Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Hi! He did well here!
I think you were combining a couple of games here and we can get even better skills going by keeping them separate:At the beginning, what would he do if you just took off the leash? Run towards the window? For the leash engagement game, I would just want to take the leash off and see what he does. You were getting his attention and getting him into position, but that is not the same as allowing him to offer engagement as a conditioned response ot the leash coming off. So keep that element separate from the stay and the jump for now.
>>I normally shove the harness and leash in a pocket but my food and ball were in the way today. Going to have to work on throwing the leash back because that’s definitely a distraction for him.
Yes, that is a good point! You can work the tossing the leash aside as part of the engagement game. If he can offer engagement when you take the leash off, great! Reward that and then in the next session, put the leash on the ground when you take if off: can he still offer engaged (and get rewarded :))
For the line up games: try to do them in front of random object rather than a jump for now, so you can smooth out the process of position, where he is facing, etc.
>>A lot of position choice today I don’t really care but I’m trying not to give the Q for sit or down if he’s going to choose the position at the start line it’s a work in progress.
You can use a general line up cue (like at our side or between your feet) and then he can choose the position and you don’t need to say the down or sit cue.
>>Is it okay to shift him over he has his crazy habit of lining up at an angle.
Most dogs don’t like this at all, which is why I like the line up cues – I can put myself where the dog needs to be so that he can line up in the right position. So if he is at a bad angle, you can reward, release and reset in training so he doesn’t think he was wrong to go into the line up.
>>So I don’t think at least for now tugging the leash inside the ring probably wouldn’t be a problem but how do you get it back when they accidentally have it? >>
For my leash tuggers, I also train a really strong out verbal that does not rely on a cookie… for the exact reason you mention of not being able to trade for a treat in the ring. I train it by tugging then relaxing my tug hand… when he lets go of the leash, I sometimes use the leash as the reward for the out, and sometimes line up to start, or sometimes run over to a cookie station for a food reward.
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>>I think you are exactly right about her being conditioned to work only for food when her breakfast bowl is out!
It is a conditioned response – Pavlov is more powerful than Skinner!
> So it very much simulates what we do at home in the mornings for her breakfast bowl. I think I mentioned that the cooler has worked really well to get her to stay in the game and do her weaves in the competition ring. My only issue with Char’s runs are that she seems stressed when we walk in the ring and she typically starts slow. I’d also like her to weave faster but that is a separate issue (I think). Should I try feeding her breakfast before the trial? She is a complicated girl!>>
Hmmm that is a good question. Does she eat anything in the morning at a trial? I would try feeding her a tiny bit just to help with blood sugars and brain function. Having a bit of food as fuel really helps our canine athletes. Doesn’t have to be a full meal, just a couple of bites to start the day off. See how it goes!
T
Hi!
>> So, do you think it is ok to play some of these games outside the ring, just like I would with my puppy to begin building value for them in the show environment? Tango is willing to do lots of things outside the ring that I can’t get inside the ring and I don’t think it will change her attitude about the new games being fun. However, I wanted to know your opinion so I don’t break down the process that we are trying to build on.>>
100% yes! Because of her history, we won’t make any major shifts in the next 2 trials 🙂 If she was a youngster, we would approach things differently.
>>Tango will run a whole run with the ball in my pocket, so should I trade off between that and building on the remote reinforcement?
Yes – but build the remote reinforcement slowly and in small pieces, as if she was a puppy. And develop that reward station that we are talking about, it gets really useful 🙂
>> Fortunately, we took your got remote class and she has a massive value for that relative to the treat and train, so I am just trying to really help her generalize that to any kind of remote reinforcement.
You can totally use the treat n train as the remote reinforcement. It can sit on a chair or table outside the ring, 15 feet away or so – it is really no different than leaving a bag or a jacket with a pocletful of treats.
