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 Silvia! Hi classmates! I’ve just signed in as an auditor in Agility Foundation Class. 🙂 My name is Fabiana, I live in Rome and I got a 6-year-old Brittany Spaniel, Milly. She is a lively dog, she really loves to run and is quite fast.. 🙂 She’s not very interested in toys, so I shaped her interest through food (which she likes very much 🙂 ) so now I can say she’s starting to like tugging. As I said before she loves food, she’s quite a big eater, yet if given her the chance to choose between some treats or chasing lizards, cats, joggers 🙁 or whatever, she’d definitely go for the second ones…When playing what she loves the most is being chased (by other dogs or by me and my sister). my major issue is to keep her focused when training outside ( she sometimes just runs off and goes sniffing around or doing something else), but I guess I have to work on me being as much fun as possible to keep her more interested and motivated.. She’s a bit shy, she doesn’t like new environments, new people or new dogs( especially big ones). I have never done agility before nor with her nor with any other dog.. I want to start now and, even though I don’t have big agility plans nor great expectations from her ( I know she will never win World Agility Championship :)), as I always want the best for her, I wanted to have the one who, according to me (and to many many many many many many other people :)) is the best teacher in the world, Silvia! That’s why I enrolled her in this class…Besides, I really am willing to learn a lot of new things…
Welcome! You’re welcome to look around and post all the questions you have after the break!
Hi Silvia,
finally I had the time to tape a session.
I’m facing a speed (or motivation) problem when working away from me, or me standing still.
-> You can see this when sending him to the jump for cik/cap. You can also see this in the straight line when asking for a cik/cap after the tunnel (I’m standing still).
-> You can also see that Jedd is slowing down on the last jump, although there is a tunnel in front of him and I’m giving the command. But I’m behind him…
Silvia, can you advise me on these speeding issues?
Thanks, Stevy & Jedd
After the break ofcourse 🙂
You’ll need to post it again then, I won’t be able to find all the posts on all the existing pages.
Okay, will do that!!
Thx Stevy
Hi Silvia,
here we are again 🙂
finally I had the time to tape a session.
I’m facing a speed (or motivation) problem when working away from me, or me standing still.
-> You can see this when sending him to the jump for cik/cap. You can also see this in the straight line when asking for a cik/cap after the tunnel (I’m standing still).
-> You can also see that Jedd is slowing down on the last jump, although there is a tunnel in front of him and I’m giving the command. But I’m behind him…
Silvia, can you advise me on these speeding issues?
Thanks, Stevy & Jedd
Mmm, strange…
I can’t see my previous post in the recent comments.
Wondering if this is showing.
Cool, he sure is tight, both on his cik&caps and on coming to the hand after a tunnel! Sends to tunnels are a great way to get him to drive to obstacles better on his own -- it’s easier to get it with tunnels as jumps and it then transfers nicely to jumps too. So do lots of tunnel sends and lots of go + throwing a ball ahead -- it’s great for their forward drive. More experience help with it too, so I see nothing to worry about, try to plan your running so that you’re never too static for now + do some tunnel sends with a ball after to get more drive for tunnels, it really helps.
Hi Silvia, I am way way way behind but am still actively working and will post video soon. My question is with Rum…..I can get all kinds of behaviour but no speed. For instance with cik/cap she does it but slow and sure rather than fast. She seems unsure of what I want when I reward with a toy and when I use treats she is just circling but not racing in so no speed.
I have a sneaky suspicion that her lack of speed in exercises is due to her need to do restrained recalls with a helper because I can’t run with her, yeah am I in big trouble! She is just too fast! She catches up before I even get started. She loves the her tug an old leash tied to a piece of an old fur coat! She is a leaper and loves to leap and tug but when food comes out it is hard for her to focus on the tug she is forever hungry!
Any suggestions? I am posting some video to puppy tricks hopefully tonight. I am very pleased with her but would love to build the “intensity” of her behaviours.
Sarah and Rumble
Oh, this class is still on break. You’ll need to repost then as I won’t be able to find everything on all the pages.
Hi Silvia, The below video is most of the lesson assignments.
