So... Here is the plan. As agility is easier to show as to explain, you'll be getting your homeworks in video form. You'll always get some new assignments, but you need to keep practicing the old ones too - we'll be checking back on those here and there, so don't forget to keep working on those!
This class program is very extensive and after discussing it with 1st class students, I decided to give you some more time for last three lessons: first three you'll get every 2 weeks and last three every 3 weeks and we'll also make a 2-week break somewhere in between to let you catch up. As always, taking things slowly is always better and takes you to the goal faster as rushing things up, that's why I'm giving you more time for your homeworks.
1. restrained send to cik/cap - the purpose of this exercise is to play a nice chasing game, while teaching great sends, distance work and commitment - see how early I can start running in the other direction when sending Le to the jump.
Things to pay attention to:
- height: If you only did cik&cap on other objects so far, start with a jump stanchion now, but without the bar first: and then put the bar VERY low - max. 5cm (2 inches) for smaller dogs, 10cm (4 inches) for BC size and bigger. You can then add some height every 5 sessions: 3cm up for small dogs, 5cm for bigger dogs - SLOWER with young dogs! If you already did cik&cap with more height, do this exercise on your normal height, send a video and I will tell you if it's o.k. or you need to make it lower.
- distance: Start the dog very close to the jump first and then further&further every next try to slowly add distance. If the dog turns back to you (as Le does once in my video) or waits for you, start closer again and add distance more gradually.
- angle: Note from which angle I bring Le to the jump and in which direction I run away to reward. The purpose is to teach them to jump close to the stanchion, NOT in the middle of the bar! That's why I always do this side approach FIRST and do lots of it before trying any straight approaches. Check the angle again as it's not the best angle to see and many people do it coming to the jump facing it and then running parallel to it away and then the dogs are back-jumping the jump. You want to come to the jump from the side (nearing the stanchion/wing first) and then run away perpendicular to it.
- speed: You can't expect much speed with multi-warps, but you definitely want it now. Restrain the dog, wait for a good pull, let him go and run away for them to chase you&the toy. Make sure the dog is rewarded when still moving - don't stop and reward: run and reward! 🙂
2. If the first part goes well, you can also do some figure 8s + chase it game: it's the same game, only that you use two jumps now and run from one to another, sometimes still rewarding the first wrap, sometimes 4th, sometimes 2nd, sometimes 5th, sometimes 3rd... Note the angle of the jumps (side approach again!) and the distance between them: you want BIG distance to get good speed - something like 10m/33'. Again, you want the jumps under this angle to make sure the dog is jumping close to the stanchion, not in the middle of the bar. DON'T do figure 8s on one jump, it teaches the dog to jump in the middle!
3. restrained send to a tunnel (obstacle discrimination!) + come to hand vs. go game
Restrain the dog very close to the tunnel, as he is pulling towards it, say "tunnel, tunnel" to them: pulling in the direction of that thing is what you want when you say "tunnel" - and then let them go. Slowly add distance. Later on, you can add more obstacles (jumps&contact) close to the tunnel to make the discrimination harder: only say "tunnel" when the dog is pulling in the right direction, you can feel it if you hold him. You do the same with jumps: call cik&cap and release to the jump that is first the only thing around and then add tunnels closer&closer. The goal is teaching obstacle discrimination AND actively pulling towards obstacles you call (as opposed to hanging with you, waiting for you to take them all the way to each obstacle).
To train even more things at the time, when the dog is out of the tunnel, either call to hand and when he is at your side, either do a front cross or a shoulder pull (see the video) and reward for closeness - OR say your magic "run FAST" word and throw a toy ahead when the dog is catching up with you - meaning that you're moving in both situations, do NOT stand still when you send!
To make it even more challenging and train three things at the time 🙂 you can also add more tunnels and jumps around, like this:
Try to change it some every time, like bringing the other tunnel closer, or curving it sometimes, or using a jump instead, and also try running by it (to the other entry maybe) while calling to hand so that the dog needs to stay with you even when you’re actually moving towards the tunnel/jump and similar.
