[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning! I am so glad you went and it looks like it was totally worth it! Nuptse looked super happy and you were able to add in different levels of challenge to be able to move to the jump with and then without the reinforcement. He looked like he was ready to run the course (and no one even batted an eyelash as you were training LOL!!!). Cool beans – chalk this one up as a ‘win’ in the training department.

So with that in mind – is the UKI trial at Amanda’s next weekend? We can plan for that: how to use it for training and for real runs too 🙂

Great job! Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

>> Question for you… is there any way to set up this forum so that the current messages are at the top and not the bottom?

There should be – we had it and now it looks like an update changed it. Hmmm, let me ask the programmer and see what changed and how we can change it back.

>>For some reason, I have to log into agility-u every time I start my laptop and that means I have to go through the process of finding the course, clicking on the course (big tiles for each course and the most current one is at the bottom), then navigate to the forum again. Then I have to scroll to the bottom of my topic. Is there any easier way? Is there a way to keep me logged in?>>

When logging in, clicking the ‘Remember Me’ box under the Login button should do it. If it logs you out each time after that, it is your computer settings that would be doing that (if you have it set to clear history or cache or log out each time – one of my devices is set to that and so log in each time for that one). It should then take you to My Courses which let’s you choose the course and then the forum is clickable on that page. There is an extra click or two after getting in from the home page, we’ve looked at quicker routes in but the software doesn’t support it all that well.

>>You had originally mentioned that my outside arm wasn’t used on Course 1. It is impossible to see from the screenshots, but when I zoom out/widen the video on my iPad and look at it, I am actually using it…. but it’s much lower. I can use a higher outside arm with Differ and it doesn’t make a difference (everything is high for her, LOL). With Pose, my arms need to stay low.>>

Yes – I think that is the key, the arm height. The higher arm with Pose changed your outside shoulder (made it more obvious, like the turn away cue), plus better position/motion on the FC that worked. High arm might swing your opposite side across more and then inhibits the inside arm from dropping back. So subtle but the dogs process that so quickly.

>>I have spent a great deal training remote reinforcements for both dogs to prepare them for entering the ring. I love the pattern games from CU and this is great!!>>

Yes, the CU pattern applications have been a great addition for the dogs! So much good useful info. I wish we had video of the Doberman at Animal Inn who went from highly reactive to doing nice agility in a relatively short time with a pattern game (yay!!)

>>For the layered arousal verbals… I’m a bad trainer.

Never! You’re more of a diligent trainer with priorities. Based on what you mentioned, I think the down or the stand/stop would be great! I ask people to avoid downs and stands for this game because for so many dogs, those aren’t necessarily responses to cues but more like approximations or defaults. I use downs a lot too 🙂 and haven’t really trained good stands at all except in a conditioning context LOL!

I never liked Pose’s sit as a puppy, so I didn’t teach it unt

Neither dog has a solid action based skill that is on a verbal cue (bad trainer). It’s not that I’ve avoided this, it’s that I’ve spent all of my free time teaching other things. 😉

>> But I’ll have to think more of an action skill. Most of the skills I’ve worked on with then have been stillness (mental) skills.>>

Same here, for quite a while – the verbals were all based on stationary positions. I added in action behaviors because I wanted the dogs to also be able to move while I move – which is what happens when I am yelling and flailing around on course 🙂 And I am working on behaviors that require hind end work, like backing up (which is why I also like the sit: hind end work while I am moving, which is nice for weave entries and turning on a jump).

Hope that makes sense! Enjoy your weekend 🙂
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi! Nothing painful about watching this! All sorts of good moments and good training opportunities!

On the big course:
The opening line looked good – yes, the slice at 3 is better than the wrap but the wrap is better than running into the fence 🙂 He did well, he is really good at those backside wraps!!!