-- Restrained send to cik/cap – we have done some of this so he pretty much understand to wrap once, but the additional wrap confused him as you will see, but with a couple of tries he was getting that too. I sent him from both sides and he seems to understand. I assume we are doing this right and he has enough drive, tightness and speed? I also only taught him tick, tick tick, and he turns the direction that my motion is supporting, hope that is OK? We are just terrible with directionals… We also used it to start the run for the DW, but I found out pretty fast that it allowed him to get in front of me although he still drove nicely down the DW except the third run was not as nice as the first two (he did put a FF down on the end of the board, although hard to see without slow motion.) We will continue to work on this daily so he really gets it, and I can see we will need to continue to reinforce this behavior. Is there anything I should be doing different? I thought I should do this without a bar for at least several of the exercises?
-- Tunnel work, he did it, only my filming did not turn out, so I will try that again tomorrow. (I am thinking this might be one of the most important exercise we will be doing in that one of the problems I have with him is he takes what he sees in front of him and getting him to come into my side it not easy for him. So I sort of have a little race car that can be hard to steer. I do understand that while I try to make sure he knows where he is going, he will drift wide or even off course if my timing is not perfect) So, I was trying to watch some of your videos and you do use a lot more verbal’s than I do. If I talk too much seems it makes him drop more bars… hmmm…. My goal is to take your handling class so maybe we will address it there, but where do you use their name, discriminations, or hard turns or?
-- Weaves – we normally do not have any real issues with weaves, but when I did some of the harder stuff you showed, he can’t do it. I have never tried to turn away from him and you will see he turns as soon as I do, we will work on that. I know our rear cross in the weaves is weak, we will work on that as well as sending when dog is on left. It is pretty rare he misses when dog is on right since he gets to go around that first pole. Plus I noticed he popped out of the 10th pole when I threw the ball in advance. Since he was trained on the 2x2’s I really don’t want to do use channels so I will work on improvement with all the harder distractions and entries.
Beth and Scoot
Very cool jump sends yes: fast and tight. You can try even more distance and leaving even earlier. You can certainly use before the DW too -- and the better you can send, the more in front you will be for a contact 🙂 The contacts sure looked great too! It’s no problem to use just one word. The multi-wraps, you can try on a single object first, like a cone or stick-in-the-ground pole as you will get less confusion there and better tightness. Once he can do it on a jump too, you can add a low bar. Till then, work without yes.
I like to talk to them a lot on course yes, to give them all the info. They drop much more bars if I don’t provide enough info as when I do 🙂 I use their name for handler focus/ coming to my hand and I call until they’re on a good spot to switch them back to obstacle focus 🙂 For turns, I say cik/cap, never their name, as that would pull them off the jumps. Come to hand is a very important skill on European courses and bypassing tunnels and similar is something we train constantly. So to train both, tunnel sends and coming to hand rather as taking anything he sees, you can make this exercise harder by setting more obstacles around and then sometimes sending and sometimes bypassing while calling to hand.
And yes, keep practising independence and entries, especially those from the harder side of course. I don’t think opening the poles some to make it easier on his body can ruin anything, you can search for this discussion between the comments, but in short, Melanie’s Smitty who did this class in October was also trained by 2x2, but then we did all the proofing on an open channel to make it easier on her body, while she was actively trialing and all and it really helped with her performance on closed weaves.
Hi Silvia, I tried sending further and as expected he can do it, this dog can really send, sometimes that gets me into trouble because he tends to take what is in front of him including off-courses, but hopefully as we building some of our new foundation skills I can better direct him. I also opened up the weaves with some stick in the ground and got some good runs, he did turn back once though when I was right beside him, maybe too much for him still. My camara ran out of space, but we played more with entrances and he did great, hit every one of them. I will get some film of our tunnel work soon, I am trying not to watch too much of the later lessons because I will be wanting to set them up, they look way fun.
Beth and Scoot
Looks great! To practice not taking off courses, set some around whatever you’re working on -- so just set some tunnels around weaves when working on weaves, some off course jumps and tunnels when working on come to hand after tunnel or when working on one jump sends etc. You can train two things at the same time that way!
great idea about the extra stuff around for off-courses, will do… and BTW, last night in class on a strange DW (we only go to this place twice a month), he ran his DW fast and deep everytime, wow, he had never done that before. Maybe, just maybe he finally has turned the corner on getting his striding consistent. I also finally feel he really seems to understand what is expected. Thx for all the support along the way. Meanwhile we will be working our new foundation exercises.
Beth and Scoot
Yay for those DWs! He sure looked great in all recent videos you sent, so I’m sure you’re pretty much there!
