[Tracy Sklenar]

Yes, we don’t want to add too much excitement til he is cleared, that is true! You can keep things calm and just add more distractions in the environment.

And I am all for making it easier to train the verbals and not needing separate cues for jumps or the DW.

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning! He did well here! One question:
what does search mean, exactly? Is it s scatter or only one cookie? I ask because lots of people use it for multiple treats, which might be why he was sniffing around a bit longer. But iif it only means one treat – perfect! For me, my get it cue means “there is only one thing out there, not 57” LOL! That specifics help fine tune the behavior.

>>Only question I really have here is that you will notice towards the end that at there are a few times where he doesn’t pick up the cookie from the ground. I’d like to your thoughts on this. This can be an issue with thrown food. I joke sometimes that it’s tainted because he just doesn’t want it. He did take it here when I picked it up and gave it to him but that isn’t always the case. I’m not certain if this falls under the border collies are weird, magical creatures with autism thing or something else.
He will refuse food when over threashold but I do not think that’s what’s happening here.>>

Both reasons for food refusal is that it is simply not all that reinforcing for him. You know how some dogs don’t find toys or tugging all that interesting? He doesn’t find food rewards all that interesting, especially when there is no action and also if he is over threshold for some reason. It is actually pretty common with many dogs and I have seen this about a zillion times in Border Collies and Border Collies mixed with whippets, Papillons or other herding breeds. (The BC/terrier crosses eat like pigs, thanks to the terrier genes haha) So – you need to raise the value of the food reinforcement. Changing the timing of your training with food to just before a mealtime will help. And, pairing the food with something that actually *is* reinforcing will bring up the value – I have had to raise food value for Voodoo, Contraband and Elektra and the key was pairing it with something they really liked: for example, in this game, I would toss the treat for Contraband (criteria: swallow) and then when he looked at me and had swallowed it: frisbee! Wheeeeee! He eats food just about anywhere, anytime, anyhow now. Voodoo had treats followed by tug toys.

So raising the value of food will help – you can have him eat the tossed treat, then you can toss a toy as part of developing the pattern. Or, you can toss the treat and when he eats it (swallows it!) you can take off and run (action!) then toss another one.

>>I don’t have any trials in the next two weeks to work him in a trial environment and there’s no training places that I can go to so I might try this at Carrie’s with Roulez screaming for the next level and then a park>>

I think Carrie’s place or a park is a perfect next step! Keep me posted! Nice work here 🙂
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

>> We’ve had alternating days of cool monsoons, and then horrid humidity and heat, so I did a few runs early in the day on 2 different days.

I totally feel this! I have been doing the 6am sunrise trainings but it has been perfect weather at that time of day, so….. LOL!

Great job with both dogs here! And great job running in the heat – it has been a HOT summer!!

Run 1 – the opening line is looking good, my only suggestion is that you throw in a directional up that first line – you said ‘over over tunnel’ but a name call will help her turn to face he tunnel you want, then call her right before she goes into the tunnel. She hesitated a little on the exit to find you because the call was a little late.

Great job on the line after the tunnel to the weaves!

Happy dance at how you kept moving at :24 so she found the correct line with no bonus tire adventures! Yay! Just remember to call before she goes into the tunnel not on the exit – she was a little wide because the call was late.

When you have more weave independence you can easily get up the closing line for a FC or BC rather than the RC on the jump before the tunnel. The weave independence will come with time and I can already see how much more independent she is! The RC worked nicely and is a hard skill!
The other option there is to drive ahead of her as she is weaving so that you can do the cross on the entry of the tunnel (rather than the exit) which should also take out the tire and get you further ahead for the ending line.

Run 2 – Yuki is SO FUN! I am glad she is feeling great!
With her experience, you can try being further across the 2-3 line so you can show her the blind (and call her) before she enters the #4 tunnel and also be in a better position. She was a little wide exiting the tunnel at :40 because the call was late (both of your girls are honest about this :))

She also had a nice line from the 5 jump to the weaves! And she also says that as long as you are moving, you don’t have to demand her attention on the line after the tunnel (Keiko says this too) – at :49, you were moving and then said her name and dropped your hand in – it caused her to look right at you and away from the line (she was looking at the correct line. So you can call but you don’t need the hand cue for her, and I bet you can just give her the ‘over’ cue.