Weaves – I really think he has trouble trying to watch you and finish the weaves where he has to turn away from you – on the first rep where he missed the exit, he was totally watching you. And then on the 2nd rep, he got it but didn’t know where to look for the reward – that was an insightful moment! For training, I think you can leave a reward out to the side away from you (like a MM) and reward him from there, remotely, for finishing and NOT watching you 🙂 That will really help!

He had a bar down at :43 on jump 8 – I think the cue can be earlier (exit of previous jump) or even stronger, like a spin – he was looking at the frame and then changed direction over the bar.

Teeter – he is also watching you for rewards and handling info here, so stopping short until you stop and re-cue the behavior. As with the weaves, a remote reward placed out away from you will help him get the behavior without watching the momma 🙂

After the weaves – Yes, as you mentioned, you were blocking the wing at :55. He got it on the next rep, but the slice will be faster – he is REALLY good with those wrap but the slice will still be faster based on the exit line and the lack of collection needed to get to the exit line. I have all sorts of obsessing on that stuff coming in the next set of games/sequences 🙂

Really strong dog walk!!!! You can see if he will allow you to keep moving while he stops. And super lovely weaves here!! When he is on your left: Note how at 1:17 and at 1:34 he is able to watch you AND complete the weaves… that lends creedence to the theory that his struggle when he is on your right in the opening is more about not being able to weave AND watch you but that is easily fixed with reward placement 🙂

You had a little bit of a late push out to the jump cue at 1:22 then disconnected so he came off the frame, you were much clearer at 1:39. It looks like he got his frame contact at 1:22 but it was MUCH better at 1:40!

Onwards to the sequence:
The opening looked great – 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 was easy peasy for him

Yes, the right cue for that 8-9 line was tricky!!
Using the stronger physical cue like at :24 totally helped – but then it was handling that made the difference to show 9. Ideally you would remain parallel and connected to keep ing him on the line to 9. You were pulling away there at :25 and at :31, for example, and the motion was pulling him in. Other contributing factors as you did that were that you were calling his name and pointing forward to the jump – but the pointing pulls your shoulders forward which indicates he should come into the gap and not take 9, especially when you were calling him. Rewarding him on the line served a dual purposed: it helped him see what you wanted, and also got you more connected (no pointing:)) and more parallel to his line. Perfect! So that made a massive difference later in the session, like at 1:56.

Wrap @ 11- he had a rear cross on that one the first time at 2:00, and it was the style of cue delivery that caused it (even with the correct verbal): at 2:00 he was approaching and you had your left arm swooshing out towards the RC line, plus you were sideways to the jump. That plus the step to takeoff created rear cross pressure.
You had more of a transition (accelerate, decelerate, rotate) at 2:10 and less step to takeoff – nice wrap! And better rotation at 2:18 and he had fewer questions about the wrap. I think because he is such a good turning dog that you can accelerate for longer before you decel and rotate – he might end up a little wider but that will be faster overall.
He had a little question (looked at you) on the last 2 jumps because you were decelerating a little.

Final run – NICE! The opening looked good and he was lovely 8-9 (and you were lovely too – very connected and staying on your line really well). You nailed the transition into the wrap at 11. And also nailed the ending line with more acceleration.
Based on this run, I think the only thing to play with is adding more acceleration into 11 to see how it changes the wrap – wider and faster? Or, is the very collected wrap faster? We can do both and compare times.

Great job here! Let me know what you think and enjoy your weekend!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!
We are getting ready to start the live class in about 10 minutes. See ya soon! And it will be recorded and posted if you can’t join us live.
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning! (Or evening for you haha!)

Yes, getting the skills where we want them while we are running is the most complex part of agility and takes a couple of years 🙂 So we all keep working it!

>> How did you do that comparison video of your two dogs

I use iMovie on my ipad – for the videos this week is used the Split Screen feature, and for the games coming in the next package I did overlays using the green screen feature. Easy to do when you get the hang of it and perfect for obsessing hahahaha!! I can make a video of how it works if you have iMovie.

