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Hi! He is doing really well with understanding the threadles versus serps here! Yay!
>>My mechanics, ugh. I will keep working on them. >>
The mechanics only feel wonky because you are starting from a cookie toss, so you don’t really have time to get into a good position and you have less control of his starting point (plus the tosses land close by so he doesn’t have a smooth line to the threadle). The errors were all cookie-toss-based LOL! So…. he is a year old now, yes? Time for a stay 🙂 This game gets much much easier for both of you from a stay – how is his stay going? Work it on the flat and in front of the jump and the MM, then add it here. Don’t be worried about it, time to add it in 🙂
The other thing you can do is have your threadle arm a little higher now, especially the cross arm. You won’t be able to bend over as much when you are moving, so you can start being more upright and see how he does (I am sure he will be fine with it 🙂 )
I am glad to hear that the barrels are going well! Yay! Keep me posted – looking forward to more videos. Nice work here!
TracyHi! I think this is going really well, your mechanics are looking good! My only suggestions are:
– to line him up straight at your side before you send him in each time. Sometimes he is straight and that looks good, sometimes he is a little sideways and that makes for a more awkward approach LOL!
– you can extend the left and right verbal so he hears it all the way though to the last bar. Instead of leftleftleft really fast, think of it as leeeeeft leeeeeft leeeeft so he can have all of the turns named. Same with right!
Those are minor details – it is going really well! You can keep gradually moving the middle jump out, and feel free to toss some rewards out to the landing of the middle one to help support the commitment to it. Nice work!
TracyHi!
He is definitely doing well here! He is a little better turning to his left than to his right, but that might be because you are more comfy with your right hand as the cue hand?
So when he is on your left side, make sure to line him up straight so he has a better approach and you have more time to be ready on that side.
You can now try to mark the first head turn on the first approach to the upright – as soon as he turns his head, you can click and toss!nice work!
TracyHi!
>>Do you know how many times I’ve been told about the decel slow down then turn? Training the hooman is hard!
It might be that we need to teach it differently: if ‘slow down’ doesn’t ,take sense to your body, there are 2 other ways to think about it that I know have helped folks:
As you run in the fast forward mode, bend over like a sprinter. Then stand over. So you can try it as get low, then stand up. That is the same as decel.
Some people are very tuned into their strides, so long strides-short strides helps them. Let me know if either works!>>We did porridge heating. Gemma needs her porridge frozen for days. Sprite will need it heated for sure. She doesn’t have a ton of tricks. Back up isn’t solid yet. Need to work on high five. Anyway, this looked too rushed on video.
I think this went well – the rushed appearance you are seeing on the video is the energy of the session. It should be high energy and fast enough to be *almost* sloppy but not actually sloppy LOL! You were pretty strong in being clean here. She did well here and I think you have more goofy tricks then you give yourself credit for 🙂 You had plenty to cue her, and there were different energy levels too. Yay! In this home setting, she was pretty much ‘perfect porridge’. When you go to new places, you will need to play around with what gets her to this focus. One thing that might help if you are using food is to move the food more during the delivery, rather than hand it to her: the catch works nicely as moving food, and you can have her follow your hand through a spin as you deliver it. That delivery style can pump up the engagement when using food.
>> And, no generic release word from the sit? You were using a LSM I think in your video.>>
You totally can, but usually the release word implies that we are going to do something not just eat or tug. Since we are going to eat or tug, I use the markers – partially for clarity for the dog’s sake, and partially so I can rehearse using the darn things and not just say “break” or “yes” or “woohoo!” for everything haha! And having the dog be able to respond to markers and being able to feel how they are taking the reinforcement (hard mouth? Soft mouth? Flesh biting?) also gives me a good insight into the state of arousal.
>>BTW, went to post and found an empty forum. Scared me and then I realized it’s for the next call in the sequence.>>
I have done that!!! It freaks me out LOL!!!!!!!!!
Nice work here! Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
>.Last time around with the dish he was making too many errors with cookie in the dish.
Yes! That is why it was smart to go back to no cookie in the dish – the value of the cone needed to come up. and it has, he looks great!
>>You got me I’ve got to go put some money in the bank of him leaving that dish till I release him to it. I knew I could cheat and use the MM but wanted to work with the dish here.
He is so smart, like a sponge for training – all he needs is that money in the bank for leaving the dish and he will have it perfectly.
You can use the MM but I don’t think you will get the same excitement as you will get with a naked cookie LOL But you can also train him to run like mad to the MM because that is helpful for contact training.
>>I am actually not driving at all because I just had PRP on my knee and for the next 2 weeks I’m on limited standing time and so run or even trot type activities. So I will probably get out the MM for now so he can drive to it without me. Or if you have another suggestion I’m all ears.>>
Ah! Then this is perfect timing for money in the bank of walking away from a naked cookie in the bowl.