She got so mad at :55 on the turn cue before the last tunnel – she has opinions LOL!! It was just a little late – try to give that turn cue before she takes off so she can set up the turn – you showed the cue as she was already jumping so she was center of the bar, turning left – that is why she grumbled and dropped the bar and she continued to discuss it LOL!! I don’t think you were too far behind, I think the turn cue was a little late – probably a product of being a little rusty with her timing because of all the time off for rehab.

Run #3: Keiko was on fire here! Even though it was hot and humid, she was flying, I loved it!
She was fast on the opening line, so a little name call will tighten the turn 3-4 before the tunnel cue, then a name call before she enters the tunnel (she is very responsive so I don’t think she needs more than a little name call). She slowed down a little on the tunnel exit at 4 because you were decelerated – so you can get closer to the #4 tunnel to show more movement towards 5 when she exits (Yuki would like that too). And you can get closer to 4 by sending her to the #1 tunnel from further away so you don’t have to do too much sprinting the summer humidity 🙂

I loved the line from 5 to the weaves (you trusted her, she was perfect) and then after the weaves you cued the tunnel and left – PERFECT! At 1:20 note how she is both very fast and looking at exactly the correct line. And you are further ahead, which is always helpful!
At 1:25 your motion pushed her around the jump before the tunnel because you had a lot of extension and then your body was facing the backside line – add a little deceleration on the 2nd to last jump, then move to the center of the bar of the RC jump and you will have nailed it.
She was a little more sapped of energy in the last run (understandable, it was hotter than the surface of the sun!) but she still did really well! She was terrific with her weaves on all of these runs! Being a little hotter gave you the opportunity to get up the ending line and then you gave her more deceleration to set up the rear cross – nailed it! She is young and still learning that move, so she will continue to get faster and faster as you work it.

Great job on these! I think the one big thing to add for both dogs is more information before they enter the tunnels so they know exactly where to be when they exit.

Let me know what you think!
Stay cool 🙂
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning! Great stuff here, even in slo mo haha

On your first video –

First video – remember to use your words right from the very beginning. You were quiet for the first part and then started the verbals at :26 so be consistent and use the verbals to get the game rolling. She was super quick to return her focus up to you and away from the distractions. Good girl! How does she do when there are other dogs moving? Or what are the big distractions for her? We can take this game up a notch pretty easily 🙂

I tried to speed up the verbal skills video but it is still in slow motion – it was watchable for the physical cues but I couldn’t make out the verbals – I will just assume that the cues and markers were perfect, based on her great responses. She was terrific! It looks like the sits and down went really well and you stayed in motion. She was really engaging her hind end which makes me so happy! Nice! The backing up was GREAT because it is just so out of context and opposite of what she would expect there – she definitely had to process it but she did, good girl! Love that!
I also notice she was quiet here… and she is, um, talkative on course. The barking can be a sign of higher arousal, so I think we need to get her talking here a bit to really get things transferred to the course work. Do I remember that you have barking on cue? If so… get it going and then play this game 🙂 Or you can stimulate the barking by running her through the tunnel a few times LOL! I think the barking takes priority over adding more motion – but if adding more motion gets the barking – cool beans! I don’t mind barking on course as long as the dog is still able to process the physical and verbal cues.

Sequence #1:
This was also in slow motion even when I sped it up – so the action was good to see but I can’t tell you about the verbals (so, in general, remember to use them early and often haha!)
The opening line looked good. She was looking at you a little over 4 at 1:01 and then started yelling at you – I think it was the style of the cue not being clear enough. You were turning forward to indicate the send jump and your body was continuing to travel in a curve. I would be interested to see what she think is you did it more as a one-step send and go: looking at her with your arm softer and a bit step to the takeoff spot, then your next step is towards the tunnel.

The 8-9 soft turn looked good – she was barking, yes, but that was a carry over from 4-5 and she was not barking and looking at you. Her line looked good – when you revisit it, you can add a little more decel and lateral send to see if it tightens the line up… and, then we compare if tighter is faster. She is right on the edge – medium-sized dogs *might* be faster when they are tighter, or might be faster when they are wider. The only way to know is to time it.

