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Hello and welcome! I’m excited to see you and Queenie in action. š looking forward to class beginning!
TracyHi!
>> She was impressed with his ability to transition from outside the ring to start lines and also to rewards outside of the ring.
Yay! Great to hear he is doing so well!!!
>>Do you have an independent study course that is similar or will you open this course again?
I think it is too individualized to be an independent study, so I will probably open it again in the fall.
>She has an absolute rockstar Papillon.
Very cool!!! Paps are so fun!
I’m glad you and your mother are feeling better and doing well š hopefully that cough goes away SOON!!! thanks for the update and see you in CAMP!
Tracy
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
For a behavior vet… try http://www.behaviorvets.com
They are excellent with behavior clients and one of their lead trainers is an agility competitor too!Good morning!
Thanks for the update – I am very impressed with your commitment to and execution of the training, with all of your work commitments and new puppy too! The difference in Lanna’s runs from beginning to most recent is really clear!!!!
>>She went all day without running off to Teresa once.
That might be your biggest class accomplishment. Teresa is her biggest Kryptonite and she was brilliant!!!
>> I have recommended it to multiple others (when you offer it again).
Thanks!!!! I got spoiled with this class – a really fabulous group of dog trainers. And I learned a lot from you and your dogs too, to help other dogs in the future.
>> I also think you should do an alumni series of training night chats in a few mos
I love this idea!!! We will TOTALLY do it!!!!!! Maybe after CAMP is underway, we can do some reunions in July, Aug, Sept.
Talk to you soon!
TracyGood morning!
<
> Is it ok to start working on his weaves again as he seems happy? Yes! A quick re-train with lots of rewards will get them where you want them to be.
>> Yes, it was informative to see. His 4th run was good to see what worked when he did get distracted and had to go in early. Getting his focus back with tricks in the ring before unleashing and clam was effective with no food. And he definitely needed more interactions going to the line.>
Your pre-existing foundation of tricks and fitness games have proven to be very very useful. Click/treat to you for already having those in your toolbox!
>> For his 3rd where he sniffed, I didnāt do anything different with his tricks but it was a much longer wait since they changed courses. Also, the dog before him was Miles and the same one that distracted him on his 1st run so not sure if he recognized a scent since they used to be in his class. He went after a different dog on runs 2 and 4. Iām not sure which run with 3rd or 4th he did notice when the sheltie showed up for the run as I saw him react as he stood alert and looked. And at some point we were sitting in front of the chiropractor and massage area so one dog cried out so had to leave the area for him to calm down. But he can just vary wildly.>>
It was probably a combo of the long wait and the other distractions. Because long waits can be unavoidable, definitely keep working on the engaged chill for when you end up having to wait a long time.
>> During the 3 month break in class due to COVID, he came back like an untrained dog and trainers thought something was physically wrong but itās just his mental state and having to reacclimatize.>>
I can TOTALLY relate – my own brain had a hard time reacclimatizing lol! The covid break certainly gave us additional training challenges, but no one is at fault for that.
>>It didnāt feel like 15 mins so maybe my sessions started a little early and went long waiting in line. Maybe I need to wait a little longer to line up and start his tricks.
It might have been 15 mins since you set it up? But if he is out and getting ready for 15 minutes before the run, then yes, that’s probably too long.
>> How do you declare FEO when you hide in pocket?
I tell the gate and then when I go in, I yell it out to the judge and wave my empty hand š I make sure the judge has heard me before starting.
>> I would mix them all up ā in a new place, perhaps, start with the visible clam, then go to empty hands, then if he is doing well ā clam-free-in-and-outs.
His next trial will be a new place with UKI. I was able to do clam free in class and he ran really well.>>Perfect, you’re working through the progressions beautifully – we want him to be successful with the clam free runs in class before you try it in trials. And in a new place, I’d use the first run to do a Just Like Home/visible clam run to help get him acclimated.
