O.k., things are getting somewhat more complicated now! Now that you mastered the serpentine, we'll look into other options with that set up too, but first, let's train some of
1. out/around/back
Push the dog on the other side of the jump by stepping with your left foot if the dog is on your left side towards the left wing/stanchion (and the opposite), saying your verbal and rewarding after he takes the jump. Every next try, help somewhat less on the take off side and move more on the landing side - see the video. This is again the question of commitment: the dog should understand to take the jump you showed even if you are already moving away already (helps in serpentines too!)
2. serpentine vs. threadle vs. pushes
Now let's try two pushes in a row on serpentine setting. If that goes well, you can try a threadle too, using your collection body language, together with cik/cap before the dog takes the jump and then "come" as soon as his front feet hit the ground - rewarding from your hand for coming to you. Once that goes well, try two in a row: when the dog comes to hand, don't reward but cue cik/cap for the next jump and then reward the "come".
Once you can do two pushes or threadles in a row, try three. And if you manage to do three, you can even try four! It's harder for every next jump, so make sure you progress slowly so that the dog is mostly successful. Start with a wrap to tunnel to have good speed. Mix in some serpentines too to keep them attentive to your body language and make sure, you train them both ways, so that the dog exits the tunnel on your side of the jump sometimes and sometimes on the other. The pushes and the threadles, sometimes do with the dog on the left, sometimes on the right.
Don't worry to master it in 2 weeks, it takes more than that, but do try to do some of this.
3. sequence: a little more complicated this time, so again, run it in parts and definitely walk it several times first, rehearsing your body language AND when to say what! - It gets complicated now as it includes everything we learned so far (wraps, extension, sends, serpentines, out/back/push).
Let's start with a wrap to the tunnel, then blind or front cross when the dog is in a tunnel, show 3 (you can call it "right" if the dogs knows directionals), cue collection (front cross) and use "cap" for 4, then 5 is "cik", send to tunnel and cue extension for 7 (meaning: RUN!), push for 8 (say "out/back/push"), RUN for 9, wrap 10, push/out/back for 12 and handle 13 as a straight line (it's a serpentine from 12 to 13). Have fun!
And here is my video of the sequence without 10 and 11, I completely forgot that part! Looks like I should be printing the courses out too! But I guess it can help some anyway, I also included serpentine, threadle and pushes, I hope I got that part right! 🙂
Here is our work. We were not able to do much this lesson. It has rained solid here for 2 weeks and a have a slipperly mudbath for a training area. We did the sequences from L4 and L5, and the arounds.
Not sure how lovely is the handling (NOT I’m sure -- comments appreciated, I always seem to look like a dork). We had some trouble with the sequence from L5 between 8 to 9 -- she wanted to take the 12 jump behind my back rather than go to 9.
Great job with the sequence 4! That send into the third tunnel was sure impressive, with her pulling in so nicely even with you running to the side a lot already. And yes, front cross on 5 was a good idea. Great around too! Time to try it without a front cross on a landing side: that makes it easier as that pulls them over the bar. Try without turning into her now, just calling her to the side, first while being static, then adding more&more parallel movement to the jump to challenge her commitment.
Sequence 5 went well too, but try it with a front cross on 4 and turning her left over 5. It’s less of a turn for the dog AND the distance is shorter, so it’s definitely more efficient. Loved the ending, she can obviously do around even with you moving parallel! 🙂 Great job!
In your second video example for this lesson, I notice (when jumps are on your left relative to the movement direction) that you use a right arm for the threadles and a left (closest to the jump) for the serpentines. Do you always do it that way?
Of course I always use my arms the same way, that’s the only way to make them mean something 🙂 I always use the outside arm for threadles and collection (front cross precues) and inside arm for serpentines and straight lines.
That’s what I though 😉 but you know us slow folk sometimes take a while to see these things.. btw congrats on your results. I hope to have a dog one day that is as driven as La!
Well Silvia, your name was in an Australian newspaper today 🙂 🙂 There was an an article about Grace to promote the tricks show at royal melb show.”Camilla has trained Gracie under the guidance of Silvia Trkman, a slovenian-based agility trainer and multiple agility world champion”. Pretty funny .. the journalist completely exaggerated everything i said to make G & I sound like world champions too! Apparently we’re competing in agility (sounds much better than still training). It was actually a lovely article though with a cute photo of G that showed off the white loveheart on her chest 🙂
I can’t help but post this video -- Grace & I just learnt ‘jump in my arms’ tonight. That is some serious weight training for me!! I’m a bit sore now -- not one we’ll be practicing often :-O
Fancy! 🙂 How cool you two got so famous and can promote positive dog training! And what a nice jump in the lap! Not an easy one with bigger dogs, that’s for sure -- and definitely a winter trick! 🙂
Yeah, pretty exciting -- Grace & I definitely never dreamed we would be in the newspaper 🙂
I think all the AF jump practice has helped her with the jump in the lap. Definitely a winter trick -- i also started trying to teach her to jump on my back = scratches everywhere! 🙂
Here is the sequence again Not perfect but the push to the serp is better. Thanks in advance for your comments.