On the baselines – these are great! The more I am obsessing, the more we can see what will work best. Your dogs are in that medium size range where for the most part – wider is going to be faster. Some thoughts on the videos about where you can play with other options and then compare, then we will know for sure what is fastest.

Mr. Hero:
There were a couple of spots where he had questions: you can call him sooner before he enters that first tunnel #3. Then on the right cue at :08, he landed then had to balance and then turn and power out… which means you can cue the right and leave sooner (when he lands from 4 is when you should start cuing it and leaving). He doesn’t need to be tighter, he just needs to know sooner so he can power through it.
8-9 looked GREAT, I suggest NO changes but you can try to tighten it and see if it is faster – you can tighten it with decel. I bet you it won’t be faster, though 🙂
On the tight wrap at jump 11: decel just as he is exiting the tunnel and rotate sooner (:17) to tighten it a bit – this is a place where we can see if a little more collection is tighter, just by making the cue earlier.

Then he had a question on the closing line – he jumped towards you on the 2nd to last jump at :22 then had to land and push back out – so connect sooner and cue that jump when he is still a stride or two before takeoff from the 2nd to last jump, so he can smooth out the line.

Ruse: I think this is going to be really helpful in terms of how tight she actually needs to turn, to produce the winning times!
One thing for her, on all the tunnels: call her or give the right cue before she enters – you tend to cue the tunnel then get quiet then call her right before exit, so she is wider than needed there. Try to call her or say ‘right’ when she is still a meter from the entry so she knows where to go on the exit.
You can try to tighten up the 4-5-6 line with more decel – this will be a good comparison! I thought her 4-5-6 looked really great, though, and I think she is going to be like my Hot Sauce on those types of lines: let them go as wide as they want as long as they are going the right direction, so they can lay on the speed in full on extension.

The 8-9 turn also looked great here – as with Hero, you can play with tightening it up with more decel but I don’t think it will be faster if we ask her to add strides.

I also thought her wrap looked good at the 11 jump. This is a good place for comparison – try rotating sooner and when you rotate, look her right in the eye and use a low hand to get her to really collect before the jump… then we will compare 🙂 Is tighter faster for her? Or wider? She is very flexible and quick, so she might be able to be super quick in and out of the collection, making it faster because there is less yardage. Or…. she has to slow down to collect and that is slower… we shall find out!

The ending line looked great – that is the timing to use with Hero too.

Great baselines here! I am looking forward to seeing the comparisons!!

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning and welcome back! I love that she has an Instagram page 🙂 And the herding stuff sounds like so much fun 🙂
You’ll have plenty of time to play with the games here – I think you find they build nicely onto each other so you won’t have a hard time building the skill or setting up the games 🙂
enjoy your weekend!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!
These went really well!
One thing in general (and the most important thing, I believe):
Terrific connection throughout!! That is difficult with young dogs but also incredibly important, and you nailed it. YAY!!!

On the speed circles, just little details because overall they went really well:
On the simple speed circles at the beginning:
At :11 you showed an upside arm before the send to the pinwheel jump but you didn’t do it going the other way, you just connected and ran. Maybe the outside arm there was to help connect? You were pretty darned connected though, so you can just run 🙂 no outside arm needed there.

Front cross wraps:
Looking at both directions, I think we can change one little detail and tighten them up: On the crosses at 1:00 and 1:30, it looks like you were decelerating too soon then staying in decel, so he didn’t see the change of pace between the red (pinwheel) jump and the wrap, so he was a little wide and the FC was a little late. So after he comes out of the tunnel, run with a lot of acceleration to the jump after the tunnel and the pinwheel jump, getting ahead of him. AS he lands from the pinwheel jump, then you start decelerating, and as he passes you: do the FC (if you get to the FC wing before he lands, you can hang out there until he is close to it, then FC and run). That decel indicates the turn is coming so we don’t want to use it until we are ready for the turn.

