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!
OK, here is my first home work. I figured I better get this submitted because they are calling for a big snow storm tomorrow night and Thursday. Darn it! My yard JUST dried up. Unfortunately, the camera missed the first restrains, but you can tell he isn’t thrilled as he is trotting to the jump, but you can see on the left wraps his expression. However, I AM happy to see his ears come up just a bit as I pull back, that’s new!! I think that’s a GOOD sign? I do think he will start to like it more and more as he sure loves running his tunnel for his ball and as I do more restrains with his harness. I admit I haven’t done that much of it. What do you think? I know some of the wraps are not that tight, but at this stage I just want him “in the game” and am more interested in his drive forward from the restrain at the moment. Thanks Silvia!!!
Yes, he is certainly faster out of a wrap as towards it, but hopefully, the expectation of a tunnel/ball will give you the same speed into a wrap too. Try without a restrain too, with a bark or something, to see how that goes. Also, see Devorah’s video to see in which direction to run, I think my video didn’t show the angle well.
I have tried all variation of tricks, but he starts to worry and won’t do them after a while if they are in the context of agility for whatever reason. I can do a push away and that sometimes works pretty well, but what I really need for trials is something that is a very set pattern that he can expect and count on. The push away works at home, but at trials it’s too unpredictable as we wait for them to tell us to go. I’ll try to get it on video at some point for you to see. We definitely need to work this out as this is where he loses time at trials, for sure. His start. I might be able to start with holding him as if for a restrain, then do a small push away. I’ll try that.
And, yes, I did see Devorah’s video and will adjust the jump next time. 😀
I know, I was just thinking to maybe work on it separately. Like working on a restrain to use it in trials with just a tunnel&a ball and start him for a wrap differently for now that he is not completely comfortable with it yet? But yes, maybe he just needs to get used to it and will start to like it once she connects it with a tunnel+ball.
Hooray for up ears! It’s those little things….:)
Ah, OK, got ya!!! Yes, that’s a good idea, trying just the tunnel/ball for restrain starts and once they are going well there add the jump.
Tonight at class I tried combining a restrain (no harness, just holding his body) and then the push away and it worked pretty well.
He is SO much better about all of this stuff, but I guess you probably know that, LOL!! He sure can drive to a jump without me if he wants to as we saw in my RDW video I sent recently. That’s all pretty new for him and all from how happy his RDW makes him. 😀
OK, got a session in this morning before the predicted snow and since I had a videographer -- way easier that way. I need to work on the logistics of this because I am HORRIBLE at throwing from my hand so I use a chuck-it, but that presented some issues with the restrain then push away. AND my silly agility cat wanted to train and added some pressure that was maybe a bit unreasonable, poor little guy. He’s a good little guy to work through that this morning!!! Anyway, I think I can get this going a bit better and he is driving away better, right?
Still not totally sure that the set up is right?
This short clip shows first the plain restrain start I have been using at trials now and then next is the restrain to push away. Notice how I bounce him some and he actually seems to like that and with the chuck-it I can’t do that as that would bother him, so I may have to learn to throw!! LOL!!
Here is this morning’s session --
I think I can build on this. It wasn’t the best session as I had not noticed the cat’s arrival until she was right there, but I am sure he did. LOL!!!
Oh and I know you said to start close and work our way back, but I think for Spur I need to start farther back so I am racing him to the jump for more start speed? Right now at trials I try to start him as far back as possible and do “sling shot” starts, if needed, so I am racing with him. I know eventually the goal is to get him driving ahead, though, right.
I would do some of both, some of close starts to have him really drive to an obstacle on his own, but mostly giving him more space and racing him to a wrap yes, I think that’s more fun for him.
Oh yes, definitely faster! And very tight to the right -- but a bit wider to the left. Maybe you could drop the closer end of the bar down when doing left wraps? Or maybe he was just unsure if you’re doing a rear cross -- he is thinking right for a bit 🙂 The set is good yes, but yes, I think you’ll need to get rid of that chuck-it. Straight throws are not so important for this exercise 🙂 Also, you can include sends to wraps into your DW training (when you do some again 🙂 ) and start with a send to wrap -- just so he sees that send to a wrap is always a beginning of something fun 🙂
Oh, yes, definitely will try some wraps to his DW!!! That should make him pretty happy~! 😀 I was thinking that myself today.
