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Hi!
He is doing well here – definitely has lots of value on the poles and did well with the various entries!>>He has not seen any props such as the wing or guide wires yet, with what you see here, do you think I should introduce something?
I think the next step is to teach him the striding. He is trying to figure out the footwork, so before going to more distractions or more poles, let him focus on that. I let the dogs sort out the footwork by making a channel of 4 or 6 poles (you can use 6 2x2s and open them up y about 2 inches), with easy entries. It is fine if he chooses to ‘swim’ (separate front feet) or bounce (front feet together) but now is a good time in the training to let him choose 🙂 A couple of sessions with the poles 2 inches open should help him decide, then you can close them up again while he maintains his footwork. Then it is easy to add the distractions and more poles 🙂
Nice work! Let me know what you think!
TracyNo patience needed at all, he was so fun to watch!!! Thank you for working through storms, sweat, and blood. You both looked great!
>>If I were going to work the tunnel rear cross to have him successful, should I start with my small tunnel, a wing, and a toy placed on the landing side and then work up from there?>>
Yes, this would be great. And also start him on the left turns first to see if it is a rear cross question, or a right turns versus left turn question. He looked awesome on his left turn last night.
Tracy
Hi! Good question!
The around the back start would be helpful for that backwards 1, as you mentioned. I think it can also be helpful with the tunnel starts that we see a lot in AKC and sometimes in CPE and USDAA.And, I think it is great for dogs who have struggles on the start line – not in the stay element, but with concerns about people or noise or dogs all right there. If things are hard environmentally, the around the back start gets tue dogs moving, doing something fun, and into the course with no worries. That’s why I taught it to my Hot Sauce pup – she HATES the noisy slamming of the entry gate, and yet people continue to slam it shut behind her no matter what I do. So, to make that situation fun for her, I use the around the back start. I don’t need it in rings that don’t have that loud slamming gate 🙂 Yes, I’m working on getting her happy about the noise, and this fast fun start totally helps – no stress of having to wait there with the scary thing behind her while momma leaves (leading out).
Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
I agree, having her face you produced the highest success rate! Yay! And there was likely too much failure when she was facing the setup, which is why you got the stress responses.So with that in mind, keep starting with her facing you. And add 2 things:
– gently hold her collar so you can say the verbals 3 or 4 times each, then let go. That gives her more time to process them before making a decision. They sound pretty different here but since she was moving on the first part of the first bit of sound, she was trying to make a decision with limited info. Holding (still facing you) her til she hears more should help maintain the higher success.
– if she has an error, don’t mark it as en error. She knows it was wrong based on subtleties in your reaction, and the error marker stresses her. So, just call her back, reset with a cookie, try again. The reset cookies will help reduce stress too but maintaining a high overall rate of success.
You can throw the treat after the jump, but I think she did fine with coming back to you on the session where she started by facing you.
Nice work changing it up to get success! Let me know how the next session goes!
TracyGood morning!
Great job here, it was really fun to watch all of the challenges! And it sounds like you are getting some wicked weave challenges in class 🙂 If the challenge is really hard, yo can reduce the difficulty of the weaves – open them a little, put a guide in, etc. On this setup, you simulated the tunnel right at the exit but with the toy replacing it, which is a great way to start 🙂 Putting the toys all around the weaves are a great way to simulate the visual chaos he might encounter on course when trying to find the weaves, but in a way that is super simple so he can be highly successful. Perfect@Most of it was really easy for him – the RC at high speed was still hard on the first rep but he got it after that – he lifts his head a bit on those, so you can have a reward target out for those.
Since this went so well, you can gradually add more challenge: I like to put random wings out to see if he can still find the weaves and stay in, like a wing visible past the entry or right past the exit. You can do the same with a short tunnel (like a 3 foot tunnel if you have one) and I hale also introduced tunnel distractions to weaves by having only the back curve of the tunnel visible (entries either turned away or turned down so the dogs don’t perceive it as an available tunnel.
Have fun!!
TracyGood morning! Great job in class last night, you both looked fabulous!!!
Great job on the course work! The video is not really that long, you had lots of stops for rewards 🙂 And her contacts looked great!