4. independent weaves
If you haven't started weaves yet, set 12 poles in two rows (left row must always be 60cm/24inches closer to you when you stand in front of the channel in order to teach them correct entries), at least 1m apart, restrain the dog at least 3m before the channel, throw the toy through and release. As the dog is running to his toy, sometimes just stand back, sometimes run after him, on both sides, sometimes far, sometimes close, sometimes run and stop, sometimes run and turn etc. The purpose is to teach the dog to ignore your body language when in the weaves and complete the task. Slowly switch to a static toy 4m after the channel, bringing the two rows closer&closer as you practise independent performance (I'm using bowls with treats with Le as she isn't too excited about dead toys... - but I quickly switched to a toy, thrown after she is out then to get more speed). See the video for some ideas on what to do when the dog is in a channel. If the dog already knows the weaves, send the video of how independent it is. If it's not, go back to the channel. With puppies, you can start the channel work, but only play with it max. twice a week, to not progress too fast as you don't want to close it to the point that requires real weaving before the dog is fully grown. But you can do a lot of work on independence and entries without doing any real weaving.
Have fun!
Here is our first attempt at cik/cap. I think he turns tighter around the right than he does the left. He also prefers to spin to the right.
Next is tunnel work. He will run faster chasing a ball than he does for his tug toy. I need to change to that.
He sure drives great to his tunnel and also a jump! Definitely ready for even more distance and you can then also start leaving even earlier. He responds really well to your body language after a tunnel, but yes, use a ball if he prefers that. The wraps to right are very nice and tight and ready to add a bar, but I would spend some time on left wraps first as there certainly is a very big difference between the two… Try to always practice twice as many wraps/spins/stretches to the hip to the left as to the right to balance it out some more. The rest is all going really great!
Here is some more to his left. I worked a lot of spins to the left as well as going around an object.
Definitely better, but still not as tight as we would wish for… I think it can take a while to get him more flexible to the left, considering how strong preference he had for the right… You can still do some figure 8s in between, but then always add some extra wraps to the left at the end.
Hi Everyone
Here are our 1st videos
Realised we don’t have independent weaves at all it. I stop or change direction so does Benji.
If anyone has any fav programs for editing videos I would be keen to know haven’t done very much of this at all -- they seemed to take a long time to load on to youtube -- fingers crossed it works 🙂
Videos will upload faster if you select a smaller size: 380 (vs. 480). I watched your video at 380 resolution and it was clear. 280 was too fuzzy. I now use iMovie on a mac but I used to use Movie Maker on a PC which was also very easy to learn and use.
Awesome thanks I am using Movie Maker. I will try selecting a smaller size
Bronwyn, I used to use Movie Maker and I also found it VERY slow. Sometimes over an hour or more. Try what Devorah mentioned, but also you might find that certain times of day are faster than others and it’s probably because of how many other people are using youtube. Some times my videos would load in 2 minutes and sometimes over an hour, for the same length of movie.
Yes. Good point. Late afternoon is very slow for me at least. You can also play around with the quality settings (medium vs. high can save a lot of time… if it doesn’t become too fuzzy).
Will try that too -- thanks 🙂
Cool, very nice sends to both jumps and tunnel -- great distance skills! Great speed too, it’s only on those come to hand where you’re rewarding with food that he slows down a lot, so I would switch to rewarding with a ball every time, either going directly into tugging or even throwing it after he comes to hand if he prefers that -- better as slowing him down with food. For the cik&cap, I would keep the jumps a bit lower for now, there is no hurry with adding height -- I think we can get him even tighter that way. Weaves are looking really good already, but yes, see my post to Louise on how to add challenges to entries and staying in.
Awesome thanks will try throwing -- we don’t tug 🙁 I think that maybe because I reward with food when he brings the ball back. Will I still reward with food after he brings the ball back or try and have the ball as the reward?
Sure, you can give food when he brings the ball, no problem with that, just always throw a ball first.
Thanks
Hi all, Second video on Cik&Cap and Tunnel work, tunnel as a distraction and working on proofing the tunnel cue. When the jump is close to the tunnel Tili’s Tunnel cue is not solid -- needs more work. Tili seems to be driving into the Cik&Cap better, is she close enough to the wing?
Great, she sure looks really close to the wing now, great job! I think the tunnel- jump proofing was a bit too much for now, it affects her speed too much. I would keep it easier for now and add challenges more gradually.
Hi Silvia
I don’t seem to be able to watch many videos, I can read that someone has posted a video but do not see the video starter button/picture! Sometimes there is a link but when I try to use it it does not lead anywhere???
I used to be able to do this just a few hours ago, is this just my problem or is it something else?
Working now?
