Time for a new lesson! And a "catch-up break" 🙂 I'll be home one more week to review your videos of where you are at and answer questions on how to proceed if meeting difficulties with new assignments and then you'll have two weeks to work on it on your own, catching up if you got stuck behind a little - or giving your dog some plank break if you're as far as you wanted to be with it. If you're behind, make sure to complete lesson 1 before you start with lesson 2 and that you complete lesson 2 before starting with lesson 3 - you can't jump steps, there is a reason I'm giving you this assignments in the order that I do!
I'll be back to answering on 24th June and will publish new assignments on 4th July.
1. switch to a static toy, position it at the bar of a jump with a bar on the ground. The jump should be straight forward after the plank, about 7m away. The goal is the dog starts to look for a jump, knowing the toy is there. Occasionally, still throw a toy in advance, but mostly, have it there. When the dog already knows where it is, put a jump bar very low and a toy behind it (close after it, but far enough that the dog can land normally). Keep it there long enough that the dog is expecting it there. When you see the dog is pulling well towards the jump, knowing the toy is there, get another toy and as soon as you click the contact, throw a second toy over the jump. Soon, you won't need a static toy at all anymore.
The goal is to switch from a static toy that is there as a target for the dog to focus him forward to a jump as a target to focus the dog forward and a toy as a reward we throw AFTER we see the contact is good. You need to be pretty quick as you don't want the dog to wait for the toy - so quick that I sometimes throw it before I realize the contact was actually not THAT good - but it gets easier 🙂 I guess this step will finally make everybody worried about rewarding jumps happy as now, you can withhold the toy for unsuccessful tries. HOWEVER, make sure the dog successful rate is high for this step as otherwise, you can loose the speed and get the dog checking back with you if you're throwing a toy or not. The same can be dangerous if you're late throwing a toy.
This is usually an easy step for BCs who will run full speed in anticipation of the toy, but can be a very hard one for some other dogs. For Le, that was the hardest step. She was running beautifully if the ball was still rolling when she saw it, but if I threw it that early that it was already static when she saw it (or when I positioned it there), then she didn't extend well enough. What finally worked was going few steps back with height, exciting her a lot with a toy, throwing it at the jump and sending her quickly to the dog-walk. That made her striding good enough to continue long enough to have her look for the jump and then I quickly switched to a toy, thrown after the contact is done, over the jump. That temporary caused some checking back with me, so I needed to go back to a stationary toy again, but then she finally got the idea to keep running full speed toward the jump/tunnel and trust the toy will appear then 🙂 and that again gave me the beautiful striding I had before trying to get rid of a toy, thrown in advance.
If the transition to a stationary toy is too hard, another way to try to avoid that phase is to pretend you are throwing a toy in advance, but then only throw it after. OR, using a tunnel as a way to focus the dog forward and throw it after the tunnel - works great with tunnel crazy dogs, didn't work with Le. Try and report back if you have problems.
2. keep adding height. If you have an option, it's also time to try the real thing. You can either use a lowered dog-walk or a normal dog-walk with additional plank at the end as you can see in some videos. Start with down ramp only and then slowly put the dog further&further back until you run the whole dog-walk.
When trying this or any other, new variable, don't vary other variables - make it as easy for the dog to succeed as possible. You can also lower a criteria somewhat. Normally, your criteria about hits by now should already be to be deeply in the contact - but temporary, you can click for good tries on a limit too, IF hind feet are well separated and the dog is not leaping.
3. new trick: have a dog back up on something very low and preferably soft first (folded blanket, low pillow) - then slowly add height, so that they need to pick up their hind legs higher&higher. At the same time, you can teach a "pee trick": click for lifting the leg, searching for an object, before they touch it. Make sure to try to get leg lifts on both sides - they usually prefer to go up with the same leg, so try to sometimes position them somewhat diagonally in front of an object so that their preferred leg is too far from it to start with that one. Also try climbing stairs backwards.
Have fun!
