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Hi!
This was a busy location! But he did great! He seemed to easily move with you away from the toys/food, and then he was able to do a hand touch too! Yay! What other simple tricks does he know? You can ask for a few different things now! He did look at a dog in the distance moving by, but that’s normal. And he didn’t go towards the dog – good boy!!!!
Nice work here!
TracyHi!
What a gorgeous view on the video! NZ is so beautiful!
This game went really well! He was very keen to play all elements of it, even with access to the great outdoors!
Only 2 small suggestions:
You can call him sooner after the start cookie (as long as you have had enough time to get pretty far away from him :))And you can decel earlier: start to slow down no later than when he is halfway to you. You were decelerating when he was one stride away from you, so he would go a little past you because it took him a moment to process the cues.
>At one point, when he’s next to me, I stand on his leash because there’s a car coming, he leaps and gets a jerk, but he wasn’t moving when I stood on the leash>
Because he has gotten several jerks in different sessions, I think it is time to stop letting him drag the leash 🙂 You can have him wear a tab, or just hold his harness in the moments when you want to keep him safe from a car. Dragging the leash leads you to step on it as a default, so I think we can re-train you not to do it by not having it on him 🙂
Great job!
TracyHi!
He did well with the longer session but you can see some mental fatigue (kind of wandering past the hand target) at the end so definitely remember to set a timer!
About the hand target:
>. He didn’t seem to be driving for my hand, so maybe spend some time just building value for the hand target?
He was great when there was no toy on the ground. When the toy was on the ground, the mechanics became important: At 2:53 and 3:03 for example, as he was turning back to you, you dropped the toy – so that became the focal point. Ideally, the toy is on the ground before you even throw the start cookie so it is not moving at all. Then as he turns to you, you can make the hand obvious (shake it and look at it) and I think that will make it easier when the toy was on the ground! That was one of the last serp reps and he did really well when you did that!
> I tried to throw a couple of threadle slices in at the end, but it was a bit of a struggle, i thought it was better to just stop because the session had gone long. >
Yes, it was good to end – I think he will be more successful when you start threadles at the beginning of a session.
Nice work!
TracyHi!
>Maybe a good weekend to add in some start line stays and do shorter sequences to minimize chances of slipping?>
Absolutely! I think she is ready for stays! Maybe some straight line stuff where she drives ahead (depends on the course design I guess). And easy tunnel entries?
>The martingale leash I have is a biothane one, a friend makes them. Being on dirt and in and out of filthy water troughs trialing at this farm made biothane a necessity! I’ll try fiddling around with the stopper to find a setting that I can get it on and off easily, but not have it fall off unplanned.>
That makes sense about the biothane! I just let my leashes get gross and hope for the best LOL!
Keep me posted!
Tracy
Hi!
He did really well here with the various angles for the threadles and serps! He seemed to have no questions about which cue was which, even when you were adding more motion. Super! He had the in-then-out movement on both the serp and threadle. He was jumping with his head up (watching you for the cookie rather that driving to the target) so the next step is to have a cookie already on the target so he can go to it directly. Will that get his head down to create a great jumping arc? Yes! Will that make it harder overall because of the temptation to just run to the cookie? Also yes! LOL!! But I think he is ready for it!>He was near equipment but not directly facing it and I was able to move some distance away while he held his sit fabulously and then got to chase his cookie ball.>
Good boy!!! You can try a sit with a cookie on the ground to help prep him for the cookie on the target for the serps and threadles.
>Can you please remind me when the posting period for this course ends?>
The last day is December 16th!
Great job here!
Tracy
OMG! Poor little Jazz, she was hiding some stuff. I am glad your Chiro found it! Fingers crossed that she feels better ASAP!!!! Did the chiropractor have any idea of what might have caused it?
T
Hi! She did really well here!