>>With the ‘leash off’ game in class/training, how do decide when to move from treats in the pocket to asking for an obstacle and then treating and subsequently moving to remote re-inforcement? >>
With the goal of the off leash offered engagement being a conditioned response, I would not combine it with any other behaviors yet. Continue to reward engagement on a one-to-one ration for a while longer in training. At the trial, since you won’t have a cookie: take the leash off in a position where you can take off and run – because if she offers engagement, I want you to just take off and run and start the course, as that is likely the only available reinforcement in that moment 🙂
>>I am having to really try to figure out how to make sure she really has value for or has changed her attitude about something completely enough to move on. Any insight you might have is greatly appreciated.>>
Lots and lots of short high value reps, with the goal of shifting the conditioned response – and developing that remote reinforcement station to the point that she will run full courses with it out there.
>>Untraining and retraining is always more challenging that working with a young dog, at least for me.
For me, too. Training youngsters is often easier, because we have a blank slate.
Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>>I did an accidental marshmallow test when I left the room to move my 13-year-old border collie (who COULD NOT handle hearing me play tug with the puppy) away from a baby gate in the hall
That was HILARIOUS! And also amazing – he was such a good boy! Not surprising, though, as he really has a long track record of making great decisions.
The remote reinforcement is going really well. The simple walking away was easy and stimulating – maybe too repetitive because he did a little barking and popping up, perhaps indicating that he was stimulated and knew he was going to get to do something… but going back to the cookies did not actually count as doing something LOL! I am glad you went into the tricks/behaviors because he settled into a really lovely work mode when you did that and was lovely in his responses. Add in a couple more action tricks along with the positions and line ups, just to keep building the toolbox.
Having the other dogs barking in the background was an excellent distraction!!! The latency was higher when the Swissy was barking behind him (thanks for the distraction help!) and that is great – working through that in a close environment with reinforcement easily available will be super helpful for when he is in a trial environment and both the distraction and reinforcement will be further away.
Great job on these – you can also add longer sequences of ‘stuff’ like a trick, a line up, a release, trick, etc before going back to the reinforcement.
Tracy
Hi! Great job on these 3 games – she was VERY engaged here especially when we consider that all 3 games relied on HER offering engagement, and not you asking for it with excitement or motion. Yay!
Instant Focus
>> watching my video I see 2 missed opportunities to reward the early approximations of the target behavior. Oops, will do better next time!>>
Great first session here! Yes, that first paw lift can be rewarded. It is a hard game and she figured it out quickly! This went well – she took literally 6 seconds to assess the environment then get to work. You were great about NOT helping 🙂
Looks like she was happy to do the chill on the table and was also asking for more engagement too! The two of you were able to relax for a bit. That’s great!
Leash off game – does she often do a body shake when the leash is off like she did on the first one? Just curious – we will track it to see if it indicates anything. She didn’t do it on the other reps. She was very engaged – excellent! Now you can bring this game to the start line in training class!
>> I want to do a lot more of this including carrying her & setting her down,
Yes! Do both walking in with her on the ground, and carrying her in. You might find that she prefers one over the other. Either way, she will get lots of reinforcement for engagement.
>> but we are getting better at keeping it short!
Yes – these little bits of games were terrific!
>.I am dubious about Take a Breath, will give it a try tomorrow or Friday.
Dubious about it working, or dubious about being able to get the behavior? You’ll spend quality time staring at her little nose LOL and it really does work!
Great job!
TracyHi!
I think it is a situation-specific issue, not a toy issue:
At :50 when she wandered off, she was working for her breakfast bowl at that time, and I think she might be conditioned to work only for food when her breakfast bowl is out there. “MOM I THIS IS WHAT WE DO FOR BREAKFAST” hahaha But at a trial, toys are much more part of the norm. So try this when you are not working for a meal and when a food bowl is not nearby – I bet you see different results. You can also move the toy away from her to chase a bit rather than present it to her , that can be more reinforcing in that scenario as well! Let me know how it goes!
TracyHi!
Sorry about the rain but great job getting out for some training!>> Do u need him to look into my eyes for engagement or will just looking be sufficient.