Hello,
httpv://www.dailymotion.com/video/k42w2jwZHKbeva2hpmB
Voici ma dernière vidéo. En premier travail dans le jardin avec une planche horizontale plus longue et ensuite travail au club sur DW baissée. Il y a plus d’erreur au club alors que les deux planches sont à la même hauteur; pourquoi ?? Je l’éloigne peu à peu … mais je pense que je vais devoir m’inscrire dans le running n°2 pour arriver au bout de l’apprentissage running !!! j’espère y arriver un jour !!! j’ai commencé à lui apprendre la position 2o2o ………. ça gène pas et on sait jamais !!!
This is my last video. In the first work in the garden with a horizontal board longer and then to the club on DW. There are more error at the club while both planks are at the same level, why? I slowly away … but I think I’ll have to register in the No. 2 running to get to the end of learning running! I hope to get there one day! I started to teach him the position 2o2o ………. it not bother and you never know!
It’s not unusual that the new setting makes things worse some… Try to find her best starting position, timing of a throw and your position and keep it for a while to get more good ones. Make a big deal out of good ones, so that she will be more eager to try harder. At home, try to make the set up as much as a real DW…. Do you have room for a shorter approach plank too, maybe? -- To build something like a real DW, with first two planks shorter and the third one normal?
Hi Silvia,
Here is what Beatrice and I have been up to since our last posting. The set up is enter from tunnel and exit to a straight ahead jump. She doesn’t care at all about a static toy, so we got rid of that fairly quickly. I don’t think she is checking back with me at all for the thrown toy. I must admit that my clicker thumb is often premature so that I am marking things that I then do not reward.
Do you think I should stay with this set up for awhile longer. If I am to change would you suggest raising the height of the dog walk or beginning to vary the position of the exit jump?
Congratulations on your recent accomplishments! I’m excited to get to see you guys compete again on the international stage.
Heidi
She is so much fun to watch, such a big dog running so fast and confidently over DW! I think I would first add some height, then move the jump some, add some height again, move the jump more etc. If you are sometimes clicking not-so-good tries, then it’s even more important you make a really big deal out of good ones, to make the difference more clear. She still needs some time to figure out the striding completely, but you’re definitely on a good way there!
I just love to watch her videos! She is so amazing that it is hard for me to believe she is real!
My dog walk only has 3 adjustments: low (where we are now), middle, and full height. I guess I will go up to middle now and hope we still manage some success. When I click, too soon and she is definately nowhere near the contact zone, I just pretend I didn’t. And I am making an enormous party for the jackpots.
We have joined the August class, so we will get to continue to have your help.
she’s so beautiful to watch!!!!!!
Hi Silvia:
I raised the DW just by a few inches to see if that would help Tai sort out how to get 1-1/2 strides on the down plank. This is my latest session -- a short one -- at this height- sorry didn’t have time to annotate each rep. The really good news is that his running form looks much better and I’ve added some speed by sending him around a cone. This is so interesting and challenging to see what is actually happening in the moment and to watch how he is sorting things out. I just don’t feel like I’m much help at the moment. When reviewing video, I’ve seen that I’ve gotten some GREAT rear leg hits and while rewarded, I’ve missed the opportunities to jackpot because I didn’t realize it happened. I’m still more sure about front leg hits -- which makes me wonder if I’ve trained my eye to focus on his front legs -- big long white things. Rather than focus on his rear legs. Can you give me any tips on how to better train my eye? What part of the dog’s body to you focus on? Oh…I’m not using a clicker right now…I would be afraid to click the wrong thing.
Thx -- Anne and Tai
I still see some over-reaching, but yes, it is better. I think hind feet are just as easy to see as front feet if you’re watching the contact instead of front feet 🙂 I think preferring front feet probably caused this overreach, so I would definitely try to jackpot hind feet now. I mean, try to simply watch the contact, not the dog, then identify what you see in (if you see something in) and don’t reward for overreaches (when there is one front foot on an up limit of a contact and hind -or another front -- foot at the low limit of the contact or right after it). Jackpot for two hind feet in and reward for two font feet (or also one, but only if it’s in the middle).
we have a whole low DW set up now for a few days… (yay!)
