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Good morning!
That is good that she can do it at home! I think that there will be 3 big pieces of the puzzle:
The engaged chill so you can both relax more outside the ring
And the full on extensions of the remote reinforcement, where she totally understands it in a trial setting, including being able to do tricks and such on the start line (being able to change her state of arousal on the start line)
– easing it all into trialing with training in the ring opportunities so that it is a gradual transition to full courses with no reward in the ring.
Keep playing each game, either to start the new ones or refresh the existing ones – they will build up into those big pieces 🙂
We can totally watch the video in the Chat!! Can you send it to my email agilityuniversity@gmail.com ?
Thanks!
TracyGood morning!
He definitely wasn’t too into it to start, but you made the adjustment of rewarding faster and also got him moving more, so he got into it!! It ended up being a really good example of how Teresa tricks can raise arousal so that he can go into a better state of readiness to work 🙂One idea for you is to adjust the food delivery if you need him to get more into it: rather than feeding from a stationary hand or tossing the treat away from you (which might not be possible outside the ring at a trial) you can use the cookie like a toy, by moving it in your Jan, getting him to follow it, even running a few steps before you deliver it. That can definitely be useful at a trial!
Nice work here – for the next tricks session, try moving the cookie like a toy. And then for the one after that, have the cookies on a counter or table next to you, not in hands or pockets.
TracyGood morning!
This went well, I think the hardest part for her was finding the cookie quickly after the toss, to come back fast to you. You might want to start that indoors so she doesn’t have to find it in grass, just to establish the game.
She was beginning to find the position and that’s great! Feel free to use a hand to help her target the position- sometimes she ran to your side, probably because that is where the value has been.
For the next session, warm up with where you left off here and then try for the dismount and stay 🙂
Nice work!
TracyHi! He is so fun to watch!!!!!
Great job here, it provides an excellent baseline.
First, a question: have you worked on any reward markers with him, like when the cookie is tossed versus handed to him (I say get it versus snacks)? I think adding just a couple of those will help make reinforcement more predictable for him.
Yes, middle is GREAT and you can totally use it as an engagement game and maybe also a line up. When you don’t want him to offer it, just keep your feet together like you did in the 2nd video 🙂
Tricks that I saw here that I think are fabulous and useful:
Circle
Leg weaves
Touch
Paws up on your leg and hand – paws up on your arm was almost a wave, that is a great one to shape
Target
SpinsThe things that were more fitness-y, like pivoting or sit-to-stand or backing up were not as crisp, maybe because they are harder and need a bit more cookie support.
2nd video – this was harder with the cookie in the hand! But he still did well! One thing is to keep your hand away from the cookie holder – even having your hand near there means cookies are coming, so for the next session you can work tricks with the cookie holder on a table next to you and not on your waist.
He was fabulous with his middle cue of course.
He definitely is used to a cookie in the hand – he was hilarious when you did the empty hand leg weaves and he looked around like you must’ve dropped the cookies hahahaha so funny!
And he was still able to do a lot of the tricks but he was not quite as ‘crisp’ with them and offering the highly valued ones (middle :)) instead. Good to know! I think with more practice of the cookies NOT in your hand, he will be fine with that and then we can build up even more.So for the next session, have the cookies up on a table right next to you – call him into a middle (because that can be a bit of “game on!”) and then do 4 or 5 tricks (cookie for each one). Just when he is ready for more…. give him a break 🙂 Let’s leave him wanting more so we can extend the engagement even more over time.
One more question – have you used the toys for any of these: middle then a flirt pole, or circle then chase a clam on a line, for example? That is definitely something to try!
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
Because he is not a hard-core foodie, we can look at other ways to use reinforcement to get him engaged:>>He does go crazy over the broom and Webster and bites/tugs it but I don’t use that as a reward>>
What is a Webster?
Have you ever considered getting a hand broom or feather duster to use as a tug toy? If you do it in a training setting (and maybe crate him when you are actually trying to clean the house LOL!) you can have a really great reinforcement!>>Food delivery makes a difference so he loves to chase it tossed over delivery to mouth and chasing a toy like clam where he opens to get food>>
I am glad you are letting him chase the food! One thing that I do with my dogs is tie the clam or lotus ball or treat hugger to a line, so I can swing it around and have the dogs chase it.
>>He loves squeaky balls, a little fur squeaker, and flirt pole>
Great! These are all good rewards, I was going to ask about a flirt pole!