I think there might indeed be an element of needing more straight, long reward throws after a tunnel to keep her looking straight. But also, getting a little further ahead to show the big connection before she even exits the tunnel will help too! And being sure the line to the barrel is on her line will help a lot too:
When she was on your left (right turns) it was easier to get her to the barrel). When she was on your right (left turns), the barrel was offset so she had to move off the line to find it. That’s why she went past it on the first rep. So having it directly on her line (closer to your line) will really help.>She turns so much better to the right. How can I help her to the left when she takes the barrel out?>
I think changing the position of the barrel will make a world of difference: she will have an easier line to it (won’t have to push away to find it). And then you can be out of the way sooner too – when she hit the barrel, you were right there as she exited it/reward thrown. On the reps to her right (on your left side) you were a step or two further ahead and she did not hit the barrel.
Nice work here!
Tracy
Hi!
Threadle slice work is going well! Nice work adding the verbal and motion here! On the camera angle, it looked like maybe not enough of your arm was visible outside the wing and too much of you was visible between the uprights, but that might have just been the angle because he seemed to have no questions about it. His only question was when you put the toy on the ground, but then he got it on the next rep. Yay!
Since this went so well, you can work serps and threadles in the same session to be sure he can see the difference between the cues.
>Thankfully I just ordered 3 off Temu for less than USD$20.>
Very cool! I will have to check it out!!
Great job here!
Tracy
Hi!
He did really well here, finding the backside of the barrel! On the reps where there was a blooper and he ended up on the front, it was mainly because there was not clear enough connection and you were pointing forward (and you noted it each time, rewarded, and adjusted, click/treat to you!) Your position was good on those, it was mainly a connection question.Also, motion will help him find that line. To add more motion on the line, you can start him further back from the barrel and be moving up the line for a few steps before giving the verbal cue to the backside. That will set the parallel line and he will have an easier time going to the backside than when there is less room and you are using a step to the backside.
>I’m so pleased with how his victory laps have reduced so quickly!>
Yes! He is doing really well with that!!!
Nice work!
Tracy
Hi!
He did a great job ignoring his big brother/BFF. I believe he has had Lennan sitting in on his sessions at home, so I think his was pretty easy for him at first! Later in the session it looks like Lennan had a toy – still not a problem Yay! Since this went so well, you can add more excitement: can Lennan tug with someone else while you play games with Aelfraed? Or someone else can be doing something interesting with their dog – tugging, recalls, maybe even a tunnel 🙂 As things get more exciting, you can have Aelfraed on a leash so he doesn’t run over to the other dog.
He did great with the decel game! The first decel had the best collection, because you were there the earliest. On the decel moments when he went a bit wide, it was because you were late standing still (he was within a stride or two of the jump). So if you are using a cookie toss start, you can toss is a lot further away to give you more time to get to the position while he is still 12 feet away or so. Or, you can use the stay. For the straight line reps, you can add more of your speed! He did well on those and is ready to see you jogging/running.
On the backside slices:
The dog-on-left reps all looked great! He seemed to have no questions and was super independent. I think the dog-on-right reps also looked good but he was not looking to jump the bump as much as he did on the other side – the reward placement really helped to get him to the bump on those. You can help support the line to the bump by looking back to the landing spot and pointing at it as you move past the jump. I think he is ready for more speed on this one too – try jogging and running!Great job!
TracyHi!
>Speaking of footing and slipping, I still just don’t like dirt.>
Yeah, dirt is HARD to keep in good condition. It needs to be worked a lot and also does best in a controlled climate. The best “dirt” is actually special horse footing but even then, it needs special care and constant care. And cold weather makes it extra challenging.
I think you accomplished the goals here really well!
>She waited fairly well, just one bark that I can remember and it was when I was distracted talking to someone. She could do pattern game or volume dial, but the “engaged chill” I had in mind for her was similar to what you do with your dogs where they have their front feet on you and you touch them somewhere, and she is happy with this at home and in low arousal, but once arousal goes up, she doesn’t really want to be touching.>
Only one bark while waiting is really good! And I am glad she is happy to eat treats – BCs and whippets are not known for always eating food in high arousal situations.
