Nice work! Hope it cools off soon!!! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
You’ve mentioned mechanics a few times now… to improve your mechanics, run it several times without him and video tape that. Watch it, see it if makes sense… then run it with him. If you are trying to run him AND sort out the mechanics while running? Something will go wrong. Mechanics are rehearsed skills and definitely better to rehearse without the dog.
>> He seems to like it when I run and only use my arms occasionally.>>
Yes – try to keep your arms back and down, and make more connection (eye contact) as you run. That will help him find the lines and keep the bars up (at :31, for example, your arm was out to the side and there was not a lot of connection so he dropped the bar. Compare that to :36 when you were really connected, not using arms much at all, and he found the line to the tunnel perfectly).
Try to use more of a lead out 1-2 to line him up straight. Starting with him and on an angle creates a zigzag line to the tunnel. It looked much better on the 2nd run at :26 and :50
Wraps – decel and turn before takeoff – the wrap cues started after takeoff at :08 and :32 and :55 so he was wide. When he has landed from the jump before the wrap, start decelerating and using your verbal, then rotate into the FCas he is passing you and getting close to the jump.
Also note that the toy was in the dog side hand at :09 and he was fine to ignore it. Now, the toy can be in the pocket, that is fine, but he is also not distracted by it when the handling is clear. This is a really engaging toy, so keep using it! And if something goes wrong, it is probably a connection issue 🙂
Nice work! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
>> I cannot drive an hour, sometimes two, one way and spend the entire time getting him to tug when I rent time. He wanted nothing to do with tugging so I’m sorry but I had to try other things and tried to keep him engaged.
I think I am not explaining this all that well… sorting out this reward stuff is definitely not about just getting him to tug everywhere. It is about engagement with you and with the reward, and expanding the ‘toolbox’ of rewards you use so you can train more effectively and build up more skills while also getting him comfortable in a new environment. A limited toolbox of reinforcement means a limited skill set that can be trained. And when you mentioned not being engaging with the rewarding, it was because you were going to your comfort zone way of rewarding: dropping a lotus ball or dropping a treat then disengaging. You can start expanding the toolbox at home and then taking it on the road, but definitely bring engaging reinforcement on the road!
So no, don’t spend the whole time trying to get him to play tug – but DO spend time using a bigger variety of reinforcement and working on the mechanics of how to train more than working on the sequences or crosses. Working the mechanics now, in these early stages, will make a lifetime of difference. Sequences are easy! Mechanics are hard. Let’s focus on the skills that will make the future easier for you both.
On the rear cross videos –
He is doing well reading the rear crosses! You can mix in more driving up the line and flowing straight too, to keep the balance of speed on the line.
>> I had to quit putting the toy in my hand, he wanted to watch it..>>
Actually… it was a handling error. Don’t blame the toy LOL!
At 1:48- You turned forward when you said tunnel and disconnected… which is a rear cross cue. The toy happened to be in your left hand, but he did not cross behind you to get the toy – you cued him to do it with the disconnection. When that happens, keep going like he is correct and then play… because he is correct. He was not cutting behind you for the toy, and I am glad he played at the end.On the 2nd video, he was not watching the toy too much either. He was watching your cues, and reading them well! This seems to be an engaging toy, so definitely keep using it as you smooth out the handling. Try to drive in closer to the tunnel here so you don’t end up getting too far ahead or decelerating too soon.
Nice work here! Onwards to the FC!
TracyHi! Both of these are looking really great and I think there is one small tweak for each one that will make all the difference:
First videoL
I think one thing that will help here is to spread out the jumps more, so you have 18-20 feet in between (competition distance). They are pretty close together so that makes the timing hard! With a little more room, you will easily be able to get these crosses in 🙂The wraps look good – if you get ahead of him, stay on takeoff side of the jump (hanging out at the wing) and let him pass you rather than getting past the jump to the landing side, which widens the turn like at :07 and :44.
I think your timing was good at :23 of starting the blind – you can be further across and not as close to the jump after the tunnel, which will help you get in between the next 2 jumps sooner. But also, more distance between the jumps will help because he has more yardage to travel, which makes your timing much easier. You were a little later starting at 1:05, so definitely stick to the timing you had at :23.