The push to the backside (ending line) went well! You mentioned the BC being rough, it looked pretty good to me LOL! It was a little late and maybe a little awkward feeling because there was not a lot of momentum going into it. The blind there can come sooner: as soon as you see him approaching the wing to get to the backside, start the blind (before he even gets to the wing). This is the timing you used at 1:59 and it was great there on the FC 🙂

Great job here!!! Let me know what you think! Enjoy the weekend 🙂

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning! These looked fabulous! Mo definitely likes the action here 🙂
On your first go line – my only suggestion is to drop your shoulders forward and keep accelerating all the way through the toy throw, so he doesn’t see decel get diluted with a toy thrown out ahead.
He did beautifully on the wrap, you can play with decelerating sooner (as he is landing from the previous jump, which is probably what he adult timing will turn out to be) and see if he can commit).
The rear cross looked great – it is very cool to see a young dog be able to effortlessly do a RC after a wrap towards the momma!!!!
On the last go line – he did well here too! You can help him feel the joy of leaving you in the dust (sorry not sorry haha) by running in closer to the tunnel so he learns to drive further and further ahead of you (throw the toy as soon as he looks forward, you don’t need to wait for him to land to throw it).

Great job here! We do a lot of turn stuff with the youngsters, so keep adding in the GO lines like you did here so he gets that great balance of go fast AND turn tight 🙂

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!
I am glad you posted the videos, it gives us ideas on what to focus on!

For Te on Course 2:
Getting the backside on 2 was hard and gave us good info:
I think you made it harder on yourself by having him come ot the backside entry on the side clsoer to the tunnel – the backside slice entry on the side further from the tunnel is easier and also a better line 2-3-4 because he exits the tunnel looking right at that entry, and when he lands from the slice, he is looking right at the 3-4 line without needing much more handling.

On your first backside cue at :13, you were already facing forward and pointing when he exited the tunnel, so he didn’t read it as a backside push. You had much better timing of starting that cue at :20 – having him do the backside on that side is part of why the bar came down – you had to wait longer to be able to leave, so you ended up in the way as he was jumping.

Doing it as a threadle on 2 gets you out of the way sooner and he did well reading it! But then put you in a bad spot for 3 at :51, so the bar came down there. I think doing the backside slice the other direction will make it all easier.

When you got him 3-4 on your right, the line looked good and you had plenty of time to get a blind to slice to the outside of 5 (the wrap is slower and harder or you both) – always try to find the slice lines for him and almost never wrap – the slices are almost always easier and faster, with the wraps being harder and slower.

He was very close to getting those weaves! Remember to keep moving forward, for now – I think he was coming out on your rotation or decel. When you sent him back to them and faced forward for longer, he got them really nicely! And yes, keep training them and throwing the rewards so he is not as focused on you.

On the 2nd time through the line after the weaves, this is another keep moving moment: at 1:14, keep moving through to the tunnel until he is turned and heading towards it – you stopped and started moving away before he was turned towards it. And if something happens and you and he get into discussions, settle him with a trick reward, then reset rather than arguing with him – that way he doesn’t rehearse arguing or jumping up.

On the next rep there, you were MUCH better moving through the line at 1:30 for the RC to the tunnel!! So nice!!!! And I think the line at 1:35 will be better as a slice not a wrap – always look for those slice lines – that will set him up better for the tunnel entry after it too. That backside tunnel entry with you running was really hard, so it is another good one to keep working while you stay in motion. Being able to stay in motion will make it easier to stay connected and drive him to the last tunnel.

On the 2nd video with Veloz: I don’t think he was too high or unfocused – I think you were hanging back too much so he was not getting as much info as needed, and that caused questions.
On the opening line, rear crossing the jump 3 put you way behind for the opening – you can send him away to tunnel #1 (he has great tunnel sends!) which would give you plenty of time to BC between the two jumps before the purple tunnel. Being too far behind caused the off course on the #6 backside at :26. Putting a BC between the jumps in the opening might not get you to the BC after the 2nd tunnel but you will be closer to the lines, which helps the jumping too! When you were hanging back and getting behind, he had to multi-task the line and the jumping, so he drops bars while trying to sort the line.

