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Hi!
>>My walk through could have had more umph – better energy and more specificity – I think. >>
I think your walk through looked really good! You had more verbal excitement in the runs (see below) but the walk through here was strong. I can tell that you are working to visualize an actual dog, because I think I heard you praising her during the walk through when she exited the tunnel 🙂 My only suggestion is a handling choice: turn her to her right over 4 so she lands facing 5 (and that is a better line to 6 as well). Wrapping her to the left at 4 makes the send to 5 harder for you both.
>>Keiko was really into playing for a bit first, then the mail person came up the driveway (you’ll notice in the second run Keiko was checking out the driveway to see what was going on.) Though slightly distracted, she stuck with me, which was great.>>
I noticed that she was not totally ‘into’ running the sequemce, so yo uwere using more verbal energy duing the 2 runs to pump her up. Heat? Mail person? Not enough room to run? Not sure, but she was a little subdued so the extra verbal energy helped. You can plan that im the walk through, because you often do use praise and high energy ‘woohoo!’s during the run 🙂
Both runs were good! Because she was not as fast as usual, you were using more of that verbal energy but you generally stayed really connected and executed your plan really well 🙂
>>The first run here was going fine until I disconnected as she went over #8. Eek! Never lose sight of your dog! She saved me – they do that for us sometimes, don’t they
Yes, when they learn more about the game, they begin to save us 🙂 That is why we reward them so often! You had a that little disconnection at :48 after 8 – you reconnected and she fixed her line, good girl! You were much clearer with the connection at 1:27, and she nailed it: no problem getting past the tunnel to 9 on either run. YAY!!
>> summer camp is drawing to a close. What do you have coming up on the horizon? Hope there’s something Keiko and I can join.>>
Yes! Now that my insane August is finished, I can plan some stuff 🙂 I am thinking of a series of short hndling classes for the younger dogs like Keiko: we begin with a live Zoom seminar, then everyone has 2 weeks to do the skills and sequences from the seminar and also some bonus sequences. People can take as many or as few as they like 🙂 Let me know if that sounds like fun!
Great job here 🙂
TracyYep, 1 year old, complete adolescent brain.
>>She isn’t a fan of chasing long toys- I know sounds weird but she’s more an upright girl-
Not weird at all, she is bred to point not chase, so it makes sense that she doesn’t find the prey drive of chasing a toy as stimulating as the ‘birdiness’ of balls and frizzers.
So just play some frizzer in the training building, play some ball, etc. You will be able to add in silly tricks for the friz, etc. Her brain will un-blip soon then it will be back to training. The more I learn about adolescent dog brains, the less I train during adolescence LOL!!!
T
Hi! Both dogs looked great here!
>>She got up from her sit
A little pushy on the start line is a good thing LOL!
Nice opening on these!The GO after the RC on jump 4 was a little too much at :12, she is literal and she was GOING for sure LOL! The jump verbal at :29 was just right, perfect amount of turn to the line.
>>She came inside the jump to the tunnel really well and then came right with me past it when I thought she had it and started moving on.
She was probably not as familiar with the backside tunnel in that context, so went past it with the softer connection at :17. You gave her stronger connection at :34 and she was great!
It would be interesting to see the difference in time on the 7-8-9 with the backside slice line that you did here, versus wrapping the inside wing (the one closer to the tunnel). The wrap has more turning, but far less distance. She is a great turning dog so it might end up being faster! You executed the backside slice really well here, so if you are in the mood to set it up again, do the slice versus the wrap on jump 8 and we will compare 🙂
Nice job with the balance of jump to tunnel and jump to go go go at the end, it was very cool to see her do both, and great to know which cues she needs!
Kaladin’s video:
That was pretty hilarious when Kaladin took off for the weaves, then a couple of seconds later re-appeared and continued the sequence LOL! At least you know he remembered the weave training you had been doing LOL!At 1:03 when he took the jump not the tunnel, he probably needed a name call or a right verbal as he was approaching 5.You did call him after the initial off course, but it was after he landed from 5 so he applied it to the off course jump.
At 1:47 you said your first go as he was approaching 5 (in the balance rep) so that is the timing to try with the turn verbals. At 2:00, you called him as he was over the bar and that totally helped – he landed then turned his head. So either a little earlier with the name (right before he lifts off) or try it with a right verbal as he is approaching 5, so he can adjust and turn right enough to find the backside tunnel entry and not the off course jump.
The rest looked great! He was especially tight and fast on the exit of the backside, wowza!!!!!!
Great job!!! Hope you are enjoying your weekend!