If she is happy with the standing-on-you engaged chill at home, I bet it will happen at trials with a bit more experience. You can do the slowed pattern game variation of engaged chill near the ring, and try the non-food version of it as far from the ring as possible (the parking lot, for example, if it is not too cold)
Looking at the video:
I love that the crowd cheers for her! So fun! She did great here: seems very relaxed, walked halfway across the ring with you to the start position without needing the leash, and read the handling really well! Yes, starting in the middle of the ring was weird on the first run but part of that was trying to get connection to get her to the jump after the tunnel.
>. I had to manage it heavily and work to keep her engaged and with me, but wouldn’t have been such a big deal if I hadn’t had to go so far?>
Agree – you only had to manage it because it was a long way from the leash and she had to pass a lot of obstacles. It will be no problem when you use a regular start jump.
She is reading even subtle handing: for example, at :36 you wanted the jump after you did a FC but you were backing up as you did it, so she stayed on the line which took her past the jump.
At 1:42 your feet did turn her to the RC line (I think you wanted a wrap :)) but did not turn her to the RC line at 1:49 (I think you wanted the RC there). But she was still happy to play and work even with the small miscommunications. Yay!Because she is so relaxed and happy, I think you can ask for a stay now if you haven’t started doing that already.
I think the jumping form for the jump in the corner was because it was a bit of a lead change to get it then *surprise* there was someone in the corner.
The dropped bar was not a form issue, it was a handler error 🙂 You took off super fast after the FC and didn’t quite support the line – she was turning to her right then realized she should take the next jump and had to adjust to go get back on the line (you were pulling away). So more connection and more line support will get rid of the down bar there.
>Makes me nervous to up the height >
She is totally ready for you to do more height in grids and one jump stuff, with you moving. Definitely add in motion early, don’t do long periods of standing still.
>no going to it prematurely (which was my biggest concern). >
She did great!!!!
>We worked on our mechanics of playing a bit, outing the toy to put the leash on and smoothly TIGHTEN THE MARTINGALE (takes two hands, so that’s a skill for me) then keep tugging. >
This is where shopping will make your life a lot easier: French martingale will solve that problem!
Biothane French MartingalesThey have all the same positives of a regular martingale but you don’t have to tighten them, they tighten themselves. The examples in the link are biothane – I have a couple of those but I also have a ton of fabric ones and leash/French martingale combos so the dogs can tug on the leash (and shove their heads in the martingale at the end of the run.
Overall, things are going really well! When is the next trial opportunity?
Tracy
Hi!
Brrr 45 degrees seems cold for your part of the world!!!
The dog on left session went well – the bulk of it was spent getting her to line up and stay but then ended with a nice send to the barrel! Getting lots of rewards in for the sit really set the tone for you being able to lead out, which then makes the release to the barrel much easier.
The good work with the stays carried over into the dog on right session. She did really well with the stays and that resulted in a great send to the barrel, especially at the end. Super!
Having the toy on the line might have been a bit of a pain 🙂 but it allowed you to throw it to her and that seemed to be very reinforcing for her. So it was worth the annoyance of having to untangle her or stopping her from chewing on it 🙂
You can build up more lateral distance bit by bit, but for now continue your focus on rewarding the stay – she is doing really well and the stay becomes more and more important as the games get harder.
Great job!
Tracy
Hi!
Stays looked good here – yay!!! Nice job mixing in a ton of reinforcement!
>(Gruff said it was hard,>
I think what was hard was the presence of the toy. He was quite perfect at the beginning when the toy was not in the picture yet and then also lovely when you went back to food towards the end. When you added the toy, he wanted to drive to you.
My guess is that it was more about reward history than anything else – he has a LOT of rewards under his belt for releasing directly to you when you have the toy. So I think he was defaulting to that and not really ‘seeing’ the cone.
You can help him out a couple of ways:
– you can place the toy out past the cone so he looks at it and drives to it when he is released.
– you can lead out to your position and slowly put your hand and leg into position pointing towards the ‘takeoff’ spot of the cone 🙂 and see if he focuses forward, then release if you even get an eyeball flick to the cone.And there is the distinct possibility that he will sleep on it and be able to do it with the toy in your hand tomorrow – he ended on a brilliant rep with the toy here!
Great job :) Tracy
