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Good morning!
Don’t worry LOL!!!! The main thing here is:
>> she is not centering her jumping.
Because she isn’t jumping LOL! She is striding at a run. So, nothing to center because she doesn’t have to jump – it is actually a little too easy for her. It isn’t early takeoff because she is not taking off. The distance between the jumps doesn’t fits the running stride to be centered, which is easy to change.
So let’s now ask her to jump. Her form and understanding of how this works is perfect – my only suggestion is to drag the toy slowly before the release, and to be less exciting (you had a pretty exciting body posture, so be upright and dragging the toy as we add bars).
For the next session – yes, bring the jumps in to 5 feet and let’s put some bars in. Ideally, you can lock them in at 6” to show it to her as it will be a bit different, but if you can’t lock them in, no worries. Show her the grid without the dragging toy at first (dead toy on the ground), so she doesn’t try to hurry with the new challenge of jumping. In a session or two, you can go to adding the dragging back in (in a very calm manner LOL)
I don’t get too wrapped up in centering the jumping form on these grids – yes, we try to find the sweet spot of distance but many talented jumpers don’t center themselves on the grids. As long as their form is good, I don’t worry about it because it is possible they are just finding the most efficient style (2 of my dogs don’t center on the grids and they have lovely jumping form).
Nice work! Let me know what you think!
TracyOoh a seminar! Yay! You can use a ton of these games and reinforcement! Make it easy and fun for him, to really pump up the reinforcement value 🙂 Keep me posted!
Good morning!
This is all good info!
How does she do when she watches you run Joy? Have you tried to let her watch you play/interact with Joy, then someone hands her to you and you run Tango? I have done this with my Hot Sauce pup and watching really fuels her fire.
>> Yes, but why? If I only knew the answer.
About the environment – likely a combination. She trends towards not being comfortable in crowds or tight spaces, could be an underlying anxiety about people/dogs/noise. And she trends towards being stronger in earlier runs, which could mean she is tired and depleted later in the day, even when it is quieter (like Sunday afternoon). Plus, her generation was not raised with FEO options and also we didn’t really bridge the gap between training and trials that well in terms of reinforcement, so there might be residual issues due to remote reinforcement and lack of reinforcement in the ring. It is all good to consider while you look for the answers.
Based on what you have been saying – she trends towards doing better when she is in the higher state of arousal that games produce. These games involve choice and offering (smorgasbord, foot targeting, etc). These seem to be more effective than cued games like cuing tricks. So you can try to replace the action tricks with offering tricks, where you can shape behavior. The 2 hand game is an offering trick, the foot targeting is offering, and pattern games are offering tricks too. And you can use your instant focus prop as an offering game outside the ring – bring it with you ringside and use it there to do some shaping.
My guess is because of how you raised her (shaping) there is a super long happy history with these games, so she gets a flood of happy chemicals (<——— scientific name hahaha) when you do those and that helps with arousal state which then bubbles into the ring. Let me know if that makes sense - I love trying to find patterns in the data. When is your next trial? This weekend? TracyHi!
Yes, it is a bit of a busy trial environment. But no worries!! It is Novice so it should be a little quieter.Think of it as a data gathering adventure 🙂 Is FAST a morning class or an afternoon class? Ideally, you would be able to practice her games outside the ring while other dogs are running… but not actually run 🙂 So, a couple of minutes of pattern games, some engaged chill, some action tricks, etc. It would be nice to do that once or twice before you do it “for real” to see what will help the most when you do it for real.
And, for a very first baby dog run: I suggest going in with a plan and start area where you can just start running. So when you go in, and if she looks pretty, engaged, you can take the leash off and wait for a heartbeat. If she is able to offer a bit of engagement by looking at or towards you, start the run! Yay!
Choose a path that is fast and fun and easy to stay connected. Pick a spot or two to reward.And what happens on Saturday will let us know about sunday. Phone a friend for sure! And video all the things.
And remember that this is both exciting and generally unimportant in the big picture 🙂 If it goes well – great! It if it doesn’t go well? Also great! Either way, we will learn more about what she needs to help kick off a great career 🙂
Let me know what you think!
TracyHi! This went super well 🙂
She seemed to have no trouble moving away from the reward station, no problem at all! Only one moment of attempting to eat the treats off the counter LOL! I mean, it was worth a try to just eat them LOL!!! She did all of her tricks and line ups quickly, and held her stay 🙂 She was funny with the “ready” stay – technically, “let’s go” can be a release but she is very strict with herself LOL!! And she was so funny running across the table at the end – I am sure that is not smiled upon during daily life but it was the shortest route to the reward here, so…. LOL!because this was pretty perfect, you can take it to other places – out to your yard, to the training field, etc. to bring this game to as many places as possible. You can also play it at the trial (but you will still have the toy for the FEO run).
