That's it! Time to show off what you've learned in the class! Please post your graduation videos here. We'll make this page public so that others can see it too. Also, let me know which one of the training videos you would like to get as your graduation gift.
Puppy II graduation
 Silvia Trkman is known for bringing every dog, from her first dog on, to the very top of the sport. Her dogs are known for great speed, tight turns, running contacts and long and injury-free careers. Silvia is in agility since 1992 and is– 3x World Champion (with two different dogs)
– 5x European Open winner, with 4 different dogs (Lo, La, Bu, Le)!!!
– National Championships podium and World Team member with every dog she’s ever had – National Champion for 22-times (with 5 different dogs of 3 different breeds) – World Team member for 19-times (mostly with at least two dogs at the time – sometimes four 🙂 ) |
Copyright Silvia Trkman, 2010-2016; All rights reserved
Finished our graduation video! 😀
Since we fell a bit behind this doesn’t have some of the tricks from the last two lessons, and I didn’t include all of the tricks from the beginning of class. I included some less “finished” tricks also because I couldn’t resist — I’m so proud of Dragon learning to do these awesome things! Especially rolling the ball around. I thought that it would be hard to get him comfortable putting his weight on the ball, but we’ve been working on getting comfortable with unstable surfaces and he picked this up after just a few sessions. That and closing the cabinet doors were great confidence-builders.
Thanks again Silvia for the amazing class! Your feedback was always insightful and showed your experience with teaching via clicker training. I hope to take another class from you in the future, especially an advanced tricks class!
I would love to get the “Tricks for Better Thinking Skills” DVD!
THANK YOU! 😀
Oh yes, I thought that you might also enjoy a video I made back in April, which showed nearly all of the tricks that I’d worked on with Dragon from the time I brought him home in January. It includes the tricks that we were working on from class back then:
I LOVED the wiggle 🙂 Did he just offer that?
Yes, it is something he does sometimes when excited, and I’ve been trying to capture it. It’s not really on cue yet, but I had to include it in the video because it’s too cute not to! 😉
I love the “wiggle” too! 🙂 I think I’ll try and capture that move with Elsa--she does it a lot when she’s feeling goofy. 🙂
Great job with all the tricks!
Thanks! 🙂
Yeap, tricks can do wonders! -- That are way more important as teaching the trick as such 🙂 But you sure mastered many, great job! Video and teh certificate are in your mail!
Looking through what Tili can do I would describe her as a work in progress -- sounds about right for a 6 month pup. She has learnt so much and it has been such fun teaching her. We can now spend the next few winter (or us) months developing these tricks and probably adding more.
I would be interested in joining a foundation class later in the year when Tili is a bit more mature.
Thank you Silvia and classmates -- this class has been great.
The ‘Tricks for better thinking skills’ would be lovely to have.
Great job Fiona! Tili is just too CUTE!
How cute to see her growing up and learning better coordination. Her spotty coat is adorable. 🙂
What a beautiful video! It was great to watch Tili grow, she is such a cool pup! And you two sure mastered many tricks! The video and the certificate are in your mail!
Hi guys,
I was only auditing this class but I am posting a link to a video I made of my puppy (now almost 9 months old) Migo. I did fall behind on some of the tricks and don’t have many of the outdoor tricks on film but I am still proud of what we managed to achieve:
Auditing the class has been an exciting experience for me. One thing I learned, early on, was that I was stuck on luring. When I was doing the 4 paws in a box exercise from Lesson 1 I lured a bit with my hand position. Then I got stuck as I wanted to make the box smaller and smaller. It turned out that my hand with the treat was actually hindering the dog from getting it right and I only managed to progress once I put my hands behind my back and allowed the dog to think on his own. I became much more comfortable with shaping and for this I will be eternally grateful 🙂
I also started to see how all these tricks build on one another and how much easier it becomes to teach something new once the simpler and “less sexy” tricks are in place. For example, once I got 4 paws in a really small bowl, getting 4 paws ON a really small object was a piece of cake. And then it was again very simple to transfer that onto 4 paws on my back (for a back stall) and 4 paws on my feet (for a foot stall). These are tricks I wanted to work on for frisbee.
I have not yet done the side 2 on/2off and limping but I feel that it will be doable because of the great foot awareness I have achieved teaching other tricks. Rolling a ball will probably also be easy because of the great balance Migo has as a side effect of the tricks he knows.
I would like to try more tricks with his head (which I have not worked on yet).
I am really tempted to audit Foundations even though I’m well… a bit short on money, let’s put it this way. But I see I need work on the pup’s speed, particularly when he’s being sent away from me. Will the class be helpful for me in that respect?
While I found this class very useful and tons of fun, I have a couple of comments which may be useful for improving it in the future. Somehow, the visual format was a bit confusing for me, it was difficult to find Silvia’s spot-on comments (not that I did not enjoy the other comments) unless you followed the class on a daily basis (which, I admit, I sometimes did not). I also would have enjoyed a bit more detail in the initial descriptions of the tasks and of the teaching process required to achieve them. All the explanations were there but usually after people started sending in their videos, not before. All in all, highly informative, tons of fun and just plain well… entertaining 🙂
I have the tricks videos and cik & cap so I’d be really glad if I could get the heeling video now.
Very nice to meet you and Migo too! That was a fun video to watch, I love his speed and enthusiasm! Great foot stall, amazing speed at pivoting, great hug and yes, very good job with stays with all 4! 🙂 And he sure looks to enjoy his tricks a lot! Heeling video and a certificate are in your mail! And yes, sends, commitment and speed are the major focus of Foundation class!
Wow, Migo is super! He has great balance on hugging the toy and 4 paws in and jumping on your feet. 🙂
Ok, so it’s a little long- SORRY! Not my fault, we just learned so much!