The independent weaves were hard for him, so you can isolate this with open weaves and a reward target out ahead – he wants to look at you and we need him to not look at you, and not need you to help him there 🙂

He really read the last line well, even with you behind from helping with the weaves! Bit being behind causes little questions which cause bars, so we will definitely keep emphasizing independence so you don’t get as far behind (and might even be ahead on some lines! Yay!!!

>>Fusion is so much easier to run- she is slower at the moment but every time she is speeding up. just more and more work on distractions needed.

Slower for now is perfect – it gives her time to sort things out and then when she is faster, she will be able to execute more independently.

Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!
It looks like he was committing just fine, but I think he is not all that into food during this session, so we can make it more exciting for sure 🙂
A couple of ideas for you:
– this is the most boring idea: toss the treat, let him eat it, then move again as soon as he looks up. You did this a little and he seemed to like it better than you being super lazy LOL!
– ok, a less boring idea is that as soon as he eats the treat, you can play tug before moving forward to the next jump. This is mainly to raise the value of food rewards in this context but will also make for more commitment too 🙂
– he might like this – walk briskly towards the jumps (or jog) and toss the reward after every 1 or 2 jumps. And it can be food or it can be a toy if that is an actual real reinforcement in this situation 🙂

I think you can also more into the one-step sends where you have more action, as well as the sequences – action and toys are part of his reward systems already, so do continue to use some food but follow it with toys and action.

Let me know if that makes sense! He is doing a good job of giving us feedback on what he thinks of the rewards LOL so we can shift a bit to make it more fun 🙂

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!
Nice work on these sequences – she is committing really beautifully and is also super responsive – such a nice balance!!!!

>> And I need to remember…the little smarty pants is only 8 1/2 months.>>

Yes, that is good to remember especially when jumping is involved and when you decide what/when to reward. More below 🙂

First video with the FC and BCs – two general things I see here (and on the next video too) that will help get these even smoother:
– you can trust her more on the line after the tunnel and be further ahead and more lateral, which will get you into the FC or BC position sooner. You were helping her more than needed so it was making you late to the FC or BC.
– when rotating, your arms were high (above shoulder level) and that was slowing you down – if you can keep your arms low and tight to you, you will be even quicker which will smooth the lines out too.

For example, at :07 on the first run, your arm got high and forward so she didn’t see connection and hit the wing of the jump.

For the wrap to the outside after the FC or BC, you can decel and send to the jump, which wil make it easier to maintain the connection as she exits that jump (like at :10, for example)

But also important, especially with a young dog – when there is a handling error, reward her anyway. If she ends up on the wrong line or off course? Handler error! So, she gets paid 🙂 So at :10 she didn’t know where to be and your disconnection looked like a blind, so she was correct: but you withheld reward and used a “you’re wrong” marker (whoopsie). That will create frustration behaviors such as jumping up for the toy (which she did here) or slowing down. So – any handler error still means she gets rewarded 🙂 And if you think it was her error? Reward anyway then look at the video, where you might see that it was not her error 🙂

On the crosses – I think eventually the BC will be the best bet here, but it is good to practice
the FC too! You were a little too close to the jump after the tunnel so you were late on the crosses at :24 and :40, so being further ahead of that jump will help the timing start sooner.

More thoughts on reinforcement:
After the cross at :40, you sent to the jump but had a disconnection at :42 so she ended up on the other side of you but she read your motion and saved the line at :43. Good girl! When she exited the tunnel at :48 and she came towards you – you withheld the reward by moving it away from you which looked like she didn’t get rewarded – try to get that reward to her right away, either from your hand or thrown. You might have given her a reward after the edit there but the reward will be more powerful if it is immediate.

You had really good position at 1:07 for the BC!!! Yay! And nice low arms there too. You can start to trust her more and start the BC sooner, when you see she has landed from the previous jump.

