As I already wrote: I know it's quite hard to keep up with this class program, especially to those who can't practice every day or have had some problems with plank work. Don't worry about it, keep working on it and send videos of wherever you are. Print out lesson 4 to start with it when you're ready, but don't push for it. If you want to keep working on it within the class form even when the class finishes, there will be a new class starting right then and you're welcome to join for a lower price, I just opened a registration with that option.
For those who are still keeping up, meaning that you're already running full low DW or DW with a plank with a jump or a tunnel after it, here is the lesson 4. For those who are still struggling on a plank or have troubles with low DW - don't even try it, keep sending videos of whereever you are and watch videos of others to get a good picture of what this lesson is about and you can work on it later on.
1. Start moving the jump after which the dog is getting his toy A LITTLE in different directions: left and right, rotating it somewhat too. If it makes the dog fail, set it back to help the dog succeed and then move it again by really VERY little tiny bit. It's better to move it a little every two tries as to move it a lot every two sessions! Keep rewarding by throwing a toy after the contact is done, over the jump. Try to sometimes use a tunnel instead of a jump too. Go through all the possible positions of the jump that still allow the dog to get the jump without collection on a dog-walk. When the dog is fine with that, try also running into nothing. You want to address all possible course situations other than real turns - we'll get there in the next session.
2. Time to start with an A-frame too! Put it somewhat lower (1,5m maybe) and try running the dog over. I recommend less speedy approach first (starting close to the base of an A-frame) as dogs who were trained to RUN over planks tend to run up so fast they then fly over the top so much that it's not unusual they only land on the floor... If you see your dog doesn't have such tendencies, add more&more speed to the approach AND make it steeper and steeper, I usually go to full height in one session.
Don't worry if not all contacts are perfect at first, they will probably need to experiment some at first. They often first go for one stride but then change to two as it's more comfortable striding for them or sometimes medium dogs start with two that are too short to get in but then start to extend more and are nicely in with two. Many long-strided dogs will go for one, Bi is always doing one and used to sometimes be somewhat high, but is now always nicely in, even on not so speedy approaches. Bu will normally do two, but sometimes also does one and interestingly, is always in even when she goes for one. Le does two and is sometimes somewhat high as she once flew over the top so much that she crashed to the floor really badly and is now somewhat too careful at the top - but getting in nicer with time and experience.
The thing that I said for running contacts: that the good thing is that they only get better, even if you don't do anything about it... - It's especially true for A-frame. I simply put it in sequences at the second session and they just get better&better. The only problem we ever had with A-frames was with "limit" dogs who were too far with one/two strides that they could make another one, but too high to be in with that one/two strides. You do need to do some more sessions on just A-frame with those dogs and select for good ones. Experiment a little with what gives you best hits as far as handler position and timing of a thrown ball (in advance vs. after the contact) and use that for a start.
With a good hit, I mean anything clearly in. You do NOT want them to generalize DW style too good as you do NOT want them too deep, it's physically too hard on them and they might prefer to not do it if you ask them to come too deep - remember, the easier behaviour is for them, the easier it is for you to maintain it. You are again looking for hind feet separation and you don't want it any deeper as that:
3. Tricks: let's do some pivoting again, this time so that you position yourself next to the target and only click for coming all the way to your leg, touching it. Then either move away and have them follow you or have them pivot back to the other leg. Once they understand the leg is their new object to target, switch to a flat target and then fade it. We need them to know to come to both legs for the next trick.
The other trick we need till next time, for being able to introduce turns, is going tightly around a pole, cik&cap. Shape the dog to wrap the pole/table leg/whatever tightly and put it on a verbal cue.
Last call for 
Silvia,
Finally we got some AF time this morning… let me know if you want a remake with slow motion of this or if you can see enough of her striding… I was pretty proud of her
(even tho it looks like I am just constantly running her back and forth ragged, its just the editing)
I’d like to do another AF session again next week before my sister heads west so I have help lowering and raising the AF and hopefully I can use your input on it then too!
Cool, that’s pretty much it. You don’t need to train it much more than that -- your job with A-frame looks pretty much finished 🙂
I haven’t been keeping up with my daily videoing of our work on the raised planks… which is going REALLY well but while we were working the AF this morning I also decided to see where we are on the AF—so this is our first working session on a full DW since we started RC training this time… its kind of all over the place… but she was doing SOME thinking
But… You’re not on that height with the planks yet… -- or? I would wait with full height DW until you’re on full height with the planks.
Silvia,
We are still working on obstacle stability… : (
I notice that half way through this the foam noodle falls out on the center support and I get a few leapyer runs as a result… I have ordered a center post and am going to replace the thinner ramp next week…
I think the runs in which she gets nicely into the contacts tend to be her slower runs… is that what you are seeing too? Also she tends to get leapy when I start way ahead of her… suggestions?
next time I will get the tunnel out to see how THAT goes
Well, the thing is that when she runs the most, she flies over the apex too much, like in 5, so she can’t do additional stride then and she hits too high. When she hits the down ramp with hind feet first, she is also somewhat high, her best hits are when she hits it with front feet first, but very high, so that she can do one more stride then. I think it would be good to stay on low DW some more and promote speed without flying the apex. Slowly start more&more ahead of her -- not that much to get too much leaping, but slowly more&more.