He is probably better going to the right than left because he favors his right lead, remember from his DW I learned he always switches to that, even when taking a left curved tunnel if he knows the DW is next. I think he thinks better on his right lead. Or maybe he wasn’t sure,…. either way. I’ll try the bar down and see if that helps him. He sure is a worrier and a thinker, but he can recover now from things and keep going. Not long ago the cat would have completely shut him down and made him wring his little paws with worry.
Yes, I see how worried he gets when he doesn’t take that jump, poor little Spur. But he sure recovers beautifully!
OK, still no snow here so before I put away my tunnel I tried some restrains to the tunnel. My friend and her shihtzus came over for a farm walk and that always excites Spur!! He LOVES to show off!! The more fans watching him and telling him how awesome he is the better he runs! He LOVES his fan club!!!
I studied some past starts from classes and trials and I saw a pattern of better starts when I did the little bouncing I do with him. Lifting him slightly to get him in position actually does NOT offend him and seems to make him start faster!!! I had not realized that before, but the videos show that does seem to work, so I tried lifting him with the harness. I think it worked really well!!! I don’t think he minded it and actually seemed to like it!!!
He really does seem faster for his audience!
Certainly looking better&better!!! Great job, great speed! Go Spur!
Hahaha, and you said you could help me get more speed from him. I didn’t think that meant in only three days!! ;D
That sure was fast 🙂 Maybe you should reconsider what you wish for! 🙂
He has come so far from the little worried puppymill dog. I know you know that, but here is a little story about him…..when I first got him home I kept losing him on our walks.But, he wasn’t lost he was RIGHT behind me, worried. Now he races ahead, charging after birds and chasing his friends. He used to totally shut down if he ever knocked a bar, he was frightened it was chasing him if it rolled. I taught him to roll bars on the floor in my kitchen. He still worries, as you know, but he sure has come a LONG way. Your help has been so wonderful for him!!! He can recover when things worry him now and I know he loves doing agility and showing off to his fans!!! He BARKS like a maniac getting to the in gate!!
Certainly a really amazing progress!!!
Oh my goodness! Spur was on fire! I LOVE the one where Stella runs in the tunnel too! 🙂 I can’t believe how fast you conditioned him to that harness!!! You know, maybe Spur is part pyr shep!!!!
Here is Tibby practicing the weaves outside. I’m trying to move laterally and I think Tibby has figured out entrances??? It would help if the weaves didn’t move so much, but it’s hard with the snow. Slippery.
I loved looking at Tibby’s cute face!!! Was that a pink barette??? Catalina have you met “Buzz” in puppy tricks? 16 wks, same breed as Tibby, I think and ADORABLE!!!!
Thanks Kelly 🙂 Yup those were barrettes -- she sometimes has a hard time seeing with all her hair. I would love to see Buzz! -- there is another Tibetan Terrier in RC It’s neat to watch another TT and see their videos.
Looks good, keep closing them!
We did some more weaving.
She pulls out a couple times, but mostly stays in 🙂
Cool! Getting there! She mostly only pulls out on angled speedy approaches (from a tunnel) as she doesn’t know yet how to handle that and stay in -- but I’m sure she will figure it out soon, just practice many speedy approaches -- with less angle first and then more&more.
Silvia I was wondering if I could ask you what you thought about Linda Mecklenburg’s method of teaching jumping? I’m taking an online class from Daisy Peel and the class is based on LM’s book Developing Jumping Skills.
We are trying to do the lessons, but Tibby thinks it is sooooo boring. Painfully boring.
I do like the way this method cues collection -- it seems to make sense. But what do you think?
Hm, I have to admit I don’t know enough to have an opinion. But I certainly think boring things are not good for Tibby. I don’t think she will have problems with wide turns anyway and think there are actually more important things to work with her as jumping drills she finds boring…
Ok good that’s what I was thinking too. I think I will try to make the excercise into more of an active game. Cik/cap is just more fun. Although I’m trying really hard this (3rd) time around to actually GET cik/cap.
The 1st foundation class I just worked to get Tibby to play the game. The 2nd time I was so happy she was playing, but I didn’t want to slow her down and make her think too much -- in case she checked out again.
Now THIS time I want to get the finer points. I would love for us to understand cik/cap like Melanie and Grit.
So I might ask a lot of questions this time 🙂
First a video of tic
I can’t seem to understand this. Do I want to run away from the jump more laterally? Like if she jumps from the right then I run away to the right after she wraps? I still can’t get her to do multi wraps.