He is little so looking at you like he did here was great! Looking up and not sniffing 🙂
>> Also do you want a verbal for the engagement?
Nope 🙂 It is something we want him to offer as a conditioned response to the leash coming off.
He was great here! Now take it to as many different places as you can! My only suggestion is to have the treats in your hands or pockets, but you can start to play these games without the treat skirt/pouches. The pouches are a massive visual indicator that reinforcement will be available, so as you train these games, start doing them without wearing the pockets.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>> I appreciate having the opportunity to discuss these issues with someone who has thought about them so deeply.
I love to obsess on this stuff to figure out what helps the dogs!
>>>>So for the pattern games, then, do more of an up-and-down with treats placed on your shoes and not tossed away (which is something that can easily be done outside the ring).
>>Do you really get the treats to land on your shoes? They just bounce off on to the ground when I do it. I need little bowls on my shoes!>>I bend down and place them on my shoe. I am also not overly worried about a little cookie on the floor in the trial or training environment – I use non-crumbly treats so they aren’t scattering all over, and plus there are so many smells everywhere that the dogs are not going to track the one instance of odor in that environment. It is really not an issue to have the pattern games outside the ring.
>>> Then as I enter the training area, I will begin the pattern game.
>I am having a hard time envisioning this. You enter the building where the agility trial is and just start tossing treats on the ground? Or you do the snack version or hands version? Video of this IRL would be great to see, if you have any.>>I will get some from the flyball tournament this weekend. Basically, I walk with intent into the area (in this case, a gymnasium at a community center). As I pass the door which is both a literal and figurative threshold where distractions increase, I say a marker and present a cookie. It is usually get it, and then I drop a cookie on the ground where the dog can step to it. Bear in mind that he is on leash, so I don’t toss the treat too far away. You can also do the snack version or the shoe version for up-and-down. I prefer the get it or the up and down because it is so recognizable, the dog gets to move a bit, and it also offers the dog a chance to assess the environment really easily.
>> You replied: Are you seeing stress behaviors?
I didn’t see any on Tuesday, but I live in fear of grass grabbing because it means he is not having fun. And it’s supposed to be fun.
Yes, it is supposed to be fun… but grass eating is also feedback from him. So while we ideally don’t see any grass eating, living in fear of it can be paralyzing which will prevent the flow of feedback and slow the progress down.
On the video –
Leash off engagement was great at the beginning!
And he liked that toy. So let’s talk about reinforcement – as you know, the recipient decides on what is reinforcing or not.>>You will see in the video of the leash game that when I tried some personal play, he grabbed my sleeve (that’s not the norm for him) and I spoke to the camera and he dropped his head and grabbed some grass. 🤬 I was trying personal play because we can’t tug because of the previous dental issues.
He basically said that he doesn’t find the personal play to actually be play. I see that a LOT with dogs… that physical interaction is not perceived as play so you got sleeve biting and grass eating. Great feedback from him – so take that style of interaction off the table. Good to know 🙂 It is not reinforcing and does not engage him in a happy/relaxed way.
>> But sometimes when I do personal play he disengages because I am just too much, I think
I just think he doesn’t like it or find it playful. That style of play is something that some dog trainer somewhere decided is playful and fun and reinforcing, and then people put a name on it. And many many MANY dogs are like, “ummmmm……no.” LOL!!! Do we get interaction from the dogs when we do that? Yes, but as you saw – it is not playful, it is more of a frustration interaction. Icky! So there is just no need to interact like that. I think all 3 of my youngs dogs actually find it offensive. And I think if someone did it to me, I’d find it offensive as well. My Papillon likes it! So we do it. The others? Nope! They find it rude. LOL!
Looking at the video – he bit your sleeve (feedback) and then you kept going with it so he went to grass eating (BIGGER feedback).
On the video – you said it was too much play… but in fact, it was not play at all, according to the recipient.