>> I did see in the UKI articles they suggested doing NFCs with experienced dogs so that explained why itās present at elite levels. And it helps to keep start lines and other behaviors from deteriorating over time.>>
Yes! I use the UKI NFC options with my Masters dog too, not just the baby or newbie dogs. š
Great job with him! One of the other folks here suggested we do some zoom Chats over the summer as a follow up – it is a great idea! And we won’t do it on Mondays š
TracyHi!
Yes, there is a ton of self-coaching in agility, in the moment of each run. One thing to add is to watch your videos between each run or each rep, so you can assess before trying again. It might feel more time consuming at first, but it actually ends up being more efficient because you’ll have a better plan for the next rep or next run!
Looking forward to seeing you in July! I don’t know what they plan to do with the topics yet, hopefully will know soon!
TracyHi! Glad she isn’t having some effects! I think there is a 6-8 week period while the Paxil levels out in the brain, then you’ll be able to see the full effect. Keep me posted!
TracyHi-
>>Honestly, we have been to the vet so infrequently, Iām not sure what would happen. Heās been for puppy stuff and just annuals. We switched vets about 6 months ago but that was our first visit.>>
I think he will do fine, then! Sounds like there is no pre-existing stress, and the vet crew will help him feel good about it.
>[I just remembered that I asked if you could post HSMās slingshot and was supposed to remind you. Can you post?>>
You’ll find it here:
>Also is today the last day for submissions? Iām anxiously awaiting CAMP>
Yes, we are winding up here and the countdown to CAMP is one! My shirt has arrived, so I’m prepared. š
TracyBig thanks right back to you! You are a fabulous student and Zippie is an amazing teacher – it was truly a valuable learning experience for me to watch her work and sort out what she was trying to tell us (thanks, Zip!)
I am glad she worked well in the private! Remember when quieter places used to be her Kryptonite? So maybe privates can be used for learning new agility skills and then a class can be used for fast lines with Kryptonite around?
The learning never stops – agility is relentless like that. So if you feel like you are continually working skills and figuring things out in agility, then you are on the right path! It is a game the challenges ALL of the skills on every level and can be wildly unpredictable. The complexity of the game makes for a wild ride, in terms of training – you are doing a great job and I am looking forward to seeing you in person, maybe in July??
Tracy
Good morning!
>> I had a hard time snapping him out of this. The first reaction was right as we were going into the ring- they were at the entrance and then followed us to the exit- what great luck.
For real! Such fabulous luck NOT.
>>but the space is so tight. Thereās about 10 feet from the wall to the ring gating and people, dogs, chairs scattered throughout. Normally Iād park him in a corner away from the action, but the corners were taken by people trying to manage their own crazy dogs.>>
This is rapidly becoming the norm for indoor agility spaces – very tight outside the ring and people struggling to manage their dogs. You have a lot of tools so you donāt need those corners anymore š You still have a bit of Kryptonite to work on (as do we ALL!) but overall he is really able to handle the environment so much better.
Waiting outside is a short term solution but not a long term plan because it wonāt allow him to acclimate, settle, focus, etc. You can add a trick to a a make BC staring at him moment, such as going into fast heeling which seems to be his favorite (and can also move him away from the trigger).
>>I didnāt anticipate the person to move from the entrance to the exit so that was just unfortunate. I had planned for someone to stand in front of the gate- which also didnāt happen and the gate was open so it made me clench a little.>>
This is all good, actually, because it reminds us that we canāt control the environment in that way: ring gates, where people stand, etc etc. You have tools for all of those situations, so you can keep reminding yourself about them when the worry creeps in.
>>I havenāt quite figured out if his trigger is the staring or just all intact malesā¦
For training purposes, I would tackle both – separately. Find an intact male who will not stare at him. And separately, find a female or neutered male that will watch him from a distance. Get him happy with both separately then work on finding a staring intact male of any breed, especially large ones.