Opening looked good – it was hard to tell, but I think you layered the #2 jump on the way to the dog walk? Looked good! On the 2nd time through there, I think you showed a little too much pulling away to get the layer, got a little close to 3, and she considered taking the jump but went back out to he tunnel (good girl!)
The whole opening line past the teeter looked really good! You can give a little decel on the 8 jump to get a slightly better turn to 9 but she was a good girl and didn’t go to the tunnel 🙂
That is definitely a really hard weave entry for her! It was good to take a break in that first session when she couldn’t get it, and then I love that she nailed it in the last big run!!! Yeah!
When you picked up after the weaves: really nice turn on the wrap after it! When you had that wrap in flow at 2:45, she found the extra jump – your FC was good but I think what happened was you were a little too far from the wrap jump, so as you moved up the line, your position showed the off course jump and she took it thinking it was part of the FC. Staying a little closer to the jump for the FC will help (which would require her to go to the tunnel after it ahead of you. I think she can do that!
She needed one extra step of you pushing up the line to get to the tunnel at 1:31 – because she is so young, you can take that one extra step pretty much everywhere 🙂 to help with commitment and then as she builds up even more commitment on these bigger courses, you can get more finesses and tighten the turns a bit. Her turns are already good so getting added commitment is more of a priority.
After the a-frame – if you can lead out more (or if she can do the down contact very independently in a full run) then I agree, you can get a blind cross or front cross and not get the off course teeter. In the video you mentioned that she had trouble on that jump in previous reps – when she had the barking moment here at the end, she was facing you when you released and then you stepped, so she didn’t turn away. Try to be moving to set the line before the release, so she sees the info before she comes off the a-frame and can find the line.
You were right to handle from the landing side based on your position here at 1:53, and she read that whole ending line well – especially that massive ending run, your connection was perfect and she jumped it beautifully!
On the last run where she fell on her head (ouch!) – I think you broke connection a bit on the line after the last tunnel, shoulders turned forward – so she missed the jump, then there was a bar down, and at that point she was in catch up mode and didn’t think about her takeoff. When I scrolled back to her previous run through there starting at 1:53, the difference was that you were closer to the jump after the tunnel, so she saw more connection and was able to sort out the jumping. So, for now, be a little ahead but not more than maybe 6 feet on these big lines, to keep her from rushing and losing her striding. It will get easier as she gets more experience jumping big lines like she did at 1:53.
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
I think this is going well! She has a much higher success rate here and your connection was really strong!
The circle wraps are going super well on both sides. She is having a slightly harder time turning to her right on those (and on the tight FCs and BCs too) so keep progressing like this and she will get better and better so then you can move faster.
>>’m still trying to get the crosses right. I feel like I’m letting her know in time, but she’s not always looking for me even though I FEEL like I’m connected to her.>>
I think for the most part, the crosses look really good! She had a couple of errors here: :37 and 1:12 were right turns and you were a little too far up the line for her current state of understanding (you were at the center wing – so motion and position overrode the connection and verbal, which we will write off as “young dog stuff” and help her out a little :))
On all the other reps, you were closer to the turn wing or halfway to the center wing when you were finishing the cross and connecting (rather than right at the center wing), she got it right away with no questions. So start the turn closer to the turn wing and then we will keep expanding her understanding as she sees tight crosses in sequences.
The only other blooper was 2:12 where she made the turn then you stepped back to the center wing, so she went to the center wing – that is was just a matter of timing, all of the rest were really good!
>>BTW, I’m not using any target for contact board work. So, I’m not sure what to do with this weeks video info. We did Nancy Gagliardi Little’s contact class,
You can tweak it to use how the end position is offered in the method you are using (with a toy or something out ahead?) or you can use your teeter behavior. It can be changed up for any method except running contacts.
>>I’d there a live this Sat?
Nope, the next one is Aug 3/4 , which is midweek 🙂
Nice work here!
TracyHi –
>>So, a question about the teeter work – is this going where the video I found on the website selling the teach it is going? using it for the entire training process? I think it’s pretty cool actually.
I do use it for the entire training process but it is not the only thing I use – I use a ton of other games too and only pulled out the teach it games for the video.
>> Wonder if they might sell just the metal pieces….
They might!
>>Do you think a fully pvc one would work for a while? Todd could make me one out of pvc that we mostly have on hand already.>>
Yes, as long as it is very solid and easily adjustable. You can put tunnel bags on the base to help keep it stable.
>>EEEK! Forgot all about the strike a pose work! It seems so long ago since I played with any of that. Will pull that out again!>>
Yes, all of that target value for my youngsters came from the strike a pose games 🙂
T
Hi!
>>Good point about ending training before we are all exhausted and hot. This is a lesson for me and it is being reinforced in the head space course. I am really driven to do everything and get it perfect. It’s hard to back off a little and enjoy the small moments.>>
Well, you can run it more by yourself without the dogs LOL!! I have found that less is more when it come to adding the dogs to the equation 🙂 and I can do plenty of handling practice with just me and the video camera, no dogs needed 🙂
>>Buccleigh came up limping after his last run on Monday. It seems to have resolved after about two hours but I want to get it evaluated by my vet before we do anything too strenuous so for now we are just working on flat work, primarily behind the back starts
Ouch, poor Buccleigh! Definitely rest him, even if the vet finds nothing. Where was the lameness? You might want to skip the behind the back starts for a few days, because there is a lot of turning and explosive movement involved with those – and we don’t want him to do that if something hurts.
>>A question on the behind the back start. We have reached the point where he will circle behind me and then go forward to a wing. Do you have any videos of how you set the dog up for a run? Should I have him sit facing me and then signal the start? Currently I don’t usually let him go until we start so I am not sure that he won’t take off as soon as I let him go. He has a pretty strong drive to look for the first obstacle so when I try to start this in front of a jump he really wants to go to the jump and it takes a lot to convince him that he should go behind me.>>
I have the dog standing in front of me (not sitting), and I do a little bit of ‘ready… ready…’ then I cue it and run. The demos with my medium sized black dog have these behind the back starts for most of them. To help convince him, start further from the jump so it is easier for him to know which you want: the jump or the behind the back.
On the video:
If Keltie doesn’t like the heat or wet grass (I can relate, I don’t like those either), then you can jump her at 4 or 8 inches to make it easier and more fun!
I jump my dogs lower all the time. Also, break the course into pieces – thirds, maybe – so she can get more reward out there – and bring the reinforcement with you. That is a LOT of course running with rewards only at the end, and we want to keep building up the value of being out there on course.Opening – she got it but I think you can do the blind between 2-3 so she can chase your line there rather than stopping for the rear cross.
She did well on the line around the back of the course to the dog walk!
>>For the second run, I decided to start at the tunnel 7, since the start was OK and I want to not stress the dog (my new #1 objective!).>>
Yay! Perfect!
>>I think I need to explore the 9,10, 11 line and figure out why she is stopping there.>>
She might anticipate reinforcement at the DW so stopped waiting for it, or maybe she saw the reward placed out there and had a hard time continuing? She had that same hesitation on the 2nd rep. It was hard to tell a lot about the handling here because she definitely thought she should eb stopping at 10.
>> The threadle was much better>>
Yes! The threadle cue at :51 after the frame was really late, she was a stride from takeoff – it was so much better at 1:53!!! Much earlier and with a better physical cue as well. Nice!
On the ending line, you had a little bit of pressure into her line at 19 at 1:07 caused the backside – all it takes is that one little step. The 2nd rep didn’t have the pressure, you ran more directly to the wrap wing, so she go it nicely 🙂
>> And for weave training, it looks like she knows where to go in but she needs a little help with bending enough to get the second pole.>>
How was she originally trained? If you used 2×2 or channels, you can revisit that and use slightly open poles on course, to help help her weave the whole line better.
>> I know I lost connection at the end so she missed the last jump. >>
You said something to her about going to get her cookies, which is an ‘all finished’ marker so she was fine to not take the jumps 🙂
Nice work! Let me know how Buccleigh feels!
Tracy
Hi!
Good start here on the weave entries! On these, you were rotated towards the entry (with your back to the exit) and then you started to move. Since she did really well, you can now add the wing wrap before the weave setup so you are facing the weaves and moving the whole time 🙂 she is ready for that next challenge.On the course video:
Good work here! Yes, it has been crazy hot!!!You can move through the blind at 2 sooner, you held her on your right til takeoff at :10 but you can do the blind as soon as she sees the jump after the tunnel exit.
You can try the layer of that #2 too! You can send her to 4 and then layer it to get past the dog walk.
>>Not sure if my “right” helped keep her out of the tunnel there, but we’ll go with it.
Probably! You had a good shoulder turn and good right verbals at :26 and she got it!
This is a good weave entry to put the wing on, even though it is in the middle of the course – she wants you to converge in and help her find it, which is impossible when you are behind her at :28. The wing will help her get it the first time. She got it the 2nd time at :53 really well!
To set the line after the weaves you can send and rotate sooner on the jump after the weaves at :57, so you are fully rotated and moving up the line before she takes off. Nice tunnel send and layering!
>>The hard stare got it done though.>>
Only when you are ahead 🙂 When you are parallel to her or behind like you were here, especially when layering: be sure to use an exit cue on the tunnel, telling her what you want before she goes in – this is particularly important when layering. This tunnel exit doesn’t point straight to the a-frame, so a get out cue will help smooth out that line at 1:03 and 1:30.
On the attempted layer at 1:14, she needs you to keep your shoulders and motion more towards the tunnel for now, so she can get used to the layering concepts of when we want the jump versus when we want the tunnel. You were really clear with it at 1:48!
Also be sure to use an exit cue on the tunnel at 1:49, you were saying something – ‘jo jo jo jo jo’ I think? But it started after she was in the tunnel so she didn’t hear it til she exited.
I think that is the top thing to remember her: tell her how you want her to exit the tunnel (with verbals and motion) before she enters the tunnel, at least 6 feet before. And the more sees practices the layering skills, the easier it will be to get the lines just with verbals and you won’t have to handle as much.
Great job here! Stay cool 🙂
TracyHi!
>> I’ll definitely add motion. I thought it was harder for her when I didn’t move. We’ll find out!>>
I think it is harder to stay in when you are not moving… but harder to GET in when you are moving 🙂 It is hard either way 🙂
I love chair training LOL! She did well here – I agree that the hardest part is to find the obstacle no matter which side of you she was on. It definitely steams up the brain!!
She is sorting it all out nicely. I think the biggest help to her will be more than just saying the word, it will be how you say the word. Try to make the words sound different from each other and consistently the same for each verbal. I think your verbals were changing sounds and sometimes sounding the same, which is harder. What I mean by that is that the tunnel verbal, for example, can always be TUUNNNELLLL TUUNNELLLLL (very loud and very long) which the over verbal can be higher in pitch, quieter, and shorter: “over! over!” That way she has more info to figure out what you want, rather than just trying to understand English haha!
When she got in the chair at the end? HILARIOUS! Thanks for putting that in LOL!!!
Great job 🙂 Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
Yes, it is a little more complex than it looks on paper 🙂 You and mazi did well, just a couple of little spots to smooth out!!Nice opening, GORGEOUS teeter!
The 2nd time you were not as clear at 3 so the bar came down, it looks like you closed your shoulders forward so her did not see the line as clearly. The other reps looked great though, and you set a lovely line around the back to the DW!After the dog was on the push to the backside at 9 – You can try a left verbal or name call here so she turns more at :22, her length of body & stride sent her to the off course. You used a decel on the 2nd and 3rd times time but then she smoked you up the line. I liked how you kept moving at 2:10 and used an earlier verbal, you were further ahead on that line an she got the turn. You can add a brake arm (outside arm coming up as a soft turn cue) but definitely keep moving and use your verbals like you did there at 2:10.
The tunnel dscrimination at 12 is hard! On the first rep, the left was good at :56 on 11 but she needed more motion info too, which you gave her on the other reps like at 1:21 when you were moving more towards 12. She lifted her head over bar 10, probably processing the verbals, and dropped the bar. She was perfect the next times through there, the verbals were even earlier and she had no questions.
The forced front cross after the a-frame worked well and she got the weave entry nicely!