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
I think the behavior modification and the cerenia are great! You can totally do tricks and games near the car, but do really simply silly ones that you won’t need anywhere else. She might be associating them with the car so you want to keep them really simple and fun 🙂T
Hi! Congrats on your massive success at NAC!!! You must be on a well-deserved high 🙂 yay!
And I am glad that Promise did so well too – you were cracking my up in those videos, having a heart attack each she looked away LOL!!! Totally funny but also totally relatable hahahaha!
She did really well in the videos and it sounds like she also did really well with the other games that are not on the videos.>>I’m not near as nervous about this Saturday’s FEO.>>
So, what is your plan? What is the site like, what do you want to do? has she been there before? I have suggestions of course 🙂 Play the pattern games when you arrive, do some tricks, do some engaged chill – try to get her relaxed in the environment without also getting ready for the run. And see what toy you might want to use in that moment. For the run, since it her very first (SO EXCITING), I suggest playing on the way to the line, letting her see you have the toy, maybe starting with some off leash offered engagement and then sending her to a jump or tunnel (not asking for a stay, because stays are hard and we want her to have a BLAST).
How many FEO runs did you enter? Keep me posted!
TracyHi!
In the early stages, I have treats in my hands, as many as I can hold without dropping them. Then when the dog is very proficient at the game after multiple successful experiences, you can start with one in your hand then eventually empty hands and treats in your pockets.Tracy
Hi –
>> I had to euthanize a friend’s heart dog and agility dog after a tragic accident and Shelly had to euthanize one of the old dogs.Ugh that is the worst. I am so sorry for all of you. So hard 🙁 especially after an accident. It is hard enough when the dogs are old and have lived a full life, but a life cut short is just the worst.
>>On a happier note I have come to the following conclusions:
1. Being out 5-7 min before our run is our comfort zone.>>Good to know!
>>2. Our routine struggles when it is on a tighter timeline.
Instant focus games will help! And reframing things as a toolbox, not a routine will help. When you are on a tighter timeline, which elements did you feel were skipped or rushed?
>>3. Even where we struggled it is much better than 6mos ago.
Huzzah!!!! You’ve been focusing on it and it is great to see how well she is doing!!
>>4. I need a treat bin by the door so when I walk in with dog on leash and have no cookies on my I can reward removing the leash.>>
Brilliant! Because we are trying to condition a response, having access to the food in all of these moments will help you build that response really well!!!
Looking at the videos – what were you overall impresson of the runs? I htought they looked good. The start jump was always obscured by a gate or something – was she able to offer engagement when the leash came off? It looks like she was able to play on the way to the start line on these, so next steps would be to cue a trick and then play.
The big crating space near the ring is like a giant buffet of distractions, so if she goes to the end of the leash to investigate, you can move further away and then re-start your entry to the area using the pattern games before she gets too close.
I think the pattern games helped her a LOT when she got ramped up by things in ring! Yay! And I was really happy to see the engaged chill: on the first video, you both exited the engaged chill moment into the volume dial with focus, engagement and intent – it was very cool!
And lots of ignoring Teresa! Sorry, Teresa! Not sorry. LOL!!!
One thing I thought about after watching these: you can do patterns and engaged chill and volume dial and leash off engagement games when you are NOT about to run (you might already be doing this). That way, coming to the ringside area is not always associated with the run. Sometimes it is just to hang out, sometimes to play games… and sometimes to actually run. If being ringside is more commonly associated with the actual run, the arousal gets harder to control.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
Being outside went well! And doing baby levels outside is great because the environment is much harder!The tight blinds are going well! Being in a new environment with bigger distances is hard for both of you! You can spend time just doing tricks outside for cookies, so he can focus more (lots of good smells to ignore :))
Bear in mind that the bigger distance changes things, so he was at his best when you were really connected, lots of eye contact 🙂 It will get easier as he gets more experienced. In general, I think the tight blind work went REALLY well!! On the big diamond run around the outside, just pump your arms and connect to his eyes – don’t point to the line with your arm because it actually breaks connection when you are ahead and causes your shoulders to turn away from the line, which is why he came off the line at 1:49.
