Your last homework already! Two more weeks left to catch up and then with October 3rd, this class is finished. If you want to keep working on Foundation stuff in a class form, you can join October Foundation class (that is repeat of this class) for a reduced price. If you want to take things further, you're welcome to continue in Handling class that will start 31st of October, I'll open the registration soon. In Handling class, I'll be posting two different exercises for two different levels: the whole course for more experienced teams and shorter sections that will still be focusing on training to some degree for beginners.
1. sequence
Let's check your stays. I usually train them away from agility until they are 100% with toys flying, dogs running around, me moving etc. - and then just use them here and there also in agility: probably only for about 10% of sequences we run, to make sure I'm not given too many opportunities to ruin them 🙂 In this sequence, you need a stay. Position your dog at the good angle to be on a good line for 2nd jump, go to your position and start. Choose how you want to handle it.
2. front, rear and blind crosses: as there were some questions on the crosses, I included a video with different crosses on the same sequence. Normally, I first do front crosses only (as I only do collection sequences) + blind crosses on tunnels, then add rear crosses on flat and at tunnels, then blind crosses and then rear crosses on jumps. So try rear cross on a tunnel and on flat first and if that goes well, try it on a jump: see the video - just ignore the double tunnel, use a single tunnel of course, I just used whatever I already had in a set up. If you want (I'm not forcing anybody, I'm just including those as some participants were asking about them), you can try it with blind crosses too. Normally, I will choose the cross based on a situation: for collection, I will use a front cross OR, if I can't get there in time, rear cross at the jump. For extension, I will choose blind cross OR, if I can't get there, rear cross on flat. At trials, I do the most front crosses, then blinds and maybe one rear cross every 5 runs... Yeah, not big fan. But of course, it's important the dogs know rear cross too as sometimes it is the only option!
You could of course run those sequences with front crosses only, I showed it with rear and blind crosses only as by now, I think we mastered the front crosses already, so we can try some rears and blinds (if you want).
3. send in your contacts, see-saw, weaves and multi-wraps (on your current height) work again to check how it's going and to give you some suggestions on how to proceed after the class is finished.
Hope to see you in Handling Class!
Hi All!
I didn’t had the time to complete all the lessons, but we still training under basic exercices for cik/cap and here is a vidéo of our last training at my agility club.
I think you can see how our cik/cap are going better and how much this class helped us.
(Silvia I think you know my agility trainer who is Isabelle Buol, she has a Pyrenean Shepherd called Anéou de Loubajac )
Cool, some of those wraps were sure perfect! She is doing great, when do you start competing? And sure, I know Isabelle&Aneou, tell her I say hi!
Thanks!
She is only 14 months, so we will start competing next year if we are ready 😉
Awesome Justine!
thank you! ^_^
Ohhh.. I am so so far behind….where did all the weeks go? I will try to make & post a video this Sunday. Going herding tomorrow..
There is a good chance that we will join the Agility Foundation and RC classes again!!
Happy herding! I hope you can post some more of Harley -- or we see you in the next class! 🙂
Hi Silvia, I`ve got a question about the cues for teeter. Would you prefer to have only one cue (for the position at the end) instead of one cue for the teeter as such and then one more for the position at the end of the teeter?
I don’t really have a preference… Whatever feels better to you. I use one word, but I usually do say it again when the dog is already on a teeter to remind them they do need to stop (not their favourite!).
So “two” is your cue for teeter and for the position?
For Bu and Bi yes. With La and Le I call it “bam” -- and as a consequence, I sometimes call it bam with Bu and Bi too 🙂
Hi Silvia,
Just an idea for your students for Christmas (!):
Do you think your boyfriend could make your website set on device?!
Imagine we could go training and watch your videos on our device just before doing it ourselves… Would be wonderful 🙂
PS: I won’t blame you if not possible, don’t worry I’ll remain a faithful customer!
There is actually an app for that. I have to go see what it is but there is an app you can pay for that one of my friends has to visit all his sites like this one.
No problem, will tell him to take a look at it, he likes problem solving 🙂
Here is the sequence.
Great job! Very nice threadle on 11 to 12 and no confusion with pulling in on 5 to 6 anymore I see! 8 is from the other side as you took it though so turning right on 7 didn’t make any sense -- I actually wouldn’t be turning right even if 8 was from the side you took it: it requires more wrapping from the dog AND the line is MUCH longer, so left option is definitely faster. I would also prefer front cross on 3 as it’s faster to push as to pull into the tunnel. You can try those other handing options too to see how it feels. You handled nicely on the side you chose, but as I said, I think the other side would be faster: you can try and time it.
