• About us
  • Training articles
  • Training videos
    • Xtreme Foundations
    • Agility Diary
    • Puppy diary
    • Weaves
    • Agility Foundations
    • Running Contacts
    • Ready, steady, GO!
    • Tricks for better thinking skills
    • Tricks for a great bond
    • Tricks for balance, strength&coordination
    • Heeling
    • Cik&Cap
    • En français
    • In Deutsch
  • Online classes
facebook
youtube
email
  • About us
  • Training articles
  • Training videos
    • Xtreme Foundations
    • Agility Diary
    • Puppy diary
    • Weaves
    • Agility Foundations
    • Running Contacts
    • Ready, steady, GO!
    • Tricks for better thinking skills
    • Tricks for a great bond
    • Tricks for balance, strength&coordination
    • Heeling
    • Cik&Cap
    • En français
    • In Deutsch
  • Online classes

Post

To, 3 months

06 Feb 2014
21 Comments
photos, To
dsc_9835
dsc_9882
dsc_9904
dsc_9909
2014-02-04-10-16-31_1
2014-02-04-10-20-17-2_1

3 months already! As we're taking her puppy tricks further, I'm noticing an interesting thing that was never an issue with my other dogs - she gets unsure and gives up really quickly. I tend to raise the criteria very slowly, mostly by jackpots rather as waiting them out, so I never had a "give-upper" before, but when To thinks there might be more to it, even when I keep frequency of clicking really high, or when I introduce something new - like a 2nd object for one object into another trick - she will simply leave and lie down a couple of meters away, whine or start to give kisses. I had to hide the 2nd object in my lap and expose it VERY gradually to not stress her out with "what is THAT about", so this trick is taking a bit longer. The same with pivoting - she was great with target and actually offered it randomly even without it, but when I tried a flat target, she did two great tries that I rewarded and then she just left in horror that there is something wrong with that target! She gets over it eventually, but she sure gets me wondering how to work around it sometimes! So interesting - different dogs, different challenges - love it!

I just wish we could walk in our woods again, but we have really crazy weather with so much ice that the trees are falling down, so woods is really dangerous right now, I can hear trees falling down all the time... - so we need to walk on ice in the fields instead... 🙁 I'm amazed how well the dogs can run on it though, given I can hardly walk!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

21 Comments

  1. Pascal HERMANN February 6, 2014 at 20:44 Log in to Reply

    Hi Silvia !
    To has always beautiful attitudes !

    During year 2012 at club, we welcomed in beginners agility class a wonderfull and very clever 6 months BC with blue eyes whose name is Google and every body love him. Google seemed to really love agility, but when I tried to learn him some too static tricks -- 2o2o or paws touch or 4in or any shaping tricks, Google give up after 2 or 3 tries and -lie down a couple of meters away- Google really prefers action and is learning really better in action with speed or based on instinct.

    • LoLaBu February 6, 2014 at 21:58 Log in to Reply

      To loves her tricks, also static ones -- it’s just when she is unsure that she gives up, so I need to be VERY gradual with progressions and very generous with the rewards. The better she understands the trick, the more she loves it, but when unsure, my other dogs will start throwing million things at me -- and To will leave. Hopefully, that only shows her will to be right -- that will be a nice change after Bi -- with no will to be right 🙂

  2. Shona Michaud February 6, 2014 at 21:51 Log in to Reply

    Ah is To going to make you an even better teacher than you already are 🙂 Thanks To. We like to have a mentor that is being challenged!

    • LoLaBu February 6, 2014 at 22:04 Log in to Reply

      Always something new, with every new dog!

      • Amy February 7, 2014 at 03:45 Log in to Reply

        Oh they are all so interesting!!! My Min Pins never stop offering things, but Spur will and does that same kissing thing, I think!!
        I am sorry about your ice. We had that years ago and it was no fun.
        I hope we get some videos of To soon. her photos make her look SO cute!!!

  3. noa February 7, 2014 at 01:10 Log in to Reply

    I agree with Shona ! yay! To is going to enlarge your already hugely deep well of ideas Silvia 🙂 very good for us, your students !!

    • Steffi Trott February 7, 2014 at 04:07 Log in to Reply

      Could the ears be any cuter?!
      Maybe it is just these pictures but I think she looks like she is very aware if doing things right, especially the third and fourth ones look like “Yes? Is that what I am supposed to do?” 🙂
      Really adorable!

      • LoLaBu February 7, 2014 at 12:21 Log in to Reply

        Yes, I guess there is something good in every characteristic they have!

  4. Maud Fast February 7, 2014 at 07:50 Log in to Reply

    To is so sweet, and my she is growing 🙂

    One of my Afghans is doing just that, getting unsure, and shutting down, so I’m following your work with To with great interest.

    And for the ice, get Swedish Icebug shoes! I don’t understand how I managed before I got my first. They give you a very good grip on ice, and there are different models, for hiking, jogging etc. And they are very durable 🙂 Wish they had a doggy model, my dogs are not so good on ice as yours.
    http://icebug.se/en/

    • LoLaBu February 7, 2014 at 12:44 Log in to Reply

      Thanks for the links, those do look interesting! And yes, I’m normally very good at “reward anything, select for more with jackpots”, so I’m surprised this happened to me as I keep frequency of rewarding really high -- and yet she still decides things are too hard sometimes! She actually does it well -- and then say “oh no, that’s too hard”. For now, I just switch to another trick and then try to think of more gradual progression till next session.