Same thing with the wrap at 11 at 2:19: the cross arm cue to the jump doesn’t allow you to rotate away as early, so the turn is a little wider. I am curious to see what the time differential would be if you rotated more and used your right arm (closer to the jump) instead of the cross arm to indicate it – that can tighten the turn and also speed up the next line because you can leave sooner (because you are fully rotated).
So when you are able to get back to these, feel free to run it again just like you did here – then try to tight things a little – and we will find out what is best for her. She knew where she was going almost every second here (I think the more connected send 4-5 would make it perfect) so it is a matter of how much or how little collection produces the best line.

Great job here! Have a blast at the SOTC trial!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

I think he did well here on the first video with the food! One idea is to have several treats in your hand so you don’t have to reach for your pocket – he was watching your hand in your pocket on this video and on the next one too 🙂

>> should have moved away I am great at hindsight.

yes – that is what I noticed too. At :16 when you added the toy on the ground, you moved him directly towards it. So distance there and then with the agility obstacles will be very useful! You can remind yourself to start further away by placing a cone or chair 3 or 4 meters from the distraction as your training location (which will also be a good reminder for starting with a big distance at trials too).

On the verbals video – you are helping too much LOL!! You were moving briskly then when you cued the sit or down, you changed your motion and had your hand in your pocket. I think he was cuing off of the change in motion – so he did get the sit or down, but it won’t transfer as nicely to verbals on course when you will not want to change your motion or reach for cookies. So, start off walking so slowly that you are barely moving – and cue the behavior, but don’t change your motion. And with the backing up, don’t lean towards him (that will be very challenging for him!) You can have cookies in your hand for quick delivery but don’t have your hand in your pocket (dogs see all of this and will cue off of it).
When he can respond to the cues while you are in steady motion the whole time, you can add more motion (but not decelerating or stopping :))

When you added the wing, take a different approach: rather than add sits and downs near the wing, add a bit of motion from you like jogging in place or flinging your arms around – and then cue the wing with just the verbal cue. And reward for going around the wing or through the tunnel if that is what you cued. That will help to enhance his commitment and response to directionals when you are running on course, or in the times when your arms get high.

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

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning! (Or night, for you? LOL!)

>> I am a bit slow what is a cloud based game

You’re not slow – darned autocorrect. It should be COOKIE based not cloud based LOL!!

>>I was thinking more about the safety of throwing food on the ground at a show close to the ring>>

Should not be a problem if you are a couple of meters away from the ring and he eats the cookies. If you are concerned about other dogs coming to join, you can start further from the ring.

>>The hardest thing I find with veloz is that he seems fine and then it is just a step too far…

Set a timer on your sessions so you have to stop at,say, 90 seconds. We want to avoid shut down at all costs as shutting down brings a negative conditioned response to the games. And also you can count out the treats to 10 or 15, then be done when you have no more treats left. Better to finish the session while you both want to do more!

>>Fusion is very into how do I get most reinforcement fast and as yet hasnt quite the same attraction to agility equipment.

That is great for a dog of her age. We really don’t want the agility equipment to be the most exciting thing. It is just a gateway to earning reinforcement.

>> So she is there are lots of treats what would you like. She is a planner and patient… Am having trouble with her escaping at the moment- you think she is relaxed and asleep- go a few feet away and she climbs over the top of the crate- checks to see whether second compartment locked if it is climbs back into hers and goes over the outside edge and pushes window open and jumps out.>>

So basically.. she is a cat? LOL!! She might need to be on a long line attached to you to stop the window escapes!

>>I can work her for ages with treat bag on the ground but if I leave it to put her away. When she comes out later – straight to where treat bag was just in case I forgot it.>>

Smart dog LOL!!!

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

>> Interesting that you suggested a Forced Front or German in the spot where I used a threadle (#3 backside). Just a couple of weeks ago, I asked my “in person” instructor about when she uses a Forced Front versus a threadle. Short pause. The answer was basically, “I never use a forced front, once the dog understands the threadle cue”. >>

This is a great conversation! My follow up question is: has this person timed all the option, regularly? Some dogs are fastest on the threadle… but some dogs are slowest even though they “understand” because the handler is facing the dog and stationary (which cues a TON of collection). And, one of our summer obsessions is: collection is NOT always faster 🙂 Stay tuned for more of that 🙂
And these options should be timed regularly for 2 reasons: to make sure that it was not a ‘one time deal’ where the dog was faster, we are looking at averages, and also things change as the dogs mature. My oldest dog was best with slice cues and strong collection cues for a while. But in the last year or so, things have shifted and now I can give a more casual cue and he is faster than the stronger cues, and also he has figured out his wraps so nicely that in some situations, they are as faster or faster. The only way I would know that is by timing them regularly 🙂

>>And that makes sense to me because the threadle cue requires less rotation from the handler and therefore, the handler can leave sooner.

