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!
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 now, but without the bar for first 3 sessions: 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 wing, NOT in the middle of the bar! That's why I always do this approach FIRST and do lots of it before trying any straight approaches.
- 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 and the distance between them: you want BIG distance to get good speed - something like 10m. Again, you want the jumps under this angle to make sure the dog is jumping close to the wing, 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 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!
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 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.
Have fun!
Hi Silvia, here is our weaves. I used channels too but didn’t train entries until the weaves were closed. I think introducing entries when first doing channels is a great idea and I will try it with my next dog. Am enjoying everyone’s videos!
Cool, great independance -- but definitely time to slowly introduce harder&harder entries!!! No more easy ones! 🙂
Like the ones in your video? When he is entering from the right it’s harder. Do I stay close and send from farther and farther back while I’m still close to the poles or is it easier to start with distance from the poles and then move back. Am I crowding him if I’m close? Should I keep the 12 poles up or go down to 4 to work on hard entries. Thanks
Yeap, it’s harder from the right… I start at the normal distance from the poles, but only add more&more of an angle gradually -- the first angulation I do is what you can see in Le’s 2nd session when I move the bowl off the line a little -- and then I just start them more&more off-line. You can move with him, but don’t push him in the right entry, let him find it on his own.
I always use 12 poles, but sometimes open a channel back if I want to do many repetitions.
Hi Silvia,
I’m pretty ashaimed to publish this video as the level is so low…
The few times we have been training before, she was running SO fast… but I was running at her side.
I’ve never sent her before.
Is it the reason?
Slalom:
From where I taped, you cannot notice that I was giving more and more lateral distances with the slalom and neither that the bowls were less and less in the way of the slalom.
But you could notice that my puppy was going slower and slower !
Tunnel:
She seems so confused that she lost her motivation…
I’m so afraid she becomes as slow as Brésil, my other dog that doesn’t like agility…
Help !
Céline
Oh, by send I didn’t mean you shouldn’t move! You can move with her, just make sure she is not only moving after you, but is pulling ahead for the jump. But you can definitely run with her!
For the tunnel exercise, try to do something specific when she comes out: front cross, shoulder pull or go. Have her follow your hands and pay attention to your moves, not just chase that toy. Always reward from your side and in movement, you very often just stand there in front of the tunnel facing her and that blocks her -- remember that same problem with cik&cap in puppy class? You need to be in movement and rewarding at your side. When you do FC, turn for 180 degrees and reward from the other hand, while moving again, so only after FC is competed, from the other hand already, not from your front.
Also, that was a very long session if you did it in one day, especially if you didn’t give her enough break in between. It’s really important you keep it short especially as I’m guessing it was hot? I have hard time imagining doing any agility in Spain in July at day light… At this time of a year, I only start training with my dogs at 8.30pm (I need to finish when it gets too dark, no lights). They don’t mind running a competition in heat as it’s only 30 seconds, but I wouldn’t want to do much more than that when it’s so hot as it is here in July… -- and I’m guessing it’s even hotter in Spain!
Hi Sylvia, Thanks for these comments to Celine. They are helpful to me as well. I find that Nero overheats very easily compared to my past dogs. I think its because he make such an intense effort that he doesn’t have that many sprints in him. I have to plan my practice pretty carefully to achieve my goals. So far I am still having trouble with the exercise where we double back towards the tunnel. We’ll keep working on that. Most of my time will need to be send watching the video you posted.
Nancy
Yes I have to be very careful with the heat as well and it’s getting hot and humid here in Tennessee. Speed prefers cold weather.
I’m working on one thing in the morning before work for less than 10 mins when it’s in the 60s (16-20C), and then one thing in the evening for less than 5 mins in the shade if it’s in the low to mid-80s (26-29C). I do not work Speed at all when it’s over mid 80s (29C) so there will be many evenings when we skip agility as the summer wears on.
Speed also does best when he does 2-3 days with agility sessions followed by 1-2 days with no agility.
Lois
Yeap, that’s reasonable amount of training to do and I also follow those temperatures -- definitely no training for us when it’s anywhere close to 30C!