Tunnel sends and pulls. We had a little snow overnight. It added a little more difficulty to running. I think next time I will try sending from farther away?? We’ve never tried that.
Getting there with cik&cap, nice speed at the beginning! Considering room limitations, I would just run in the direction you’re running, but would angle the jump for 90 degrees (similar to what you have at the end) to practice side approaches rather as front approaches. It’s perfectly o.k. that way. Otherwise, the exercise is exactly as you do it at 0:36 of the 2nd video. The tunnel exercise is going well too, just add even more distance, stay in movement the whole time and remember to watch her all the time, making sure she is staying on the same side.
Sure! 🙂 I would still keep focusing on speed and fun aspect though. I think you can gain more by having her really drive into the turn and out vs. how tight or not she jumps. The great thing about cik&cap is that you can work on both at the same time though!
Thanks Silvia 🙂 I will work on the drive more and not worry about how tight she is.
Last night I watched the very first video we sent you last June. Wow it was so painful to watch -we have come a long way! I’m not throwing Tibby at the jumps any more 😀
Oh yes, you are certainly BOTH doing better&better!!!
It’s an excellent jump training program that gets the handler interference out of the way while the dog learns spatial awareness of the bar, how to use her body over the jump, and build muscles (and neural pathways, I’d venture to guess)…It is extremely demanding, much like you doing squat jumps (where you squat down and then leap forward and get back into a squat and repeat). If you train for too long, or if you’re dog isn’t enthusiastically offering behavior, it can suck for you and the dog. It is such a workout for the dog, I’d make sure not to do it everyday, just like an athlete should build muscle some days and recover and allow the tissues to build on alternating days.
My rule of thumb training exercises like that is “Less is More”. Stop long before it becomes too hard, or boring, and be really shamelessly silly and fun when you jackpot:))
I swear that dogs that learn to jump this way develop awesome jumping skills! Give Daisy your feedback so there’s a chance to gain what you can, if it’s possible, before scrapping the whole idea. And if it still doesn’t work out for you, there’s always another way:)
Thanks Cloudine 🙂
There are some people in the class doing jumping for 9 mins a day!! Tibby and I are counting out 6 treats and only doing it that long every other day. It IS very hard work. Especially with a dog that want’s to know ‘What’s in this for me?’
Oh Catalina!! I took Grit to a Foundation Seminar with Daisy a couple of weeks ago, and Grit found it TERRIBLY BORING!!! What??? Mama just stands there??? How stupid!! Seriously, she was very slow, and sometimes sniffing. Of course, she did all the exercises perfectly, but she looked like a total dud. I decided right then that I wouldn’t worry about those drills with her…esp since she seemed to already know them anyway! I bet Tibby is the same!!! 🙂 Besides, doesn’t Silvia say that nowhere on course should we be standing still anyway??? 🙂 Just keep doing what you are doing….clearly it’s working GREAT for Tibby, and you know best what she likes and what is best for her!!!
Thanks Melanie!
It’s nice to know I’m not crazy to think that it is very boring. We would rather have fun and move around or even *gasp* run!!
For one of my practices I used a toy, because Tibby was getting bored, but that was not good, because then she wasn’t thinking and her jumping form wasn’t controlled.
Well, with the toy there is jumping. Without the toy there isn’t any jumping, because Tibby will walk away!:P
It is very hard to compete with how fun cik/cap training is! It may be our favorite thing in a long time. It’s so fun, I think it can compete with squirrels in the vicinity…and my dog has a really strong prey drive. Finally, I hold the key to the chase (“Mua, ha, ha” (evil laugh))
I’m certainly curious, though, Silvia, did you teach this class how to jump in the end of puppy class?? Or are they just beginning cik/cap with height as their 1st exercise with that?
Oh no, we didn’t do any jumping in puppy class, we only did multi-wraps around an object as explained in pre-homework. We’re only introducing a jump now, with a very low bar and making it look as much a circling trick as possible. We’ll do many multi-warps on jumps too, but it certainly helps if you first do it on another object where they don’t need to jump at all.
Yes, the major reason I don’t know this system is that I never felt the need to teach them anything more about collection as they learn through cik&cap… I think that teaches them pretty much everything there is to know about collection…
Let me preface this by saying I’m just thinking out loud and guessing here, anyone care to comment, please do. I’m most interested in whatever methods work best.