So, I tried CIK/CAP with restrain. I held her not very fast but I did. Wraping around a pole was much better than around a stachion I think.
Oh, I think it’s going really well with a stanchion too! No jumping up!!! She might get tired at the end? But yes, I think the miracle is definitely happening 🙂 Keep working like this, slowly adding distance! And oh, try to keep the videos a bit shorter, the official limit is 10min per lesson…
Sorry, I will pay attention. Thanks.
And yes, she was. That was the reason why I didn´t do the second direction.
Next time then! I think we’re getting somewhere!
Hi everyone
Here’s our very first homework. Very new on cik/cap and I uses Zig for left and Zag for right. While viewing the video, you may realise that I mixed up the zig and zags 🙁 … blur queen…
I think you were bit too fast with this… I would take the bars away and work with a stanchion only. I don’t see him trying to stay close to it… I think he needs more flat work. Also, stay with front crosses for now, you don’t need to rear cross it! No problems with the tunnel, great sends and reading your body language great! The weaves are going well too, but see my reply to Louise on how to introduce more challenges with entries and independence.
Thanks. Perhaps I was too eager to progress. Will remove the bar from now till he could stay close.
Hi Silvia
I just relooked at my video submission and I am not so sure about rear cross during the cik/cap. I am unfamiliar with many techniques in agility and I actually thought that I am doing front cross doing the two jumps all the while. 🙁
Will you be able to let me when did I make a rear cross? Sorry…
from 54 seconds forward you got front crosses, all before that are rear crosses cause you started the dog on the “wrong” side. the one on 2:00 is also i rear cross. Do you see the difference?
Thanks Lotta!
Yes I got it now! Yeah! Thanks so much.
This morning, I posted this on the “Introduction Page” vs. “Lesson 1” page, so here it is again..on the correct page this time. Sorry about the dupes!
Lil cip&cap over 4″ bar.
I shoveled out an area of snow (which is actually solid ice). The space around the jump is slightly larger than 4′ in diameter and the “runway” is about 3′ wide.
I reversed the wing jump so the supports are not so close to the bar. I also varied the angle of the jump, so Lil’s approach was easier at the beginning of the session.
After I watched the video, I wondered if my saying an enthusiastic YES when Lil was jumping was distracting for her.
Should I be less enthusiastic, or wait to say YES until after she has landed…or is it good for her to learn to stay focused on the task even if I am yelling YES! or GOOD GIRL…
Devorah, I just think Lil is the cutest girlie!!! I love your runway-it looked like it actually helped to make the turns even tighter :). Maybe Amy and I should try that in Maine!!!!
Hmmm, trying to make us shovel more than we already do, A? I actually just went out and snow shoe-ed a “run way” of sorts so I could do my tunnel homework. It’s just really hard to run on snow and in snow boots! 😛 My yard was so nice and dry four days ago! I am doing my drawer slamming homework, though!
Devorah, I love Lil, too!! I have only ever met one other Australian Terrier and he is FABULOUS! Not an agility dog, but he is the greatest pet dog and I am sure he would do agility if they wanted him to!
Thanks Amy, I have 2 ATs and LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM. They are great to live with… so joyful, fun, funny like clowns, and super smart!
Thanks Kelly! Yes. The runway is a nice “prop” that will fade away over time as the snow melts… if it ever melts. 🙂
Oh, I replied there already, I hope you found my reply!
Below is Silvia’s reply in case another dog is doing this and would benefit from this feedback:
LoLaBu: Looks good! Great distance already! I don’t think it was your yes that was making her knock, I saw it before your yes if she will clear it or not. She clears it nicely when she goes all the way to the base and wraps it, but sometimes takes off too early and just crashes into a jump, like at 0:52. Try to recognize this style in time to not say yes to those tries and not reward them. Also, try to find a pattern in when this happens – easier to fix it if you know why it happens…
Silvia’s feedback is great news to me because I can see how training “Loop and Wrap” will give Lil many opportunities to develop an efficient and consistent pattern for approaching jumps. Plus it will give me many opportunities to see if I can pin point the specific scenarios that cause Lil to take off early.
My first thought is that early take offs happen when Lil is rushing and fails to take a set-up step before the jump. When she does set herself up well, she jumps the bar straight (vs. slicing it away from the turn) which makes it possible for her to continue with a tight wrap after landing. I’m not sure a long-backed dog like an Australian Terrier will be able to bend as tightly around a jump like a lot of Border Collies do, but as long as Lil takes a nice set up step and jumps the bar straight vs. slicing away from the turn, I think she will be able to clear the bar and power out of the turn.