TracyHi!
>>What is the deadline to submit videos for this class? I have like six I need to get to you.
September 15th!
>>What are your thoughts on allowing her to come into the Ring and give her a moment to literally just sniff and assess the environment and then when I see her engage back to me initiate tug? I did do that once and it seem to work but there was a good minute to a minute and a half of her either sniffing or just running in circles while I had the leash attached. after I got it she was super happy to tug and I did not realize she still felt that was hard because when I did my tunnel with the toy she checked out when I gave her the bite cue for her toy.
It is pretty normal to lose tug for a while then it comes back, so we definitely do not want to pressure her to tug. With that in mind, I would want lower latency in familiar environments when you let her sniff & assess before asking to engage (meaning: 90 seconds in a familiar environment is a looooong time, I would prefer 10 seconds or less).
How old is she now? She is squarely in adolescence where we see things like this, so the goal is to create engagement without pressure. You can try bringing her in to the familiar environment and have her chase toys, like chase a frisbee or a favorite tug on a line that you whip around for her to chase. The goal would not be a training session, the goal would be more to see what she will play with or chase. That way you know what your actual reinforcement for any training will be:
>>after I got it she was super happy to tug and I did not realize she still felt that was hard because when I did my tunnel with the toy she checked out when I gave her the bite cue for her toy.>>
So in the moment, the bite cue and toy presentation was not a reinforcement (for whatever reason). Just have her chase a dragged or thrown toy without any attempts to train behavior, to shift some of the conditioned response to the training environment. Right now the conditioned response is either cookies or environmental assessment (particularly if cookies are not in the picture). So, try to shift the environment to condition it with ball play, or frisbee throws, or whatever silly toy stuff she might like without any attempts to train a behavior (and if your next question is “then what should I train?” or “should I train with food?” 🙂 the answer is don’t train anything for a bit, with or without food :)) Take a brain break! Just throw some toys around to conditioned the environment differently, and build them up as potential reinforcement.
>>add in her obedience classes where we are using food so food has become the priority.
That conditions the training environment to be food food food. If possible, take a break there too because it is doing you no favors in terms of being able to balance food and toys as reinforcement. that will shift the conditioned response wildly in favor of food. So, take a break from foodie training, throw around toys, turn off the pressure, let her adolescent brain re-wire a bit, ten go back to it when she is happy to engage with toys as play, separately from training. I have found that taking breaks with adolescent dogs results in far better progress and far less banging my head on the wall LOL!
Let me know what you think!
TracyI love this video! You two looked AMAZING – I peeked at a lot of his runs in the other rings when I could, LOL!!! So much skill and teamwork and connection. And you had so much good dog training happening with the toys, treats, connection, etc, it was so fun to watch!!!! Get some well-deserved rest, then onwards to more fun – the future looks so bright!
T
Hi!
>>>>>As you were driving up the line, your motion was showing a parallel path line to the backside and she got it.
So once again, she was reading something that I didn’t even know I was doing, lol. I am definitely pleased with how good her backsides have gotten. I just need to make sure I don’t cue them on accident now!>>
Ha! Yes, her backsides have improved enormously and she will let you know when you drive hre to them by accident LOL!
>>> when she barked at you, you were kinda looking at her but your arm was forward so she didn’t really see the connection. Keep your arm low and back, so she can see your eyes and shoulders.
>>I know you’ve said this to me a million times this summer! I’m working really hard on this, but I’ve been doing it wrong for a very long time and it’s been hard to change. Thank you for the reminders!! I have caught myself on several occasions with my arm forward when she’s something I didn’t want or expect, so at least I’m starting to recognize it some of the time. 🙂>>>No worries – we all have to remember this part of the mechanics and it is HARD!!! Your connection is looking SO GOOD overall!
>> I always try to avoid luring (it was so taboo for a long time…), but I am now seeing the value of using luring in the beginning stages to build confidence and drive away from me and then fading it out later.>>
Yes, luring had a bad rep for a long time, for no real reason LOL!! Throwing the toy sooner is not actually luring, it is splitting the behavior into smaller pieces an rewarding sooner, to build up the behavior. But having the toy thrown or placed in advance to help easily create the behavior? Also perfectly fine! And then we fade it 🙂
T
Hi again!
>>Breakout 2 (first video) went really well! Good job warming up the threadle wrap (flip)! And I love his independent backside slice at the beginning of it.