The push is sure great!!! To avoid the confusion on 3, maybe don’t turn all the way: support his line by keeping your feet in the direction of 4, use your right arm to show it, but only turn your feet once he is committed. You’re at 4 too soon, completely static and turned towards him all the way, I guess that’s why he pulls in.
Thank you! I have that problem often and didn’t know why.
One question. Wouldn’t the right arm between 3 & 4 mean come in thru the gap as in a threadle?
Depends where are you… Being at the wing, showing the jump and saying cap tells them to take it, being more in the gap and calling their name tell them to come in…
Hi Silvia, here is another video of my wraps and eights with Cairo. lets see when would i be in the serpentines 😉
Cool! Maybe put bars on 15cm now and if that goes well, spread the jumps some more to introduce more speed coming into the wrap. -- Quite some steps before the serpentines yes… 🙂
I think I need some help with the pushes as they appear to be going downhill. I moved the jumps slightly farther apart than the last time and am trying to run without turning. As a result, I’m feeling more relaxed and able to stay ahead of her better. However, Bree has begun knocking into the jump stanchions or pulling the bar down with her tail when we attempt to do three jumps in a row. She’s fine when I do a single jump or only two jumps.
I’ve watched the video multiple times and can’t pick out the problem. Bree’s not normally a bar dropper so there must be something going on. I’ve tried running closer to the jump line…..and farther away. No change. I’ve varied the distance between the jumps and still get all the knocking. Perhaps I’m giving my around cue too late? If so, I clearly don’t know when to give it. Or maybe it’s something else all together??? Would be grateful for some help on this.
On the other hand, the threadles are going quite nicely. I discovered a food Bree wants more than she wants to serp the jump line and that has really turned things around. Will start working on the cik side tomorrow.
Thanks in advance. Carol
Wow, threadles are sure going GREAT! She is also very tight on arounds, it actually looks to me that now that she already knows where she is going, she is trying to slice the jumps so much that she is touching the stanchions… Do you have some jumps with wings? You could try that, she might pay more respect to the wings and learn to jump under an angle, but not that much that she can’t clear the jump. I never had this problem on our jumps that are always with wings and much heavier -- I had some bar knockers on arounds though and what really made a difference was making a jump look “stronger” by hanging something on the bars. That makes me think that hanging something on stanchions or using wings might help with your problem.
Hi Silvia,
We managed to get outside for a training session today. For some reason we seem to struggle with anything in a straight line so I thought I would give lesson 5 a try. I think the serpentines went okay, the threadles need improvement and she tends to have a strange jumping style over them. I’m sure its me so if you can help that would be great. Now the ‘outs’, oh no! It was probably the worst session we have had in a while. I don’t know how the poor girl puts up with me and carries on with such enthusiasm. I couldn’t get the correct position, I thought I was pushing her but we just couldn’t get it right, we had poles down, I was frustrated, she was frustrated, any comments are as always greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Louise and India
I think you were just trying to do too much in too little time. As I said in instructions: this exercise is harder as it looks and you should work very gradually on it. For arounds, I would do some more work on just one jump, just as you start it, only that I would add more parallel movement as that’s what makes arounds difficult. Once she commits well and takes a jump even with you running ahead, you can try two in a row. Stay with two until they get really fluent and only then try 3. The same for threadles, only that I would definitely lower the jumps for threadles to make her more comfortable to jump under so much angle. She seems to be unsure about it and then just springs up in the air with all 4 -- not the most efficient way to jump… -- so I would definitely go lower. It would be a good idea for arounds too, it’s just that it will then be even harder then to get to places: but do lower it for one or two arounds exercise, so that she can learn to jump under so much angle and to take off earlier: I think she jumps too late and then doesn’t have much options how to clear it… -- It will be easier when she starts to recognize the sequence sooner and prepares better. Just don’t rush it, give her some more time!
Great advice, thank you! I just need to relax and enjoy her more rather than pushing all the time! I’ll most certainly get working on it, thank you.
Hi Silvia and classmates: here is Paddy’s sequence for lesson 5. I ran it initially in small parts before putting it all together. I cannot seem to get Paddy to collect for his cik(zip) on 5 while running it in the sequence. I am sure that I am doing something wrong and hope you can tell me what. I put wings on the jump to see if that would help but it didn’t. When I isolate it as at the end of the video he seems to understand it. Maybe it will come with more experience? We are still working on straight line threadles and pushes (arounds). I have watched your video over and over and you make it look so easy! If I had half your speed then I don’t think it would be so difficult but Paddy gets ahead of me so easily. I can manage the first one and sometimes the second but rarely the third. I think we are going to repeat this class. Paddy is still young (18 mos.) and he is not trialing yet so I think more foundation will be good for him. I read back over your instructions for each lesson and there were several things in each lesson that I know I did not concentrate on enough or missed altogether. So more foundation will be good for me too. Thank you very much for a wonderful class. Paddy and I have learned so much. I certainly never realized until taking this class how important it is that I concentrate on what my arms are doing.