Another way to look at it is to replace the words ‘personal play’ with ‘video games’ – my husband loves to play videos games. I would rather eat grass outside than play video games. LOL!! And if someone persisted in getting me to play video games, I would get all sorts of frustrated icky feelings. So the answer is that I don’t have to play video games, I can do other things 🙂
So in this leash off game, use what he likes: food, toys on a line, or the ball you mentioned. And use them by moving away from him – dogs much prefer that! You’ll find in those course that I don’t ask for that physical style of personal play at all because it doesn’t help us.
>>And I tried to put toys on long lines, but he just wants to run off with them and do a lap.
That can stay on the list of reinforcements, though, because it is reinforcing. Just don’t let go of the end of the line unless you don’t mind watching a lap.
>>food is not his biggest love.
Food is high enough in value for our purposes here, and you can go to shorter sessions with insanely high value food that stays in motion, either from your hands or in a lotus ball or treat hugger – I bet he won’t be sad about that at all LOL!
>> If you have any other ideas, I’m all ears. The flirt pole keeps him safe and relatively close and I am a little bit of the picture. I tend not to fling the toy around on the pole for safety reasons. I’ll use the lotus ball with a handle the next time I video and see if there is a difference. He tends to bring that back after he has eaten the treat.>>
These are all good ideas! I would just make everything more light in heart with less worry about what might go wrong. Let him chase the flirt pole or toy on a line. Incorporate the ball and the lotus ball, and use crazy delicious food. Keep the games moving away from him a little, so there is a little chase element, and not towards him. And take out the physical touching during play – he gives it 4 thumbs down LOL!
The barking on cue is adorable! And sneezing too! Yay! This will be a fun addition to the toolbox.
Thanks for posting the run!
>> I’m going to delete it once you have seen it because it’s so dreadful and I would like to forget it ever happened.
Keep it to look back on when he is a champion agility dog! He just wasn’t ready here. I am sure it felt pretty crappy at the time but you handled it well. It was great feedback from him and things will be different next time!
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>>Ignore my pajamas lol!>>
Ha! Pajama training videos are a critical element of online training LOL
The table in front of her looked good!
Table behind her looked good too.She was offering the ready quite nicely and holding her stay really well. I am glad you did this with a tug toy, she is a little (a lot?) more excited with the toy but she was still terrific and offering her ‘ready’ position really nicely.
>>Her idea of bonding with me is attacking my shoelaces which happens 1002 times day lol!
Ah yes, my youngest dog does that too LOL!!
She did well with her chill here. Bending over is fine for a short time but your back might protest if you hold that position for too long. She seemed fine with being held, and she is small enough that it is definitely an option. She defniitely didn’t seem to hate it LOL! So you can do a few seconds of that here and there, with some cookies coming after it, to continue building the love for it.
>>I leave for nationals tomorrow and she gets to come along for the ride! Any ideas for games to play and things to do???
Have fun! I think you can take an ‘all of the above’ approach to the games – try little pieces of all of them! You can do them near the rings and also at the practice jump between classes. They are all intended to be played in the trial environment, so you can try to do a minute or so of each, spread out over the weekend.
Great job here! Have a fun weekend and good luck!
TracyHi!
>>>>Yes, that’s an issue I have with him as jumps are not his favorite obstacle. I can’t seem to keep my arms out of airplane mode but I think I’m so close to the jumps I try to avoid hitting the wing. I need some straps to hold them down.
High arms do block connection and turn shoulders away from the line, especially with smaller dogs. I use this method to keep my arms from flapping around 🙂
>>I have trouble getting distance with him so I run close to the jump and if they curve then I have to move away. If I redo I try to give more lateral space so my line is straight.
You can also use a lotus ball or something so he can get rewarded out away from you over the jumps. That can help build up more distance.
>>But he does run under the tire in class more often than taking it. I think the tire height is different since it’s set for USDAA in class and lower in the AKC run thru.
yes – I think the USDAA tire is 4 inches higher than the AKC tire. You can also do some clicker shaping and use the lotus ball tossed away as a reward on the other side.