We got good info about what she reads as turn cues at 1:24 with the FC there – you were running forward and outside arm came up at the perfect time… but the outside arm is not a noticeable turn cue for her and she doesn’t respond until she sees the rotation starting, so you ended up being late. Good to know! You can keep your arms low and start the rotation sooner.

On the 2nd video -Yes, you can totally reward more stays! And also be super consistent about what the release is, exactly. Yes, she broke the stay at :19 but you went with it then discussed it with her at the end of the run (she was all like “what?” LOL!). If that happens, the next set of stays should all be reinforced with short lead outs so there is success – I think it was unfair to set up again and to give a verbal correction on the rep after that and then do proofing stuff after that where she failed again… and then at 1:00 you ran but the release was motion-based and the verbal as unclear. So…. I think you will need to emphasize what you like about the stay behavior and reward reward reward reward rather otherwise it will get frustrating for you both.

She responded really well to the crosses here (mostly FCs) – keep trusting her to get the jump after the tunnel so you can keep your arms nice and low, and be further ahead to start the crosses when she has landed from the jump.

She dropped a bar at 1:10 (you had a disconnection as she as over it plus the surface looked a little deep perhaps) – I think the bar here plus the wing push in the first video are more rehearsal of touching bars than I would want at her age (plus she didn’t get rewarded which can have other fallout) – so because she is so young, I suggest either using jump bumps for handling or 4″ bars with the bars locked in by putting the jump cups inside the bar (if the bar is hollow and open on the ends). That way you can practice the various timing things and she won’t rehearse bars down. She is both processing the cues and sorting out jumping mechanics, so it is better to do them separately for now before adding them back together.

>>We really struggled with the BC to tunnel. I felt based on my position in relation to the tunnel, a FC would have been the better handling choice, but this was a BC exercise and we should be able to do it. Actually, looking at the video for the 3rd time, perhaps I needed to be even deeper towards the tunnel, so that she didn’t need to go around me. I was on her line on a number of these exercises in all the videos!! Dang handler.>>

The BC here is hard because the timing and connection has to override the motion 🙂 But in the long term it will be faster/easier than a FC 🙂 She read the line the best when you were a bit more laterally away from the tunnel exit and moving more towards the entry you wanted.

I don’t think you needed to be deeper to the tunnel, just earlier on the blinds. The first several where she didn’t read it were late – she was already passing you and committed to the tunnel when you started the BC. But you got earlier and earlier as you practiced, which is great!
And the other element is the connection – be sure to maintain eye contact with her til she is past you and locked onto the correct tunnel entry. When you didn’t get the eye contact or didn’t hold it long enough, she would find the correct tunnel entry (good girl to read the line!) but would do it from the other side of you. That makes sense if you watch those in slow motion – she could see the rotation and she changed her line, but when you looked forward, she would read it as a blind cross and changes side but still find the correct side of you. This happened at 1:45, for example.

Compare that to 1:15 and 1:58 where you got connection and maintained it, so she as perfect and drove the line to the correct tunnel entry beautifully.

The other thing to remember is that this exercise is all about handling and that is what will make it work (or not LOL!). So, as with the earlier videos, if there is an error you should assume it is a handler error and reward her. She was working at only about 50% rate of reinforcement here, which is too low – she was slowing down a bit to be more careful, and when you marked the error at 1:46, she really hesitated coming out of the tunnel. So, reward those off courses (it was handler error) and reward the times she got the correct entry but from the other side of you (still handler error LOL!) and that will serve a dual purpose: you can work out the handling timing and mechanics while also keeping her fast and pumped up.

Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

>>Love how you are running and using verbals here, really trusting her, and not needing to over-connect or over-help. Happy dance!

>>She loves it. I’m not as comfortable with the verbals with her as I am with Differ (more time).

I imagine there is more ‘time pressure’ running Pose LOL and a bit of a running-for-your-life feeling 🙂 It makes running the littles a bit easier, for now – but I think Differ is going to add even more speed (HOLY COW) so you will be running for your life with both of them. Hooray for verbals LOL!