That’s funny. When we studied Wild Dogs in Tanzania they absolutely would not hunt or even travel when the temps were 31 or above. We would be on follows and would have waited all day for some action. As soon as the temp dropped below 31 they went like clockwork. If darkness came first then we had to wait till morning for some activity. We did this for 6 years and had tons of data on temperature. Here in Montana our temp doesn’t go above 31 too often, but in some summers starting around now it can be higher than 35 (~97) for many days in a row.
Nancy
Nancy
yes, but it’s a dry heat 🙂
By FC you meant figure 8, I guess? Would you have a video to help me understand?
For tunnel, I understood. Let’s see if we can make it!
Just for your information the whole session didn’t last 9 min (my camera’s memory!) with 3 big breaks in between. I thought we both had to get used to the heat but I’ll try to change my organization.
Sorry, FC is front cross, when you change the dog from left to right hand turning towards her -- that’s what you should be doing with the tunnel exercise, you can watch some videos. And yes, I’m getting used my dogs to the heat too -- by doing jogging every day at noon 🙂 They’re fine with that, but when I’m asking them to do full speed running, 9min is WAY too much. Normal agility run takes 30 to 35 SECONDS and any healthy dog can do that at 30 Celsius. But I wouldn’t ask anything more than 35 seconds at this temperature. It just teaches them to go slowly in order to not overheat.
Don’t worry, I got it and won’t train agility in the heat anymore !
I am watching others’ video, don’t you think we are to young (in age for karmen and in experience for me) for this class?
They are really advanced in agility.
Wouldn’t we benefit more if we’d wait?
Hm, well, you can’t progress when waiting… Of course, you can wait for the next class if you want, but I think there are many people here who didn’t do any agility before -- with dogs who didn’t do any agility either… -- Agata for example to name just one. She had some problems with where to run and how to do a front cross at first, but that’s normal, that’s how one learns, she is doing great by now already. If it’s frustrating for you, then it’s of course better not to do it, but remember, puppy class was hard at first too as you weren’t used to shape… And then you got used to it and got really good at it! You would never get that good without trying!!!
Thank you Silvia for giving me confidence.
I’ll try hard to make it with fun and hope Karmen’ll enjoy it!
See you this week end for our 2nd video… 🙂
Céline
here is our first homework. I really don´t know how to train weave entries…
Nice cic-cap work. I’m still running in the wrong direction and it is very helpful to watch different people. I see what I’m doing wrong now.
I have trouble teaching/proofing weave entries too. If Silvia addresses under your post, I will read it here and she won’t have to repeat herself when she sees my questions about proofing weave entries.
Lois
Well… Can’t explain much better as making them harder gradually… You can see what I start doing on 2nd session with Le (moving the bowls off the line) and then I just start her with more&more angle…
Thanks to Ana’s video I understood the shoulder pull and front cross.
One step more passed!
Thank you !
Céline
But you’re doing it right with making entries harder now! You do it too hard once when she fails too many times in a row: don’t push for more as she can do, 1 mistake per 10 is good, more than 2 per 10 is not good. Also, you can mark the mistakes, I do it too, but don’t get emotional about it 🙂 They take it too hard when you start to get annoyed or angry. “No” tends to be pronounced too strong, so I prefer “ups” I say it as “ups, no reward is coming for that one” and NOT “NO, that’s wrong”.
Cik&caps are going better, but I still see some that are too wide, so keep working without a bar. You can help her with the direction more with your shoulders, so that she is not confused. Say your cue as she is approaching it, but not anymore once she is wraping. It’s a send&wrap cue, so you can’t say it anymore once she is already doing it (if there isn’t another jump you’re sending her to).
The tunnel exercise is going well, she is very tight on FC, but shoulder pull needs some more work -- they should all look like the last two, that was sure tight!!! 🙂
Thanks Silvia, for the weaves do you think that I can use food at the end or keep doing with the ball?
Sure, you could use food in a bowl first if you think that will make it easier for her.