Looking at the threadle wrap versus threadle slice: I think he needs more to the cue along with the verbal to get the wrap. In this case, a bit of decel and getting him “on your hands” (focusing on the low hand cue before turning to the jump) will help to show the collection and wrap info.
at :30 and :42 (and later at 1:10) he knew it was a threadle but it had a lot of motion so he sliced – and seeing your threadle slices later on (like at 1:46), these cues looked very much like the threadle slice. So the threadle slice can have a higher arm (and the different verbal), and the threadle wrap can have the decel, lower hands, more focus on the hands before flipping him away. This is what you did at :54 and :59, and then also especially well at 1:26 and 2:03.
>>If this had been in a “real” course I probably would’ve tried to get there for a regular backside wrap but I think doing it as a threadle warp would be a better choice once we get better at them!
On a full course, it would have been really hard to get out of his way to do the backside wrap, so the threadle would be better (wrap or slice, depending on the line an distance).
The box sequence also went well! The layering went well, as did the BC to the wrap to the tunnel.
>> Same layer…sort of. It was harder for me not to get “too far in” and have it just be parallel line.
To get more propulsion in the opening, lead out a couple of steps less so you can accelerate without getting past the tunnel entry. He got it on the first rep, you had stopped moving so he had a question but he read it well!
>>I also wasn’t sure what the verbal (if any) was appropriate for the tunnel? It’s kind of a Go, but not very much or very far?>>
It was basically a straight line exit, so the verbal would really only be for the jump after it – a right verbal for the blind cross exit at :27 and :50. You used “turn” at :27, but I think that might be your RC cue? So it would be appropriate at 1:02 and 1:15 when you did the RCs. To get more propulsion on those, you can drive directly to the tunnel entry then into the RC, so you don’t end up standing still 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi there!
>> both showed me how not fluent I am with Threadle Wraps and Threadle Slices. I think I need to go back and find both of those is some of the earlier classes I’ve done and work through them from the beginning again, do you happen to remember which courses they were in?
If you go back to MaxPup 1, you will find the Strike A Pose for threadle slices in the later weeks, and it is also in MaxPup 2 proofing games. The threadle wraps are here – we did them in the turn away games in the MaxPup classes, but they are more ‘fleshed out’ here.
>> And while I’m thinking about it do you know what you are going to be offering this Fall?
I will be plotting that out in the coming week – I think we will be doing two things: a jumping skills course, and also some young dog handling seminars. The seminars will begin with a live Zoom seminar, then a couple of weeks to work on it at home for anyone who wants to submit video of the various sequences from the live session and bonus sequences 🙂
>>Bobbie’s class sounds really interesting….
That is going to be amazeballs 🙂
T
This all sounds good! And when you add in AKC, UKI or USDAA to his show calendar, you can consider sending him to pick up/retrieve his leash. I have found that to be a GREAT outlet for dogs that are pumped up at the end of the run. In UKI, it can even be his toy: it is UKI-legal to come into the ring with a toy, leave it with his leash, and run “for real” (not NFC). Then the toy is waiting at the end! I am not sure of the CPE or NADAC leash rules.
How did your camp day go yesterday? I saw some moments of him running in Ashley’s ring that looked world-class!
T
Good morning!
>>During the walks I feel like I am getting better at figuring out where the dog is so I m feeling more confident when I run the dog.
This is great!!! And it is the goal of the training: using the walk throughs to feel a lot more confident during the runs 🙂
>>He was definitely less driven today (lower arousal?). I don’t know why. We are doing a series of stretches and conditioning exercises for about 10 minutes before we run. He likes the exercises but it is a different routine. >>
Depending on which stretches and conditioning work you are doing before the run, he might actually be tired! In general, before running agility, we want to do active stretches as a warm up but not conditioning work. Passive stretches (long, held stretches that he holds or we help hold) and conditioning are both very tiring, so it is possible he is tired before he runs, which can change his drive state. You might want to flip the order of festivities: do the warm up and active stretches, then the run, then the conditioning.
>>I am also a little worried about getting the sequence right which is tempering my enthusiasm. I am going to try to exude confidence and excitement tomorrow and see what that does.:-)>>
The main thing to get right is to keep rewarding him, which is what you are doing 🙂 So feel free to be super enthusiastic 🙂
The walk through is looking good! You were connected, strong motion lines, good pace and good plan! Only one spot jumped out to me on the walk through: I think the blind cross at 4-5 was late in the walk through (:07 and :28) because, based on where you were looking when you started it, Buccleigh was over the bar at 4. Ideally, you would start it after he landed from 3, so it is finished before 4.