>>I wondered why that happened – even when I looked at the video I didn’t notice it. When I walked her line, it looked like it was a straight approach to the tunnel. But it looks like she turned wider than I expected her on the backside slice and the wrap was wide enough to create a little lead change.>>

This tiny-lead-change thing is a big trend on courses in the 3 major venues that I track. I have had the same thing happen (bars) and also off courses due to me not seeing the lead change requirement so I am sensitized to it now LOL! It is especially hard for the bigger dogs who have less time to adjust.

>>or one extra step to square up her line for 3 can help too (but only one step, you don’t have time for more than that LOL!!

>>Do you mean one extra step before the blind cross on the way to 3?

Sorry – I meant one more step after the blind to set her exit line straighter to 3 before you slide away for the 4-5 line. I don’t think you have time for more than one step with Pose – and that is why I put a ‘get out’ verbal into my toolbox because I don’t have that time either. So you can run the same handling path you did (no extra step) but use your verbal and upper body to cue a get out to get the line before the tunnel cue.

>>Good point. I was thinking she misjudged the jump. When we started up again in the late fall, she was pretty high and (of course, I wasn’t always perfect) and …. occasional bars. I pretty much ignore the bars in trials. But lately, on some of the dropped bars I will stop and reset it. It’s really helped her focus more on the jumps and not getting distracted by me. We practice this at home, so it’s not something new for her.>>

I do agree that with some dogs we can stop, reset, try again in practice and also the fix and go at trials helps us help the dog in the ring too! You were neutral about it and she seemed fine with it 🙂

>You can decel a little on your turn cue on the jump before the weaves at :29 so she has a little collection before takeoff (landed straight then turned).

>I had some trouble getting turns on that jump (when I practiced independent weaves separately) with her. I’m not sure why – there was a slight incline before the jump and it might have felt hard to collect.

Could be the slight incline and I also think the softer turns are pretty hard. Or could be she is smarter than me and the NASCAR line is just faster 🙂 The set of games coming on July 19 will get into the specifics of when the dog is right and we we need to help by asking for more turn.

>>She does see all things!! I still don’t see what you’re seeing. It’s difficult to see because of the distance and because my back is towards the camera. But I do see my dog side arm in play on as the first cue on the turn on Course 1. I started using that arm to help her with turns and as long as it’s low, she seems to respond really well to it on FCs. It might have been that my left hand was too high on the turn on Course 2. >>

Yes, plus the timing of it and the steps you mentioned – all subtle cues to turn away probably. I made a photo collage 🙂

https://docs.google.com/document/d/155T8bDERNaME4euuiVkVpiV7hFR5E-bZt60C2G6f6oI/edit?usp=sharing

>>I think she is faster when I send her because she’s determined (and VOCAL) to not be left behind. But I have never timed anything of hers since I was previously just trying to get her to take the jump!!

Well she is a little young to start obsessing on timing toooooo much but she ran the lines really well – so might as well try it here 🙂 And because there is such a big trend towards pretty-looking turns, we need to be sure that pretty is also worthwhile when it comes to turns – and not just slow!

>>So interesting!! This is really different than the big strided Border Collies.

Yes – we can keep the littles in full on extension and as long as they know where they are going…. fastest lines! That is why some of the littles can lay down course times as fast as the 20″ dogs 🙂 It will be fun to play with in coming weeks!

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!
Super job here! You’ll find a big emphasis on commitment in the next several weeks, and I am sure you’ll see that shift to his other course work.
He was looking around a little on the first couple of sends (maybe there were other obstacles visible out past the wings?) but then you can see him lock into the commitment. At :38 and :43, you were able to send and he drove to and around the wing really nicely! It makes it easier for you to commit him, when he will drive away like that 🙂

>> I don’t think it mattered either way but I noticed that I cued differently when I was holding food.