The next time we practice “Loop and Wrap,” I plan to position the video camera perpendicular to the jump so I can see the angle of Lil’s set-up step and the direction her feet are facing when she lands so that I can mark and reward “better than average” performances.
Thank you Silvia!
Exactly. Not every dog can wrap the jump as BCs or Kelpies can, BUT they can all learn a lot on appropriate take off and can find a different way to meet the criteria. La is also not nearly as flexible as my BCs, but she can turn really tight by adding an extra stride to get a good approach and then throws her hips in one direction to land on the right line.
Hi Silvia and classmates! Here is Spur’s tunnel send homework. You will see why I can’t name cik/cap, I can’t even name a tunnel!!! LOL!! My word for tunnel and the chute are the same and it is “shhhhhhh”. The first part of this movie you hear me just say “GO”. That’s pretty common for me, I forget to name the obstacle and “GO” is a word that comes out of my mouth a lot as speed is something I have been working a lot on with Spur. I get better at the end!!!! I’ll work on better verbals and information, I promise. I also forgot to call him to me for the first call to hand and he wasn’t sure, but he soon figured that out and I was better about saying his name. I was surprised at how hard this exercise was for me. The snow doesn’t help. I actually had to pack down the path with snow shoes Little Spur had an easier time running. It’s kind of slushy, so still pretty thick.
Look at those restrains and how well he drives to the tunnel after! Great job! He sure got really good at coming to hand in that one session already, but yes, keep working on it and don’t forget your verbal cues! Bu who is a worrier too LOVES verbal cues, she was the one who really made me talk 🙂 She really appreciates to have all the verbal information to have all the info in time AND to have a confirmation that she is doing it right. She starts to worry something is not quite right if I don’t talk enough!
Thanks, yes, he sure wants ALL the information I can give him. The MinPins didn’t need it, so it’s new to me learning to run, think, talk and remember what I am talking about! 😀 I am better at trials, probably because I walk the course so much. Yeah, I am so surprised by how much he seems to enjoy his restrain! I think that is going to help us SO much! He is the nicest, sweetest boy and I love how hard he tries and how he forgives me my struggles!!! I do have to be very careful and try to be as good as I can be because he will wring his paws with worry if things go “wrong”. It is a lot to think about, but we are both learning to work through things now!!!
Boy, is he sure teaching me a LOT!!! 😀
Hi Silvia!
Here’s some of our training this past week. I’ve been focusing on Kona organizing herself before she jumps and then really accelerating out of her cik/cap turns.
You two are sure doing great! Kona is really quick and enthusiastic and you’re really good at introducing challenges, loved your work with the weaves! She sure understands her job well and ignores the distractions perfectly -- great understanding of the entries too!!! Cik&caps are going great too, really good commitment already!!! No problems with the tunnel exercise! Keep up the good work!
Hi Silvia
Here is a video from me and Siraja training some crosses after a tunnel in addition to some slalom-and cik&cap training. In the beginning of the training session I tried to film with a tripod, but failed, so therefore you can´t see any frontcrosses or combinations between shoulder pull/frontcross. (I will post it in the next video)
You can also see what her slalom looks like. I found out really quick that she is certainly not enough independent. She cares way to much about what I am doing, and she doesn´t have enough drive forward. I will defintly try your slalom method, and will post a video later.
In this video however, you can our beginning on the cik and cap training. She can maybe be even tighter to the wing? But I´m working on it.
I´m sorry about the sound, I tried to take it away, but failed…again 🙂 But hey, if youre lucky you may learn some norwegian! 🙂 Since you already can hear us; do you think she barks to much in front of the tunnel? Will that reduce her speed?
Eli Beate
wow, she is lightning fast! 😀
Looks good! I wouldn’t worry about barking, some dogs just like to bark as they run 🙂 I think she drives to the tunnel well, but could maybe stay closer on come to hands, so keep practising. Some cik&caps could be tighter too yes, maybe you could set figure 8 and then reward for the best ones, go on for the good ones and redo the widest ones. The weaves are going really well already, but you can certainly still introduce some more challenges, help less with entries and proof her independence even more -- see my reply to Louise for some suggestions. Great job so far, great attitude!