Well, yes and no – facing the dog on the threadles can be slower (leaving sooner feels faster to the handler but it doesn’t mean the dog is faster on the line). The only way to know is to time it.

>> On the other hand, the FF allows for a rotating exit and a Jaakko exit yielding less or more tightness.

Yep! And the back turned to the dog in the FF position can add more speed on the line – plus I can run to position and release really quickly while the dog is “hot” where the threadle takes longer for the handler to get into position, which makes the dog a bit cool off the line in some cases.

And as with the threadle – if the dog understands, the handler can leave wicked early for the next line, which is also fast – and depending on the line, this faces our feet to the next running line sooner than the threadle.

>> For me, personally, I only use the German when I’m running with the dog, never on a lead out.

I use is on lead outs so I can lead out less and move sooner – the sooner that I can get my *ss in gear, the quicker I get up to my version of full speed 🙂 Standing still on lead outs takes me longer to get moving but the running lead outs get me moving right away so so I can be at “top speed” (which is still a bit underwhelming haha) before I even release the dog. I won many a class with my Export doing that: set him up as far back from the timers on jump 1 as possible and do a running lead out so he started the clock in full on extension. He was not faster than a lot of the dogs he beat – we just had some good strategies going, especially when he got to be 9, 10, 11 years old 🙂

So I am not advocating for any particular move – I am advocating for getting them all on video and timing them. There is a forced blind option too (people hate those but I love them! SOOOO FAST!). I am advocating for finding the fastest tools for the dog and getting the handler comfy with them so you can win 🙂 It might turn out that the threadle is the fastest! Or not 🙂

>> I try very hard to minimize the handler path: if my running speed is going to be the difference, then I’m not going to win. I look for places where dog training (verbals and independence) can set me up for success. Make sense?>>

TRUTH and totally agree. My foot speed is not the strength of the team LOL! It is the dog training then the application of it in the ring, as well as the strategy – I am not faster than most of the handlers I compete against (especially in that 20 inch class) but my dogs can be better prepared and I might be able to strategize better 🙂

>>As far as exiting the teeter, when I did my final review of the video, I realized that I was blocking Enzo’s view of the next jump. I almost mentioned it but then I thought: Tracy will see it without my pointing it out . Maybe next time I can see it during the walk-through instead of during the video review!>>

Ha! Yes, the video make it clear. Which brings up a good note to remember – the dog always needs to see th backside jump and there are positional cues associated with the backsides:
* being where the wing meets the bar (showing the full wing) is the positional cue for the circle wrap
* being center of the bar or further across to the exit wing is the positional cue for the slice.

>>As far as the “lure” on the teeter, how about a bit more advice? My previous, strong 2o2o dog (Terry the Malinois) did not have a nose-touch associated with it. He was expected to learn it based on different surfaces under his feet. Since Enzo is only a month into 2o2o, I can still play with it. If I put out a target, then I feel like I need to enforce the nose touch. Yes? No?

To nose touch or not to nose touch, that is the question… and it is up to you. I personally start all of my 2o2o dogs with a nose touch because it gives a bunch of extra layers to criteria (which actually helps the dog) and also produces a lot of speed and weight shift. And it holds up really well! Admittedly, I no longer have the dog really smack the target with his nose, a light touch is fine – and when the teeter skills are comfy, I fade the actual touching but the dog maintains the mechanics and muscle memory of the weight shift, speed and forward focus into position.

So I like the nose touches but I also don’t feel the need to obsessively maintain them forever as long as the dog learns the mechanics.

>> I can say that with a target in place (never baited), he will ALWAYS go directly to the 2o2o position. I have been withholding the reward until he nose touches the target because that seems like the whole point of a target.>>

Yay for going directly to position! I think withholding the reward is causing him to look up at you – and everything between the ‘click’ and he delivery gets built into the behavior. So quicker rewards for the first “landing” in position will help especially as you build independence – it can be the occasional baited target (I really don’t use those often at all but they help SO much when we do use them) or a MM out ahead or a toy on the ground – all to release him too without looking up at you or you needing to be next to him.