The speed circles at the end looked great!
On the 2nd video:
>> Do you know how many years I’ve been focused on trying to get to a spot myself instead of starting the cue when the dog is at a certain spot?I can totally relate – all of our early agility handling was about “get to position, then do the turn” but that turned out to be super late for the dog LOL!!! So it takes some practice to unwind that and do the turn based on where the dog is, not where we are 🙂 You are totally getting it!
The blinds here are looking good! The one thing now to add is – wings in! When you arms are fully extended and you are doing quick blinds, it delays your turns and he can’t see the new connections as quickly. So keep your arms in tight to you (bent elbows, biceps to ribs) and work the blinds based on connection (eye contact) and not arms. The arms can get you in trouble, like at 1:14 where you never got connection so he didn’t change sides 🙂
The crosses on the middle wing are going well too! I think you can trust him more and leave to the tunnel sooner, so he wraps that wing even more independently.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyWOW! These are runs to be proud of!!!!!!! I love that regional and it was great to see him doing so well there! Good boy! There was so much independence and understanding out there on course, and you were so connected! And you trusted him and drove the lines – NICE!!! Definitely running with intent to win and he loved it! My only suggestion might be to lead out less so he blasts off the line more? Otherwise these runs look fabulous!! Yo were smart to pull him from the Friday night run, he was just tired (and really, who runs agility on Friday nights? LOL!!)
Great job! Rest up and I am looking forward to the package 2 games!
TracyGood morning!
>> Soooo, I just realized that Grizzly has a verbal command for a treadle such as in the black circle course from 10-11. I say “hoap”. I am pretty sure that if I had used it I would have not needed to rotate as much as I did!!
Ah! Do you have a written list of all his verbals? You can review it before you start big courses to be sure you remember to use them 🙂
>>Oh well, I am just like my digestive system, very slow to process hahaha
Ha! Yes, I totally understand that feeling LOL!
>>Now about the “Live Class 1”. I am not sure if I set up the course too tight, I have more room in the backyard to make it bigger, so I am not sure what is better for me and Grizzly at this time. As I mentioned in my prior note, I do better with him in UKI than in AKC, I really don’t like the “close quarters” that we have to run in AKC, and that is why I refused to do Premier with Grizzly in AKC.>>
Yes, AKC Premier is really bad spacing for 24” dogs (most AKC is difficult spacing for 24” dogs!) I don’t think you set it up too tight, there were other things happening – see below 🙂
On the video:
Seq 1: the layering was hard because of connection issues – you had a big disconnect coming out of the 4 tunnel as your right arm came up and pointed forward – it looked like the beginning of a blind, so he thought it was a blind to the jump right there. (Also at :28). :32 was clearer because you had more connection. In those moments, just keep going rather than stop – the stopping worries him and he was reading the information correctly.On the 2nd rep – you decelerated over the 3 bar but told him to go forward, which was a conflicting cue so he dropped the bar. You had a lot more motion on the 3rd rep and he got it nicely 🙂 So be sure to accelerate with all of your Go cues.
Nice job on the backside and ending line! He reads that flip away to the tunnel really well, provided you do it before he is lifting off so he can adjust. You were late on the flip away at 1:00 – much better timing on the first rep and at 1:12, you were already flipping him away as he was lifting off. Then at 1:14 You praised and moved away but didn’t say tunnel… so he didn’t go in the tunnel, good boy! Don’t stop on that either, he was correct.
Seq 3 – This one started out really slow and accurate (see my thoughts on that below) and he got faster at the end. The run went well, but I want him to go faster.
>> Then I tried to combined #1 & #3 and I also failed (I thought it will be a good idea). So be patient, this one is not as fun to review ha!
When you combined them, lots of bars and he was slowing down – it might have been that there was too much collection and too much stopping, plus he was hot. So if you combine sequences, makes sure that you mix in a lot of speed lines so he can run in extension for parts of it.
2 general observations:
>> One good thing I am noticing, is that I am able to feel when I disconnect and cause a problem in course more that I used to. So progress
Yes! It is good to feel the disconnection! In those moments, though… keep going even if it is the wrong line. When you stop, he gets worried. Even if you stop and toss the toy – he gets worried and slows down to get more accurate. That, plus stopping for bars and other oopsie moments is why he was slower by the time you got to sequence 3 – he was being very careful. We don’t want him to run carefully, so if something goes wrong, just keep going and fix it on the next rep. He probably knew it was wrong when it happened, so no need to stop him to discuss it LOL especially if it was handler error like being late or disconnected.
