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!
Hope it is ok to put some weaves for you to look at, and sorry but one of the sessions is longer than it should be as it went a bit wrong, and i wa strying to build up to two jumps. I thought I would put it all on so you could see my mistakes properly. I used quite opened up channel weaves to try difficult entries-although she gets these entries on upright weaves when jumps aren’t involved, she does often miss them in sequences.
I confused her by asking her to cik&cap (thought I would test ). Wish I hadn’t done that.
One video of open entry and one of wrap. You can’t really see it but she was heading for the second weave pole on one of her wrap entries and she obviously thought about it and corrected herself and at the last minute moved to get the correct entry. Clever girl!
Looks good, just continue like that, presenting her with different challenges, coming out of sequence. Try it from a tunnel and chute too as it gives them less time to look for the correct entry. Interesting she had more problems with easier entry, but yes, she figured it out well, so you can make it even harder next time 🙂
Thanks, will try a tunnel. I think I worked much more on the open entry when I was first teaching her which may explain why she sometimes has more problems with the wrap entry.
wow Audra, that really looks impressiv. He really has an excellent focus ahead -- really nice to look at you two 😉
Simone, thankyou-that’s very nice of you to say
HI Silvia, I have a weave question -- I notice at the end of your video that you reward Bi for finishing the weave and then coming to you for the toy. I have discussions with trainers about how to reward and so many say the placement and location of the reward is key. With Roscoe I hardly ever tossed anything and mostly rewarded from my hand. I just marked when he was right and the reward could come when ever/where ever and usually from me. As you know, he was a good weaver! I could stand still and send him and he would weave and come back to me for reward. He was also very good at gambles and I could send him to lots of things. I never really understand the “placement of reward”, so long as the dogs understands the click/mark?
With Spur if he knows the ball is going to be tossed at the end of the weaves he is totally focused forward and fast and drives through really well and I can do jumping jacks or faint and he would finish, but if he knows there is no ball he isn’t as fluent. So, my thoughts are to toss the ball in the other direction as he finishes. Would that be wrong? Do you have thoughts on that?
I always see a correct placement of the reward like a little cheating 🙂 You can do everything without it too, but I do help them with it at the beginning to make it easier for them to succeed. For weaves, I first even place a toy there, then start tossing it after, but still ahead, but once nothing can still disturb them knowing the toy is coming, I stop rewarding ahead and start rewarding from my hand or after the next obstacle as I want them to understand they need to finish even when they know they’re actually going in the opposite direction next.
OK, thanks. I am glad you agree with me, LOL!! Yes, certainly at first rewarding at a certain place is important, but I think Spur now needs to learn to complete the poles then come to me for reward or I’ll toss the ball the opposite way. I can peel off and leave him in the poles and he does fine. I want him as fluent without the anticipation of the ball or anticipating the ball going the other way, so I’ll work on that. Thank you!
Exactly! Sounds like a good plan, I think he is ready!
Success!!! I tried it today. At first, since I have been tossing the ball he blasted out looking for it. I just called him and tossed it the other way. It took about three times and he figured it out pretty quick! I was about 1/3 way along, sending him to the hard side entry and I just stood there and he finished and raced for the ball going the other direction. I think this will really help him to not be so dependent on my motion. Since I am fast I am always there with him and that’s fine for most situations, but we do USDAA and they have the gamble class where sometimes they need to weave away from us without us.
Sounds good! It’s always good to be prepared for everything as some courses and situations will definitely require skills you never thought you needed 🙂
can I save these so I can go over again?
You mean save the lessons? They stay on line pretty much for ever anyway 🙂
Awesome thanks -- I’m loving to hear this 🙂
Here is how NOT to do weaves LOL. First try she did her weaves on one side of the channel funny girl. So I found a distance with the poles pretty close that she will use a channel. It is only about 4 -- 5 cm of channel though. Any more and she ran one side regardless of whether the channel was parallel poles or staggered poles. There is also a clip at the end of wrapping the cone with the pole on the ground at the one end (wrap end).
You can keep a channel narrow for now and then slowly open it some more. But those pole holders are a bit in a way… Stick in the ground poles would be better… The wrap you are rewarding in a wrong direction -- always reward so that you promote closing the wrap and staying close to the cone rather as going wide and over the middle of the bar…
Ok … good thing I posted that wrap as I didn’t catch that! I will watch out for that from now on! thanks
Hi,
after a brake we are back:o). The first video is too long, so please watch it from 1:19 because the 8´s are the point.
On the second video we still try CIK/CAP with restrain and it is better and better every next training. Next are multiwraps. I´m sorry I think I did not do it correctly but I watched it at home and I totaly forgot it on the training place:o))). Tunel is the same as CIK/CAP.
But then our 8´s… When I stay, Bubu jumps, so I should run all the time… I think that the obstacles should be more far from each other because it worked much better on the previous video only with poles… And I don´t thing I´m in time with werbal cues. Also my hand shows something in the sky…:o))). Poor Bubu:o).
