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Good morning!
>> Before I work on an Engaged Chill, I have a question: do you cue Elektra or Hot Sauce to paws up in your thigh? I have a lean back stance that is meant to be a paws up invitation but I also sometimes pat my leg. I know that Engaged Chill is not to be work, so maybe cues not appropriate?>>
Yes, I invite them up. It is a cue for that specific interaction, probably very much like your lean back stance. And the cue is reinforced with the petting or whatever they like in that moment – yes, we can have the dog lick a stick of string cheese if we need to jump start it, but we don’t want them offering behaviors as that is not chill LOL!
>>>My observations: when just chilling at home Zippie interacts with me by either leaning her back up against me or resting her chin on my knee. She likes scratching below the ear and strokes along her stop / between her eyes.
I use a “3 pets and stop” to see if she asks for more which is really funny to watch her ask for more please.>>>Awwww perfect! Such sweet interactions!!!! I like that you ask if she wants more with your 3 pets and stop rule 🙂 Does she start the interaction or can you can her into it? Another question: can you do this standing up? Ideally you are standing (thinking ahead to outside a dirt ring LOL) but you can also do it down on one knee.
Keep me posted on how she does!
TracyHi!
I invite them up – a little tap on my hip is the invitation. That is the cue to assume the position of chilling. But there is no real cue because then it becomes too stimulating and an argument:
“Chill. I said CHILL. C’mon, you gotta CHILL.” Hahahahaha 🙂
So a little “come on up here” and quiet stance is the way t get it started.T
Well, Generation X’ers (of which I am a proud member) think Netflix And Chill is to turn on an old sitcom and fall asleep on the couch 🙂 It took me a long time to understand it might’ve meant something else to the Millennials and other generations LOL!!
Good morning! The videos must have gone through right as I hit send!
It is interesting that he needs to acclimate even to your place. I am glad you see it and have started using it as an opportunity to train – I think that is one of the most important pieces of dogs sports!!! The sports are set up that the dogs need to walk in to the ring without a real aclcinmation period and for many sports, without a primary reinforcement in hand… and the dogs are expected to perform no differently that home or than they do when we are dripping with cookies. I think it is abnormal for a dog to be able to do generalize with no acclimation. I think it is totally normal for dogs needing help to generalize. All of my dogs over the years (except one, who might just be a gift from the dog sport gods) have needed an acclimation period, whether I recognized that or not LOL!
And it is great that he is so good when in the crating area – too bad the other dogs are so uncomfortable there.On the videos:
The pattern game and the instant focus game tackle the acclimation issue from opposite sides of it 🙂 I am glad you started with these as they are the first things I recommend when arriving near the ring.It looks like you delivered. The first reinforcement as soon as you walked in the door – perfect! It was hard to tell if it was the game-starter or if it was after he engaged with you. You can totally deliver that first cookie as the game starter. From what I have seen from the dogs – that first cookie basically says: you can explore the environment in the contact of this game that you know. So, they snap into focus almost immediately. He did a great job with that here!
For the instant focus game – the keys are small so it looks like you got a down to indicate the keys, which is fine, along with some other offered behavior. You can reward for moving towards the keys a lot for now – he offered that a lot but then would offer other dance moves when that didn’t get rewarded. As we build the game, you can make the keys more salient by putting them on top of something like an upside down bowl.
On the leg weaving – I taught it with a cookie lure in both hands, moving very slowly. That is what you ended up doing after the first couple of seconds, and he got it really nicely! The more the dog sees the cookie lure, the more they love the trick – then it can be a hand signal and eventually the hand signal can be faded.
>> One question, our setup routine is between my legs and I always do it from my right – like I was starting this (Boy, am I a creature of habit!) Anything I should do differently to avoid creating confusion between this game and setting up, or will it just work itself out as I’m guessing the context is very different?>>
Yes, the context is different but I would make the cues look different. If the line up cue has your legs in a triangle like you had them here, the leg weaving cue and have one foot stepped out in. Front of you and one foot behind you (like a yoga pose haha). That different leg position plus the hand cues will totally help him.
I think he liked this as an action trick! I like it too – it is easy for the dogs, enjoyable, and gets them moving with engagement. Also, the rehab vets say as long as we don’t have the dog do it at warp speed, it is a GREAT warm up (I finally taught it when it was a homework assignment for Hot Sauce’s patella rehab).
Great job on these! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
It seems like the NoLa crew are members of the Team No Chill krewe hahaha!!!Start your engaged chill away from agility, away from frisbees. Just have her put her front feet up on you, and you scratch her chest or chin for 5 seconds. See how it goes 🙂
What do you mean by a verbal chill cue? A down stay? That’s not chill LOL! Let me know what you think 🙂
THi! This is one of the hardest skills! I think it was harder when you were closer to the jump, because there was less time to deliver the cue and less time for her to process it. When you started further away, at 1:20 and after, things started to come together nicely – especially with the wing wrap before it.
Be careful to move straight forward up the line: when you pushed in too soon, she went to the backside because she couldn’t get past you. When you moved straight up the line, she did really well!