>>I really hadnāt considered any physical cause because his rear end awareness and strength seems good. He pivots well, we back up often. He does great with instability exercises. While not the same as agility jumping, I feel like he super powers off his rear on the dock because heās popping up into the air at heights that are above my head.>>
The PT people and sports vets unanimously recommend we get X-rays and checks done at this age, regardless of whether we see an issue or not. Iād say they actually beg us to do it. Best case scenario: they are a baseline for the future so we can watch for changes as the dogs age or if a problem crops up. Iāve done it with all of my dogs, and the 2 youngest will go in this summer now that they are over 2.
Agility jumping is very different, indeed, and also the dock jumping has the advantage of the most amazing reinforcement on the planet: the pool. That will override any potential questions he might have, plus he only has to do one jump at a time rather than multiple in a row with no stopping.
>>I mostly blame my self for the lack of commitment because while working on other things and confidence, he got reinforced for missing jumps often as long as he got back on a line. I wouldnāt say itās worsened, but itās not gotten any better either.>>
Yes, there is a definite training element to commitment but you have been training, and it is not getting better – which is why I recommend baseline ortho checks just to be sure there is nothing hampering the training efforts. And then you can plan to help him organize for the jumping with training plans š
>>I havenāt done hips on him because heād have to be sedated and I didnāt want to traumatize him.
Does he get super worried at the vet? Does he have any tech girlfriends that he loves (sorry to the male techs, but my boy dogs seem to gravitate towards the female techs :)) I have not found hip xrays to be traumatic in terms of the sedation or brief vet stay, so hopefully there is a way to get him comfy with it.
>>I do think spending time with lower jumps and rewarding on the line will be helpful.>>
Yes! In terms of agility training, I would prioritize it as the top skill right now and put away any backside or threadle work, because those all take him off the front of the jump.
Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
Thanks for asking, I am doing OK here.
>> We played UKI for 2 days. I have a couple of runs.
Yay for UKI! He definitely seemed to like the environment and the spacing.
>>Fever totally nailed it like he had zero questions and I tried to keep going. I even have the frisbee in my hand to reward
Remember that the reward in the ring goes a long, long way to making being in the ring a great place to be! I think for Fever, frisbee is a higher value reinforcement than more agility, so definitely donāt talk yourself out of throwing it. And in UKI, you can throw it. If you are afraid he wonāt bring it back, go in with 2 frisbees (I got in with 2 frizzers or 2 balls all the time when training).
>>He was super for most of the day with some reactivity explosion at the end of the day.
Depletion plus a trigger = reactivity, is what I am guessing.
>>For his first 3 runs, I had a perfect engaged chill while I dropped treats waiting ringside, heeled right before going in the ring and even had some leash tugging.
Great! On the first video, he looked pretty happy going into the ring!
>>Our last run, idk what happened. He was convinced this other male border collie had a switch blade or something. He started growling and lunging before going in the ring, but settled when we got there- itās this SS run.
The dog was parked at the exit glaring at him through the gating, you can see he sees him but looks back at me.>>Yes, that is a definite trigger (those BCs with them staring eyeballs and all) plus trials take a TON of mental energy, so he was depleted – and didnāt know how to handle it and the amygdala took over: DANGER! DANGER! That is where you can pull things out of the toolbox – moving away from the trigger, highest value tricks/toys, etc. And also with the dog parked at the exit gate, slap on a smile and ask the handler to move the dog. If someone parks a staring dog at the in or out gate when my baby dog is getting ready? I say āmy dog is a youngster, can you move back a bit, thanksā with a big grin (to hide my annoyance haha) and I just stand there looking at them and smiling til they actually move LOL
And then the trigger gets added to the Kryptonite list because there is no way to avoid male BCs that stare near the ring in agility. I recommend seeking out less-stary boy BCs and do pattern games until he is happy and not reactive – then add more challenging dogs.