>>I did not train to bark on cue but he is very vocal and sings
when my phone rings, use blender, or play piano>>I like to put barking on cue, so feel free to name it – see if you can elicit it and then put it on cue. It is a GREAT engagement tool!
>>Impulse games like whip it
What is whip it?
Onwards to the videos!
T
Hello and welcome!
I love that you are starting this with a baby dog – many of us do this after a problem has cropped up, but I have learned (learned the hard way haha) to do this as trial prep with the bebes to ease them in. I did all of the games today and Contraband made his flyball debut and earned his first flyball title!Thank you for the history. This is GREAT!
>>⅞ Border Collie ⅛ Aussie
Wait I had no idea he had a splash of Aussie in there! VERY fun!
What is/are your main sport(s)?
>>I’ve done everything except UKI in the past. Haven’t decided yet for this kid but will likely do a mixture and focus on 1 or 2 out of the batch (we have LOTS of all except UKI – fewer of those here in Northern CA).
Perfect! And the UKI people are making a concerted effort to grow it in Northern CA so I think you will have more of those soon.
>>We did have a teenage period from about 8-12 months where he was showing some leash frustration/reactivity that seems to have improved over the past few months with a combination of CU games, exposure at a comfortable distance and a nice Kathy Sdao cue transfer of see the worrisome, obnoxious, staring dog and turn and bump my fist which has now become a rest your nose on my thigh (or calf or shoe if laying down).
Good for you for helping him out! I love the Kathy Sdao game!
>>(plus being able to go with his uber optimistic and appropriate big brother – the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog – who models perfect greeting skills).
I am a HUGE fan of modeling! I love that you did this and I have found it be super helpful with a lot of dogs.
And I love that you are finding the CU games helpful – even just one or two in the toolbox can be super magical.
>>Similar for personal interaction but he amps up quickly with nothing in his mouth so I would typically at least give him something to hold in his mouth while we do more personal play stuff.>>
Probably just youthful inexperience on what to do with himself in those moments 🙂 For now, totally let him have something in his mouth and we will build the rest up in coming week through the remote reinforcement procedures.
And you can start these games on leash and mid-game transition to off leash. Some of the start games this week are things that he has already done (a bit of pattern game, TONS of tricks, a bit of remote reinforcement) so you can jump right into the leash on and then coming off because that is an area where he is probably inexperienced (I show my dogs leash procedures at home so they are not seeing it for the first time at a trial).
And since he has experience in several of the starter games, we will come up with ways to add fun challenge 🙂 Definitely look at the engaged chill and the instant focus, because I don’t think he has seen those yet.
I love watching his tunnelers run – and it is so cool to see how much he has matured since then, just a few months ago!
I am excited to see more of him!
TracyHi!
I am glad to hear that Leo has vet clearance! Yay!
You were combining the games here LOL! but it works pretty well for this setup! So for the proofing version- add more rotation on the KKKK by doing a front cross and run away. I don’t think he needs it as much on the shhhh (left turn) but that is fine to do on that turn too. He is a lefty 🙂 For the youngsters, it is totally fine to add handling to the proofing at first because he can still totally take the tunnel even if you front cross 🙂 And the handling will help – then we can fade it out.
For the full-on smiley face games, spread things out and run run run 🙂 I think that will be great for him, because by the last mini course he was fabulous! So you can now add the challenge of more motion (for both of you :))
And great job with the verbals and connections!!!!! You were lovely on all of them!
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
He did well in a noisy environment! Good boy!!!!Tricks – he did well here – you didn’t have to work too hard to get him engaged and he was very energetic 🙂 Remember to reward each trick for now rather than doing several in a row 🙂 You can now start them with him on a leash, so he gets used to having the distraction of the leash involved.
In the second game – it took him a heartbeat to get the remote reinforcement started but he did, good boy! This one is very hard for him – you can make a clearer transition to help him out: have him next to you, let him see you make a big deal of putting your treat skirt down, then walk away. And, you can add a leash to this one too 🙂
Pattern games – he definitely understand the first one with treats tossed out to the side! And he did really well with the neutral distraction too. YAY! The treats on feet and from hands were harder for sure, possibly because they are new or different from what he has seen before? So you can do more of these, but separate sessions of each so the rewards are incredibly predictable (one session for dropping on feet, and one separate session for reward from hand, rather than mixing it up in each session And for this one too… now add the leash in 🙂 We are going to use the leash as the first step to transition them to trials 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
This went really well!!!! She was on fire for that toy!>>I think I need to up my connection game…not sure if this is why she tended to curl into me or if it was brandishing the toy, lol.