Strike a pose – this also went well! He really seemed to nail the difference between the serp and the tunnel cues! You can reward some stays so he knows to stay, even in the great outdoors (ESPECIALLY in the great outdoors LOL!). Only one suggestion:
You are too far from the serp jump, so you can get closer to it. As you get into position, I want you to reach out and touch the wing with a relaxed arm (with slightly bent elbow) teehee!! You will be very close.
Being too far gets him to come in but you don’t get the 2nd turn that is needed on a the serp
On the tunnel sends, you were in better serp position so you should be in that position (or closer) for the serps too.
And if he does just fine with you closer to the jump? Add motion 🙂Wind in your hair – rear crosses
>>And why did I keep saying “Ready?” to him in the middle of the sequence?!? I must be nuts>>
I think that was partially your way of trying to get connection 🙂
The connection on the start wing was the hardest part. The GO went really well when you had connection, so start really close to the start wing and don’t move forward or say go til you have him on the correct side.
Was there a bar on the blue jump? That will help him have something to lock onto.On the RCs – he is going to be just fine with these, he was able to read them already! When you have a more visible bar, you’ll be able to run more to the center of the bar to set the RCs even more. For verbals – remember to use your left and right verbals rather than saying Go: the Go behavior (no lead change, stay straight) is different than the RC behavior (lead change, turn away)
Find the jump – I agree, this went really well!
A couple of little details:
– Keep moving as you throw the toy so you don’t dilute decel
– You can reward some tunnel sends so he doesn’t peel off it to get to the reward faster, when you send and try to get ahead. I think that is what happened on the one rep where he skipped the tunnel.So now, take it outside – repeat what you did here and if he is fine, add more distance 🙂 Wheeee! And then after then, a couple of sessions down the road outside, you can add in driving deeper to the tunnel so he accelerates ahead of you to the jump. Keep throwing the toy early and often 🙂
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
The horse was hilarious! And you handled it perfectly. LOL!! Good boy, Dice, that is a lot of distraction! And I feel your pain about the wing, it is the windy time of year here too, rolling down off the mountains.The Diamond game is looking great!
The tight blinds work best when you keep your hands in tight to your ribs – on the first binds here your arms were a little further away, which makes it harder to do them really quickly. You can have your elbows bent and touching your ribs, to make the quickest blind while still being connected. And you can trust his commitment to the wing more to start the blind sooner when running into them after the tunnel – see him exit the tunnel and when he is maybe halfway between the tunnel and the wing, you can start the blind (while you are running the whole time, of course LOL!) And remember to have the toy in the dog side arm to start so it is shown across yur body for hte reward, like you did at 1:25). Great job with the quick blinds at the end – nice connection and toy placement, with arms tight to your ribs! He was a little wider on the first on ehre, but I think by starting so close he was guessing it was a tunnel cue. He was great on the last one!
The big extension about the 3 wings looks great. As you run these, you can bend your elbows here too and run run run rather than have an arm extended to indicate the line or wings. Connection and running is probably all he needs 🙂
There was only one moment of uncertainty – at :56 you said left when he was near the wing then turned then said go, so he was correct to turn left and you did a good job continuing on even though I don’t think it is what you wanted LOL!
On the jump grid:
>.. He was definitely moving faster through the grid for the moving toy, but I’m curious to know what you think about his jumping. Do I need to adjust the spacing of the jumps, or are we ok?
His head is nice and low, form is good! Striding looks good! What was the distance between the jumps when they were straight? I think moving them 6 inches closer might be the sweet spot. He was landing a little close to the bar but a lot of dogs work these grids like that and it is fine 🙂 So try making them 6 inches closer and see how it goes.
Great job here!
TracyHi!
These looked great! And she definitely started adding more speed, which was causing you to have to add more speed too LOL! So on the next session, keep the slight angle of the jump and MM position, and add more of your motion. the upper body cue looked great, so just add more speed on the line to challenge her. You can start with a jog and increase to a run as long as she is still successful.
Great job!
TracyGood morning!
>> I’m never mastered the tight turn BC. I literally have to think about which way to turn, which hand to use and I can’t spit out a verbal while I’m thinking about it all. Here’s my feeble attempt. Sprite was a trouper! I run and grab toy toy. Fun!>>
This was not feeble at all! Lots of great work here! I have some mechanics ideas for you and no worries about the verbals for now until the mechanics feel more comfy. And Sprite totally thought it was a hoot LOL!
I think the main thing is to keep moving, keep moving, never stand still or take tiny steps in place on any of the starts and exits of the turns. Yes, you can decelerate into them but then move away immediately. The moments when you were standing still were when it probably felt a bit weird 🙂
A couple of ideas to help with that suggestion:
Also always do a turn and burn for the reward, meaning run away from the wrap or tight blind or tunnel exit so she so she doesn’t stop (she chases you for the reward) and you don’t get in the habit of little steps and stops (you did a great turn and burn at :29, for example!)