I think he’s getting there too, funny to go back and see the snow videos, we have came a long way…. BTW, Scoot has lost about a pound in his RC class, wish I did. 🙂 Anyway we did your tunnel exercise, I added another tunnel to try to lure him, plus letting him run full speed into it the first two runs, he was fooled once, but then I think got the game. I am assuming we did this correct? Is there anything I should change? I can see this being a powerful skill and a game we should probably play to keep it sharp?
Beth and Scoot
Exactly! That’s a very good exercise for him. 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 while calling to hand so he needs to stay with you even when you’re actually moving towards the tunnel/jump and similar. Great job, I’ll post this to lesson 4 too so that more people can see it and try.
you are right, what a fun exercise and a brillant way to teach coming into your hand. He had a blast and as long as you have a dog with tunnel and toy drive there are endless challenges you can present.
Hi Silvia,
Not sure where to put teeter work since it was not really part of lesson one, but I figure you can take a look at his teeter. This was about a month ago and is pretty typical, although he left a bit early and could have gotten a flyoff on this one, normally I make him wait a bit longer. Our biggest problem with the teeter is driving to the end if I don’t go to the end with him, like if the course turns back after the teeter, then I end up getting behind since if I go with him to the teeter then I can’t keep up with him afterwards. Also here is one of many great DW’s tonight, guess he does know how to do them, little stinker. He had one sort of leap and the rest running like this one.
Beth and Scoot
Yay for DW! The see-saw could still be faster I think. I had this problem with Le because she insisted to do 2on2off, but then started to hate it because of the bounce under her, so I did some teeter banging again + some driving to a toy at the end (and then fading it and practising staying behind) -- like in first part of this video:
Might help Scoot too.
Hi Silvia,
More homework from lesson 1, here are multiple wraps, the first one was confusion so he decided to try to do a handstand, silly boy…. by the end of the session, I think he has it, but has you can see he does not really bend, this is pretty normal for him, not sure if I can convince him to bend. Can I start to work on lesson 2, or do you think he needs more work on his wraps?
thx again… Beth and Scoot
Nice handstand! 🙂 And some really cool wraps at the end yes! Not every dog can bend, the important thing is he can still meet the criteria on where to land, like by throwing his hips to the side! Definitely looks ready for lesson 2, but of course keep working on multi-wraps too.
Ok, how much does Le weigh? Skye who weighs 12.5 pounds drives to the end with her little toes hanging over the edge, but Scoot weighs between 16 and 17 so the teeter drops faster. I gave my teeter to someone to work their puppy so I will have to get it back. I will move on to lesson 2, but continue to do the multiple wraps and wraps in general since his collected jumping is the biggest problem we have and I can see where these exercises will be good for him.
thx again…
Beth
Le is a bit under 13 pounds. But also my BCs can get till the end before it moves, so it’s not that, he does slow down some. Nothing to worry about, no hurry with that see-saw, just something where you can still gain some time if you run out of other things to train 🙂
Ok, I agree the teeter can be improved a bit. My biggest problem is what I saw today, I did some wraps with the bar at about 6″ coming with speed out of a tunnel and he started to hurl himself again and take off early. Yes, he landed curling back on the other side of the jump, but the early takeoff is not what I want, he just decides it is easier to leave out the extra stride and jump big. I will try to get some footage tomorrow, I really believe it is a learned behavior. I suspect I will have to have either a very low bar or no bar for a while even though we have been trialing for over a year on 12″ jumps. Oh and while we were talking teeters, this was snapped about a month ago, he used to have a better teeter as a young dog, I think he did not like the bounce and along the way decided it was easier to just leave early. 🙂 We have yet to be called, but a call is in our future if I don’t fix it.
Yes, maybe kee them on the floor for now when working on speedy approaches, but raise them some for not so speedy approaches. Lots of multi-wraps should help to learn to drive to the base of the jump better too. Don’t reward if you see he is taking off early.
Hi Silvia! I signed up in this class almost three weeks ago with my six-year-old Brittany…We’re still stuck at lesson number 1. 🙂 So far we’ve been having some big motivational issues…I live in a small flat with no backyard; the only place where I can train is the park where we usually go for our daily walks and where Milly is used to chasing lizards (her major obsession- and now that’s getting hot lizards are everywhere!!) and digging for moles. When I take my agility stuff out, she looks bewildered or just ignores me. The few times I succeed in having some attention from her, I can only do 3 or 4 repetitions of cik/cap, or of the tunnel exercise or of independent weaves. She’s also a quite sensitive dog so if I, even unknowingly, take things too seriously or put any kind of pressure on her, she will shut down and refuse to work. I’m really trying my best to make things look as fun as possible and to motivate her. She also doesn’t like to be restrained.