She was looking straight after the weaves at 1:37 even though you were still in motion and said jump – perhaps she was anticipating being sent tothe toy, if that is where the toy was placed 🙂
She had trouble finding the front of 19 – at 2:29 your running line was towards the middle of th ebar, which is a backside cue. So you can either turn your shoulders to face the wrap wing more, or you can layer the #2 jump to get to a better position. As she is weaving, start to had to the layer and jump #18 and then cue her to go straight out of the weaves – it is a little tricky but canbe a very effective use of layering!
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>>Unfortunately the two instructors only have access to it on Mondays, so everything has to come in in the AM and go out in the PM>>
Yikes, I remember having to do that, it is a lot of work! Good for them for working that hard to provide a great place to train!
>>then again, he’s only been with me for 6 months.
When keeping this in mind, his progress is truly amazing!!!! You two are an impressive team already after just 6 months.
>>Did not go as well as the 1st sequence, the distraction level was amped way up. In hindsight, I should have turned around and set him away from the other ring for starters here>>
Yes, running towards that fast dog in the other ring was DIFFICULT! You can move him awa yfrom the distraction for sure, but I like how you and your instructor broke it down and helped him learn to handle the massive distractions (especially the 2nd dog and handler, I was distracted by that too LOL!!)
>>Need to do some work with my timing on the BC’s and on his reading of them,>>
Your blind can be more connected and a step sooner…. but he was not watching you anyway at first LOL! Smart reward drops by the instructor to help get his eyes on you 🙂 She was basically shaping him to ignore the other dog while getting you to do the blind on time, with fast loud dogs inthe other ring. Click/treat for her 🙂 Coal did really well! The stays were the best part even if the blinds were hard.
Coal got better and better as the session went along – the loud barking dog and handler and teeter and tunnels were almost irresistible but you and the instructor got a lot of reward into him and then at the end, you got a tight turn away from the excitement in the other ring: hooray! The good news is that Coal’s food drive is high enough to overcome the distraction, and he was not reacting aggressively to the other dog. He was just bouncing along, very interested. All good and I am excited with how well he was able to return his focus to you.
So while you might not have gotten a lot of handling done in this session, you got a lot of dog training done and that is ultimately more valuable 🙂 Your handling doesn’t need to be perfect if he is focused on you and not on distractions, so working through the distractions was terrific!
Great job 🙂
TracyHi!
She is definitely getting better with her discriminations! When you had movement into it at the beginning of the video, she was doing well in general. When using the left verbal on the first obstacle, it was better to save it for the tighter turn to the tunnel and use your go up cues o get the layered jump.
Using your line up position definitely helps her be successful when you are working on just the tunnel or jump. When she is facing you but not lined up, she struggled to get the jump versus the tunnel but was more successful when you had her line up. Just be sure she can see both obstacles and you are not blocking the line. When you are on the ground, try to get her to line up at your side, using a cookie lure if needed, so she can be generally pointing towards the obstacles and not looking at you.
The layering on the sequence is looking good! She does best when you keep the verbals going and don’t get too quiet. Remember to throw the reward out on the line as she is jumping rather than turn her to the tunnel, and stay connected when you want her to continue past the tunnel otherwise she is correct to think it is a blind into the tunnel.
Yes, you were late with the lalala at 1:35 but she was a good girl and went back out to get the jump! I think the ‘out’ is a better verbal for that situation (this is what you did a bit late on a couple of reps but then perfectly on the last rep!), because she has to leave your line to get back on the layering line.
Great job here!!! We have more small space games coming tonight that use the layering skill, plus you can use the jumping courses and pop outs for more practice on this.
Tracy
Hi!
Hi!
On that first rep, I think you had a little too much happening all at once and not enouh info for her LOL! The next 2 reps were much clearer 🙂
The 2nd rep was much clearer in terms of movement and connection. The wraps look good and the race tracks look good too! Try to use the verbals more on the wraps (I couldn’t hear them consistently). On the race tracks, use the left or right verbals rather than go, because these are turns more than they are straight lines.The 3rd rep looked really good too! The wrap verbals were much clearer and her commitment looked really good on those too. She seemed to have a question on the race track to her left – it might be that left is a harder side for her, so you need to move more slowly and with more connection. The race tracks to her right all look good!
I think you can spread your wings out a little more too, to give her more running room and that way you can have more room to move in and out of the wraps in the middle 🙂
Great job!
Tracy