I added a jump for the last two sessions… I have her run for her breakfast, spoonful by multiple (jackpot) spoonfuls -- so LIKE a static toy but much more exciting for her
If its not too hot later in the day we will do a session with toys
(But, I can hear her toenails clicking on the board I guess I really need to trim them TODAY)
Looks good, but yes, I think it’s even better with toys. Have fun!
Like magic—she is not shortening that last stride anymore now that she’s no longer running a mini AF…. right? she also seems to like running to a jump
this is our set up now
Yes, it’s because DW doesn’t make her fly so much over the apex -- so no need to shorten the second stride so much.
ok so this was this morning… I’ve been moving the jump around a little, closer, turning it at an angle, but its still pretty much straight ahead… what else should I be trying? I am assuming I should play around with obstacles after the mini DW before raising it again????
It’s private…
how strange… well, its public now!!!!
Should we stay at this height and play around with obstacles before and after the mini dw???
she has stopped leaping… even if she misses it sometimes, its not a leap, but its usually just missed it, and the next run she makes a point of striding smack in the middle of the contact
Cool!!! That’s going really well now! You can put a jump somewhat lower though and if it doesn’t bother her, move it more&more -- somewhat to the side too. But yes, you can first make the DW somewhat higher.
Hello Silvia,
I was out of the city (because of my job) for about 2 weeks, when I got back home and started to work again with Cora she had forgotten almost everything… Now we have managed to get back to where we were and started to put the jump 7 m after the dogwalk with no horizantal pole. I have been strguling with moving here along the dogwalk she does it preatty good when she starts form some posotions but if I move her, se doesn´t change her stride so that she can make it right. Iv´e tried what you have sugested but she dosen´t seem to get it… should I continue working the same way, Here is a video in which I am trying moving her backwards very, very slowly… If she misses it form one postion I try form that position again. I f she losses for a second time then I go back end try it form the last position where she did it right. Do you think it is OK? what else should I do?
Since I am a little caught up with the training, I would like to sign up for the next running contact online classes, am I still on time?
Thank you very much
Here is the video:
Very strange that she forgot it in 2 weeks! I often do even much longer breaks in a training process and never saw it affects their performance! Well, good that she is back to running, she is running really nicely in this video, the misses happen when 5 strides don’t bring her deep enough. I believe that if she came with more speed, 5 strides would definitely be enough… -- but maybe then she goes for 4? I don’t remember what happens if you start her further -- she goes for 4 strides? 5 would be better so yes, if you get 4 with more distance, then keep adding distance gradually and try to keep 5 strides. You can also go to a static toy and then start throwing after the jump, for successful hits only.
And yes, you can still register for the next class,go to “long-distance classes” page.
Hello,
ça fait 2 sessions ou Fluff fait quasiment 100% de bon au club sur la DW baissée à 80cm. Je la recule progressivement, pour l’instant elle est à environ 1.5m -- 2m sur la planche horizontale. Je suis super contente ! La position des pieds est pas à chaque fois parfaite mais elle semble faire un effort pour ajuster ses foulées, parfois à la dernière minute ! J’ai commencé à mettre le jouet posé au sol près d’un saut en cible. Comme ça lui fait perdre un peu de vitesse je fais parfois ça et parfois je lance le jouet pour garder sa motivation. Ça semble plus l’amuser avec un obstacle après. Ça n’a pas provoqué de faute pour l’instant. Donc nous sommes dans une bonne période !
it’s been two sessions or Fluff is nearly 100% good on the DW of the club, down to 80cm. I gradually declining, for now it is about 1.5m -- 2m on the horizontal plank. I’m super excited! The position of her feets is not perfect every time but it seems she make an effort to adjust her strides, sometimes at the last minute! I started to put the toy on the ground near a jump like a target. This way makes her lose some speed, I do it sometimes and sometimes I throw the toy to keep her motivation. It seems more fun for her with one obstacle after. It does not cause fault this time. So we are in a good time!
I worked on the plank to get rear feet seperation with Sage and rear feet hits with Oliver. I had success with both. The plank got pretty unstable during Oliver’s session and I think it slowed him down so he shortened his stride and had some front feet hits. I suspect he’s giving me front feet hits on the full dogwalk because he’s not very confident. I wish I could get him to extent his stride more. I think his stride length should be close to Sage’s.