Hi Silvia,
Matilda and I are back with you for the Foundations Class. We have been doing some competing for a year and a half, mostly in CPE but some in AKC. We still can use help with foundation work and I’m interested in adding cik and cap to what we do. Matilda does a running A-Frame. We started with 2 on 2 off and switched to running with the Rachel Sanders box method. Matilda has a stop for Dog Walk and teeter. We practice 2 on 2 off but in trial she will usually stop with four on. When she is over the top high with excitement she often launches early and misses the yellow. Her weaves are really very good in practice. I have been proofing them with distractions because in trial she sometimes misses the entrance or pulls out at the 8th or 10th pole.
For homework here in Connecticut Matilda and I have been working with my sister Dinah and Matilda’s cousin Stella on 2 on 2 off stays and the beginnings of cik&cap. Do you have suggestions on how we can make better progress with cik&cap? Matilda offered turns in both directions on her own but is not yet offering two turns around. Can I begin naming or do I need to keep working for two turns. How can I get her to make two turns? I’d appreciate any advice you have. Now I’ll post my video.
This is our 1st session of cik/cap with a jump. Thought i would post it to get feedback at this stage to make sure i’m doing the right thing bf i build on it. I’m being naughty and not using my cik/cap words in the vid. Like others have mentioned, i get so dyslexic with them. Thinking of just using 1 word too
Grace & I have started training weaves 2x2 method. She seems to be enjoying it so think it’s prob best to stick with this. At the stage we’re at (4 poles) we’re working more on the entries than weaving so far (me standing still, running etc)
Unfortunately i don’t get my tunnel til next wk, but that is definitely Gracie’s favourite 🙂
For a 1st session on a jump, that’s too high. You need to start 1st session with a bar on the ground and then put it to maybe half of what you set. You got some really nice wraps to the left (but not so to the right) already on that height, but I think it’s better if you take it slowly. Other than that, very nice handing and great speed! You can post where you are with weaves too, it’s of course perfectly o.k. to continue with the method you chose.
Thanks. Yeah, I wondered if the bar was too high but these are homemade wings and i can’t adjust the height. I’ll start using my metal wings with the pole on the ground. We’ll focus a bit more on the right wraps and see what we can do …
I was happy that grace seemed to be enjoying herself so much 🙂
Yeap, she sure looks very happy and fast! If you can’t put it lower, do some circling without a bar and then go back to this height. Do your jumps allow you to then progress slowly from here or…?
Here I Matilda, I hope
We’ll address the contacts in next lesson, but to comment your video: the stays in 2on2off position are good enough that you can stop practising that 🙂 I know it sounds strange, but the thing is that a stay is very easy until you keep coming back for rewarding. Once the dog understands the stay, don’t reward in a position anymore: let the release be the only reward. At first, reward a release with a toy, later on, only reward it by sending her to a jump/tunnel/whatever -- because that’s how it will look like in trials. You need to train as you compete. Also, practise speedy approaches to a 2on2off object and speedy releases -- that makes things harder.
With cik&cap, try to get the second circle by rewarding her further along the line -- as you do in the last clip -- and never for facing you as by that, you are reinforcing stopping in that position even more. Instead, click for wrapping and then throw (better as rewarding from hand) a treat/toy at the base passed you already. That way, she will probably keep circling in that direction. You can also start to name it now yes.
Great weaves!!!
Thank you. I’ll work on rewarding away from me and further along as well as naming cik&cap tomorrow.
We have not had weave pole at home to practice with in over 1 year. I was happy to see Speed still has the muscle memory for weaving.
He sometimes suffers from “10th pole syndrome” – popping out at the 10th pole. I believe we will overcome with practice and I need to remember to not attempt to throw a toy too early and accidentally distract him. Anything else to keep in mind?
I will gradually start proofing for independent weaves by leaving him in a stay and walking to the end of the weaves, and adding distance and distractions. He’s still comfortable with me being on either side, which is good.
