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!
Hi
My jumps are un-winged hence for a tight cik-cap it will be really difficult or should I be expecting the same standard as the winged jumps?
Maybe Melanie could find one of her older videos on wingless jumps and publish it here? If not, just post what you have got and we’ll see if it’s tight enough or not.
Here is one of puppy Grit jumping 4″, 8″, and 12″
And the 1st part of this video shows Smitty jumping 18″
Thank you Melanie! I hope that helps Marilyn?
Thanks!
Where do I view the video of you showing theses exercises?
Right above, before the list… Are you using an iPad and not seeing it?
You know, Sylvia is smart because she makes use of the toy on a rope. Reintroducing this movement to the toy (thanks for the inspiration S:)) has made my dog flip into drive…and he likes to tug and we use a toy well otherwise, but it’s NOTHING like the roped toy elicits. Save your back the hassle, get better jumping form (you don’t want them looking up anyway, right?), more digging in on your cik/cap, and a dog that’s having way more fun. You can see the “madness” 😉 in Sylvia’s dog in the video. She is nuts over that toy!
Am I understanding correctly that CIK/CAP is a verbal that cues the wrap, not taught by coming up to the jump and signaling a FX?
You certainly have the competitive edge with your wraps, but you also have a beautiful ability to make sure your dog is committed (and well-trained commitment) before moving the new direction. Any advice for us on keeping the dog’s response to motion true while working on this on our own? It seems like the handler could dilute their motion cues for a rear cross, for example, if done thoughtlessly??
I sure like toys on a string 🙂 It’s so much easier to make a toy behave like a real prey that way and it’s great for making them love the chasing that I personally thing is the most important step to a fast agility dog. Everybody speaks about tugging only and I think chasing is even more important! And even tugging is for many dogs more fun when they can chase first AND tugging a toy on a string is much more comfortable for soft dogs who can get worried over bending over.
The cik&cap is taught as a trick of circling an object, as explained in pre-beginning homework. I then use it together with front cross collection cues when doing a front cross (next lesson) and as a send to a wrap (the topic of this lesson) that allows me to get nice turns also if I’m not right there to control it. Make sure to note the angle I run away at -- that’s why I said to run away perpendicular from the jump, to make sure the dog knows it’s not a rear cross. If you run too much into the jump, pushing on dog’s line and heading parallel to the jump, it can indeed look like a rear cross.
Flyball people have that down pat, teaching the dogs to chase AND tug for rewards. Whenever I hear of an agility prospect that lacks drive, I encourage the owners to take some flyball classes, just to bring the dog’s drive out. It works wonders.
I think it would be helpful for us to see a diagram for the send to a wrap, to show where we should stand at first, in relation to the jump, and then where to run, and how to progress (in which direction). I think that would help us to get a clearer understanding.
See Devorah video -- you can see the angle really well from her video. To progress, you’re just starting a dog from further&further away from the jump, but the direction stays the same.
OH no! I ran the wrong way EVERY rep today-for some reason in the video it looked parallel to me-you’ll see the results! I wish I had read this first!
Oh, it will just be easier next time then! 🙂
On my iPad it’s blank space where I believe there should be the videos judging from peoples’ comments. Any other way to access them?
Correct. Using iPad and it’s just a blank space where the videos are. Is there an icon for them? I don’t see it. And do you mean right above the list of exercises ?
Linda, you can’t see the videos on your iPad, unfortunately. But, there is an app you can use, it’s called iSwifter and it’s a gaming app. You can try it for 10 minutes, I think, and see if you like it. It is slower because you use their remote computer system to then load the videos, but it does work. Once you have the app, start it, then put lolabuland.com at the top for the address and it will work. It’s not great, but it is one way to see the videos using your iPad. I hope that helps!!
Yes, you need the app Amy mentioned or you have to check the videos on laptop/desktop… You’ll see where the video is then.
This is great thank you so much Silvia!
Getting fitter every day \:)
Please tell my why you cue multiple times for cik/cap?
Can i just load videos as we progress?
thank you!
Oh, I cue everything several times! 🙂 My dogs like me to talk when we run agility! And sure, just post whatever you are working on!
Here is a video of Lil’s first session doing Cik & Cap over a 4″ bar. Until now, we’ve been using a 2″ stride regulator. (Unfortunately no option for 3″ on my wings).
I noticed on the video that I was sometimes setting up Lil so she had to jump over the wing support AND the bar when wrapping to the right. That didn’t work so well.. and caused her to hit a few bars. Next time I will start a little more forward so she doesn’t have to also hop over the support on the ground… unless this is something you think she needs to learn how to do?
RE: weave poles: My changing directions was way too distracting for Lil when weaving..as you will see on the video. I am thinking that I should start by just slightly turning my shoulders while standing stationary at various locations along the poles for our next session, and gradually add more turning, and later adding movement????
ps--This same training “glitch” is present with the A-Frame (I cannot move laterally or hang back) and also regarding Lil and Jumping. When I run really fast (pumping my arms) or if I get too far ahead, Lil’s jumping has become erratic.
ps #2-- I am sticking with the verbals LOOP & WRAP for Cik & Cap since I’ve already been using them for a week or two. I have not dropped the old words yet.. (RIGHT LEFT) since I don’t think Lil really knows the new words.