I lowered the setup, extended the horizontal plank, and moved it to the middle of the yard. I’m posting my first session and Sage is already switching to 1 1/2 strides!!!! I’m thrilled! The only hard thing is it’s really difficult for me to tell in real time. I suspected but wasn’t sure until I watched the video. It was also difficult for me to watch the top of the plank for the striding and the end for the hits.
What should I do next? What should I be rewarding with Sage? Oh and both dogs are now (since the video) driving to the jump after the plank and I’m throwing the toy after the hit.
I know, it’s very hard to see both the beginning and the end of a down ramp! As Sage is definitely not leaping, you could try to maybe simply focus on “rear feet first” -- try to mark it with your voice too. Once you see she understands what you are marking, go up somewhat, it’s harder when the apex is more pronounced. With Oliver, I would keep working on speed -- it’s actually not bad at all that he can meet the criteria at different speeds, but you definitely want him as fast as it gets 🙂 You can also start moving the jump after the plank somewhat (lesson 4). While practising that at home, you can of course also work on real DW when you get a chance, to give them more experience and confidence on a real thing too.
Ok yea!! I’m so happy! 😀 I’ll work hard at seeing Sage’s 1 1/2 stride and video to make sure I’m seeing it right. Can I still do the full height dogwalk with Sage?? Won’t it mess up the 1 1/2 stride? I actually have moved the jump slightly from side to side (6ish feet) with both dogs and it went really well. I think it’s finally coming together!!!
Oh and should I still wait for the a-frame or can I try it?
Sorry to have so many post but I was at my local dog training club tonight and I have a few updates. I ran Sage on the full height dogwalk and she was trying so hard to please me. She was making a huge effort and put in a 2nd stride all but one time. I was a little disappointed with Oliver. He was convinced only front feet hits were aloud. 🙁 I also jumped the gun and tried both very briefly on a low a-frame. Sage was one hitting on the down side but I think that would go away with more height. Oliver was hitting twice on the down side and going too deep but I also imagine that would go away with height. Thanks!
Ok I promise this is the last one. I may be able to use a fully adjustable dogwalk after this Saturday. 🙂
That would be perfect!
Yeap, don’t work on too low A-frame too long, you can raise it fairly quickly. Oliver sure tries extra hard to fit those front feet in… I think he just needs more plank work, focusing on hind feet.
O.k… Let’s try A-frame then 🙂
I don’t think it will mess it… Once she will get it on the plank, she will get it on a DW -- if confident enough to run the same speed over, so…
Ok will do. Thanks. 🙂
Sounds great! Keep working like that, it’s good to vary static and thrown toy yes. If she likes the jump after, you can very soon go to a toy, thrown over the jump after you see the contact is good anyway -- it’s just as fun as a thrown toy for the dog and allows you to withhold the reward when she is not successful. Happy training!
Hi Silvia:
Finally we have some cooler weather after our heat wave! This is our 3rd session at 32 inches. We were having so much fun this morning that we ended up doing 17 runs -- normally we only do 12! I have been using a tunnel to see if Bender can get deeper hits with rear feet. Today #1 to #7 are sending to wrap a jump wing and the rest are using a tunnel.
Comments/Questions:
1. On this height I have seen more front foot hits and less one stride leaps. Some of them have been 2 feet so I have been jackpotting those (#1).
2. I am not sure about #4 and #8. Was Bender trying really hard to get a front foot hit when he hit the downramp with his front feet first or was this the overreach again?