One other thing to remember – try to keep your verbals sounding more different in terms of rhythm, pitch, length, etc. You tend to say the verbals twice and at the same pitch and rhythm: left left, corre corre, back back can alls sound the same that way. So plan your verbals to make them sound very different, and that will totally help!
Nice work here 🙂 Let me know what you think!
TracyHi! You have totally made progress with this! So much of it is smooth, fast, and connected. Nice!!!
>> I tried to send further from the jump which works but I think I need to practice moving more away from him. I think I am waiting until I see him take the jump before I move.
Opening – yes, I think you are waiting a bit too long to move which makes you late showing the line 3-4 – you don’t have to get as close to 3 or turn to line up to it – you can be more laterally on the line, and handle the line instead of each jump, to set up the turn to 4 sooner.
>> On the first run, I was late for the blind and I couldn’t find him. He was very patient and just stood there until I did connect and then we continued. This was different!>>
The BC 6-7 is definitely going to work! The errors there are not as much of a late thing as they were a connection thing: When you are finishing the blind, you need to look for him with your eyes (making eye contact) after a blind, not with your hand – that is why he didn’t know which side to go to on the first run, and on the 2nd run he cued off of your motion and went into the tunnel. You made much better connection on the blind 10-11 both times and they worked really well!
The middle section is looking good, and you worked out the 14 backside nicely on that last rep – the threadle to the slice will be the best solution there.
On the 15-16-17 line, get those verbals going sooner and repeat them – only saying them once risks the possibility that they will get lost in the action of everything happening (like you only said it once at 1:21 and he had a question and ended up in the wrong end of the tunnel). You can repeat them as many times as possible and maintain connection to help him find the line.
The ending is smoother too! You can have a placed toy or MM at the end for now, so he doesn’t look back on that last jump – he dropped it twice, looking back as you fell behind and got quiet (probably trying to breathe LOL!)
Great job! Let me know what you think! You can definitely leave this now and move into the other sequences or package 2.
Tracy
Hi!
The sitting game is for the jump & tunnel verbals, you can totally move with the weaves 🙂 He is a big dog so weaving is very hard. I don’t know how Lisa teaches the weaves, but we can help get independence with the 2x2s, if you still have them – open them up into a channel of 4 poles or 6 poles, with a reward target out about 6 feet past them (a manners minder or an empty food bowl). They should be wide enough so it is relatively easy – and all reward comes from the MM or the food bowl (you can toss it in) so he starts to look ahead and not at you 🙂
Tracy
Hi!
These videos were helpful, it is definitely a connection issue!
>>Of course I thought right away I must not be making enough connection coming out of the tunnel, or when sending into the tunnel, but why only on one side of the set up?>>
She had questions on both sides, but on the side with more questions it is because that is her weaker sides (just like humans are lefties or righties, so are dogs) – and when asked to process unclear info AND on the harder side? She couldn’t do it, so hard more errors.
You were tending to run with your arms up and looking forward, and she is a young, small dog – so the high arms without eye contact/connection were changing the line of your shoulders, so she was not entirely sure if she should take the jump or not, even if it seems obvious (she had this question turning to her right and to her left, so it is definitely not just a side preference thing).
On the tunnel send questions – each time she didn’t go into the tunnel, it was because you were pointing with your arm out to the side and the rest of your body had turned (including connection). So it was a legit question from her, especially with 2 tunnel entries available: which one do you want when you turn. When your arm was back and you moved towards the tunnel entry, she got it nicely 🙂
For example, on the wrap video: at :09 and :27, she had questions – your arm was too high which changed the line of your shoulders, and she can’t see your eyes. When she was more successful like at :38 and 1:31 and 1:39, your arms were lower an there was more eye contact.
On the 2nd sequence (the fluffy blinds :)) same issue, sometimes on the jump, sometimes on the tunnel – all about connection 🙂 For example:
1:12 was great low arms and she committed nicely133 sequence low arms and she was GREAT – you had to hustle there and didn’t have time to get your arms up, so it was all about motion and connection, your arms were low and she was brilliant from about 1:30 til almost 2:00! Yay!