I thought you cued a little better in the 2nd set but that could have also been that you were getting into the flow of it – it is a bit of an awkward exercise LOL! But he seemed happy to send with or without the food in your hand, good boy!

So you can add challenge in 2 different ways:
using this setup, place yourself right near the exit of the tunnel and send him while you stay at the tunnel exit. That is harder!
And after that – add more distance between the tunnel and the wings… how far away can you send him? These were set at 9 feet, so you can build to 12 feet then 15 feet – working up to 18 feet would be awesome!!!

And if it is hard for him to leave you for a wing that is 12 or 15 or 18 feet away, you can toss the rewards to the other side of the wing to help shift the value on the sends, which will help solidify his commitment.

Great job here! Let me know what you think!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

>>Another interesting insight from Kaladin – I think Kal had trouble staying in his spot when you did a big “YES!” verbal and that is something to know for training him: he finds it stimulating and a drive to momma marker. So with Min you can have your placement markers more than the big YES – which will also bring more clarity for her.

I think you are saying to use the placement markers more with Kaladin than the big Yes and this will help for clarity.>>

Oops, I didn’t put it in context – it was during Min’s turn and he would come to you when you were marking her with the big YES. She can benefit from the placement markers so she drives away to get rewards. But with Kaladin – if you want him to stay on a line, the YES marker will probably be distracting so you’ll want to use directionals or placement cues so he can focus on the line he is sending to. But if you want to ramp him up to chase you on a simpler line when you are ahead (not sending, necessarily)? Definitely use the YES because he will fly to you when you say it – and that is useful on course as long as you cue him to take the line you want 🙂

>>And in regards to the passing guy & stroller – he can usually handle someone going by at a moderate pace with no dog as long as he’s not startled by them. The dogs are what usually elicit a response if I am not actively working to prevent that by engaging him in something more productive.>>

It sounds like he is doing really well!! And good job giving him all that exposure, such useful life skills 🙂

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

Lovely session here!! Your connection was just about perfect throughout – keep up the good work there because that is the most important part!

First rep – really nice commitment! You were a little early on the rotation to the blue wing on the outside at :10 but she was a good girl and committed anyway (that is why we worked on all the sideways and backwards commitment 🙂 You committed her there with your left leg, when ideally it would be a send with your right leg (which will help propel her forward when the distances are bigger).

2nd rep – I thought the timing of your first send and the FC on the way back to the tunnel were both really spot on! Yay!
You had the same left leg send at :34 but I think it might just be that you are more comfy sending with your left leg? I am also more comfy with my left leg and I have to think harder to gt my right leg to behave itself LOL!

3rd rep – this is where she grabbed the toy. At :56 you were not moving much and rotated sideways when she exited the tunnel and stepped with your left leg – so it did kind of look like a threadle cue, so she came in (then grabbed the toy but it seemed like the most obvious thing there LOL!) I don’t think it was a toy distraction moment, I think it was more of a motion moment. By standing still before she exited, she read the decel and rotation, and came into you. Compare it to the next rep at 1:15 where she looked at you but you were more forward-facing and moving a bit more – so she committed. Good girl!
I do think that your right leg is not as comfy for the sending, you were a little late on the FC at 1:18 so didn’t quite get the connection for the exit line at 1:19 and she ended up behind you. The more you can practice with her on your right side, the easier the sends will get, as you can see on the next reps:
Perfect right leg send at 1:26! Then great motion into the FC and fabulous connection after it at 1:29. Yay!
Then a gorgeous left leg send to the wing at 1:30 – followed by a lovely FC. This was a great run!

Yes, she was still chewing when you tried to start the next rep, that’s why she took so long in the tunnel LOL! Her priority is cheese first, agility second LOL!

But then you were fabulous again on that last run – I think your right leg was getting more comfy on the sends so her commitment looked even stronger!

Great job here!! You can add in the other sequences too, and spread out the distances – that will make the sends even harder 🙂

Tracy

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