Your suggestion on how to fix 5 to 6 and how to work on threadles was very good so I didn’t have much trouble, thank you. I will post the other ways to handle early next week. In the meantime I have a question about stays. I was surprised to read that you only use them 10% of the time. Is this correct? I have been taught to use stays for most of my runs. I think this is because in the US there is a lot of extension in the courses and the handler can easily get behind without wanting to. In the sequences we have done so far there is a lot of collection so we have not needed a stay until now. Is my observation correct?
.
Yes, but I meant training sequences/courses. In a trial, I always start with a stay (other than with La who doesn’t stay 🙂 ). But when training, I like to keep them intense and efficient, so I’ll just warm up a dog, play and start with a wrap (always good to practice some wraps: and for a beginning wrap, the dog is immediately rewarded by doing agility) -- you’ll see it in Handling Class. We do the same with my students: that way, we spend less time on setting the dog and walking away AND they’re less tempted to ruin the stays as many who don’t have good stays yet will be too tempted to start running if they’re ready already even if the dog released himself.
Here is Synergy’s first time on closed weave poles and re-visiting tight wraps (cik/cap).
Thanks,
Marla
Great job with weaves! I’m amazed by how little problems she seems to have with a change, even though she needed to change her technique some (starting with double stepping). Wraps look good too!
Yes. She is a problem solver for sure.
Tibby was acting silly today.
Very cute! It sure looks like her fear of movement is all gone! 🙂 You can raise it some now so that it moves more.
Hi! finally i can do this lesson.
so here is the sequencing, in the end i try to do “out” part better, because i think i’m not helping Doucette when i do the front cross before the tunnel. last cap could be better too 🙂
" rel="nofollow ugc">
Cool! Looks great to me! I think you front cross before the tunnel is perfectly o.k. -- other than on a first try when you change too late and too suddenly and make her drop a bar. But then it went really well, what a nice speed! Only yes, the last two caps (11 and 13) could be better.
Where to get weave poles?
Does anyone europe-based know where I can get a good set of competition-standard weave poles? I would like one that can be split into at least 2 parts for training.I already checked out the UK options but there must be cheaper ones somewhere!
(for the US participants, I can’t buy from there because I have to pay too much import tax)
You are in Finland, right? I would definately suggest Agimet, really good quality!
http://www.agimet.fi/este_esittely3_4_EN%28US.pdf
Thanks -- I had forgotten about them. Seems they have a good looking set. I usually by gear from the UK. I got puomi+keinu+A for the same price as one peice of equipment here!
OK, here is our attempt at this sequence. I had to change the position of 8+13 so it would fit.
Its not a very pretty attempt and clearly we need more work with the serp+threadle+outs from Lesson 5. On 5+6 I am saying jump instead of cik/cak which is wrong, and on 11 I am using the wrong hand. But please say what else is wrong -- the whole thing looks really poor to me. There is a clip of my other dog doing the same thing -- you can ignore that or maybe so if I am equally bad there too 🙂
I understand that 1-3 is just a serpentine, but how to stop that wide turn between 2 and 3? I had a lot of trouble with that blind cross/ass pass after 6. I cannot see at all from my right eye so I would not do that there normally (too big a blind zone), I probably would rear cross to 7.
Looks pretty good to me! To tighten up 270 jumps like 2 to 3, I will sometimes (depends on how it’s set) say cik/cap for the first one and then out for the second one -- especially with Bi who likes to go wide. For small dogs, it shouldn’t be necessary, so maybe all you need is to set them under more angle for the first jump to have more of a straight line to 2 and then 3. And yes, after the blind cross on 6 you’re searching for the dogs too long (instead to just run) so you’re loosing too much time instead of cueing 7 already. There is of course no reason to do either blind or rear there 🙂 -- just keep them on a right hand the whole time. The reason I did front-blind thing is to tighten Bi up as she tends to drift in situations like this (tunnel in her view and going somewhere she doesn’t see well to focus on). With my other dogs, I would keep them on the right hand the whole time, keep them tight on 6 with a verbal only and running to 7 already. -- I think that would be the best strategy for your dogs too. You would be faster that way and a consequence, they would have faster, straighter line. Then trust them more on “out” so that you can again be faster on that line towards the tunnel: you’re somewhat behind and that pulls them towards you and affect a straight line. And for the ending, considering where your 13 is, you would actually get a better line if you front crossed on 11, push to 12 and run to 13, because with a pull, you again end too much behind to cue 13 in time.