>>We did just one run today. It was a surprise FEO! I brought him in and he was tugging super well. He shot off like a bullet! We missed 1 jump and then made a loop back, our leash happened to still be waiting on the line because the leash runner disappeared so he joyously ran and grabbed his leash, brought it to me with full glee when I called him and then vigorously tugged all the way out! Overall Iād call that one a win. I was really happy he didnāt victory lap with the leash.
Paco said āthatās a nice leashā >>Ha! Yes! Paco is the best. And you can also add the leash to the Kryptonite list because he has to ignore it til cued.
For the pre-run stuff – did you jot down some notes about what worked, what didnāt work, what was most helpful? Notes are good because we forget the details so quickly š
He does run past jumps that are āright thereā a lot, especially on sending, unless you are very close and perfectly connected. That leads to a relatively high rate of failure in the ring, where he either runs past or you stop and bring him back – which is also a failure and causes a stop in the action. In those moments, he is not engaging his hind end to actually take the jump, he is just moving off his front. So that jump commitment and hind end use now goes to the top of the agility training list, higher than anything else so you can get a higher rate of success in the ring and you donāt have to stop him. For him, I think that just carrying on is better than stopping and sending him back, because it is a āknownā issue (running past jumps) and stopping him pops that bubble of excitement and focus, so he slows down and engages from his rear less when you do that.
For the hind end engagement – there are a lot of reasons why he might not be using it: conditioning, understanding/coordination, physical issue. So for the summer project, from the training/conditioning side of things: no more full height jumping so it is easier for him to commit to the jumps, coordinate the jumping effort, and conditioning/hind end power work (do you already have these in your toolbox?) I will be adding a hind end coordination game to the CAMP class because it is needed in general. And, have you had him x-rayed and also a PT/soft tissue person check him? That will rule out any physical reasons why he doesnāt want to use his rear and avoids jumps that are right there.
Glad you had a fun weekend! I am excited for what the future holds! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning! Sounds like a really good day at the NADAC trial!!
>He runs here often so he was relaxed and had no trouble with any action tricks. He had better focus during his runs and never got distracted during the run. My mother only came to parking lot when we arrived to pick up things for new puppies so he was not distracted by her brief presence.>
Great! This is all good – and being relaxed and happy here will help transfer his skills to different locations because it is great rehearsal.
>>This was the longest heās been at a trial from 9:30-4:30. It took a long time before his 1st run as it was after 12:30. And he had another long wait 2.5hrs between regular and touch n go so I grabbed lunch. He was calm in his crate watching me leave and come back. He didnāt even get upset when I left him in the crate to walk the course.
This is so great! Being able to rest and relax is so useful, in and out of the ring for you both!
>>I followed the gate steward directions so I was lined up waiting with him and we entered while the dog was still on the dog walk. He knew the dog from class and reacted to the handler calling out the obstacles. So I never had his focus at the start and he was over excited watching the dog leave. When I took off his leash, he was not engaged and he did his usual quick sprint back and then returned to me so I just started.
Well, it is good to know that waiting further back (or any place where food is allowed) is more effective, because the other runs did not have that mini-zoomie before the run. š
>>We sprinted out of the gate to his reward station. Unfortunately the pet tutor turned off so I couldnāt reward from it. I just gave him treats by hand, dropped some on the tray and then dropped some in his clam.>
It sounds like you got your cardio workout in sprinting to the Pet Tutor! LOL!!! But I am sure he appreciated it even when you simply dropped cookies onto the tray.
>>I told the gate steward I was going to wait before entering as he reacted to dog and she said ok, but the judge might get mad. >>
I know a lot of gate stewards who have been yelled at by judges, so I understand why she would say that – but as long as you take the responsibility (or blame haha) then it is fine š
I think the opening of the 2nd run (1st video) was great! He was engaged, you got a lead out, and a really fast focused run. It makes me do a happy dance when he offers engagement when the leash comes off.