>>But I’m guessing it is holding the end up in the air, lure the dog to the end, bounce it up and down in the air and drop it to the ground. Dog does 2o2o and you reward. Correct? >>

Yes and no – I don’t bounce it up and down because I think it messes up the weight shift. I am going to grab the training videos t show you – there are 3 levels to it. I can do it by myself with dogs up to 40lbs (you will see the big youngster in the videos and I think he is somewhere around 37 lbs right now). I will link the videos in a few minutes 🙂

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!
I agree that he thought the games were fun!! The first one with the cookie tosses was interesting to him, in a “well this is easy” sort of way. Definitely take it on the road so he can play it in front of distractions – if you are near a trial ring, or other dogs running around.
And since you mentioned he was stressy with the weaves, you can play this near the weaves to help get rid of any stress associations (he doesn’t even have to weave yet, just play this game to help relax in the presence of the weaves).

O the 2nd video, it wa sa motion override combo with the acclimation game tossed in a little. He did GREAT here and it seemed to pump him up a lot! Yay! The sits in the beginning were really strong – and you’ve built tremendous value for th sit because he was offering them like crazy 🙂 Does he have any moving tricks that are good on a verbal only, like spin or paw waves? That would be the next step here.
When you added more speed from you and the down cue: he did a great job differentiating! The only issue was choking a little, which is a different trick LOL! As you add more speed, stay clean with the reward mechanics and words so he can stay precise as well – you were getting excited so the clean clear reward delivery and markers from earlier in the session were not as crisp here.

Both of these games will be good for your outside the ring routines at trials, both to get him comfy and pump him up 🙂 We will be building on these soon, and he looks more than ready for more distractions and locations to be added.

Great job!
Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

>> I haven’t made an “out” cue for Select yet.

This is an easy one to teach and is pretty useful for AKC and UKI. I can dig up some ways to teach it if yo are interested: easily taught indoors in the a/c for when the summer heat is too insane (like it seems to be this summer!)

>>I haven’t done a weave threadle cue yet, but I’ve thought about it. Honestly, Select’s weaves were very slow and “stressy” before he got hurt so we didn’t do a lot of weave training. Do you find you use this cue a lot? I’ve never felt like I really needed it with Taken, but am certainly open to it.>>

I added the weave threadle cue to the list because I think I will need it with the 3 young dogs – it is appearing more and more on European courses, which means UKI will grab hold of it then it will be in AKC. I believe there was a course at AKC nationals this year where it would have been useful. So the cue is in progress so I am ready when I need it – I have used it exactly zero times with any of my other dogs over the course of 20-something years of agility LOL!

With that in mind, though – I have used the threadle/wrap cue exactly one time in the 20-something years of agility (and I pulled it out as a save move at nationals when I chickened out on a blind and had no other choice – lesson there was to get the damn blind LOL!!) However, the threadle/wraps are the height of fashion in Europe and are already appearing in UKI – mostly in training courses but in trial courses too. I personally don’t love the threadle/wrap but the judges like it and some of the courses leave the handler no other option (Games Package 3 includes work on, you guessed it, that darned threadle/wrap LOL!)

>>No ‘soft’ collection cues on jumps, but I’ll be working on soft cues off the DW. I’m going to use “Ley” and “Rah” (basically the first part of Left and Right).>>

These might be VERY useful on jumps and you can probably use the same verbals as your DW turn verbals! The dogs do not get confused by that. And you’ll use the soft turn verbals ALL the time.

So in terms of priority – I would put the soft turn verbals at the top of the “Should Add” list (thankfully they are easy to teach and add). Then the threadle/wrap verbal, then at the bottom of the priority list would be the weave threadle (after getting him crazy happy with the weaves :))

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

I noticed a typo – it should say “GOOD work on these too” right at the beginning, not just “work on these too” LOL!! Sorry!

>> I could not get the ending of course 3 in my head. It did not compute LOL. Julie thought I was nuts for not getting it as it made perfect sense to her, but both Túlka and I needed more rewards at the end of 3.

Ha! That sounds just like Julie 🙂 If the sequence doesn’t make sense in your head, try different handling – usually it is the handling that doesn’t make sense to your brain and that is why you felt uncomfortable with it.

>>I like your idea of having two rewards for her when I have one at the end. She totally deserved it and I think we should make it Irish for course 3’s ending coffe>>

Rewards for everyone! Perfect!!!!!!!!!