It does seem like you are accomplishing the same basic work as in Linda’s system, but on the move…which I’m sure the dogs love (“yay for chase games” they say:) In addition you teach them to think on the move, keep it active, and probably get more speed, less stress, and earlier development of commitment, an understanding of how to integrate speed much earlier in the process, if I was to guess. Whatever the case, certainly a win if it teaches them what they need to know AND it’s FUN from the get go!!!
Yes, I didn’t want to say Linda’s method doesn’t work, I saw her dogs and they sure jump beautifully! But I’m a really big fan of cik&cap 🙂 It makes handling sooo much easier, the process is so much fun, it teaches speed right from the start (we’re a bit obsessed by speed in Europe and can’t do things slowly 🙂 ) -- and it sure gives me everything I want from collection 🙂
Catalina, it´s so nice to watch you and Tibby!!
Thanks Gabi 😀
This first video is where we are at with restrained cik/cap. I must admit I didn’t pay adequate attention to this exercise the first time around and after reading your earlier comment Silvia I realized I am still doing it wrong!!!
Kelly -- that actually looks great to me!!! She is tight and fast and the confusion with rear cross will be gone once you start running in the other direction! 🙂 Problem solved!
And an attempt to build some excitement for tunnels. Silvia, the most liberating thing you ever shared with us was that we can let go of the toy as they are driving to our hand to keep them in extension and that we don’t HAVE to tug. I forget to do this sometimes but today I really had to remember or I might have lost a finger!!! Why oh why am I always in her way for FC and cannot remember to say her name…Maybe next time I will write her name on my hand…that just might work!!!
OMG, Kelly, she’s so cute how she whines with excitement! Look at you in a T-Shirt??? It sure isn’t that warm here along the coast! Brrrrrrr…….major winds.
Thanks Amy 🙂
I was getting so hot running all those tunnel exercises I HAD to take my fleece off-don’t forget I am doing the same exercises with Ben in between!
Kelly, Miss Pruli is so speedy and you sure don´t need a Fitnesscenter with those Labi- tugs 🙂
She sure seems pretty enthusiastic about her tunnel now! And she is actually staying really close and tight when you do say her name! So just remember to say it! 🙂 You can also try front crosses on flat, so not when she is in a tunnel but once she catches up with you. And yes, I certainly don’t want to go directly into a tug when a crazy Bi comes charging on her toy! 🙂 Letting the toy go first is much better for her and my back!
Kelly, I compete with 4 dogs and so I sometimes call out the wrong name. I remember one time my dog’s name just blanked out and I had to call him so I yelled out “hey you”. Not one of my better moments in the ring, lol.
lol I tend to say here or come instead of the dogs name. It does not have the same effekt so I need to stop but it comes so automaticly! My agilityclassmates tease me by saying “hey Lotta, what’s your dogs name?” or “I didn’t know you changed your dogs name?”
btw I spent last night making dog toys out of olt T-shirts 🙂 I made 2 long ropes too where I can attach something to the end (toy on a rope). The dogs couldn’t stop looking at what I was doing and on a first try they seemed to LOVE it!
Hi Silvia,
This is our first wrapping video. After seeing Devorah’s video, I see that I am not quite sending and running in the right direction. I need to be sending more straight at the wing almost the same direction as the bar. And run away perpendicular to the bar.
He does lovely turning to the right. To the left…not so much. Long story, but to maximize space in my tiny yard I do alot of recalls and chase by wrapping him around a tree in my yard first. We would always wrap left because that is the side that most of the open space is on. So, now, he doesn’t go over a jump straight on a send…he goes around the far post, wraps it and jumps towards me as you will see in the video. We are working on it…LOL.
I just thought of something else. It may not actually be the tree at all…now that I think about it. More fitting is that he might be seeing the two uprights as a weave entrance? We have been working entraces with 2x2s. that would explain him going around the back side to “correctly wrap” that first pole on that direction of a turn. hmmm….
very strange. I no longer see the video I put up. Sorry if you are seeing this twice. It seemed to be there last night and not now?
Sorry…having some video difficulty…I will repost when I get home from work later 🙁
O.k. It says this video has been removed…
this should work 🙂
I see the problem yes! 🙂 It’s definitely 2x2, he turns perfectly well to the left to, he is just sure you want to trick him into wrong entry 🙂 Maybe if you would use a wing jump for now, it would be less confusing to him?
Here is our first go at a few of the other things. The building had a set of channel weaves that we used. Although not as far as you said, we opened them up all the way. When outside with the stick in the ground poles, we can definitely open them up further.