Yes, it was totally the connection and she was not being too focused on the toy. When you had low arms and clear eye contact, she was lovely on her line! Looking at :04, she was perfect (you had a low arm and LOTS of eye contact) and compare to :11 where she curled in a little (you had a higher arm, pointing ahead of her, not as much eye contact).
So the low arm pointed back to her and looking at her eyes totally helped!
Look at :26 – you had the toy waving in her face LOL and she never looked at it: she stayed on her line because your motion and connection and low arm looked great.
Looking at the rep that started at about :35 –
Nice low arms and lovely connection all the way through :43. Gorgeous!!!!At :44 , when you cued the left you started to point ahead of her so there was less connection, and she curled in a little.
At :51 you were pointing way ahead of her, which broke connection and turned your shoulders away from the line, and so she didn’t know where to be and did not take the wing. (yes she jumped for the toy but that seemed like the only option LOL and you were correct to reward her 🙂 )You used more motion towards the wing at 1:05 to get her to the wing, but I think the further ahead you get, the more you will want your dog side arm low and pointing back to her, so she can see the connection.
>>Might use a more discreet toy next time.
I don’t think you need to! She loved this toy 🙂 Try more connection and I think she will be perfect 🙂
>>And I forgot my “right right”cue because… no reason.
Totally relatable. It is the panic of running a young dog LOL!
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!!
>>It will take some practice to untrain myself.
Yes, either stand completely still… or be walking back and forth the whole time as long as your change of direction is not a cue for engagement 🙂
On the video:
The roomba was hilarious in the first 2 sections LOL!!! She was great about ignoring it. The first section was a terrific value building session, my only suggestion is to reward that very first interaction and not take the leash off before the reward (you did the fast reward on the 3rd section in the agility ring).
The 2nd section was harder for her, probably a little too hard (took her a long time to come back to the target). You can spread the distractions out mote, and for the get it reset cookies, throw them about a foot away from the target so it is very easy to find her way back to it (and harder to get caught by the distractions).
The 3rd section looked great!!!!Just keep going with these simple value building sessions with your magic piece of cardboard hahaha 🙂 I promise we will make it into some fancier soon 🙂
TracyHi! I love planning FEO runs 🙂 I think there is more UKI happening in your area, I’ll find out and let you know. UKI is most flexible with FEO and there are lots of inexpensive runs 🙂
In general, I work FEO in steps with the dogs letting me know how fast to proceed to the next step.
Step 1 is “just like home” were the toy is in my hand, I play on the way to the start line, I reward a couple of release off the start line, then maybe some fast and fun speed lines (no contacts or weaves, those are too hard when we are trying to make the ring super fun).
So if you have any FEO coming up, that’s what I suggest 🙂
When the dog is super happy with Step 1, we go to Step 2.Step 2 is “just like home part 2” were the reward is very visible and maybe I add 1 contact (a favorite contact). Still TONS of reward and fast lines.
Step 3 is all the things, gradually adding more contacts and weaves and handling, with lots of reward at first then gradually less and less.
Over time, we start to build in remote reinforcement where we have the reward station outside the ring and a hidden toy on the handler. In UKI, a helper can hold the toy.
That helps us fade the toy in the ring and move to full real runs.How long does the process take? The dogs let us know 🙂 I have 3 young dogs working this process right now, the oldest is in Step 2 and the youngest is ready for real runs LOL! I have video and plans for all that coming soon.
Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
2 easy answers for you on this!First is about your line: Every time she does not take the wing, you are blocking her line and the faster you move, the less she can get to the wing without taking you out at the knees 🙂 so when are walk, she can get past you.
The best reps, though, like at :23 and :30 and the first couple on your left – you started on more of an angle, so she could drive to the wing directly without you pushing her off.
So, to be able to add more speed, you can start her on more on an angle (kind of lined up with the far wing of the distraction jump. That way she can accelerate to the wing as you add speed and not have to run in front of you.The 2nd thing is reward placement: you were rewarding either next you you, or ahead of you after the wrap. To get her to consistently fight to get the wrap, throw it way past where the landing spot would be (and no where near you haha). You are rewarding commitment to turning away and taking the wing, rather than finished the wrap.