Start the bowl on a counter, so it is high enough that it is interesting but not mind-blowing. Then when he is fine – move it to a low table or ottoman or Klimb or something. Then eventually the cookie bowl can be on the floor (only one cookie in it so he doesn’t get a whole meal if he is wrong :)) this can all be done at a walk in short sessions, which should work with your PRP plan.Separately – work the same skill with the MM, because when the MM comes up in value he is going to have trouble leaving it too 🙂
T
Hello!!
Yes, the toy play adds a different element for sure! You can do a bit of shaping with the toy – get your prop out, get her tugging, take the toy back and let her offer prop hits for the toy as the reward. Then when she can do that bit of reminder 🙂 you can take it back to the barrel and she will be perfect!T
Good morning!
The rocking horses look good, his commitment is lovely!!!! And he is both fast and turning brilliantly. Yay!
>>Watching the video, I think I may be using my arms too much too?>>
We can smooth things out a little, I think it wasn’t too much it is just a matter of figuring out when/where you needed to use them and when you didn’t.
On the crosses/spins – keep your arm back to him and make a connection as you move away from the FC, and then you can use your arm to swoosh him past you when he gets to your fingertips – and example of this is at :45, where you have great connection with your arm back to him and then swooshed him to the next barrel.
On the FCs, you can send and start to rotate and move away sooner at this point. This will also make your spins easier because you will be further ahead and doing the FCs sooner – so you don’t have to spin as fast to get the BC on time. The FC can be happening before he even gets to the barrel then the BC can happen when he is at the barrel. It will feel very roomy, in terms of timing 🙂for the race tracks, you can use less arm sending here. Try running on a parallel line to his and not sending – just running and connecting should keep him on the line. I think sending was causing you to weight shift back a little like at 1:24 and 1:37 and running the oval should feel easier 🙂
>> I am trying to get a little pause or a sit before just sending him right into the next rep. When I asked for a sit, I got barking and sometimes jumping. Once he just left me to go to do the barrel on his own. Is there anything you’d like me to adjust?>>
yes, I noticed that he thought waiting was a little STOOOOOOPID hahahaha! The good news is that he is PUMPED UP for the game and for the toy. Yay! 2 ideas for you:
– try playing the porridge heating game in front of the barrel! We did it with his prop on Tuesday nigh, and he was getting the idea to wait for a moment and focus, maybe even sit! the barrel has a lot of value now so you can transfer the porridge heating game to the barrel so he learns that getting exciting and doing a sit stay in front of it is a GOOD thing (this will be effective for your start line stays too!)
– you can incorporate a bit of food into the reset moments here in the rocking horses. Line up, be patient, get a cookie! Then release and the toy chase/wild party for the barrel wraps. This will be helpful not only to get him happier to line up and be patient for the start, but it will also gradually build in going back and forth between toys and treats! I suggest starting with the highest value toy you have, and the most boring level of food for him, pocket-lint level of boringness (I understand that as a Sheltie, there might be no such thing as “boring food”. I have used lettuce with my Papillons to achieve boring food status LOL!)
Great job here!
Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
I love going back to these games all the time- we see how the understanding develops and StrykR was a great example of that here. His commitment looks GREAT!!!! (and the photo of him at the beginning was adorable 🙂 I have a couple of little details for you to play around with as you continue building these up:
He is a little wider turning to his right than to his left on these. To tighten the right turn, have your hand back and connect more on the exit of that turn. I think he was not wide because of a side weakness or preference, but rather because you were not as connected back to him as you exited the wrap like at :09 and more clearly at :22 where you were moving the cookies around and that closed your shoulders forward (blocking connection). I have a cookie idea below that will solve the cookie mechanics to help with connection 🙂On the spins – move away from them more, so you don’t end up rotating in one spot which makes them harder to execute and then he will leave you n the dust on course (he is speedy already, so a big goal is to be able to stay ahead of him on course 🙂 ) Think of the spin as 2 separate elements: do an earlier FC and move away as if you are doing a normal FC, so you are FCing and moving away before he arrives at the barrel. Then as he arrives at the barrel, do the BC on the flat (you will be halfway to the dish and not near the barrel when you end up doing the blind).
For example, at 1:39 and 1:47 – you can start a little further back from the barrel so you can rotate sooner on the FC – then you are moving away and can be starting the BC as soon as he arrives at the cone, then do the StrykStrykStryk sooner (1:41 and and 1:48) for the decel to you. You ended up being late on the StrykStrykStryk which is why he gave you a bit of sass at 1:48 and wider turns 🙂 the decel to you looked great when you were earlier, so I don’t think the wideness and sass here was an understanding question, it was more of a timing question from him.
he was a SUPER good boy with the mini sequences at the end!