3. My favourites were #12, 14 and 15. I think he is getting more speed with the tunnel.
4. I jackpotted #11 because it looked great in real time. Not sure what to think -- this is not a normal hit for him.
thanks,
Shona and Bender
Yes, I agree on 12, 14 and 15. 1 is nice too as it’s two front feet. 11 is somewhat “overreach-y” again and in 4, he is definitely overreaching again, but yes, it seems that happens when he flies too much over the apex and he needs to shorten his stride to fit one more in and maybe the existing momentum just takes him into that overreach? I just don’t understand why he chooses to shorten it so much that he is hardly in… If he shortened it some less, that would be a nice two front feet hit -- like in 1. If you look at 1 and 4, he starts the last stride on almost the same spot, but then he shortens it too much in 4. So to answer your 2. question: a OR b: I think it’s both, yes and yes. Yes, he is trying really hard to fit in one more stride, BUT when he shortens it too extremely, it takes him into the overreach… In 1, he shortens is less extremely (first front foot on the contact) and it ends o.k. and in 4, he shortens it more (first front foot above the contact) and it ends with overreach. In 8, he starts the last stride even lower, so first front foot comes at the bottom of a contact, but you cut the video too soon to see if hind feet are overreaching. To me, it looks like overreach is a consequence of shortening the stride -- now we just need him to understand he doesn’t need to shorten it so much that front feet are above the contact: that on the contact is good too 🙂 -- like in 1. So it was good to jackpot 1. I ideally wouldn’t jackpot 11 and 4, but yeah, it’s almost impossible to see it without the video. Just something to pay attention too. That way of another, 17 hits per 17 tries is not too bad 🙂 Definitely time to play with moving the jump/tunnel some.
Thanks Silvia for all of your insights. Wow, sometimes it seems it is getting harder to figure out instead of easier! I guess Bender and I are both learning at the same time. Bender is certainly finding the 1 1/2 stride pattern difficult if he lands with front feet first on down ramp. But since I know that will happen in the real world of agility he does need to learn that hitting with 2 front feet is also good! I definitely find it easier to see the 2 hind feet hits. I will work harder at trying to reward only the 2 front feet hits and not the one foot hits. It is difficult to teach him to try and get the 1/2 stride in but not shorten so much that he overreaches. This is when I would like to know what he is thinking 🙂
And yes I will start moving the jump now for soft turns. I was also going to slowly increase the height (3 inches). I can increase this DW by inches if I like so that gives us lots of flexibility.
Best of luck at EO!
Shona and Bender
I know, it is really complicated to see and mark all that! But as I said, 17/17 hits is not too bad of a start 🙂 and you clearly got really good understanding already, so I’m sure it will be in no time that he will understand all the options he has 🙂
ok… we are having some problems making the set up more secure… but this was today at the new height… in the first, I didn’t realize how bouncy the board was until I looked at the video… I don’t blame her for launching off
so ever since I have been trying to make the DW set up better… its getting there and Stella is my hero for hanging in there with me:
in our second session I figure out most of the problem by the end and she does much better
Hm, yes, definitely make that DW more stable!!! I didn’t like those hind feet together at all, in the tries you marked as good…
when I was running with her I thought they were leaps and was so surprised when I saw her feet were in the contact area so I marked them *good* on the video… completely forgetting to look at her back legs!!!!!!!
Hello,
httpv://www.dailymotion.com/video/k79mumCuUH1czQ2j4s4
dernière vidéo avec 1ers essais sur DW entière, hauteur 80cm. Il y a un peu de tout ! quelques sauts mais aussi 2 ou 3 ou je pense qu’elle essai d’ajuster sa foulée. Il y a aussi des pattes arrières un peu trop jointes ! J’ai refais un peu plus tard quelques DW entières et je n’ai pas eu de saut. Je rate encore quelques lancé de jouet et je fais toujours parfois un mauvais click ……… Qu’en penses tu ?
last video with 1st tests on whole DW, height 80cm. There is a little bit of everything! some jumps but 2 or 3 I think she attempts to adjust her stride. There are also back legs a little too joined! I remade a little later some whole DW and she did not jump. I miss a few launched toy and I have still sometimes a bad click ……… What do you think?
Sounds good, but I can’t open your video, it says it’s private.
httpv://www.dailymotion.com/video/knLvpQg5Ij1SHI2j4s4
and now ?
Cool, looks good! She seems to really understand her job and tries to adjust when necessary. What do you mean what now? -- Start adding obstacles before and after, get rid of a toy thrown in advance (switch to a toy, thrown after), add height etc. and then move to lesson 4.