The tunnel pulls felt very strange to me. I think I probably had the mechanics wrong. I probably needed to not be opened up to him as he was coming out of the tunnel. It is the first time we have done something like that (even without a tunnel), so we will definitely work on it.
thanks!
Great, his cik&cap looks even more impressive in slow motion! 🙂 He comes really nicely in with hind feet, all the way to the base and wraps beautifully! You can raise a bar a bit and also add some extra challenges I suggested to Melanie. For the weaves, slowly introduce more challenges. You can work with a static toy for now to make staying in easier when you do some crazy things when he is the channel and then switch to a toy thrown after when he knows to drive ahead no matter what. Nice tunnel sends and yes, for shoulders pulls, have him come to your side and stay there as you turn, but always call him first to let him know to come to hand and stay there until not cued otherwise.
Silvia,
We have been working on Cik and Cap a few inches higher. We did a bunch of small sessions on the practice jump at the trial this past weekend while the bigger dogs were walking. It was great because not only did he get to work his wraps at a new location, but he also got to do it with a whole lot of distraction 🙂 I will try and get some video of that soon 🙂
Also, he LOVES channel weaves! I think I might too…LOL. the previous video was his first ever session on them…that was all it took. The very next session he was doing them on his own (no matter where my motion went) without a static toy. I was trying to call him in the house last night and he was jumping off the deck and running to the channel (which was at no easy angle) and just diving in and running through and awaiting his toy…LOL. It got my spirits up a bit from our much less successful DW progress…LOL! So glad to be in foundations class!!!
Oh, that’s too funny! Hopefully his understanding of “just run the whole thing no matter what” will transfer to his DW one day too! 🙂 And his cik&cap sure looked just beautiful already on a previous video!
Angie, wow I´m impressed of your boy!!
You could see Echo trying so hard in that video-bless him!
Similar issue I had-I came to cik&cap late (unfortunately) and Cara could already weave. I started her running round a pole in the ground and did lots of this. When I next tried the weaves-you guessed it-she ran and circled the first pole (very tightly!). Took me a few goes of wondering what on earth she was doing before I realised! Very funny. She soon figured it out -but I don’t do cik&cak practice round single poles now just in case 🙂
Angie -- love watching your Echo! I think we might have the same tug issue -- our Echos have figured out that the slowest part of the rope tug is where it attaches to our hands. Ouch! We can call it the Echo Challenge!! 🙂
Ah yes Rachel! I have been bit more times than I can count! In flyball I always have to release the tug as he goes for it. On several occasions he has lunged for it, missed, and went flying and rolling. So, for his own safety, I now just let go and tug with him when he brings it back 🙂
Hi Silvia, here are a few videos we took tonight. We did a lot of playing/chasing and frisbee throwing in the middle, so he was kinda tuckered for the jumps. I thought he still did ok though 🙂 I need to do them before the frisbee games next time 🙂 We have done a number of sessions now at that 8 inch height…so we decided to try a figure 8 with it.
thanks!
Very cool! Great understanding of weaves and still nice and tight on cik&cap! You can introduce some extra challenges, like running past tunnel after cik&cap, cik&cap towards a tunnel entry right there and similar.
Silvia, I have a question about what arm to use for cik&cap. I can see that I am starting to do a little “wind up” with my arms….like a cartoon character 🙂 before I take off running (while my dog Lil wraps around the wing). On your cik&cap DVD, I recall you often using an “early arm” to cue cik&cap.
Before I develop a bad habit that I’ll need to break, do you think it works best to send the dog to the jump with the arm on the side of the dog and as soon as the dog is committed to the jump, switch to the new “early arm” as the dog is wrapping the wing? Or is it better to just send the dog to the jump with the “early arm”?
hmmm. I might have answered my own question by testing a “two-arm combination” and just an “early arm” when sending my dog to cik&cap. It seemed to work better if I just used the “early arm.” Which raises the next question…
If I was doing a rear cross vs. a wrap, would you recommend I use my outside arm (the arm closest to the dog before we cross)? I’ve been using the other arm to indicate a rear cross (which is the same as the “early arm” I used for cik&cap”.
I’d love feedback before I start changing my “arm language” to avoid confusing my dog.
This was my second (and final) question that I was saving until the Foundations class started!