By biggest concern is I never learned how to proof his entries. I assume I should do clock work and start him at 5 and 7, moving him to 4 & 8 o-clock positions. In this video I tried him at 7 o’clock a couple times and he misses the entry. My arms are flopping around like a rag doll which isn’t helping. Any suggestions for proofing his entry? Should I try the 2x2 method? Watching myself, I found it interesting that I don’t react to him missing his entry until he’s 4 poles into the weaves and when I stop him and start over, he stands there wondering what’s going on. I need to remember to transport him back to restart with a toy or by the collar and not leave him standing out there by himself.
I also included some cic-cap work and watching myself made me quickly realize I am STILL not running in the right direction even after watching your assignment video. I plan to put an object in the area I need to run to so I can get this right (maybe a sign that says “Lois, run over here”. 🙂 I knew it didn’t feel right and he was turning so wide.
As you still have quite some work with entries and indepandance, I would open the channel somewhat (to 3 or 4 inches), to not make him weave too much -- he can do that part, it’s just that you skipped the important part: entries and exits. If he can’t do a 7 o’clock entry, set him at 6.15 🙂 and then go from there. With an open channel, he will be staying in better (if not, leave his toy 3 m after the end for him to focus on), so you can add distractions right away.
So no, for having him make all 12 poles, don’t try to distract him less, but distract him more 🙂 -- on a wider channel of course so that it’s easier for him to succeed. But don’t even try to help with your movement, he needs to learn. And yes, you need to react quicker to wrong entries. Don’t start him from a stay as you will never do weaves from a stay in a real life 🙂 Just restrain him under more&more angle. Channel is perfectly good for teaching entries -- you just need to challenge the dog with them right from the second session on!
And yes, still a wrong direction -- do try with a bucket or something on the floor to mark where you need to run, that’s a good idea!
Hi there to all my class mates. I do not have tunnel bags and they are not avaliable here, i would have to import them at great expencence, so i would like to try make some. Would any body be willing to photogragh them from a couple of angles and give measurements please that would be so helpful. Alicia, my email is leeden@worldonline.co.za
Hi Alicia,
You could use large empty plastic jugs (from water, detergent) filled with water attached together with a rope to hang on either side of both tunnel ends.
Liza
Hi Alicia! I use plasticbags filled with sand, hope it helps you
Gabi
Hi Alicia, All the stores here now sell cloth bags for groceries for 1.00 to stop up from using plastic bags. I’d buy 4 of those, fill them with sand, and tie them together with rope. We also used to use old backpacks. I’ve also take old tarps and cut them to go over the tunnel like saddle bags on a horse. If you make these make sure that they are long enough that they don’t collapse the tunnel. Usually it takes a pretty strong sewing machine to push the needle through the doubled up fabric. For these I usually make strips about 15 inches wide and then for the length I measure the U over the tunnel from the ground over the tunnel and back to the ground. Take that distance and add 36″ so that you can fold 18″ back to put the sand in. Mmmm--sounds confusing.
Good luck, Nancy
Mine are just bags, filled with sand…
Cool thanks to all i shall try large bags filled with sand.
Hi Silvia, Classmates,
Posted it at the wrong page again, sorry! Here it is again:
Here a video of our first homework.Only the tunnel and cik & cap. I’ll follow the weave progress of our classmates but Keen and I will wait a bit longer to start with the weave training.
It’s a session of last Friday. I just finished a short cik & cap session right now and the turns were more tight than the one’s in the video and she also already had more confidence. In the video I see that when I start combining two jumps (this was the first time I did that) I run up to the wings to support Keen. It’s a natural thing to do for me…I suppose I should not do that?
Nice and tight on front crosses in the tunnel exercise, some more work for tightness with a shoulder pull. With cik&cap, you can move with the dog, but the dog should be moving faster as you can and focusing on a jump vs. on you… -- If you don’t get that yet, you need to start closer. She is nice&tight on one jump, but sometimes gets thrown out of a turn for a second wrap on figure 8s, so make sure you don’t reward those, just send her back to the wrap again and try again.
Wondering if I can upgrade to participant 🙂 I think I’d get more value, having someone critique my efforts. I understand if I missed the opportunity.
No problem, I’m sending you a PayPal money request for the difference, you can start filming! 🙂