At 2:00 – as she exited the tunnel, your connection/arm/shoulder were all forward so she was not sure what you wanted. The same thing happened at 2:14 when she exited the tunnel, she could only see your back so didn’t know where to be. 2:28 was MUCH clearer there with connection! And then you turned forward at 2:32 and she didn’t take the jump.
So a couple of ideas for you:
Bearing in mind that she is only a year old and is still learning, make the connection as clear as possible – run with your arms low and look at her eyes the whole time, like you did at that 1:33 section on the 2nd video. No pointing allowed LOL! Keep your wings in!And if something goes wrong – resist the tendency to mark it or stop – that deflates her and only makes her more handler focus! If she runs past a jump, take it as a sign that you need more connection, so connect more, keep going, and reward. Then, when you try it again, connect more and be ready to reward in that spot (rather than run the whole sequence). For example, she had questions about the tunnel but didn’t get rewarded for it. So be ready to reward! And remember the 2-failure rule: if she fails twice in a session, change something to set her up for success so there are no more failures. In this case, it would be add more very direct connection as your run, and throw more rewards on the lines during the sequence.
Nice work! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
Levy is doing well with his weave training! This is totally a good time to introduce this game 🙂 2 ideas for you:Use a food bowl or manners minder or something as the reward target… he is watching you a lot because you have a giant bucket of treats and you are throwing them LOL! We don’t want him to watch you at all – so a reward target will get his eyes off you. No more treat throwing 🙂
As you add motion, add it gradually… you started slow walking, so the next step is ‘slightly less slow’ walking haha! You started moving faster and so did he, but he was not weaving, he was running. So build it up more gradually and it will be easier.
Watson did a GREAT job here!!! After the first rep, he nailed all the left sided reps and then after the first right sider rep, he figured it out and was great.
>>However, I noticed his head turn at the end when I did this, so I added some motion back end to try to prevent the head turn.>>
Sounds like Watson also needs a reward target, so he doesn’t look at you 🙂 On the demo video, I placed a toy for Hot Sauce because she was looking at me a bit as she exited.
>>Watson’s Behind the back starts: Lots of confusion as this cue looks like line up and the first time he ran into the back of my legs. LOL, I have had him do this mainly going to his right and have to teach him how to do it to the left. I am thinking I need a different body cue. What about a head tilt instead of the verbal and hand cue. Thoughts? >>
Yes, totally agree that if the cue looks the same as the line up, then you can use a different cue. Also, dogs are brilliant: if you keep your feet together here and add a different word, the hand cue can be similar (because feet together are a strong cue. Feet apart would be the line up cue. And I would definitely add a verbal (not just a head tilt) because you are going to need the verbal to help tell him when to start.
>>Also Levy has a great Behind the back going to his right. I use this in disc. Should I have another cue for doing the same thing to the left?
I use the same cue (a sound) and the direction is dictated by which hand I use: left hand means go around to the dog’s right, and right hand means go around to the dog’s left 🙂 Let me know if that makes sense 🙂
Great job here!
TracyHi!
Very nice openings on both runs!!
On the 6-7-8 line:
You might have to layer the white jump to get to the blind at 6-7 – it was late both times (he was already jumping, good boy for changing sides!). Or, you can decel at 6 and rear cross 7, that would be easy to get to.Tunnel 8 – the verbals were good on the first rep (you got very quiet on the 2nd rep :)) but he saw you decelerate and turn both times, so came out facing the wrong line. Either keep going (closer to what you did on the 2nd run), or reward him so he doesn’t get frustrated because he was correct in how he read the information.
To set the straight line, don’t peel away from the tunnel before he goes in because it turns him on the exit. Drive closer to the 8 tunnel and then turn and run a parallel line to 9 – no need to try to drive to 10 til you know he has 9, and you will still have plenty of time to get the blind.At :24 on the 2nd video, you decelerated and did a send, but that pulled the rail as you then accelerated away (the decel/send followed by acceleration is a bit of a conflicting cue, because the decel means turn but the acceleration means extension, thus the dropped bar). I think setting the parallel line from closer to the tunnel entry will propel him to 9 and then you never have to stop moving.