Cool, getting there! Slowly add more distance to cik&cap and try leaving earlier&earlier. And yes, use an angle that doesn’t make her jump the jump support! The weaves are going well, but yes, slowly add more&more extreme entries and more&more extreme distractions. I think a “soft” distraction you did at 2:16 was a very good start, so I would continue like that and only make it more extreme through several sessions. Running hard and turning around was too much for now, but you could try sudden stops, gentle turns and similar to slowly prepare her for everything.
I haven’t watched the entire video yet, but I already have a question about the first part. Since the camera is following the dog, it’s difficult to gauge handler position. Would I be correct in guessing that the handler is to hang back and not pass the plane of the jump prior to the dogs commit to the jump? It would seem to me as that would be the case because if I would run on past the jump before the dog commits to the jump I would expect the dog to continue in the same direction I’m running. For the dog to turn back the direction he originally came from I would expect me to either still be back there so he’s coming back to me or I did a send and am now going the opposite direction of the original send. Am I correct in the handler position?
I’m actually on the same side of a jump all the time -- see Devorah’s video as she chose a better angle to tape it. That’s how I start with this exercise. Then I add distance and start leaving earlier -- only when the dog is committed, BUT working towards good and early commitment so that I can just send a dog and leave, meaning that for a short moment, we might be running in the opposite direction (the dog towards the jump and me away). It allows me to be before my dogs all the time as I can just show a jump I want and leave to the next spot immediately. Does that answer your question?
OKay, so not the greatest attempt, but still pretty good I think. I have a really hard time getting Keira to play the ‘chase the toy on a leash’ game, so I just used a tug for this. Any help there?
Anyway, I think the last try was my favorite, plus she is either not caring about the cue my hand is giving her (like she wraps the other way?) or I am doing it wrong? What do you think?
I’ll do the other parts of the lesson later on, I ran out of time today 🙂
Oh yes, that last try was great!!! Try to always excite her before the start like this! I think she goes the other way when she comes to the pole slowly and then you stop too soon and that pulls her in… You need to keep running with her until you see she is committed. If she prefers to chase balls over tug toys on string, just use a ball instead!
Glad you liked it! Thanks! 😉 I know I had a sudden idea to do that, and now I wished I did it the whole time! But I will do it next time.
Okay I see that now. She has a lot of commitment problems, is there an exercise I can do to help that, or is this a good exercise for that?
Okay, will do thanks!
Yeap, that’s the exercise! Just very slowly introduce leaving earlier!
WOW-from start to end she really got going! 🙂
Aww thanks! This is new to us, so I appreciate you saying that! 🙂
will do! Thanks!
Okay so we did the cik/cap again, I think it went much better. Maybe she was just thanking me since I got her a new harness the day before and she really likes it! 🙂
What do you think?
Great progress!!! Definitely time to introduce a verbal cue, I don’t think you want to use go-get-it for tight turns? You can also try it on a jump now, but set a bar very very low at first.
Thanks so much! Oh no, I have just been using go-get-it for the speed I will start using cik/cap cues, I just get confused unless I plan it out before which side I will use. But I’ll work on it!
OKay! Can’t wait to try that 🙂 Also I will try and do the tunnel/weaves homework, the ground has just been wet lately…
Hahahah, Sayward, you have the same problem as me! Trying to think, speak, run and say the RIGHT words. ACK!! It seems like such a simple exercise, but boy did I feel all thumbs and unable to think properly to get the right words out. It is amazing how such a simple thing can seem so hard, LOL!!! I know these “simple” little exercises are going to help us SO much! 😀
Haha thanks Amy! Glad to know I’m not the only one! It is confusing! It’s like ‘go there, wait I mean cik! Or no, cap! Ahh I don’t know!!’ LOL
I sure do hope they help, we’ll have to keep working on them a lot I guess haha 😀
Here’s Winnie’s video from lesson 5. This is actually me working on MY weaker side with threadles 🙂 Oh my, look how clumsy I look, makes me think how important it is to work on the dog’s as well as my weaker side 🙂 I also mixed in some serpentines so that she doesn’t learn the pattern by heart. Then some contacts with a jump ahead and released from different spots from the middle ramp. And the sequence from lesson 5 at the end, not sure if I got that right, what do you think of it?
Her serpentines sure look great!!! For the threadles, just use the opposite arm for all of the jumps + cik&cap of course, are you using cik&cap? Try to stay more up, it’s harder to keep moving when bend down. Contacts still look great, is she doing 3 hits on a down ramp now that additional plank makes it longer? Great job with the sequence too, you help on out on 12 a bit too much at first, but then sure master that part too! but oh, I think turning to the left on 10 is faster as it’s significantly shorter.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nina, you made lesson 5 look EASY!!!!
Well, I am using the opposite arm and I am saying cik and then call her name, but I don’t know what happend to the sound on my video programme :S I kind of understand what to do, but my body won’t follow my mind, I’m so uncoordinated, but I’ll hopefully do better with more practise 😀 I am trying to hard to show her the opposite arm and bend way too much!
Hmm if I don’t count the fly-over-the-apex then it’s 2 strides, if I count that in, then it’s 3, I guess… But you’ll understand her striding better if I show you a video, this was taken a day after the previous one. And you can also see the way I restrain her now, to get a better idea what I mean..
Oh, right! 10 would definitely be better with cik, not cap! Thanks!
Forgot the video 😛
Yes, that’s 3 hits but it seems she will certainly be deep enough with 2 when you remove the plank and run full DW. And well, I still wouldn’t call that uncoordinated 🙂 But yes, will definitely get smoother with more practice.