>> 3rd Touch n Go Run 1
>>I jogged to the line but didnāt do anything so when I took off his leash he stayed but got distracted sniffing so once I got his attention I just started.Yes, that was smart to just get going. He had trouble here for some reason – do you remember which games you did outside the ring, anything different? Or, he might have just been lower arousal due to time of day – it is pretty common for arousal shift like after a long break, or mid-afternoon, for example. So you can try 2 things the next time you see he wants to sniff (youāll see it when he doesnāt engage like a pro when the leash comes off):
– you can try the āall businessā release and just start the run, kinda like you did here
Or
– you can try to engage him by moving away from him, standing up, calling him to you. You were moving towards him and bending over him, which wasnāt as engaging as moving away might be.>> 4th Touch n Go Run 2
It was 30 mins between the two rounds and after 4pm so little warmer 81. >>So even though it was a little hotter, it sounds like he was still mentally stimulated from the previous run. That is good! And it might be something to note: he is going to need āextraā when he has had a long break between runs – extra engagement, or all business.
>>We waited in the dirt area with his reward station so he just dug him a small hole in the dirt to lay down.
Clever! A smart way for him to chill himself out, literally and figuratively.
>> Then the gate steward made us enter while the other dog was running so i just headed to the corner to get his focus with some tricks and clam. As I was unleashing him, the judge told me to take my time as I had 60 secs. >>
Funny that you got rushed in, then told you had a full 60 seconds LOL! The tricks looked good! And I think the run looked strong too. Very exciting because that is a position he had not yet been asked to be in (waiting in the ring without treats) and he was a star āļø
>>He seemed to really enjoy the runs to the reward station, not so much for the food but liked running. He did stand in front of the Pet tutor and I would drop it on the tray.>>
Interesting! He does like action a lot, so I can see why he would also like the running – sorry for you though for all the extra running LOL! But it is worth it because I really like what he is doing in the ring š
>> These runs felt much easier. Even after a long day his last run was really good.
Yes! The goal is that the engagement feels easy so you only need to concentrate on the handling.
It was a long way to go but nothing blocking the path. Not sure how to get the Pet tutor to stay on long enough to use it. I will be getting the mini version Tuesday so will see how it goes as I somehow got selected for beta testing. Itās also going to have a better clicker with motion sensor.>>
If the mini version doesnāt stay on longer, you can maybe ask a friend to keep it on during the run, or let it turn off and just plop treats into the tray as he seemed happy with that.
So now he has a number of great runs under his belt as training runs – if I remember correctly, almost all of them had the clam visible even if you didnāt throw it in the ring? I think he is ready for the next steps – clam-in-pocket so he sees the empty hands, then you whip out the clam to reward. And then – clam-free runs! Those would be short in-and-out runs so you can set up a short, fast, successful experience in the ring.
I would mix them all up – in a new place, perhaps, start with the visible clam, then go to empty hands, then if he is doing well – clam-free-in-and-outs. Start in class then bring it all to trials (class will be harder because he has his friends there š but you can āhideā rewards around the ring or ask the instructor to hold the clam with treats, so you can reward out on course while training on the class course).
Soon enough, youāll be able to fade the clam and do real runs! Bear in mind, that I like to do training runs a lot even with my super experienced dogs – they enjoy it and it keeps the value of engagement in the ring very high š
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
What a super nice run!!!! You two both looked great!
>>t any suggestions in the beginning pinwheel to not take that extra jump is this just a more reward and practice moment?
That is all a handling thing – he was correctly reading the handling cues. Even though you were saying “here” at about :23-:24, you were moving forward and facing the off course so the physical cue very strongly said to drive to that jump… so he did. Good boy! Watch the physical cue when you did want him to take it later in the course at about :33-:34 – it is almost exactly the same as the physical cue you showed when you didn’t want him to take it.
So, to get him to see hat there is a turn: when he landed from 3 and was looking at 4, at :23 ish, you should be decelerating and turning your shoulders to face 5. It all happened really fast, he was on FIRE!!!
Great job!
Tracy