Milly already knows how to do cik/cap around trees as I taught her that from your dvd some months ago, and now we’re working on multiwraps and one jump sends on the wing of a jump with no bar; as it regards the channel weaves at the moment the poles are set 70 cm apart and we’re working on some slight off entries( I’m using a bowl with treats at the end of the channel). I try to train some things at home, where she’s more focused on me and less distracted, (we’ve been working at home on shaping tricks for almost 2 years now and she seems to enjoy that)such as multiwraps or with a baby tunnel but with very little space available I can’t work on distance skills and speed.. She’s not into toys very much, she’s all food, so I ordered a Rip ‘n’ Tug Ball( I’m actually still waiting for it to arrive) and some rabbit ears to put on a string…I’ll try with those….Do you have any suggestion for me? 🙂 Thank you!!
It’s certainly much harder with dogs who are hard to motivate, so definitely make speed and fun your major focus and don’t worry about getting through the lessons. If it makes you feel any better, Catalina&Tibby are taking this class for the third time -- it really depends on a dog, some are just harder to motivate. But keep experimenting with different toys, stuffed with food, real fur might be interesting for her too. Keep sessions short and fun and let her chase lizards for good effort -- and when you don’t have focus, just put her on a leash, get ready for the next exercise and try later. I’m sure you’ll get there, it just takes some more patience with hard to motivate dogs…
Thank you, Silvia! I’ll take your advices! I definetely don’t wanna give up! 🙂
Silvia, what other word options have others used for Cik and Cap?
Zig-zag, tic-toc, kit-kat, do-re, check-dig… Hope that helps!
I’m having a hard time with naming the turns. It’s an alien concept to me! I don’t use words much on course. I use “turn” as a turn away from me cue with my older dog because I can’t remember left and right. I definitely won’t be able to remember cik/cap or zig/zag or variations on it. I can barely remember the dog’s name at times 🙂
Just go with one word -- like wrap or tight or zig. Despite I do mix up the names sometimes when I run too… -- but never cik&cap! 🙂
Sammy’s most recent weave pole session. Still don’t quite have the concept of the entries, I don’t think.
Yes, keep working on entries by adding the angle VERY slowly, but constantly. So no more completely straight entries, but only that much angle that he can still succeed. And then move him for an inch to the side after every two successful tries to keep challenging him in order to get the understanding at one point.
That’s they key, isn’t it -- add angles SLOWLY! 🙂
Going back to cone work, multi wraps and some sends. One thing I’ve noticed and it’s not very clear on this video but he is waiting for the ball to be thrown. So if I don’t throw the ball he doesn’t complete the wrap but rather runs back at me. How do I fix this?
On sends to a wrap, the important thing is he drives to an object and goes around it and then it’s normal he comes back if the toy is not thrown in the direction that closes the wrap -- that’s fine and normal. Just keep adding distance and next introduce two cones to do some figure 8s. He is watching a ball more as ideally on multi-wraps though, focusing on a ball more as on the object, so maybe try to hide it more for multi-wraps.
Thank s for the advice -- very helpful! 🙂
Hi Silvia, we’re about 2 weeks into lesson 1. I’m probably going to work on lesson 1 for another week. Regarding the wraps. The wraps are pretty tight with no movement, but they get wider when I’m sending and running forward. I’ve fixed this by taking a slight step backwards while he begins the jump, and then taking off once he’s turned about 90-degrees. Does this make sense? Is what I’m doing acceptable, or should I be doing something else?
Sorry, but I don’t really picture it… So he goes wide even if you run away in the direction that promotes tightness, like in the direction you would throw a ball to tighten him up? It would be better if you could leave immediately, to work on commitment. Maybe try with throwing a toy some first so that he gets the idea to dig in and tighten up to get it and then try running away again?
If I’m standing stationary, he wraps tight. When sending him I have to to pause for a second and take a slight backwards step for him to wrap tighter. The backwards step pulls him tighter. I am running away in the direction I’m throwing a ball. I’ll try throwing the ball first, as you suggested.
O.k., I hope the ball will help. If not, keep doing the step, but make it smaller&smaller to eventually fade it.