I really enjoyed the e-course and will be back for another soon I am sure. It was wonderful to see all the puppies in the class grow from lesson to lesson- including my own. This really has provided the PERFECT foundation for her- she has a killer teeter and an amazing running dogwalk already and I know it’s because she gained so much confidence in herself and learned how to learn the right way.
So, thank you thank you thank you! Great job everyone!
Shenna and Dynamite (who is all grown up now!) and Shiver (who loved the class too!)
So cool!!! Was great to watch Dynamite grow, she is such a cool puppy and I’m sure that after doing so well in this class, agility will be very easy for her! She sure looks FAST! Let me know which video you want to get!!!
Oh, I forgot! Um… Cik/Cap? Since we still have a lot to learn there. Thanks again!!
I loved seeing the “before” and “after” as she’s learning the tricks. It’s so sweet to see the puppies growing up. 🙂
Finally got my video together. Had some technical difficulties, but overall I am pleased with how it came out.
Thanks Silvia
Wow, your video was just awesome and so great to watch!!! You were working with 6 dogs, right? :-)) I really enjoyed watching -- thanks for sharing,
Cindy & Cosi
Yes, I worked with all of them. They are so different and I love the challenge. The little 5lb Chi mix is trying to hop onto the basketball. That would be a great trick 🙂
LOL -- that would be great -- if she succeeds balancing on the basketball please post a video! -- we had the most trouble with the backwards figure 8 and the handstand against a wall… we are taking the tricks class again so we can get better 😉
🙂 So you can then graduate twice 🙂 Cosi is doing great!!!
Great video! And great job! -- With many dogs! Looks like you were pretty busy 🙂 Let me know which video you want to get!
Since I already have all your current vidoes, I would love one of your next one when it comes out, if possible.
Thanks, Astrid
Sure, no problem! They I’m only sending you a certificate for now and then just mail me when the new video is out!
I’m so impressed that you found the time to train so many dogs! It must have really developed your skills as a trainer, though. 🙂
Hi Silvia, sorry we are taking ages to graduate!! 🙁 Haven’t had time to get all the clips I’d like for the video 🙁 Is there a deadline??
Nope, no deadline 🙂
Hi Silvia, Classmates,
Here it is, Keen’s graduation video. It’s a bit long but that’s because we learned so much. We really enjoyed this class!!
I would like to perfect some of the tricks, so I might make a “re-make” of the video in a year (or a few years). If I do I’ll send it to you. 😉
If we pass, the tricks for better learning skills dvd would be great.
Thanks again for the great class!
Wow—GREAT job, Inge & Keen!!! You did learn a lot! Fun video too!
Kathy & Elsa
Thanks Kathy, it was just great fun! 😉
Great job! A really great, fun video and really well trained tricks! Re-make would be fun to see too! You are definitely passing! 🙂 A video and a certificate in your mail.
CUTE! I love the way you put the tricks into a narrative! And Keen waving at the window is just too cute!
Wonderful video! You and Keen certainly mastered many of the tricks. I enjoyed watching you two.
Hello everyone,
I cannot believe that class is over. Time flew by. Maia and I had a wonderful experience. It was so great to meet and watch all of you and your dogs, grow, learn and just have fun. I will miss this class very much, but I am glad to see some of you in some of the other classes 🙂 and look forward to seeing everyone again in the fall in the ‘advanced tricks’ class 🙂
I enjoy watching all of your graduation videos. They are so inspirational. Here is our graduation video. We are still working on many of the tricks -- to get them better, or increase duration, but we are having so much fun. Each time I say ‘let’s go train’ Maia runs at full speed to the basement or ourside or where ever I am going. She is so excited and it is so wonderful to see and brings a smile to my face each and every time.
Thank you Silvia, for being such a patient and inspirational teacher. This class was about so much more than just ‘tricks’. My relationship with my dogs has changed for the better because of you.
I too have all of your videos, so I will wait for your new one if that is ok. 🙂
Great video and great job with all the tricks! Maia’s enthusiasm is always fun to watch! Just sent you a certificate, no problem to get the new video when its out, just mail me then! See you in the other classes!
Hi Silvia,
Is it possible to get your new video that you just released 🙂 I can’t wait to watch it. It sounds super!
Sent 🙂
What an excellent stay! Love her enthusiasm for cik and cap, heehee.
Hope you like our video 🙂 We didn’t finish a lot of tricks, but we had fun working on being best friends 🙂
I had a lot of trouble uploading this video to youtube, for some reason, so I split it into two parts.
Very cool! What a nice story on learning to learn and building a bond in between! Tiby is such a character! Let me know which video you want to get for graduation!
Could we please have the heeling video? Thanks! My mom said if Tibby could learn how to heel it would be a miracle, so I want to show her how smart Tibby can be! 🙂
Of course she can learn!!! Have fun!
She looks so cute in her outfits! 😉 I love that you included videos of the two of you out and about. I’m naturally a homebody and it reminds me that I need to get Dragon out into the world more. 🙂 What was the contest for?
The contest was for a pet/owner look a like contest. At the end the announcer guy said, “How do you feel about looking the most like a dog?” 😛 What ever! Tibby is super cute! I’m happy to look like her!
I am sorry, I have been so busy and bad about completing my video! 🙁 We have most of the footage but I have not put it together 🙁 I promise it will be soon!! Please don’t close out the class just yet 😉
Any news about more tricks? Just remembered to come by and check if the new class is opening, Summer and I sure need more things to work on! We have been working mainly on outings and socializing, she is become much less shy..
Be back with my video soon!!
Take your time! 🙂 I think the new tricks class will open end of October -- will try to get the info out by end of September.