One more suggestion, I save this for last because it is probably the least comfortable suggestion and you can curse me out LOL!
He is not driving ahead of you to the dish, he is going at your speed and looking at your hands. We want to maintain the driving ahead element where he smokes you and accelerates, so accelerate more to the dish when you are driving to it… and have the cookie already in the dish and not in your hands. Yes – risky! I mean, he is STARVING all the time (I can relate LOL) but you can really empower your dish marker and get him driving ahead brilliantly if the cookie is placed in it beforehand 🙂
So to get that started, have cookies in your hand and place one in the dish – can be lower value in the dish then higher value in the hand. Reward him from walking away from the dish with you (kind of like the remote reinforcement, except you can have cookies in your hand to start so he can learn the value of leaving the dish. Then do one barrel wrap – when he connects on the new side, mark it with dish and accelerate to it. I bet he thinks it is the BEST FUN EVER.
You don’t need to add the decel to you until he can easily walk away from the cookie dish without needing too much encouragement or needing cookies in your hand – then you can reward him for the decel.He might grab an extra cookie or two from the dish, but it is good for a chuckle and if that happens, you can reward more for leaving the dish with you (from your hand) and even for doing a couple of barrel wraps on the other side of the room, still getting rewards from you hand.
Let me know what you think! You and he did a great job here so he is totally ready for the next steps.
TracyGood morning!
>>I have been going to an in person foundation class with her just to get her out working in other places. Last night she did a tunnel to a baby pinwheel like a pro – our first sequence. Fun to see the basement skills translate into a larger space. She thought it was super fun.>>
This is awesome, and I bet she thought it was delightful LOL!!! And it is an absolute thrill to see your foundation work transfer so easily. She is at the right age for you to see things being able to transfer with very little effort – so exciting!
First video, The Didi:
She really understands the pattern here, which is great! She was grat with the wings, great with the bumps, no problem and no questions that I could see.
One suggestion: Change your reward placement to rewarding her for doing one more turn so she pulls across the front of you (use the opposite hand to reward, same hand that sent her into the DIDI 🙂 rather than reward at your side)/ She will end up in the same basic position as the strike a pose games because that allows us to get one more left or right turn on bump 3 (supported by the verbal). When you reward at your side, she is not doing a left or right on that final bump, she is going straight.Watching her work this skill: You are also going to need grippier footing now, she is slipping too much in this space and she isn’t even going full speed yet. Do you have something you can cover the mats with for more grip here? I bought some turf rolls on amazon which give the pups better grip now for when I can’t be outside and my original footing (carpet) was too slippery when they started going fast.
Rocking horses:
>>there were still outtakes 🙂 I feel like you can almost see the smoke coming out of my head from thinking so hard about it.>>
HA! I think these looked strong! The hard part was that you were trying to move a lot in a small space but there was really nowhere to go. So – since her commitment looks great, you can move less and make it more of a true rocking horse where you hang out in the middle without running: You send to the barrel, FC, then rotate basically in place and send her backwards to the cone behind you. This will challenge her commitment because we are taking motion out of it. Start with the cone and barrel close together is she has questions about being sent behind you at a distance, but then you can spread them out again. It will possibly still feel awkward, but it will be a different kind of awkward haha!
She is slipping here too – we might have reached the end of where you can use this space for the fast moving stuff and you need to put down grippier footing there, or save the fast-moving games for places where she won’t slip. I can get you the link for the turf rolls I am using indoors now in my little space, if you are interested 🙂 I don’t know when you will be able to be outside again, but maybe the training facilities with mats or dirt have a few minutes you can squeeze these games in?
Great job here! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
You can put the 2nd toy with the retrieve on the back burner for now til you feel the other pieces are stronger. She is doing really well so I think you are pretty close to being able to add it in!!>>But, when I run I tend to not slow down enough first and need the back foot to come forward for balance. I’ll see if I can do it without her.>>
We work more on this in the next puppy class, but think of the commitment cue as having 3 parts, so the distance between the exit of the first cone and the 2nd cone has 3 parts:
Fast forward (this is the acceleration at the exit of the first cone and says to the pup: head to this cone over there)
Slow forward (this is the deceleration when she is maybe halfway between the 2 cones. It tells her how to approach the 2nd cone, meaning in collection and prepares the footwork)
Rotate (this is the front cross element, which either remains a FC or becomes a spin, and happens when she is relatively close to cone 2).So emphasize that deceleration portion, don’t worry as much about the rotation. In real course work, it is the deceleration that is the strongest turn cue. The verbal happens when you start to deceleration. We do have a deceleration game coming up here!
Here tunnel work is going well!! I think the MM is a better option than the bowl, because it isbfurther and you can be more independent (you don’t need to run to the bowl to get the treat in it).