Those two together should make it much easier to get her to commit as you run.
Let me know if that makes sense!
TracyGood morning!
>>So, this was hard FOR ME. I wasn’t that connected and it shows.
Yes! One of my mantras is to always look at the tunnel exits, very directly. And I also try to look at the dog on the exit of turns to send to the tunnel. I thought your connection on the exit of th wing wraps was really good, the questions here were more about connection to and from the tunnel. Yes, look at her more out of the tunnel and also on the tunnel sends – there was a spot where you were saying tunnel but turning and looking forward, so she didn’t take the tunnel entry you wanted, she came with you (good girl!). You fixed it with more connection and more handling support at approx 1:32 and she got it 🙂 Yay!
This particular game has a lot of handler hustle LOL!!! It helps us get used to our baby speed demons 🙂 She was GREAT here especially about finding those wings at a distance.
>>I was also saying “get in” instead of tunnel which is Gemma’s cue.
The change in cues was to differentiate the get in and the get it? I admit that I use “get out” for some things and “get it” for a marker… and the dogs have no trouble differentiating (because they are smarter than me hahaha)
Other than the connection that you already mentioned, I think the main thing here is to say your directional verbals a lot sooner hen using them on the tunnel. Most were happening as she was already in it, so she was not 100% sure of the exits.
The reps at :26 (go), :58 (left) and 1:12 (right) were examples of when the verbals happened before she was in the tunnel. When I started working tunnel verbal timing, I put a leash on the ground about 4 feet from the tunnel entry, so I have a visual: as soon as the dog was arriving at the leash, I needed to assume tunnel commitment and begin the exit verbal (and for my bigger dogs, the leash was 6 feet away :)) When the weather gets better, try that line and see if it helps with the timing!
Overall, though, her commitment and turns looked terrific. Well done 🙂Tracy
Good morning!
One really notable think about Dellin is that she seems to be able to take her skills into new environments and do them as well as at home, or maybe even a little better. That is both unusual AND super exciting 🙂
On the jumping stuff: I would love to see how this looks in a bigger space (outdoors?) and with a slowly dragging toy (I know, I know, totally NOT traditional Salo :))
The reason I suggest that is on the first set (the set point and then to the jump after it) – she was mainly attacking the grids to sort out how to STOP for the toy, rather than power through. It is really interesting to see! I don’t think the spider was too much pressure, per se – it is more like she was like “what to I do with my hind end to get through this AND stop at the toy”. She was tucking her rear up more than she was powering with it. So more room (meaning, more open space around the setup so there is no visual of ring gating nearby) plus the dragging toy can make a world off difference (but show her this on really low bars at first so we don’t overwhelm her with information to process.
She was doing some of the same on the ladder grid and her striding was different on the early jumps as opposed to the last 2 jumps when the toy was closer. She got better as the toy got further away on the last reps! So, this one can also be interesting with the dragging toy or at least with the toy MILES away so it is about powering through and not about sorting out how to stop 🙂
She did a great job with the wind in her hair outdoors! Hooray for the snow melting! She was great about finding the jump. To get her to drive ahead even more, you can do it so close to the wing that you can touch it and don’t move til she exits the wrap 🙂
One handling thing on this game: Keeping running to the placed toy until it is in her mouth (or if you throw it) – you were decelerating as she was locking onto it and we don’t want to dilute decel by having her blast past it. So run hard like you did in the toy races, like you are trying to get to the toy before she does (you won’t win the race hahahaha) –
She hit one bar at :54 – could have been a bit of fatigue if she did these all in a row, could have been you decelerating as she was lifting off, could have been a simple error on her part, or all of the above 🙂 No worries, as it was unusual for her and she didn’t repeat it.
Great job here! Enjoy the beautiful weekend ahead!
TracyHi!
Very clever to use the MaxPup prop, I didn’t even think of that! Ha!!!! She did well on the shaping session, she remembered it 🙂
On the 2nd video – I thought that was you dancing around in the red outfit at the beginning LOL!
Promise had a harder time here, so for now, keep the distractions a little lower. The other thing you can do is attached the target to something taller so she has to step up onto it. That can make it even more obvious in the enironment as she looks for it with distractions 🙂
She definitely figured it out by the end! NICE!!Great job on these – keep doing these little value building sessions and we will build on it soon 🙂
Tracy