You mentioned rights being better than lefts, but I think her left turns were stronger especially by the end – you were able to get her to turn away with only a tiny bit of help! Yay!
The other thing to remember is to say the verbal a few times before you add any handling help – that is part of why things went so much better when you started further away: you were able to say the verbal THEN do the handling, so she was able to begin processing the verbal better in anticipation of the handling. Super!!
Keep revisiting this game, starting further back like you did here. You’ll see that it gets easier and easier 🙂
Nice work!
TracyHi!
>>I have a mental block about the toy at landing side of backside wraps>>
I thought you did pretty well with toy placement on the wraps! The first set, when she was on your right to start, went really well. The 2nd side, starting on your left, didn’t go as well in terms of adding motion but I think that was because of your start angle – your line of motion ended up blocking the wing and pushing her off it. So try starting on a more severe angle, kind of line up to the far wing of the distraction jump, and I think she will be fine with the wrap because she can see the wing.
She had trouble with the serps with motion! How does she do on the wing-to-jump serp setup, without the distraction jump and with you running? She would get the serp when you slowed down but we don’t want you to slow down 🙂
If she can do it with you running, add back the distraction jump but add it further away (8-10 feet further) to help dial back the challenge on the serp (but make the Go harder :))Nice work!
Let me know what you think!
TracyThat’s so awesome!!!! And I think being “demo dog” is great trial prep because she gets to practice running in front of the crowd. I am so excited that she was brilliant!
Hello and welcome!!! Yes, there is a lot 🙂 but I think you’ll find that it can be done in short blasts and gets easily built up. Have fun!!!
TracyOmg this video was great: “LET ME LOVE YOU” lol!!!
He is happy to put his front feet on you… so when he does that, your job is to stand there with one hand on him, while you gaze into the distance. No hugs or kisses. Lol! Just stare off into the distance, as if watching people walk a course or planning your dinner. Stand stl 🙂 that is how to fake your chill in a way he will be happy with 🙂 he can lick string cheese or something while you do this.
Let me know if that makes sense!
#TeamFakeChillHi! She had very big feelings about this!
We will be adding more to the line up and remote reinforcement games on Monday so to prepare for those: how does she do in the kitchen when you put the dish down and walk away with her? If she can do that pretty easily and without big emotions (and going back for lots of rewards of course :)) then go a few steps away and ask for one easy behavior. I think one of her action tricks like a hand touch or spin would be ideal, so she doesn’t have to turn her back on the dish (not yet, at least :))We will totally build up to the line up with the remote reinforcement, but there are a couple of steps we will put in before it. Her big emotions will tell us if we are moving top quickly and if so, we can dial it back to wherever she is comfy. 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!Tracy
Hi!
I see what you mean, he has questions. Was he supposed to go straight and turn right over the same jump as the go jump? It was hard to tell based on your position: when he was on your left, your running line pushed him to the outside jump. When he was on your right, you were standing on his line so he thought it was a backside. So, the best thing is to make sure you are facing the jump you want, but be moving towards the wing so you don’t end up blocking his line.
I think the spins on the flat confuse him a bit. He was not sure if you want the turn on the flat or on the jump. So, they can be a good warm up away from the jump with different verbals, but using a jump you can send him over it to get the turn.
Let me know if that makes sense 🙂
TracyGood morning!
>>You said to move her to the center on the right turns. Did you mean about the contrast of RIGHT turn towards me and away from me from the center? You said the contrast of right turn away and left turn away.
Sorry, I’ve been leaving out important words lately!!! I meant center of the wings, where the 3 wings meet (not center of the bar). So the left turns would be very easy, and the right turns would be harder because she is on your right side. Let me know if that makes better sense 🙂
The zig zags are going well!! Click/treat to you for sorting out what she needed and going to food. Do this exact thing for one more session before we change anything like adding the toy back.
I agree, the release and cue are hard to time. Definitely mix in moving your hand and marking/rewarding the stay (tossed reward to her). The other thing you can do is place the hand cue in position *before* you release. So it would be point at the line you want, pause…. release. That can help keep the verbal release distinct from motion!
Great job! Let me know if this all makes sense or if I left out any words LOL
TracyGood morning! Congrats on your class success, it is so cool to hear that she is a superstar 🙂
The other thing you can do with the serps at speed is angle the serp jump to face her, ever so slightly. That way it is easier to take it and harder to run past it while you run.
Both games here look great! A couple of little ideas:
On the minny pinny, keeping her facing the center of the bar will help for another session or two, because moving over too soon caused her to ping away to the other side.And since she found being moved by the collar so NOT fun, you can use a reset cookie: lure her into the position you want, feed her, then take the collar. That way she won’t think it is as poop LOL!!
You can also do an entire session just with cookies, because the toy is stimulating and she wanted to get to it fast. Food will be less stimulating so you will see her look at the jumps more 🙂
She totally remembered the zig zags!!! You can totally move the wings in closer now, to 6 feet then 5 feet. And you can handle less, smaller motions: she was like I GOT THIS so the bigger movements were sending her a little wider 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