These are videos from our last 4 session. Obviously not continuing the trend of the last successful session.
I feel like he is RUNNING pretty well, but is not understanding that I want him to hit the END of the board. Maybe we need to go back to plank work and isolate that better??
I’ve tried just sending him down the end plank of the dog walk and it never works, he can never get into a running stride, and just leaps off.
There are a couple of really good hits in there, I don’t understand how they randomly happen and I can never replicate them again.
I signed up for the next session of classes, look forward to working with you more!
Well, the last session is the best, I think -- but still not really what you would wish for… He looked so good on that plank, it really looked like he understands this game, but I’m not so sure anymore, it doesn’t look like he just needs to sort out his stride as there are many tries where he could easily be in with one stride more and yet he decides to prolong it so much to land on the floor… So yes, maybe you do need to go back to the last set up that he was successful with. If you still get good hits there, I would keep it for a while and instead work on switching from a toy, thrown in advance, to a toy, thrown after the jump/tunnel (lesson 3), as that will allow you to withhold the toy for the bad ones and will maybe make him think more. If that goes well, you could as well try moving the jump some (lesson 4) as that might challenge him some more and give you better understanding -- what would definitely be good to have before trying DW again. Another idea might be to mark the beginning of the contact with an obvious, white tape or something like that, it sometimes gets their attention and helps them understand you want them over that line.
we finally have a solid obstacle for Stella to run without too much bounce jiggle and shake… but it was a little slippery because her feet were wet from the morning dew grass… she almost slips off once… I was thinking of starting her by standing her on a towel each run
but this afternoon we have to move it again to the flat where hopefully it can stay for a while… video of that tomorrow morning…
and session 2 on the AF… I added a tire jump and as I moved it around, she tended to hit closer to the edge of the AF closest to the side the jump was on instead of running the AF straight and turning on the ground… it made me worry…
what should I be doing net with the AF?
I really wish I could come to one of your summer camps… maybe in my next life?
A-frame looks perfectly good to me, so I would leave it as it, still sometimes throwing in advance and otherwise use it in normal sequences, preferably with straight exits for now. I never move a jump around for A-frame, turns off the A-frame are easy and don’t require training -- too many turns at the beginning can make it higher at first, so I try to avoid them and later on, turning them often is not even a problem anymore, so no worries for A-frame. For DW, keep jackpotting the lowest hits and slowly work on adding variables and height.
Hi Silvia:
Just wanted to give you a BIG THANKS for this course. We have been able to follow the lesson progression and I am very pleased that we are in now in Lesson #4! Your comments and insights have been invaluable and I couldn’t imagine embarking on RC without your guidance.
Just a quick update. Since our last video (July 26) I started moving the jump to the right and the left for the beginning of soft turns. Things are going well. Bender had a break for a week when we were at our National Champioships, home for 5 days and now off for a week holiday! I have just increased the height of the DW to 39 inches and our first session went well today -- nice consistent rear foot hits but high.
Looking forward to the start of the next course and I will send a video of where we are at with the turns.
Shona and Bender
Sounds good! I hope Nationals went well too! Looking forward to see more of Bender in the next class!
WHOA! SORRY!!!!!! that was weird… the wrong link copied for me… please delete the last entry with that FB photo link… here is the post again:
Silvia, Here is this morning’s run on the DW in a new location in the yard… its video of the full DW and there was a tunnel at the left end and a jump on the right end, but I didn’t move either around at all this time, because the big variable was in the location change of the whole thing and also I changed one of the ramps for a thicker board with the hope of more stability… hopefully its not too far away and you can see her
I guess this course is wrapping up and I should move on now to the RC 2 class… but I think I am going to be missing the very beginning of RC 2 because of vacation and also then getting my daughter to college… I’ll take any suggestions to homework to work on with Stella without a ramp or DW??????
Cool. I think things should go pretty smoothly from now on. You can do some work on a plank, raising it to full height, but most of the work will have to be done on a real DW. I think you should be able to raise it to full height pretty fast now and then try to take her to as many different DWs as possible. It would be good if you could get to work on adjustable DW once or twice a week -- not much more needed at this point I think. You could also try turns on the plank, but I wouldn’t rush it too much, now that we finally got running.
Thank you so much—we have come such a LONG way in your course!!!
Do you think I want to try pressuring her to go faster? She seems to be taking five strides across the DW, sometimes six… or maybe is it best to just continue building her confidence as she is running consistently now. But, I know she is still not giving me full speed….
anyway—see you in RC 2!!!!!
I think she will add some more speed on her own with more confidence. But sure, you can definitely keep working on it, it will help in other areas of agility too!