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Hi!
I think the hardest part of the zig zag for him was the stay! He did well with that too, holding his stay til you got to wing 3 – SUPER! And the lead changes look GREAT!
At :41 he had a little blooper but he just needed more connection and a lower arm, he pushes away best when your arm is a little lower for now so he can see the connection.How did the adult dogs do?
How far apart were these wings? I think you can get them closer now, to 5 feet apart – that makes it harder because he has to do the lead changes quicker 🙂
>>As far as all of these different drills go, I’m wondering if anybody has ever made a list of them so that you could go back easily and revisit certain ones. Wondering how much we should go back to some of the initial drills in Max Pup 1? Just trying to keep up with re-visiting The drills that we should continue to work on.>>
Excellent question! To be honest, you probably don’t need to go back and look at the MaxPup 1 stuff because all of the MaxPup 2 stuff builds directly from it (stealthily hahahaha so you don’t realize you are doing the foundations over and over :)) For example, the wing and the jump have replaced the ‘prop’. And the prop games are all built up to rocking horses and smiley face games and the handling games. Strike a pose is now the threadle and serp stuff. You can totally revisit the body awareness stuff, but I am guessing you do that a lot already because of your expertise in fitness.
Pre-Covid, we did have a list of all the MaxPup games but everything got totally revamped during covid. You can use the games titles in the Course Syllabus page to see if there is anything missing – and if I see anything that needs to be revisited, I will point it out. So far… you are doing an awesome job!
Nice work 🙂
TracyHi!
>>Overall I’m super happy with her effort. Seems like her ability to concentrate with her little puppy brain is increasing with these exercises.>>
Totally yes! She looks great – especially terrific considering it is hot and you are in a new location on the farm. Super!!!
On the videos:
The minny pinny looks good! You can spread the bumps out a bit more so she can more easily bounce between them – maybe 3 feet between them, center to center?Before the next session of the turn aways, make sure she can do the minny pinny without you moving at all, and with you standing in the center where all 3 wings meet (more like the reps at 1:30) That will make the turn aways easier because she will have a really strong understanding of the little grid and you won’t have to indicate the turns as much, which will help you be able to fade out the arm cue.
Sends’n’Serps video: you had really nice mechanics and that totally helps! Yay!! Everything looked strong, there is only one detail to add in (which will also answer her questions from the 2nd video)-
On the serp position, rotate your upper body more (you want your belly button facing the bar) so that she sees more serp indication. And do this without turning your feet at all (you’ll feel the twist at your waist!) When you were walking, it didn’t matter as much but it made a difference when you aded speed (2nd video) and will make an even bigger difference when eventually we ask her to layer and NOT come in. You can see the closed shoulder (belly button pointing to the Manners Minder) at 1:37 and 1:47 so be sure to drop the dog side shoulder back so you can point your belly button to the bar 🙂
The added distance between the wing and jump was easy for her as was the added speed – but as you added speed, you closed your shoulders more so she had a couple of questions. At
2:38 she was correct to layer and you can see the difference between that rep (closed shoulder) and the last rep on the clip where you opened up more and turned your belly button to the bar, and she came right in for the serp.On the 2nd video – more lovely work! At :17 you have more connection and upper body rotation but you can add even more 🙂 At 1:02 and 1:10, you were moving fast which caused your shoulders to close forward (belly button pointing to the MM) so she didn’t come in – since layering is now VERY trendy in course design, this ‘closed shoulder’ cue is a cue to layer and the rotation of eye contact and belly button to the bar is the serp cue. At 1:19 and the reps after it you definitely have more rotation and she came in – keep your feet running forward, so you don’t end up slowing down, rotating or doing a little grapevine step. If you need to use your opposite arm across your body, that is fine too as it helps establish the rotation. On serps, I like to swing my dog side arm pretty far back (locking the elbow) and making a very direct eye contact with the dog (all while running of course :))
When you added the FCs – she had no trouble reading the difference (great job with your verbals on both videos!!!). So to add challenge with the FCs, do a FC and run to the TreatNTrain, so you are moving along a similar path to the serp except she will be on your other side and connection tells her to NOT take the jump. That should be more challenging for sure.Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi there!
Ah, so nice to be outside finally! I think the main thing at this point will be to get engagement outside – she is really inexperienced working outdoors, so I think the engagement was the hardest part of it all.On the first video:
After throwing the ball, you can go engage with her so she does not develop a party of one habit 🙂 And you can attach it to a long toy so you can toss it and stay attached to it, moving it around, to help engage with her. I think she goes away with it because after you tossed it, you watched from a distance and you didn’t engage with her, so perhaps he didn’t realize there was an expectation to continue to engage and she goes about her day with it LOL
You did some parallel path work with the ball, and I think that the ball is great for that! You can carry it with your opposite arm so she looks forward more and not at you until you throw it, and you can totally throw it sooner.
She did well with the tug toy also! The proofing game went well – having her turn on the wing away from the tunnel was a good start because it set up a lot of success (remember to use your verbal, I couldn’t hear if you were using it or not), and she was happy to run through the tunnel as well. You can do super short outdoor blasts with moving rewards from your hands, and I think she will get more and ore engaged and focused outdoors. Sending her to the toy worked for the initial reward, but then go and engage with her. If she might move away before you engage with her, you can carry the rewards in your hands – that is a great discmrination as well! (Tunnel versus toy in hand :))
For the parallel path game – I think more engagement before each rep will help her know when each rep definitively begins, which is a cue to offer behavior (versus look at you). So you can engage before each rep with t he tug toy, then toss the treat as the reward for finding the path to the jump (lotus ball or treat hugger will work so the treat is more visible) or toy, then engage again to reset for the next rep. That will help her look forward sooner, so she knows it is time to move up the line and look for the jump (and the reward throws can happen as soon as she looks at the jump 🙂 If she doesn’t look at it and only looks at you, feel free to place the reward out on the line to jump start the behavior of looking ahead).
Nice work!!! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
>> I would have never realized my feet were going in all sorts of different directions but obviously you and Josie did!!
Yes, the dogs totally see all the things 🙂 LOL!
>>Just to be clear, my feet shouldn’t rotate in either one?
Ideally, correct, feet should be moving forward and the upper body does the work.
You can choose which upper body you want:
For me, I use a cross arm for the threadles, and a dog-side arm for the serps. Either way, whichever you choose, the upper body should rotate towards the threadle entry (the wing and the gap between the wings) or the center of the bar on the serps). I have found my dogs have an easier time when I use two different upper body cues for the 2 different verbals 🙂>>Are my body cues different at all between the 2? or will it end up just being verbal that tells her which?>>
The verbal does help and also the upper body cues help differentiate. In the more advanced stages of training, we try to strip out the upper body for the proofing element. But in the earlier stages, you can use the verbal AND upper body to help teach the skills.
Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>> So that would be the get it cookie toss and snacks but on leash mixed in with a loose leash walking, right?
Yes and no – treat them as separate games so that he can easily predict where/how to get the reinforcement. So you can either be doing loose leash walking, or the pattern game with the tossing, or the pattern game to your hands/shoes. But try not to mix them all together as that can get confusing.
>>PS did you get my email for the working spot?
I saw it come through – I will be able to get into the emails later this afternoon. You can start posting videos before you get the official email on that though, life has been crazy LOL
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!
#TeamFakeChill
