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 video with Tweet training restrained tunnel, I just had Tweet for a couple of days so we are going to work hard to catch up, she has done some agilitytraining before but i dont know yet what so I start from the beginning. And because of the snow outside I cant train as much as I want to.
Here we do some restrained sending to tunnel, she doesnt have so much drive to it so we are going to train more with tunnel being something great.
Nice, no problems coming to hand and staying tight, but yes, keep playing with the tunnel to make it more fun and make her drive more to it. Try throwing a toy ahead too, practising “go” after the tunnel will help with her drive for the tunnel too, so you definitely want to do some of that -- you always want to search for a good balance between handler and obstacle focus and at the moment, you’ve got great handler focus, but not so much obstacle focus -- what is normal since she is so new to agility. But I’m sure she will catch up soon, she sure looks very enthusiastic about her toy -- that’s a great start!
I know some folks are a bit snowbound at the moment. In case you need an idea for living room training (something I’ve become quite the fan of), here’s a silly little weaves session that we did this morning. I tried to model it off of the video of Silvia and Le with the 2 food bowls. Grit thinks it’s wicked fun!! I love how the moving food bowls present new challenges! 🙂
Cool, some really tuff entries already! Grit is sure figuring it out!
We can only train once a week right now so this is only our second session but I see improvement already.
This video was taken after a one hour obedience class so by the time we got to cik/cap she had lost oomph. I had gotten better turns around the post before class started. She is starting to pull towards the tunnel now, yay!
Oh, so much fun watching Tat having so much fun with her tunnel!!! Very cool! Try to join in the fun when she takes a toy, clap for her and run away to have her chase you and “attack” you with her toy, you can also run back to the tunnel and send her in again, she seems to like that 🙂 You can have another toy ready to reward that, then pick up the first one again and race her to a tunnel again, I think she will like that, so try to stay in movement the whole time and don’t try to steal a toy back, but let her enjoy her victory and then just bring the next toy out for the next repetition. You can ping-pong between a ball for go and tug toy or coming to hand for example. The wraps were nice and tight, but not driving to it so much yet, it could be she was just too tired. You could do some of that on walks too though, you can do that also in snow.
Oh that sounds exhausting :-). I’ll wear a t-shirt next week, hahaha. But yes I’m sure she’ll really like that; that does sound like more fun.
I do try to do some wraps in different places and some collar pulls too. Today I was teaching her to pull to send to her mat. It’s just hard for me to videotape everything in one session; whippets do better with shorter training sessions. Can’t wait to get outside!
Yes, shorter and more frequent sessions are always a better way to go! It’s also easier for us to keep it really intense and fun then. -- But yes, not so easily done when you need to drive somewhere to train…
I don’t have access to weave poles this week so we just did tunnel sends and cik/cap. In class on Monday night though I gave him some challenges in the weave poles on course and he handled them well.
This floor is a bit slippery so he can’t really dig into the turns, or maybe it’s the legs of the stanchions that’s preventing him from going really tight?
Great, really tight when called to hand, but he could maybe drive more to a tunnel… Maybe start further away and race him to it, maybe that will make him drive more? I think the wraps to a the right were actually really nice, but to the left, he doesn’t collect just as well and lands in the wrong direction and that’s why he is slipping after, trying to turn on the flat. Try to practice left spins at home, stretching to a left hip and similar. When practicing left wraps on a jump, I would drop the close side of a bar one cup lower for now, to help him succeed. You can also start with figure 8s.
You have such a good eye; I hadn’t noticed that about his wraps. And actually when we first started, he thought the left wraps were rear crosses and was turning to the right. I guess he’s more comfortable turning to the right. I’ll work on his left side more.
So if I work figure 8s I leave the jump where he’s turning right with a straight bar, but I drop the bar on the jump where he’s turning left?
I’m going to a trial on the weekend (where there is no snow). They set up one practice jump outside so I’ll certainly try to get some practice on that jump throughout the weekend and will concentrate on working the left side more.
When you have a weaker side, what ratio do you use for working weaker side vs. good side? Does 3 reps on weak side for every rep on good side sound about right?
Exactly, for figure 8s, just drop the bar where he is turning left and yes, 3 left wraps for 1 right sound about right! Have fun at a trial -- and don’t forget to RUN! 🙂
Here is the Check/Cap practice from today. I decided to use Check instead of Cik because one day I was saying Cik, Cik, Cik and Mya went around the cone and kept sitting. Sounds too much like Sit for her. 🙂 With the figure 8 she wasn’t as tight, except for a couple and the last one. I think another day of this is in order.
Tunnel sends, definitely worked better without a toy in my opinion. I think I will try without a toy in my hand with Check/Cap too.