Anita
Great! You are sure using your arms very well and Paddy reads it really well too, you two really make a great team! His wraps are really nice, but yes, on 5 you can’t be so strong with your body language and then he chooses to go somewhat wider. You could try a front cross to tighten him up (like you do at the very end) -- that definitely helps, but it’s of course not ideal in this situation (and sometimes it’s impossible), so he needs to learn to be tight also when not front crossing. To promote it, you can do some multi-warps on 5 (if he is wide on a first one) + reward 5 more towards left (his left). Also, try going in the other tunnel entry, that will tighten a wrap on 5. I think he knew already that he is going in the right entry and then didn’t put an effort into being tighter as that.
And yes, threadles and pushes are much harder as they look when you watch an experienced dog who did tons of them already. I would focus on getting 2 in row for now, try two in both directions (from a tunnel and towards the tunnel) and on both sides (with him on your left&right) and once you master 2, you can add a third one.
Great job so far, hope to see you in the next class too!
Thank you so much for your comments. Yes, I think Paddy knew he was going in the right end of the tunnel because we had done parts of the sequence already (mainly for my benefit so I would remember it!) and he is a very smart boy. I will do the sequence up to that part and surprise him by asking for several wraps right there and see how that helps him not to anticipate. Will definitely take away one jump for the threadles and pushes and concentrate on perfecting two before I push for three and end up frustrating both me and Paddy. Will also try and post video.
Anita
Here is our video of the serpentines/threadles/push throughs. She does very well with the serps. She misses the push throughs a few times, but maybe I am late?
But we need help with threadles! I think this is the whole lack of ‘come to hand’? When I call her, she does not always come to me, especially if she is running hard (this past weekend I missed a Q due to her not listening to me just like in the video) When I practice the ‘come to hand’ on the flat, or by a tunnel, she listens, but the second I put other obstacles around and she is very aroused and excited, she does not come to me. I guess not enough value on me? Any advice from anyone would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Here’s our video:
Cool, very nice serpentines and nice okrog-s too 🙂 but yes, you sometimes end too much behind for the last one + run too far from the jumps. The closer you run, the easiest it is to push on their line. To make it even harder, you can also try starting her in another tunnel entry, so that you have three arounds in a row 🙂 There are many ways to make threadles easier. One is to say cik/cap as the closer she lands to the wing, the easier it is to get her through the gap: she sometimes lands so far that it gets really difficult. The second one is to not change the hands and use the opposite pulling hand all the way. There aren’t many people in the world who can do exchanges of the hands fast enough to handle 4 consecutive threadles with a fast dog with hand changes 🙂 Using the same (opposite) hand makes things sooo much easier. And the third one would be to reward every come to hand for now: maybe simply use a treat as you can hand it quickly and immediately attempt the second threadle. You can give her a treat often for coming to hand also on other sequences you practice, just to get the understanding you want her ALL the way to your hand and that it’s good to come. Also, call her sooner, as he is not a bar knocker, I would actually call her when still in the air. Let us know if any of that helps!
Hi!
i’m really late, because of a lot of work and no access to agility field…
here is two trainings :
first of all : out, threadles and serpentines. it was so chaotic, i was really bad and not quick in my handling, Doucette didn’t understand anything. i think i rewarded not at the good moment too. we have a lot of to do with that exercises. But Doucette has fun, for me it’s the most important.
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and sequencing : easier for us. i realized after the session that i forgot some too… too much tunnels… not logic 🙂
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i don’t know if i’ll have the time and access to agility field before 3 october to do lesson 6. But i can’t wait to join handling class.
Cool, great job with the sequence! Don’t worry about the forgotten part, I forgot that part too when I was making my video!!! 🙂 You could change the hands somewhat sooner for 4 though, she is somewhat wider there. The rest went well, first time you’re somewhat late cuing the last obstacle as you help on out too much, but the second time you cue it really well already. -- But still late with a hand change on 4.
The serpentines went great too and for threadles and outs, you just wanted too much too soon. As I warned in instructions already: those two exercises are much harder as they look! Start with just one jump, rewarding her for coming in (or going around and taking it when speaking about outs) even when you move ahead -- and once you can do that, try two. After you master two in both directions (from and towards the tunnel) and on both sides (her on your left&right) -- try three. Because yes, she needs to be more independent on outs before you can be fast enough for three. Threadles she understood better, you just need to say cik/cap + her name -- and soon enough! 🙂
Hope you can send lesson 6 too -- if not, see you in Handling class!