Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Hi!
>> great day in America, right?!>>
Oh yes, what a day! Onwards to a good 2021, right?
On your turn away video – ah yes, you had to call pretty early to get the turns. When you called him as he was exiting, things went pretty well! Ideally you would call him before he entered the tunnel to get him turned before he exited and that will make it even easier.
The lap and tandem from the stay on the tunnel exit looked great, at the beginning and also when you revisited them later. Motion is the harder part:
When you added the tunnel – things got harder for sure 🙂
Two ideas for you:
On the lap turn – this is the one cue where I think it is better to bend over (normally we want to be a little more upright). To help get his attention – bend towards him and extend the cue arm (and the magic cookie hand) totally towards his nose locking your elbow, as if putting a cookie into his mouth (at mouth-level).That should make it really easy for him to drive into you on those!On th tandem turn – add a little more motion on the parallel line so he is reading these in motion. I would say walking at first with a really obvious arm cue (maybe both arms LOL!) He was getting it with you standing still, but these will be done in motion 99% of the time so you can add the motion now (feel free to be as far as needed from the jump to get his focus on your hands).
The foot targeting looks really good! I have the easy task of watching video and staring at the mat – and I thought almost all of your click/no click choices were really good. There was one that I thought was “just ok” (1:09, I think). You sometimes tended to click front feet, so try to wait for rear feet. The good news is that he was doing a great job with his rear feet! You can reinforce good hits but go wild for GREAT hits with the split rear feet 🙂 I like the run cue and I also like how he was galloping AND accurate. Very cool! And I have a game coming tomorrow for this which will be useful for Katarina’s class 🙂
Great job here!
TracyHi! That makes sense, he is probably not all that solid with the table yet and I don’t think we have really added any stop behaviors into sequences – so stopping on the table was a definite WTF moment LOL! He was a good boy and I know he will learn that the table is only a little stupid 🙂
T
Hi! Totally makes sense 🙂 You might have to pick the position for him. Which seems easier for him: the stand or the sit? I find that most dogs do best with a move into a specific position, like a sit or down.
T
Hi!
>>I think the trigger for the running off was noise on the other side of the wall- either people talking or walking by. That tends to be the issue.>>
It is good to know the triggers! It makes it easier to work through them: part of the time you make sure he does not have access to rehearse the behavior, and the other part of th time you are desensitizing/counterconditioning the triggers.
He looked good on the night session with the tunnel!! Good job building the skills up!! My only real suggestion is to use your left and rght verbals sooner – when he is approx 3 feet or more from the tunnel entry, start using them so he hears them before he goes in. That will get the turns tighter on the exit: he was wide but that was only because the turn verbals and physical cues were a little late. I know it was tricky to make sure he was committed, but that looks really good here! So you can add the verbal with less motion and then build the motion back in.
In the last session of this game, he had a lot of trouble turning to his left and he looks lovely here. So I am guess the turning to his right was probably a lighting issue, especially since it was better during the day.
On the 2nd tunnel & wing video: He had a little trouble on the very first one turning to his left. I don’t think it was a left or right turn issue, I think it was more of a turn-towards-the-fence issue: it looks like he started to do a bit of fence running when he was excited and getting started. But gold star to him for coming back and getting into focus! THat is good progress! You stayed nice and chill, and that really helped too 🙂 And also, on this clip, his right turn to the tunnel looked great. So while it is nice that his sequencing is going well, I am most excited that you are turnig the corner in getting the focus even when there are triggers!
He was definitely excitd about the teeter game but in a really good way! He did not lose himself to arousal and even when the reps were not perfect (his butt fell off a little haha) his first response in that moment was to try to fix it and get back on. That is exciting progress!! You can help him not swing off by moving with him to get closer to the board. When you hung back and sent him, he was hitting position nicely but then curling towards you. I don’t think he fully knows how to hold his butt there yet with you laterally away, so you can move in closer on these. I think you can also raise the board a little!! Add some challenge with more height! He looks ready.
The crate tunnel discrim looks really great, especially for a first session. When he makes a mistake, you can tell him he is a good boy and call him back (and he can have a treat for coming back :)) – it is kind of a ‘good boy nice try come here’ moment, all smiley 🙂 He didn’t seem to stress out on the mistake though, he just kind of shrugged his shoulders – unless you edited out a bigger reaction LOL!
I think you were fine in your position and set up the session well. All of the dogs have one thing that is slightly higher value – in his case, it was the tunnel. It might also be that you were starting both cues with “Go”, as in “go tunnel” and “go to bed” – so it sounded really similar on those first 2 reps. Try just “tunnel” and “bed” and see if that helps him.
Great job on these! He was a good boy and you are doing a great job setting him up for success 🙂
Tracy
Hi! Obsessing and writing it all down is good 🙂 Then, pick the ones you think will be most important and more useful right this very moment – and focus on those. For example: an independent backside push is probably more important and useful than a jump threadle or a threadle rear cross wrap. Jump threadles and threadle rear cross wraps are very fun to train… but not all that useful LOL!!! But a tunnel threadle is VERY useful. Let me know if that makes sense! Eventually, we can all have a zillion verbals but the trick is in adding them in gradually so we don’t get overwhelmed and also so we don’t forget them 🙂
Let me know what you think!
TracyHi!
He did well figuring this out here! I think he has a LOT of value on wrapping a wing (and probably multi-wraps too?) so when you were not moving and just using verbals, the strength of the wing over-powered the tunnels. So even as he started to go towards the tunnel, the wing was almost magnetic in pulling him in and that is why he would do that quick spin before going in. You can also have the wing a little closer to the tunnel, so the tunnel is a little easier to get to and a little more visible (making the wing less tempting).
>> Spent some time with just tunnel sends. Wondering if my restraining him at the start had me leaning down to much putting pressure and causing the spin…or was it that he just didn’t know what the tunnel was.
I don’t think it was the restraining or leaning – but you can test the theory by starting him from a stay.
I think you can totally help him with one step to the tunnel, even a little one: as small of a motion as you need to get him to go into it without the spin. And then you can fade that out pretty quickly. He was already figuring it out really nicely! And then since we want a little more tunnel value, throw in a wrap here and there but focus mainly on the tunnel like you did on this clip 🙂 It will balance out pretty quickly!
Nice start here!! Keep me posted on how he does!
Tracy
Holy bananas, look at that commitment!! THAT is the best thing ever: he gets on his line and makes you hustle. I freakin’ love that!!! And nice job on the lead out push, especially with the tire! It was nice to see him be able to do that on new obstacles in a different place, after doing at home on Sunday.
Have you gone shopping for those shoes with wheels? You might need a couple of pairs. Ha!!!!!!
Nice connection on these, and really nice hustle from you. Does he seem to change in the new place, in terms of arousal? Meaning – does he get too high or distracted? I have not found that to be the case with BorderWhippets in general, they can maintain a nice balanced arousal in any environment. It will be fun to see the BWHaps develop, especially since they are pandemic pups.And yes, tables are stuuuuuuuupid, I have no argument with that. I guess if you are going to do AKC or USDAA with him, he needs to learn the table though LOL!!!!!!
Great job; exciting times ahead!!!
Tracy
Ah! THIS is where we see the progress from the mountain climbers. Yesssss! Happy dude, back and forth, leaping on and slamming the board down with far more confidence than we saw a week or two ago. And having Spree in his area grubbing for treats certainly helps hahahaha Perfect! You can play this relatively chill but super helpful game every day or so. Question: he is 2o2o on the end or 4on? I think at this stage, we can start isolating exactly what you want to build value through the roof for it. On these back and forth moments, you can have a target at each end to help him out (I definitely like targets to get his head down). He seems to know if it *something* about staying at the end but I am not sure if he knows it is 2o2o or 4on independently of your motion. We can get that rolling here on the bang game.
Great job!!!
TracyGood morning!
Her stays look good! When you mentioned disconnecting right away, do you mean on the lead out? Some dogs do fine with that, some dogs prefer that we don’t watch them as we lead out (my youngest dogs don’t want me watching them – too much pressure or excitement? LOL! As long as they hold the stay til released, I am happy) She looked good on her stays here and let you reconnect before the release. She broke at 1:08 but I think that was a baby dog moment and not a disconnect moment because you were chatting hahahaThe lead out pushes looks good when you are a little further across the bar, closer to the exit wing. At :30 you were a little closer to the other side and she read it as a forced front/threadle to the backside. She was perfect again at :55 and also 1:28 when you were closer to the other side and next jump. She was fast and bending nicely on that opening! Yay!
She was accurate on the GO at the end of the sequence in terms of commitment when you were near her, but did not want to leave you in the dust yet. Maybe it was the need to poop? Or a bit of loving the momma and the toy 🙂 But that is a good element to focus on! She was fast on the openings where she could chase you, and then on the closing after the tunnel she caught up to you and then matched your pace. You can get her to enjoy leaving you behind more by going closer to the tunnel and then as she exits, cuing the go and running: and throwing the reward very early. As soon as she looks ahead, throw the reward as far as you can and run run run 🙂 She doesn’t have to take the jump t get you to throw the reward, she just has to start moving to it and leave you behind. Don’t worry if your throws are not accurate or if she misses the jump because of a wild throw LOL! It is more about getting her to feel comfy driving ahead and the accuracy of finding the jump is in place enough that we don’t need to worry about it right now 🙂
Great job here! let me know what you think!
TracyWow, you have made fabulous progress!!!!!! Yay!!!
About the hot dogs, 2 ideas for you:
First, when we start this, I put the hot dog on the feeder tray so it is there before the pup goes up the board. So you can change that by having Merlin goes across the board without the hot dog there… and as he arrives at the top, run over and put the hot dog there. Don’t make him wait too long in a hot-dog-free zone, though LOL!!!Second – we start to add in an ‘end behavior’. He is small so I am guessing you want him to do a 4-on behavior at the end of the board? If so, we start to train it on a plank on the ground or on a low wobble board (the early contact games here will help that get going, if you haven’t started it yet)
Then you can meld the end position into the mountain climbers, so the hot dogs come as rewards at the end rather than being there before he starts.
L:et me know if that makes sense 🙂
TracyHi! He is totally terrific! I am not sure if he has less drive, it might be that he operates differently in a training session. He was completely on board here: thoughtful and precise but also moving plenty fast for what we needed here. What a cool little guy!!!!
His sends are looking great! Very clear front foot smacks 🙂 Good clicks and rewards placement from you! He is not yet able to tear his eyes away from the cookie hand, but that will come when you add more distance on the sends (which I think he is ready for a little more distance).
The blinds are good but I think you need a little more room, maybe outside or if you have a hallway? That way you can be moving away as he gets the cookie and do the blind before he gets to you. He had no trouble reading the blind here, so I don’t foresee any issues – and more room will add more speed 🙂How is his tugging? Definitely incorporate toys into the training so we can keep the toy play strong even as we use all the cookies 🙂
Great job here! Has Trish’s ear stopped bleeding?
Tracy
Yay for perching, it is such an important skill for awareness and later on down the road for strengthening. Great for keeping that darned psoas in a happy place 🙂
Yes, try some duct tape to keep the thing from rolling 🙂 He was ‘looking’ for it under his feet but he was not quite getting the foot over it.
One thing to tweak in the perch work set up, based on rehab vet info (I have had waaaaaay too many talks with rehab vets in the past 12 months):
when you want hind end movement, use a lower perch. I would say no more than 3 or 4 inches tall for him. When the perch is high, he has no choice but to shift his weight to his hind end, which makes it harder to freely move his hind end which results in either more sticky behavior or compensations in form. This is especially true when we want him to step over something with the lateral motion. With a lower perch, the weight distribution is more equal and perhaps a little more on his front end: which is perfect for perch work because he strengthens the shoulders while the hind limbs have freedom to move about and work the psoas, quads, hammies, etc.Separately from the perch work, keep him understanding how to put his paws up on this current perch – that is a separate conditioning exercise to isometric strengthening (again, from the rehab vet people lol) that gets built on as the dogs get older. My dogs do this ‘paws up’ behavior on a taller perch (or unstable surface) and they do perch work on a much lower perch (and eventually an unstable surface when they are physically mature).