The info for 11-12 was really late, sounded like too much ‘here steady steady’ which made the backside cue late
On the 2nd run, keep your shoulders open (dog-side arm back) keep a BIG connection – so as he is jumping 11, you are cuing the backside and looking directly at him. Calling him and turning forward cued the front side.The rest looked lovely! On the first run, it looks like you cued the front side of 14. On the 2nd run, you did cue the threadle and he almost got it!
For the look look threadle at 14 – you can start it a little sooner and then walk through it, so he can process it with less motion. He was definitely sorting it out, but the running made it harder. You can isolate that threadle section and walk through it, moving the whole time, then gradually worked up to running.
>>So THEN, I pulled up the video of the zoom class and, boom, there it is: the exercise I need to work that back side proofing.
Yes, the live classes had a lot of backside work 🙂 We will work more threadley stuff later in the class.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
Sorry to hear about the software issues – I hate updates because they mess everything up!Well done to you for making this fit while keeping the spacing and flow! Nice!!!
The opening looked good, I really liked the BC on the 4-5-6 line on both runs!! She had a little head check 6-7 but I think it is because it was a barrel not a tunnel, so no worries.
Excellent hustle to the blind to the next tunnel!!! YES!>> I did with and without a spin and think an earlier send and go without the spin is probably all she needs.>>
I agree with you here – the send is better both for you and for making sure you don’t cue a turn when you don’t want it. When sending her to the tunnel #8 at :37, the spin cues a turn on the tunnel exit. Her exit was hidden behind the tree 🙂 But we don’t want her to add any strides there on the way to 9, so you can send and then turn towards the next line rather than spin for fastest possible line,
Good job on the double blind handling on the 10-11 threadle! She was a little wide at 10 at :41 – that might be partially because the first BC was late (it happened as she was taking off when ideally you would start it after she lands from 9 and looks at 10. And that slight lateness made the 2nd blind late.
I typed this after the first run:
” I wonder if a FC to a BC would be better here: because you were decelerating into a send to 10, you can decel into a FC to get a great turn and it might be quicker/easier for you to then move into the blind.”And then on the 2nd run you did the FC to BC and it was GREAT! Great minds thinking alike hahaha
Wrap at 13 – decel sooner at :46, you were late so she was wide
You did a decelerated post turn at 2:05 and it looked tighter so I timed it from the landing of 11 to the entry of 14… and they were almost identical. Hmmm! I was surprised, but the wider turn had a whole lot of speed to it! If you want, try both an earlier spin so she collects and has a tighter turn and the decelerated post turn and we can time it again (For science, of course haha)The ‘tunnel’ discrimination with the barrel is hard!!!! It is more like a threadle wrap – showing it to her at 1:16 in isolation then again at 1:29 REALLY helped her understand the context. I LOVED the blind cross there at 2:11, but it made handling the ending line on your right side harder because of the position – adding the blinds on the last rep looked great! The other option there is to handle the 2 jumps after the barrel on your left, then a threadle-wrap on the 2nd to last jump!
The last rep had the best connection on the ending line, so it was very smooth. The first time through had a little bit of broken connection at :59 by looking forward during the send to the circle wrap which drew her attention, then she came off the line there (it is also possible that Min is not as used to working wings and barrels as Kaladin is :)) And then at 1:32 you were pointing forward too, so she briefly considered switching side. So whichever side you handle it on, keep your arms back and down like you did on the last rep, that was lovely 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
Do you mean he is getting the entry, then popping out? I think repeating the weave cue is fine 🙂 but he is too fast for you to need to stay and help him at the weaves with physical cues.
So, tell me more: how was he originally trained to weave? We can incorporate that into helping him weave independently. And drop me a video of what he is doing when he is popping out, so I can give you better ideas.>> I love the idea of sitting in a chair the shade and asking for behaviors…but Forrest being the heat sensitive dog he is seems to wants to pull one up beside me and ask TAYLOR (my other Weim) to demo
Yes, it has been so hot! You can move the jump and maybe the tunnel into the shade with your chair to get the game going 🙂 fingers crossed that we get a break in the heat!
Tracy