>> I think my arm was pointing to the sky 😂.
OMG yes! Thanks for the zoom – I call it ‘giraffe handling’ when our arms get that high hahaha!!
I think more connection and thrown rewards will help him a lot on those lines.
>> Nice reset at 2:05!! That was a good way to get him back into the sequence.
Exactly. That’s where my trainer thought I treated too much 😁and she did have me retry so I thought it would be good.>>
I thought it worked well to get him back in a good mindset so you could get feedback then carry on, setting up a really strong finish!
>> What did you think of his focus and work during the class?
Great. Better than previous week and much better than normal for him, especially after he has run over the week end. Much quicker to look and return. The action tricks to start seem to make him happy.>>Perfect! Yay!!!
>>He’s been pretty tired when he comes home and didn’t chase the other dog like normal.
I’m betting his brain and body got a good workout 🙂
>>I have never tried the breathing game before. I need to work on my mechanics so he’s not trying to eat it right away.
The dogs do try to eat it right away if it is right in front of their noses 🙂 Have you tried the air scenting where you show it to him then lift it above his head? Or you can try the mimic approach, where you sniff it first. Strange but true – it works likea charm 🙂
>> At home, he’s focused when I take it off. But that is the point I loose him in trial. At the Feb run thru, he took off at the start and followed the leash as the person walked off with it.>>
For now, let’s focus on counterconditioning his impulse to take off when the leash comes off. You can start with a refresher session at home, then build up to having him offer engagement a few feet away from the rewards (not in your hands), We can add the leash off engagement into the remote reinforcer.
Then maybe we can bring it to class and have a classmate walk away with it, while you reward engagement? We can totally build it up 🙂
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
I have 4 backside verbals for the dogs – 2 are for when I am on the landing side, 2 for when I am on the takeoff side (backside threadles). They all involve telling the dog which wing to exit on.
When I am on the landing side of the jump when the cue starts (I am in motion so might not end up on the landing side when the dog exits LOL!):
“Back” means enter on one wing, exit towards the other. This covers slices like German turns, serps, and most crosses after the dog lands.
“Dig” means enter on one wing and exit on that same wing: it covers the reverse wrap and very collected crosses right on the entry wing that are very close to the reward wrap.
Anything in the middle of that is a back verbal, because I save the dig verbal for the big collection moments and exits very near the entry wing.
“Close” is the same as back on terms of enter on one wing and exit on the other, except I am on the takeoff side (backside threadle slice). “In” is same as dig in terms of enter and exit on the same wing, very collected, with me on the takeoff side.
And I repeat them all: backbackbackback for example.
>>But, what about a rounded backside turn that comes back down the same starting line like a u turn? Or backside to FC?
If I am on the landing side and it is not a very tight exit, it is a back verbal for me.
She did really well on the video here!!!! Yay!
For the Go lines, I think placing your toy will help because you can get it further from the jump (rather than throwing it, where it tends to land close). Having it further from the jump help her stay in extension more.The rear crosses are going well – this is a hard skill and she did a great job! You were starting to get really comfy getting on the RC line after about :32. She had an error at :41 when you changed sides, but that might be more about having just gotten a whole lot of reinforcement turning to her right, then surprise, left turn cue LOL!
She was grat on the next rep, though, at :48On thing I notice is that she does a lot better when you repeat your verbals. Instead of just one short blast (LEFT!) she does better when it is left left left – she has more time to process it, plus is sounds different. So keep repeating the verbals 🙂
The backside wraps are also looking good! Two little details – be sure to show her the wing by moving to where the wing meets the bar (like at 1:26). And then be a little more patient, hold that position for an extra heartbeat til she is all the way past you and is turning to the bar, then you can move through. At 1:17 you were blocking her line a bit and at 1:34 you were on she was not quite past you enough so your motion forward pushed her off the jump. At 1:26 and 1:44 you were great about showing the wing AND being a little patient so she could get past you to set up the turn.