Next step: add verbals to the walk through 🙂 I suggest this because verbals change what our body is doing, which is what happened at :43 on the first run: you gave a jump verbal and while doing that, you moved your shoulder forward so it looked like a blind cross. Compare that to the walk through at :24 – arm back, perfect connection… but no verbal. It was better there in the 2nd run because you kept your connection better (more like what you did in the walk through). So ideally you would practice the verbals nice and loud in the walk through, as if you are running the dog, so you can match the handling to the verbals you want.
The blinds were a little late at the 4-5 line, but your connection was good so he was happy to find the line. So start those a little sooner and keep the connection, then you will be able to nail them over and over 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
I am glad you are enjoying the walk through games! I find them to be SO HELPFUL to get me to be able to run my dogs clean and fast 🙂
>>I could almost hear her thinking (would have been nice to know about this turn earlier….).>>
Ha! That almost made me snort out some coffee LOL!
Looking at the video:
On the first send into the layering: Basically this section asks the dogs to power into a big layer with very little momentum, which is super hard! The trick to it is being really close to the jump before the layering (jump 1) so you can take a couple of steps to get her moving to 2 and also so you don’t get caught behind the tunnel and have to change your line of motion. The mre you can run parallel to the layered line, the better she will read it.
So at :13 on the first run, you were a little too far ahead and oast the tunnel – so she did take jump 2 but then read your line of motion (lateral rather than parallel) as you moved to the other side of the tunnel amd came off of 3. Note the difference in your position and line at :27 as she landed from the first jump – you were closer to 1 but also on a better side of the tunnel. So as you sent her into the layering, you were already on the correct side of the tunnel (:29) and presented the parallel line of motion (:31) to get her to take the line. Yay!
>>, the place I really flubbed up was when she was in the tunnel and I didn’t give her a verbal for turning toward me soon enough., the place I really flubbed up was when she was in the tunnel and I didn’t give her a verbal for turning toward me soon enough.>>
Yes, that was the only question she had on the 2nd run (exit of the tunnel) – the rest of the run looked great! So on your list of things to remember for the walk throughs is to always tell her how to exit the tunnel, especially on turns. That way it becomes muscle memory for you to use your verbals before she goes in and then you’ll get the turn you wanted.
The rest looked great! I am especially excited about how smooth and fast the threadle/wrap rear cross went at :34 – you both nailed it! Perfect connection and cues from you, and she sailed through it. NICE!!!
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyThis is an amazing update! Congrats!!!! It is SO FUN when it all starts to come together 🙂 You have been doing a fabulous job!!!
TracyGood morning!
>>Connection is challenging with her 😊. She puts a lot of pressure on me to be moving ahead and I break connection a little more with her than I did previous dogs! She also needs more connection right now than previous dogs😂😂! All good tips that show I don’t have to be as far ahead as I perceive to still be connected😊.>>
Yes, connection is challenging with a dog that is small, fast, and young! As she gets more experienced, it will all get much easier!
>>I started both the wingless at 4” and moved her to full height on center after 3 reps I think. I then moved the wingless jumps to end at 8” for the first and 10” at the end I believe. I started with walking and loud verbals. Then did a couple reps of running and quieter verbals and then added both together for end. She never knocked a bar! We did it to ready treat. I think I would next do this with a toy
Let me know if I am on the right track!!! Maybe I don’t have to do all this and just need one jump! But she seems to do it more on a line of jumps rather than just one.>>
This is all good! The ready treat target definitely helped her, and a toy would too. The GO line is aperfect thing for multiple jumps. The other stuff (disconnection, crosses over the bar, etc) can all be done on one jump like this:
Keep me posted on how she does with this!
TracyGood morning!
>>my enthusiasm is better, I think, when there is a real dog
Yes, this is so true for all of us! That is why I try to visualize my actual dog, so it is almost like having the real dog LOL!! The main reason is that the difference in volume of our verbals will change our body language, and we need to get the body language prepared before we run the dogs. You and I are both loud when we run the dogs (this is a good thing :)) so I practice the loud versus soft in my cues during the walk throughs.
I love the connection on the walk through! I thought it was really quiet… until I realized my sound was on mute hahaha
On this one, I felt the walk through and the run matched really well – you had your handling planned, including arms and motion and connection and verbals. So you just went out and nailed it. SUPER!!! She is not 100% sure of the threadle wrap move yet from 2-3, but she is getting more comfy with it. And the rest looked beautiful, especially the layering at the end where she had no trouble working on the other side of the DW 🙂
Great job! Onwards to sequence 2!!
Tracy