So you can use a MM, then reward her from your hand on the reset to smooth out the loop. A cookie in hand for that reset is great, and a toy would be awesome!
For the threadle side entries, help her less with the physical cue: starting her between you and the tunnel, let her turn herself away to it without the arm swoosh to help. You can have the outside arm as the cue, but it is not a turn away arm so the arm just kinda hangs there as she turns herself away. You can start her on a really easy angle to get this rolling and then make it harder and add the verbal cue (you can use the tunnel verbal to get started).If she has any questions about turning away, you can put the MM inside the tunnel, a foot or two inside the entry 🙂 as she gets happier to turn herself away, you can move the MM further down the tunnel til it is back in its original position past the exit.
Great job! Let me know what you think!
TracyGood morning!
>>Like I mentioned before tricks are a challenge because food makes it so much easier to teach them plus I am just awful thinking of tricks that work for stuff like this. She finally seems to have figured out shake a paw. We’ll work on a proper spin and through the legs as options.>>
You’re totally not awful! Any trick that had some movement to it and is a little silly will be perfect. And you can teach with food, then go to toys – and use both food and toys in porridge heating. I don’t generally start that way but she seems to do well going back and forth between food and toys.
>>I think that was a good choice on her part – she was basically saying “yes, I am ready, here is my sit stay”.<< >>Ok, so some reason I thought we didn’t want them to just offer that response. >>
We don’t want to insist on it as part of the porridge heating game, but if the dog serves it up? Cool! Also, we don’t want it to be the only behavior, so if there is a different cue or something to shape on, we don’t want to reward the sit.
>>Unfortunately, her group puppy/life skills class is over and nothing new is up with that instructor given covid here right now.
Yeah, Covid…. sigh. Maybe you can create your own group classes at home with the other dogs?
>> Looking for another option for an in person class to get her around more dogs when working as a distraction for her.>>
Keep looking but don’t make yourself too crazy about it 🙂 Having been through this with 3 pups now (thanks, Covid!) I know that the pups do catch up if you can’t find a class til spring.
T
Hi! For this one, you can start with one wing or barrel on the threadle side. When he is happy with that, you can go to 2 wings or barrels to make it look like a full jump 🙂
TracyGood morning!
Yes! You’ve got it. Super! Look at how well she is bending herself – yay!! You can now wait a bit longer to click and toss: let her turn away more and when she is heading back around the wing (at the outer edge of it, nearer the camera) then you can click and toss. You can of course use your hand cue to help her turn away, just click & reward later to ask for even more bend on the turn. That will help her think even more about turning her head into the turn.
Great job here!!!!!
TracyThanks, he is adorable! I am glad that he and Cody are getting along so well!!!!! I love that he has landed with you, and I am excited for the future!!!!
T
Good morning!
The
Tunnel threadle is looked really good! When she was moving away from the camera, to make a left turn into the tunnel, she was literally moving right past the other tunnel entry with no questions. YAY!!!! Be careful not to say ‘break’ in that situation because break should theoretically cue the tunnel right in front of her, not the threadle. You can also balance some regular non-threadle tunnel sends with the threadle side (the double whammy game is fun for that).After the ‘close close close’ you don’t need to say tunnel – when she was turning to her left, she had no trouble. Turning to her right was harder (either she is a lefty or the setup was harder for the right turn or both) so to help her turn herself away, you can put the lotus ball reward (I think that was what you were throwing) pre-placed literally inside the tunnel entry so she can turn herself into it and get instant reward for a couple of reps. So it starts maybe a foot inside the tunnel entry and when she turns herself into it – you can start moving it further and further down the length of the tunnel, til you can throw it at the exit again. It won’t take her long at all to figure that out 🙂
Minny Pinny – this was a good intro session to get her rolling around the wings. It was hard to see the line ups that started each rep, but be sure to line her up straight at your side so she doesn’t have to turn away to get to the first wing. You can also use a leg step and little arm send to cue her to get started.
2nd video:
>>I think she is starting to look good over the jump bumps.
I agree – she looks great! She might even be moving too fast for carpet LOL
The next step here is to keep taking out your shoulder turns – let her work the minny pinny without your shoulder turns, just your verbals:
for example, at 1:07, you said right right right and let her rip, and rewarded in position (same for the left left left on the rep after that) – I think those were the best reps here! She was both independent with the verbals and clean getting over the bumps. So you have full permission to line her up at your side, send her in with a step and the verbals, and just stand there. Yay!You can also move the 2 outer wings forward, so the middle wing is further away (you can’t really move the middle wing further away because the couch is there :)) She seems ready for the added challenge of finding it with a little more distance, just a couple of inches!
Great job! Let me know what you think!
Tracy