And to help solidify the commitment,, you can also change the placement of reinforcement to help her commit as you move through – toss it to the landing side of the jump instead of deliver from your hand. That way she won’t rush to follow you, even if you move away too early or too quickly 🙂
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
>> We played Instant Focus with the keys….took just a few reps for him to remember the game in the new place and we were able to move it to several locations both inside and outside the ring and he did great! Not quite as fluent as on home turf but pretty close 🙂>>
Perfect! The difference in fluency and latency is always eye-opening. The Instant Focus props are so easy, yet the environment makes them so much more challenging. It helps me remember how challenging agility skills are for the dogs, particularly in new environments.
>>We also played with the first step of RR in the regular trial gate staging area, figured why not since we had the chance.
Brilliant! Great traniing opportunity! And the trial gate and ring probably has a conditioned response that is different than home turf, because very different things happen at AK9C.
>>Question…. (wish I had video) unlike at home when he engages he pretty much stays engaged for an additional step past the first engagement or he offers it quickly…one or two steps away from the food and he quickly engages. Today, he got very comfortable offering one or maybe even two steps away from the reward and towards the gate area (which is in a kinda scary/interesting corner). If I took an additional step he would disengage and look to see “the corner” but unlike in the past he wouldn’t “bolt” to check it all out, he’d stay with me but not looking at me. I didn’t take any more steps and at first he couldn’t reengage without help (I moved around in front of him), we only did this a few times and by the 3rd time he would break the engagement, look forward and if I waited he eventually looked back and we ran for cookies. I think I asked for more than he was ready for. We also have a “history” with this specific area. The way we’ve been dealing with it at trials is Pattern Game with food until we go in the gate and he’s able to acclimate to the area because of the food and the Pattern Game but as soon as the food is gone and we immediately go in the gate…well, that’s why we’re here>>
I think going into the pattern games is the right idea to get started. What is this history in that area? Is he able to get close to that corner while playing a pattern game, even just in training?
Then when you have some engagement, add in the Volume Dial game – you can use it to change his internal state to a higher state, which should help the distractions fade away.
>> I’ve come to say that “how much functioning brain we have is inversely proportional to how much tongue is hanging out” – In the crate his tongue is dragging on the floor, out of the crate on his mat it’s about 1/2 way back in his mouth. Thoughts?
It is possible that crating nearer to the ring along the back wall is just too stimulating. Can he crate upstairs for class? Mat work is useful, but he is working and not really relaxing. So can he chill on the mat and chew a bully stick or something? Ideally he would be crated someplace he can really power down and relax. If that is not a possibility, the mat work is next on the list – but hopefully in a way that he doesn’t need you to keep rewarding behavior. Let me know what the other options are for locations, or if you think he would be able to chew a bone in that environment.
Tracy
Good morning!
>>He tends to bark during runs when he gets frustrated with me or a sequence that is hard for him and he doesn’t get as much reinforcement as he thinks he deserves. He will stare at me and bark when I try to reset him.>>
He might be correct LOL!!! If there is an error in the sequence, it is usually a handling error, so you can totally use reset cookies or toys or bring him back and start again. I have found reset reinforcement has totally reduced frustration and barking in so many dogs. Also, if you are working a challenging skill (like a crazy threadle or layer or backside or something), I recommend the 2-failure rule: if he fails twice, break it down to be able to reinforce him. Also, I do use reset cookies after a failure. I will call the dog back, give him a cookie at my side and line up to try again. This keeps frustration at bay and gets the dog right back for the next rep… and it does NOT reinforcement the incorrect response. A total win-win moment!
The off leash offered engagement was perfect 🙂 SO EASY (the magic of establishing the behavior with food already in our hands LOL!)
So now – try it with food in your pockets! Or tug toy.