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

>>I have to remember I can talk to her when I can’t see her in the tunnel LOL. That makes sense as I felt like I had to hold the serp at :19 and “catch her” as she was going past since she didn’t know where I was.

Yes – a great reminder from these courses is to tell her how you want her to exit the tunnels – and tell her when she is a solid 5 feet from entry. That will make your life as a handler much easier 🙂

>>I really want to try the Goldilocks moment again :).

DO IT! Even if you just set up that part.

>>Dang I have to remember the power of Decel! I was busy focused on timing/position. Just added a checklist on my iPhone: Connection, Feet pointing line, One more step?, Timing, Decel, Verbal, My Position. Hopefully help me broaden my analysis in the moment. Thanks!!!!

Instead of one more step, tell yourself to keep moving, keep moving, keep moving, never stop (ok, almost never LOL!)
And we will be working on walk through stuff to help apply this (early August) because you are correct that we need to have this all planned in advance and remember it all (written checklists on my phone always help me :))

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi!

>> What I’m seeing at trials (sometimes) is hitting the entry with a lot of speed. She often gets the entry but can’t hold onto it and pops out at pole 3/4 and then gets back in. >>

She is probably more excited at trials and moving faster 🙂 You can get her more whipped up in training to add that speed: do a little set up of a curved tunnel then 6 weaves then a curved tunnel – have her do the curved tunnel 3 or 4 times in a row then into the weaves 🙂 I suggest 6 weaves to start because she will probably be more successful and you can reward quicker. Eventually you can do it on 12 weaves.

>>I love NFC/FEO and that is a great idea about tying it to a leash to get around the no toss rule!

Well, AKC likes rules, so we can figure out ways to creatively apply the rules hahaha!!

>>When using NFC/FEO do you get better results using it consistently or intermittently? I’ve bene wondering about that.>>

EXCELLENT question. In the beginning of a trial career, I use the NFC option consistently to transfer the behavior to the ring (I have 3 dogs that will be starting their trial careers soon and so I will be doing a TON of NFC runs LOL!!!). When they are successful, I fade it and go to intermittently. Then when they are experienced, I do it rarely to help maintain behaviors in the ring (my 8 year old dog still sees some NFC here and there to keep the contacts and weaves in tip top shape.

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

Good morning!

>> know this is something I’m also doing in trials…. Missing just that one more step to make things clearer for her. And then to keep turning my feet/body towards the line I want her to take and stay in the moment with her. I feel myself get into my head and miss those moments.>>

One thing you can do is over-handle a bit to make sure she gets commitment – and don’t worry as much about how tight the turns are. She turns really well! So to help you keep moving, you can over-help as you get into sync on the big courses. Yes, we will keep looking at where you can be earlier and such, but it is better to get commitment and then smooth out the turns than it is to not have commitment. With commitment, you’ll get used to running the big courses and then the timing will be easier.

>>So when running tight wraps (left/right) should we run our path towards the left or right station (to stay out of the middle) or even be running a bit towards the outside of the station? If I can remember during walk throughs to target a side then perhaps I won’t put myself right in the middle of her path. >>

If I am understanding this correctly (not a lot of coffee on board yet haha) – I tend to run to the outside of the stanchion/wing to give the wrap in.

T

[Tracy Sklenar]

They are both great turning dogs indeed! The other thing I thought of was that you can plop the reward in past the landing spot (after they pass you) as you move forward to your next position on these, so they really drive in more to get to it.

Tracy

[Tracy Sklenar]

Hi! Thanks for the update, it sounds like the games are going well!!

<< My question is that with the food toss and then reorientate – how do you use this at a trial- or am I thinking too far ahead… I use it outside the ring and in new places, and if/when my dogs are distracted by other people and dogs (I used it with Contraband near the ring at a flyball tournament to keep his jets from exploding :)) It can't really go into the ring because it is a cloud-based game but is perfect for outside the ring! Fusion sounds like she is doing really well! Box finds it harder, so split the games into easier chunks. Move less or ask for easier behaviors or stay further from the distractions. Because he might shut down, it is important to keep his rate of success really high. You might need to move less when asking for the sits and downs, and also be further from the obstacles for the other games. He has a conditioned arousal in the presence of the obstacles, so starting further will really help - then over time you can get closer. Let me know if this makes sense! Keep me posted 🙂 Tracy

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