Let me know if that makes sense! Great job here!!
TracyHi! I see what you mean here! He was definitely hitting it more on your right side. Separately from this game, balance out being on your left both on leash and off leash – play the easier games a little more often on your left side 🙂
On this game: I think part of what was happening was that your angle and line on motion when he was on your left was harder and required more lead change than when he was on your right. On your right, you were more parallel to it and on your left it was a different angle of approach and then you were curling away a little bit. So, on your right where it is easier: add some challenge by being further away, laterally, so he has to really diverge from your path to get to the prop. You will see him take a couple of steps away to get it as you continue moving straight.
And on the left, make your line easier so it is more parallel – and also start closer. He seemed to not really know that we wanted him to lead change to hit it on that side (when he did hit it, he was turning around to hit it).
So start in a line: prop – WM – you.
Without motion, and he is on your left. And cue him for the get out so he only takes one step to his left (lead change) rather than turn around to it. And if he passes it, don’t send him back to it as that reinforces the turning around – just reset and do an easier rep.The other thing that can make it easier is if you elevate the target. Back in the olden days, I would take a nice thick phone book and duct tape a target to it (taping the whole thing so it wouldn’t move). Since we really don’t have phone books anymore, you can use a text book or piece of wood or a brick – anything small enough to be easy to hit and also easy for you to move. That can give a more salient visual as you add your motion.
Let me know if that makes sense! It is normal for different sides to progress at different rates, so you can work the harder concepts on your right and the easier ones on your left 🙂
Tracy
Hi! His joyous leaps to the toy were adorable 🙂
This looked great! No problems with distance or added angles. Yay! Three things to add (because tunnels are fun and easy):
– more speed from you. Sometimes pups get distracted when we humans really get running
– more difficult angles on the threadle sends so he starts further back nearer to the exit, between you and the tunnel (which will set us up perfectly for next week’s tunnel threadle game :))
– on the regular sends, add some curve to the end of the tunnel so it is more ‘blind’. A small gradual curve is perfect, then you can curve the entry. No need to do a ton of it because it is hard on their toes, but you can introduce the concept of “you can’t see the exit” and see how he doesI am confident that he will be great with all of these. Yay!!!!
TracyGood morning!
This was interesting indeed, with regard to the MM. It almost looked like a little avoidance, like when it clicked and he looked at it but didn’t go to it. But when it was on the Other side of the jump: no problem. Hmmmm. So it might have been that he was not comfortable moving to it in close proximity to to the Dog Walk? Or that he is on a bit of a ‘I don’t like the MM today” moment that he got over when you switched sides. I don’t think it was him being overly thoughtful because he has gone to it on a number of occasions and in different scenarios. The next time you try this, try it without the DW nearby and see if that changes things? And maybe try it without the beep on the MM but I don’t think that was it.Anyhoo, on the threadles: yay, no problem coming to the threadle side, good boy!!!! You were using your cross arm (which is a good choice for a threadle arm) but the cross arm makes it hard to point your feet towards the reward (which is the direction of travel when we get you moving). You ended up in more of a forced front cross position and then turned when he got to the backside.
Forced fronts are great to work on too! For the threadle in these early stages, start it with the dog side arm, like the serps, so you can keep your feet pointing to the reward (and future next line). When the verbal goes on and we fade the spoon (very soon, I promise haha) then you can introduce the cross arm. I use the cross arm on a LOT of my threadles (all tunnel threadles and many jump threadles) and the dogs are happy to see this get added a few steps down the road in training. By waiting til we fade the spoon and get the verbal on, you will be able to present the cross arm and have your feet going the right way.
I think you will be able to get the verbal on pretty quickly! This is a good start to it 🙂 Great job – let me know what you think!
Tracy