Weave practice went terrible today. Her performance was so different from yesterday but I was trying to add some challenge to the entries. She couldn’t find the difficult entries and wasn’t driving to the entries at all. I could tell she wasn’t sure and with each failed attempt, even when I would make it somewhat easier, she got less and less interested in working. I was obviously making the challenge too difficult too soon. I think I will start with a slightly angled entry and gradually make it more difficult after each success. Perhaps I should work with only 6 poles because 12 is a lot to work on entries only? Maybe I should try the channel but I have never done channel weaves before? Thoughts?
I think the major reason she was wide on figure 8 is that you’re pushing her out… Try to stay on a line between the two jumps and allow her a straight approach, without pushing her out. Great job with the tunnel! And yes, add challenges to the weaves more gradually, so that she is mostly sucessful. I would keep 12 to work on distractions while weaving at the same time, BUT would open a channel yes to make it easier on her body. Melanie who did this with her experienced dog also trained her 2x2 originally, but then did the additional work in class on channel without any confusion.
I switched from having Lil “Loop & Wrap” around a wing with long supports on the ground, to a jump with VERY short ground supports (both had 4″ bars). This new set-up seemed to cause Lil to “stall out” over the bar and she started hitting the bar a lot with her back legs. She wasn’t taking off early but I think her circle was too tight for her to be able to swing her back legs all the way around and over the 4″ bar with not much forward momentum (due to the extreme tightness of the turn… I think).
I finished the session by having Lil run around the pole stuck in the ground (no bar) a few times to end on a positive note and I could see that she was taking very short, fast steps to stay super tight. She was almost touching her shoulder against the pole as she wrapped around it and actually did rub up against the pole sometimes as she was driving out of the turn.
Given her structure (long-backed) and since she is not going to be able to wrap around a full height jump that tightly anyway, do you think it would be better if I used a bigger base so she doesn’t try to wrap quite so tight now?
I think she thinks the point of the “Loop Wrap” game is: “the tighter, the better.” Is it possible that her turns have become too tight?
And do you think I should drop the bars down from 4″ to 2″ or will that make it too easy for her to continue to wrap super tight and step over the bar, which doesn’t seem to work when the bar is higher?
Or am I totally off base with this line of thinking….
Thanks!
I woud stay with this base, but drop the bar lower to make it easier for her to figure out how to jump that way without dropping a bar. It requires much more strength in the rear end to jump that way as when jumping with more momentum, but I think it7s an important lesson for them to learn to jump that way too, so I would go for it, but add height very slowly.
So here is a quick video of what I meant by “proofing” both arms! The first arm (right) is the “normal” way I do it based on trying to mimic you in Lesson 2 🙂
The second arm (left) is the “new” arm I am trying to get her used to for situations like in the 2- jump figure eight exercise where I would want to “redo a jump for tightness with a multi-wrap”. Does this make sense to teach her or should I abort mission? 🙂
THANK YOU for asking Silvia!
Thanks for the video, it makes more sense now yes 🙂 And yes, that’s a good way of using hands, an outside hand when you’re close and dog-side hand when you’re further. I think I change my hands for a brief moment when sending in the 2nd wrap from further to turn them away from me again, I need to pa more attention next time 🙂 But Pruli is sure understanding it well!
Good evening,
I´m one more time sorry for the length of my previous videos. Now I tried to make them as short as possible:o))). Last few days we worked on a distance skills and obstacle focus and I think things go well.
CIK/CAP questions: Should I put the bar higher now? What distance for restrain do you think would be necessary? Do you think it is time to try 8s?
TUNEL question: At first I would like to say I hate myself on the videos. I´m slow and move like elephant´s young. Bubu started to jump again during FC because I moved too slow for her. What to do with it?
SLALOM questions: I will have poles after tomorrow. So is the idea to create a “street” and put the cup with food on the both sides and let dog run through? Should I use a werbal cue?
We have great time now. Thanks.
What a great progress Bubu! Her wraps are really tight, so you could raise the bars some yes, but I would first add some more distance (like 4m…) before attempting figure 8. Add distance to tunnels sends too and to prevent jumping up on front crosses, turns real quickly and immediately throw a ball. She is very tight on come to hand though so I think you can mostly do “go” -- you always need to focus on whatever the dog is naturally not so good at and for Bubu, staying close is no problem 🙂 For the weaves, you can use a cup with food -- or a static toy as she drives to a static toy well. Do different things as she is running through to get her understand to just ignore your body language and run through. You can just say “go” to start with and then change to “slalom” once she has a better understanding.
Hello 🙂
Here the first video of Kalhy for foundations. I think she really enjoy restrain!(so me too^^).
First session on 8: I’m not at the right place so I push her…Hope to be better next time.
For weaves, don’t forget to change something about your position for every try! You can also try to start setting her a bit off line for every next try, to start working on different entries -- VERY gradually of course! Great speed with cik&cap, but yes, you’re pushing her out some on those figure 8s… Try to stay more in line. Also, don’t click wider ones like the one at 1:00 anymore -- she can do tighter, so just send into the 2nd wrap when she goes wider as necessary. You can also try it with very low jumps next time.