You can also bend your elbows when you run – straight locked elbows promote shorter steps and stopping and bent elbows will get you moving more with bigger steps. Your arms can swing at your sides – your connection is great so you TOTALLY can swing your arms around more.
When working the tight blinds, the staying-in-motion will really help (plan your running line to the next wing and run it without her a few times) – at :53, 1:00 and 1:07 you were stopping too much, so the turn and burn exits will really help keep you in motion. 1:54 was my favorite tight blind because you kept moving – that set up a lovely turn and a lovely running line!
Same with the spins and the figures-8 front crosses – stay in motion and connect back to her eyes rather than standing still – on all of them, move away like a turn and burn (even if there is no place to go, you can decelerate at the next wing :))
And to help you stay in motion: The FCs and the Spins both start the same way, with a FC and handler moving away. With the FC, you keep the connection on the new side as you continue to move away. With the spins, as you move away, you then do the BC to the original side. You are tending to stand still and do the spins, which is causing you to have to do them very fast and also causing you to remain in one spot (like at 2:02) So think of the spins differently, in terms of rhythm:
front… then… blind as you are moving away. Don’t worry about the timing or verbals for now, just keep moving 🙂 with bent elbows like you are being chased by a dog (because you are LOL!)And big happy dance for how well she ran the big diamonds around the outside at :44 and again at 1:41! She was fast and accurate, which is especially impressive after all of the tight turns. YAY!!! Loved it!!
Let me know what you think! The mechanics will help make the BCs and spins feel more comfortable and you’ll also be able to stay way ahead of her (and Gemma too!)
Great job 🙂
TracyGood morning!
Definitely keep working on getting that wicket t be a happier place, to get that 18″ measurement 🙂The tunnel exit game is looking good – the main thing that will answer all of her questions is:
more connection, less pointing 🙂When you point forward to the wing or try to get her attention with a hand – that breaks connection and she doesn’t know where to go, s she either slows down to ends up on the wrong side of you. Try to make very direct eye contact with her as you move up the line after the tunnel, whether it is the turn or the Go line and don’t point forward at all (this is MUCH easier to say than to do LOL!!!)
You can see her little questions (slowing down, looking at you) at :05 and :11 when she exits after a tunnel turn cue. And on the Go line after the tunnel, I think the connection will work better than dropping the hand in front of her (that causes her to stop and wait at :23,:33, :39, 1:19, 1:32 and 1:38).
You can see she was much faster at :48 where there was more connection and less pointing. At :55, there was not enough connection, though, so she didn’t know which side to be on.
And at 1:01 and 1:09, exiting the wing to the tunnel, connection was much clearer, you were moving, connected, and not pointing – so she was fast fast fast! Yay!And I think that connection versus pointing was why she didn’t love the racetrack – you were pointing ahead so she was not sure where to be, then you slowed down, so she slowed down. You can spread the wings out so you both run more, and try to just pump your arms and run, looking at her eyes the whole time (no pointing 🙂 )
So for your next session, the challenge is to run, pumping your arms, but not pointing, and trying to connect back to her eyes the whole time. It takes practice but it will make it easier for you both!
Great job 🙂 Let me know what you think!
TracyWelcome back, I hope you two had a great vacation!!!!
The Blind Crosses are looking good! Because of his speed and because of the quickness needed on the reconnection – keep your arms in really tight to your rib cage. Having your arms bent (I call them chicken wings haha)will allow you to rotate faster and show the new connection faster. If your arms float through the blinds (they were a bit floaty here, out away from your bodies) the reconnection is delayed so the timing is later, making the turn wider 🙂
You can see some chicken wing arms here:
The only other suggestion is that if you feel like you might end up too far ahead and have to send to the wing on the blinds, you can strategize to run deeper into the tunnel – the tight blinds work best when you can move into them the whole time, without having ti decel/set up a send then try to do the BC really fast 🙂
Great job with your connection on the exits of both the BCs and the wraps after it!! He seemed to always know where to go and that is GREAT when doing BCs!!
And as they get more and more comfy, you can start the BCs sooner 🙂 When he exits the tunnel and you are moving towards the wing, start the BC as soon as you see him look at the wing (he might be approx halfway between the wing and the tunnel) to see if you can get the BC finished in time to see him arriving at the wing. I think :22 was the best (earliest) timing here.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