And, take the game to more stimulating places, especially agility class or training. You don’t have to do it in a formal session, you can do it each time you go to the warm up jump or the start line: leash off, reward that moment of engagement. You might find he is more pumped up in those situations, so you can totally reward if he vocalizes a little or dances around. But if he jumps up, or takes off – just put him back on leash and try it again.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
The right turns into the serps at the beginning looked great, you were able to add a lot of speed already! Stay nice and close like you did at :19, and getting ahead was great!
One thing you can do here and also on the other side is to have the toy already placed on the exit line. On this first side, the toy placement is so he doesn’t look at you as much as he is over the bar.
And on the other side, the toy placement will help him find the line in general 🙂
The left turn on the wing to then turn right over the serp jump was much harder for him indeed! Great job making the angle of the jump much easier. He still wanted to run parallel to it, so placing the reward on the exit line (the exit line for when the jump is ‘flat’ like a true serp) will help him focus on the line and not run parallel to your motion. Great job slowing down your motion to help him get it, then adding more AND being able to angle the jump back to the serp position – super!!!!!For giggles – start with the harder side on the next session (with the jump angled to be easier than it was here when you ended the session) just to see if it is a coordination thing (side preference) or if he was stimulated and that was causing the running past.
Either way, he is doing really well! I think the placed toy will let you add even more motion. Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
The beginning was so funny – I was about to say that you were dong it backwards and then you caught yourself LOL!
She did really well here, your setup with the breakfast bowl was challenging but not mind-bending so she was having to think and she was also very successful. You can have more of an excited verbal party when she offers that engagement, it can be sillier and less formal after she looks at you.
She offered engagement on the cato board, so maybe don’t have that nearby because it appears she thought contact training was on tap 🙂
I am happy with this step of this game – you can reward that offered engagement when the leash comes off as many times as possible – in the house, in the yard, at classes, anywhere you can (BTW, all of these games are good to play with Dora too :))
For the fun run – how many runs will you be able to have? We can make a plan 🙂
>> Do you think I should take Char and practice this with treats in my pocket?
I think Char does really well with the toy in the ring, so we should use the toy in your pocket rather than introduce treats and then have to fade them. However, if she struggles or stresses at the fun run, you can totally incorporate food. And for the fun run, have a reward station set up even though she will also be getting rewarded in the ring.
>> If so, I know you told me to set her up before I take the leash off.
I don’t think she needs to be fully setup – just in the vicinity of the start jump. She looked a bit concerned when you took the leash off at the entry gate, perhaps not having enough clarity of where the start jump was was worrying to her. So you can walk in on leash, head to the start jump… and it remains to be seen whether you line up before hte leash comes off or take the leash off then line up. My guess is that you will want to get in front of jump 1, take the leash off, then after she offers engagement, line her up.
>>So if I set her up and take the leash off and she looks at me should i give her a treat?
Yes- but you don’t need to set her up, you can just get to the right spot then take the leash off… and if she engages: woohoo! Partytime with toy!
>> Or is this exercise better done with taking the leash off as soon as we enter the ring? >
I think she will prefer staying on leash while the two of you move to jump 1, then the leash coming off as part of the start process.
>>I feel her disengagement occurs right when we enter the ring but maybe that doesn’t matter as long as she re-engages when she’s in her start-line position? Sorry if I’m making this more complicated than it needs to be but I really want to get it right so it will help her.
These are all great questions, you are asking for specifics – and dogs LOVE specifics 🙂 Some of it remains to be decided but so far I think she will do best if you jog to jump 1 with her on leash (you can be talking to her) . It doesn’t really matter what she does in those couple of seconds as long as she is moving with you. Then when you get to jump 1, you stop moving, take the leash off – she offers engagement (and reward in the fun runs :)) and *then* you cue the start line position. So far, that is what seems like will work best for her based on what we have seen. Try it at the fun run with a toy hidden in your pocket, an we will get direct feedback from her about it 🙂
Let me know if that makes sense! Great job here!
Tracy