For rear crosses, I use dog-side arm and pushing on their line to let them know about the rear cross. But yes, it might be a bit confusing if you’re changing it now… It’s quite a big change if you normally used it the other way around…
so do you think it will be confusing to my dog if I use an early arm to cue cik&cap when I am close to a jump and use that same arm but with strong forward thrust as it moves across my body, pointing towards the direction we are going when I do a rear cross?
That could actually work afterall. I do use the opposite arm for rear crosses on flat this way and they understand it perfectly without any confusion, so yes, that should work! Just make sure it really looks very different!
I always use an early arm when I’m close enough to the jump -- you’ll see when we start sequencing. But not on sends. On sends, I’ll use a dog-side arm to send and then just take off to the next spot.
Silvia, here is Grit jumping at 12″ and 14″. I see lots of set up strides!! What do you think?
Yay for Grit! Definitely going in the right direction!!!
What would you make better? Or what would you do next for this lesson? Does she need more independence? Tighter turns?
I think it’s tight enough, but you can add distance and leave even earlier + you can make a discrimination exercise out of it by setting a tunnel close to it and vary between the two exercises + you can set another tunnel in the direction you’re running and practice sending to that tunnel vs. coming to hand + you can try the same exercise with a post turn -- that should keep you busy enough 🙂
Hey, tight enough…really??? WOW!!
I’m not sure I’m picturing the discrimination exercise…do you mean having a “U” tunnel just beyond so that sometimes she goes straight into the tunnel and sometimes she wraps (like she had trouble with in one of the last lessons)?
This was her 1st time doing 14″ at speed…so just stay at this height for a bit, right?
Yes, you certainly want to do that too yes! 🙂 Or you can set both (jump and straight tunnel) relatively close and parallel and then sometimes go for a wrap and sometimes into a tunnel (helping her with body language of course but making sure she follows that vs. just takes the tunnel 🙂 ), working on turns after a straight tunnel at the same time. You could also try some front crosses on the landing side, when you need to move in and she needs to collect, like in that exercise she had problems with. And yes, looks like a good height for now!
OK, we will play with a straight tunnel next…that sounds hard! Here is a little play session we had tonight with one of our NEW jumps! 🙂 Much prettier for videos, don’t you think?? LOL I think she is getting much more confident with her jumping!
Wow Melanie, you are keeping us busy with all your great videos!! have to try this too 🙂
I think I’m a little OCD with the camera. 🙂 I love how Silvia has taught me that soooo much can be done with 2 or 3 obstacles! I already have 2 more training session ideas in mind with just these 2!! 🙂 I’m certainly happy if it gives someone else an idea. I love getting ideas from other people too!!
Yes, nice jumping, nice new jump 🙂 and no problems with bypassing a curved tunnel! Time for a straight one 🙂
Everybody repeating this class is of course welcome to try out all that too! Just to keep you busy also the 2nd time around 🙂
Beautiful!
in restrains, is it important that the dog pulls away activly? or is it fine it owner pushes him away and he resists it? Terra is a very well mannered dog (how did he get lika that?!?) and if I hold him he will be like “oh, so I´m not supposed to take that yet? well I’ll just stay lika a good boy then” He look at the toy/food and you can see he wants it but he doesn’t understand that he should pull to get it. But if I pull him back he will resist. So should I just pull him back or train him to pull more by himself?
Yesterday I tried it with a leash by throwing treats to the end of the hallway and with me holding the end ot the leash I did get him pulling his way to the treats. But he needs ALOT of verbal reassurance to start pulling (you wanna get it? go get it! go go GO!) so he wont just sit there “like aa good boy”. Is this something I could build on?
If he likes the push, just go with the push. Le was highly offended by it, so I went with a harness and shaping from little pull to stronger pulls 🙂 But pushing works just as good!
Haha that’s such the right description for it! If I push Keira she gets offended too!
Sorry, that made me laugh, it’s so true!
Hi. Here’s our video. It was veeeeery windy and she wasn’t in the right mood… so after a slow start we decided to do some RC training (I’ll post the video in the right class) and then we tried again. It went somewhat better after all the running. She just loves to RUN. 🙂
L&S
Definitely a very nice commitment and sends!!! The turns as such could be tighter I think, maybe refresh her some with multi-wraps or drop the closer end of a bar down some for now?
Ok Silvia, thanks!
How does Le know to let go of the toy when you grab her harness? is this something you have taught her or something she got on her own?
Well, she knows grabbing her harness means we’re starting again -- and she actually loves that even better as her toy 🙂 I didn’t teach her a release too well 🙂