Training Party Tricks

You ever had one of those training sessions where you really feel connected to your dogs, and they are responding to everything nicely?  Even though you were working hard skills, it seems like you are training party tricks?  It is pure joy.  It is those training sessions that keep me going.

Tangle and I have been working really hard on new skills.  Our practice sessions have been intense, I have stumbled more than I have handled perfectly.  It has been hard.  Is it worth it?  Sure it is.  But I do have to take some time out like we did today.

I love working individual skills.  It relaxes me and it feels like I am training party tricks rather than useful agility skills.  My dogs love it when I am relaxed as well :)

I didn't film everything we worked on, but here is a sampling of the work.  I worked a reverse spin off the running dog walk with Hoot.  A friend and I were talking about turns of a RDW and a reverse spin came to mind.  I think it worked really well.

Again, I was chatting with someone regarding proofing weaves.  It occurred to me that I had not worked weaves into fences in a while and probably should.  So, of course, I had to raise the bar a few more notches and work a discriminations at the same time.

Tangle and Hoot were rock stars!!

Obstacle Commitment

I have been thinking a lot lately about obstacle commitment.  Teaching a young dog makes you re-think or just think about a lot of things! 

In my mind, obstacle commitment is closely related to "trust", "finding the line" and "proofing" obstacles.  The biggest reason to work on and perfect obstacle commitment for me is so I can get to where I need to be ON TIME!  The other very compelling reasons are that the dog is able to execute the course in a fluent and fast manner.  Fluent = easier on their body = faster times.

What is obstacle commitment to me?  The moment the dog sees the obstacle.  Not the moment it can no longer take another obstacle, nor the take off point of a jump, or many other popular definitions.  If it is the moment the dog sees the obstacle, then it is my job to show the dog the correct line so that it sees the intended obstacle (then I need to be there to show them the correct line, kind of circular thinking).

Once I have the dog on the correct line, cued the obstacle I need to be free to get out of there and get to the next place I need to be.  Easier said then done sometimes.  If I haven't taught my dog to stay committed to the obstacle, then I am stuck somewhat escorting the dog on their path.  Not what I want to do.

Consider the black circle sequence.  If I can't cue the weaves and then feel free to move laterally (because my dog doesn't stay committed) then I run a real risk of not being able to set the line to the backside of #2.  There is an off course jump on the dog's line.  This also illustrates why it is so closely related to proofing and trust.  Have you proofed your dog to stay in the weaves under many adverse conditions (you doing cart wheels for instance?).  Can you trust that your dog will stay in the weaves?

In the black square sequence, there are two places that I need commitment and for them to stay committed to the obstacle.  Say #1 is mid-course.  I need to be able to cue the backside of #2 from about 1/2 way in between 1 & 2, then move laterally to #3 to show the dog the backside.  Even more commitment is needed if I intend on doing a German turn on #3 for instance.  To do a lateral send  takes proofing your dog's backside commitment at a distance.

OK, let's talk young, very green dogs for a moment.  The first time I did a pin wheel with Hoot I had to go all the way in to the middle jump of a pin wheel.  Not too uncommon.  Eventually, with experience most dogs learn to take that middle jump without you going in to it.  Perfect example of commitment. 

Selfishly speaking, the reason I teach commitment and to stay committed is so that I can run with less panic, more trust, less wear-n-tear on my dog's body, and more confidence in my ability to get places.  The faster times don't hurt either :)

What If...

I always have trouble deciding what course to set up.  Sometimes the multiple things that I need to practice aren't always easy to all get on one course.

This is the course I set up this morning.  First I ran the white circles.  My objective was to work tunnel discriminations, fast approaches to teeters, a rear cross to the dog walk, and fast lines to the AF.

The course wasn't too bad.  The largest handling challenge 7-8-9, just because of the change of leads for the dog.  The largest challenge for the dog was the line to the teeter.  My dogs have been flying off lately and this truly challenged them.  It allowed me also to continue my speed while they had to stay.

Being a lazy course builder I always like to get multiple uses out of a course.  Here are all the possible ways you can change sections of the course (take the black number instead of the while).  It changes the challenge and the cue combinations.

For instance, 13 through 21 (with the black 20), how would you get there?  Or do you have backside distance skills?  If you have a 2o2o AF, not too bad.  If you have a running AF you have to cut the line 14-15-16, does your dog have an independent teeter?

I love a challenge while still having to RUN!

Make it a game!

Trying to be true to the new year and my goal to lighten up a little while training.

The dogs and I went over to the park to run and stretch.  After that we did a bit of proofing contact behavior with the travel plank.

The dogs did surprisingly well.  I was surprised and please with Tip.  She is my queen that has lots of moments of brilliance which is sometimes peppered with no impulse control.  I love her to death and most of the time I don't mind that she is constantly testing the rules (I have put the frustrating days behind us).

Tangle did great.  Broke a couple of times, but that is ok.  Gives us an opportunity to clarify the behavior.  I am trying really hard to keep his dog walk contact solid.

Poor Split has been retrained one too many times and not by a person who knew how to retrain behaviors (it was me).  To compound his problem, he was initially taught a 4 on, which when I think about it now the criteria is next to impossible to communicate to the dog.  Then I tried to retrain the behavior to a 2o2o.  So, now I am thrilled when Split gives me either!

In this particular video I was only working with a medium value toy.  After this, I brought out the tennis ball (over the top value) to make the game even harder.  I didn't incorporate too much motion into this for 2 reasons.  1 - I have a strained muscle and was hoping to get it healed, 2 - that is the hardest for the dogs and I wanted to keep a high rate of reinforcement today and just renew their love for the end of the board.


Next session we will put in more motion, forward and lateral.  I will begin to reinforce the dog maintaining the forward line.