Great progress! Really nice distance and commitment on cik&cap! A bit of jumping on figure 8s, try it with more distance yes, earlier cues and earlier front crosses, so that you turn when she is in the air (or sooner) and not only when she lands as your turning gets her more into a handler focus again. No problems with the tunnel exercise either and multi-wraps look perfectly o.k. to me! You can add more height for multi-wraps, but keep this height to try the sequence -- I think she is ready! Great job!
And SLALOM. I though we can do some more in this evening but the snow storm came:o))).
Great! Very cool independence, keep doing strange stuff 🙂 and keep angling her more&more for entries. And oh no for a snow storm! We had 25 degrees today, but they say we’ll get some bad weather and cold again… -- right for the April camp! 🙁
It is a pitty but this year the weather forecasts were usually totaly wrong. It will not be so bad!
Hard to believe, but actually, after months of just sun and 25 degrees or more, it was snowing this night! Hm, I think I need to send everybody a mail to bring lots of warm clothes! And next time have a camp in March!
Sorry for so many replies but I always forgot something I wanted to ask -- can I add a verbal cue to slalom? I really don´t understand when the cue add (in common, not only for this situation).
Normally, you should add a cue when you have a finished behaviour. But with weaves, I actually name it as soon as they reliably run through the channel -- as “running between the poles” is a kind of a final behaviour -- just as I name cik&cap with no bar already, because the essential stays the same even when you introduce a bar/bring the channel closer.
OK. So I think I can start to say SLALOM because she is able to run through. Thanks.
Hello everyone,
Didn’t have much time past few weeks, and didn’t have the opportunity to record most of our sessions, but anyway I think the video shows pretty accurately where we’re at now… We’ve also started working on RC and weaves, hope I’ll manage to record that during the break 🙂
Cool -- fast, tight and happy 🙂 The only problem I see is forward focus and pulling off easily -- seems to be a typical Sheltie thing -- so do some extra work on that. Try sending her with cik&cap around the trees on a walk, without going with her, so that she gets a bit less dependant on your movement. You can also see what we are doing with Bubu, a foxterrier from Slovakia who had this problem to even bigger degree, but is now doing really well already. Basically, we did tons of restraining, holding her still until she pulled to the jump, first very close and then further&further, first without any movement from the handler (as that refocused her back on the handler) and now adding the handler movement. I just think she could run even faster if she would really focus forward and look for a jump rather as waiting for you to take her to a jump. I would also angle the jump even more, so that you’re practising a side approach. You can keep the bars, you could actually put them even higher as she is certainly tight enough.
Yes, she’s focusing on the toy mostly. That’s why I’ve tried holding the toy in the other hand, and even trying differently shaped toy (like a piece of string), but that was only the last couple of sessions. The main reason I’m avoiding restraining her is because of her being a sheltie -- she is frightened when I try to hold her, and she never ever even tried pulling forward… So, reading the other comments I tried the “do a trick, then go” approach…
And about the bar heights -- she just turned 8 months the other day, I thought it’s a bit early to start jumping… What do you think?
Hm, yes, seems like those dogs who would need restraining the most, dislike it the most… I would probably still try to teach it as a trick, away from agility, with no rush, and meantime work without, with special focus on forward focus. You could also try sends to tunnels, maybe she will look for tunnels more and then we’ll have at least one way to focus her ahead. If you think the toy is a problem, try teaching tricks in the presence of a toy, but I think she mostly focuses on your movement. You can again teach it as a trick, put an object on the floor and shape going around it, rewarding with a toy you are holding in the hand all the time, but only tossing it to her if she leaves you and goes around the object. Try sitting further&further from the object then to work on her distance skills.
Also, I would always be rewarding with a tossed toy/treat -- never reward from your hand, for anything. We want her to expect a toy ahead rather as from you. Toss it BEFORE she looks at you for a reward. -- And that brings as back to late clicking/delivery of the reward. You are often clicking her for coming back to you instead of for going away from you + already in trick training, she did lots of staring at you, waiting for a treat to be delivered after a click and so staring at you became reinforcing as well. That together with being a Sheltie 🙂 is definitely adding to her too-much-handler-focus, so really try to remember to click in time, deliver a reward FAST and toss it away.
We are really far behind on these lessons, trying to catch up!!
These are his send to the tunnel, come to hand and GO exercises.
The GO cue tends to be more of a strength than his come to hand and decel .
watching the video now, i realize it’s not a great camera angle 🙁
Looks pretty good to me! No problems with GO no 🙂 and he is actually pretty tight also on coming to hand. For an extra challenge, you can set another tunnel facing this one and then sometimes say go and send him to it and sometimes call and bypass it.
HI, just entered the class and want to start the training today. Can you help me pls? Did not get the difference betrween Cik and Cap? What is what???
thanks! Greetinigs, Angelika
both are wrapping an object (jump standard). Cik is wrapping left and cap is wrapping right, but you can just use one word that means wrap and help with your body language for the direction if that is easier..
We are actually on break so I do not think Silvia will be answering in a while
Thanks Lotta!!!