      • Pascal HERMANN February 7, 2014 at 21:21 Log in to Reply

        Yes, switching to another easy fun trick is the best way to reassure -- barking trick is also good to reassure and chain tricks !

  5. Anja Razgorsek February 8, 2014 at 19:03 Log in to Reply

    Bina is the same. I never changed that and I have her for 4,5 years. She gets unsure, gives up and is sooo frustrated if she thinks she did something wrong. I need to take every new trick slowly, raising criteria is mostly done by jackpots.

    I have a hard time to get her on balance disc. In her mind that is something to step around, not ON 🙂 (2 of them, she is a big girl)…But as with everything I put mind to it…we will find a way.

    • LoLaBu February 9, 2014 at 12:46 Log in to Reply

      Maybe start with other objects at first -- like folded blankets, cushions and pillows -- and then add balance discs as just another object?

  6. sara123 February 10, 2014 at 12:21 Log in to Reply

    now you have one like my tarn! the more difficult ones make us better trainers 🙂

  7. Urska March 1, 2014 at 22:04 Log in to Reply

    Silvia, could you please update regularly on how you deal with To’s insecurity during shaping? I have the same problem with Art and it’s only getting worse, so we could really use some tips.. We didn’t have such problems during puppy class as he mastered those tricks rather quickly (well it happened a few times, but he quickly got over it), but now I just don’t seem to be able to teach him any new (harder) tricks. Today we tried ‘coin in a tiny jar’ trick and after a few tries he actually managed to get the coin in a jar but then after a few fails he gave up and lied down. We did some happy tricks after that and tried again later -- he succeeded once, but then he randomly decided that this is to hard for him and lied down. And it’s happening with other new tricks to. If he doesn’t know exactly what I want, how to do it and if he has to put a lot of effort in it, he prefers not to do it at all. He absolutely loves doing tricks that he knows well though.. It’s happening in agility as well, we’re just starting but if he (or rather -- I) makes a mistake and I try to get him to re-do sth, he gets really distressed and sometimes just wanders off or starts to playfully run around me (probably to calm me?!) or finds himself a tunnel and starts running through it (and yes -- he absolutely loves tunnels as he can’t make a mistake there..). He definitively is a BIG challange but training is more interesting this way I suppose. And he is teaching me a lot for sure :))
    Have fun with To, she’s absolutely adorable!! <3

    • LoLaBu March 2, 2014 at 11:17 Log in to Reply

      I just went with the same tactic as I used for Bu -- reward everything, JP the best, and it really helped her to keep trying. But why are you making him redo things for your mistakes? Just keep going and reward something good and when trying something again, put it in a different sequence and add lots of tunnels to keep him happy and make it look different. I never stop/redo for my (handling) mistakes, only for training mistakes (knocked bars, missed contacts or weaves).

      • Urska March 2, 2014 at 14:32 Log in to Reply

        Thanks for the advice, I will try doing the same and see where it goes. 🙂
        Hmm for example: I send him to wrap around a wing, he starts to run in the direction but then pulls off. Then I usually try to redo right away, except I run a bit closer to the wing so that it’s more clear. He’s new to agility so it makes sense that he doesn’t have great obstacle focus just yet but sometimes he does wrap when I send him from a certain distance, and sometimes he pulls off (although the distance and everything is the same), so I can’t really say whose mistake is that -- his or mine for expecting too much. Anyway, making it look different could work, thanks for the idea. 🙂

        • LoLaBu March 2, 2014 at 18:00 Log in to Reply

          It’s not too bad even if you keep going in situations like that and just reward more when he does take the jump… I think once he understands the whole thing better + is really into it, the problem will go away anyway -- it did with Bu, she handles any redoing perfectly now.

          • Urska March 4, 2014 at 18:07 Log in to Reply

            Thanks a lot for your help!

          • Urska March 13, 2014 at 21:31 Log in to Reply

            He mastered the coin in a jar trick!! -- rel="nofollow ugc"> Your advice really helped, thanks! 🙂

            • LoLaBu March 13, 2014 at 21:46 Log in to Reply

              Great!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Login with:
Facebook Google

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


 

April Foundations class is now open for registration!!!

 

  • Log in
  • Register
Login with:
Facebook Google

Search Forums

My classes

Tags

articles beyond foundations bi bu busting the myths camps EO foundations hiking la le my philosophy my videos photos puppies! puppy class running contacts students' videos ta To trials tricks world championships xtreme xtreme foundations
sialaSilvia Trkman is known for bringing every dog, from her first dog on, to the very top of the sport. Her dogs are known for great speed, tight turns, running contacts and long and injury-free careers. Silvia is in agility since 1992 and is
– 3x World Champion (with two different dogs)
– 5x European Open winner, with 4 different dogs (Lo, La, Bu, Le)!!!
– National Championships podium and World Team member with every dog she’s ever had
– National Champion for 22-times (with 5 different dogs of 3 different breeds)

– World Team member for 19-times (mostly with at least two dogs at the time – sometimes four 🙂 )

RECENT COMMENTS

Contact me

silvia.trkman at gmail.com

Copyright Silvia Trkman, 2010-2016; All rights reserved
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT