A Special Monday Edition of Tuesday's Class

Yes, that's right - I went to my Tuesday class today! Mom can't take me tomorrow so we were lucky enough to get to go today. Different group of people and dogs but the same level class. It was good for me to have class with dogs I didn't know.

Today we just ran parts of an international course (Jenn has some try-out soon). The sequences were pretty difficult and lots of times mom couldn't really see what to do and made stuff up as she went along. So we don't have a lot of concrete ideas to share this week. One thing that we need to work on - keeping me from cutting behind mom to do the weaves! Several times I thought it would be fun to weave instead of go where mom was headed! So I guess we will be proofing that! :) Also the double jump was out and I refused it. Then when mom had me try it again, I stuttered stepped and finally jumped it.

We made a very brief video of the end of one of our sequences from today with a few different ways to handle it. There was a line of jumps before the first one in our video and dogs flew out of a tunnel and down the line so fast that mom couldn't even get ahead of me! HA! Any way, the third jump is taken towards the tree (so it's not a 180 from 2 to 3). The first and second times we do a serpentine (mom didn't see that option at all in class until Jenn mentioned it and then she really liked it), third time is a front cross between 2 and 3, fourth is a push - I'm not sure if that's what it's called - and the last time a rear cross at 2. Oh and by the way, Sara, mom got her hair cut so don't be all distracted by that and try to focus on me - LOL!!!

Remember back in September when I had those awful runs at a trial where I refused jumps and even the weaves? Then Dr. Jan found that my back was sore. Mom thought that would be the answer to my problems. But we didn't tell you all that at that trial, Jenn suggested that I probably have ETS (early take-off syndrome). Mom didn't believe her - but that is why she has been watching my every move - especially when we practice at home - and asking you guys if you see anything when I jump off to the side of a jump or when I face plant, etc. Today at class after I refused the double again, Jenn said something like I have ETS and mom will have to always help me with the doubles and triples (ie. support them and manage them). Mom did not realize that the verdict was in in Jenn's mind and that it was now a foregone conclusion that I definitely have ETS until today when Jenn made that statement. And we have not talked much to Jenn about it. But mom is totally freaked out. We haven't researched it much but there is no test for depth perception in dogs. I don't know that you can get a clear diagnosis. Any way, I can still do agility but the faster I go the harder it is for me to judge distances and depths then. When I knock bars, it undermines my confidence and makes my problem worse so that eventually I may not be able to do agility. We don't know. There is a lot more to my relationship with mom than agility but still.....

Any way, not sure what else to say about it.

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Finally - Tuesday's Class!

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! I spent the day with my Cousin Wilson! It rained almost nonstop all day but around 2:00PM we had a little break and mom took Wilson and I outside to play. Wilson fetches the ball and I herd Wilson. Very fun!

Any way, finally a post about my class this week. I was very good again and did everything right! The only problem (not a problem for me, but...) was that I am still scanning the floor for food (of course) and while I keep going and don't actually stop (yay for me), Jenn says it is slowing me down and mom really needs to work with me on it (oh no).

Our skills drill for this week was working on the teeter and independence. I have a good but excruciatingly slow teeter. But I can be recalled over it and can be rear crossed, front crossed, blind crossed, and continue to do it when mom is a long way away from me laterally. So if I ever learn to tip it faster - look out!

The main theme for this class was box work. It was not a very tight box set-up and we did well with it. We also had some tunnel entrance discriminations in the sequences we ran.

We made a video of the part of a sequence that we most want to remember. The first time we did it, mom did a forward motion front cross (fmfc) and it worked well but she needed to remember to get her outside arm up sooner as that is what is cuing me to the turn. The other way to deal with this sequence was to do a lead out and be in the directed jump recall position. I didn't know this but this recall is named after the directed jump exercise in open obedience. Now it makes more sense! Until Tuesday, we didn't really know how to do it (even though mom had studied it).

Here's what we tried in the video:

1. FMFC - late outside arm

2. FMFC - better outside arm cue

3. Directed jump recall - mom is standing behind the right-side jump standard of #2 and trying to face forward where I would be enroute to jump #2

4. FMFC

5. Directed jump

6. Directed jump - mom finally trusted me to take #2 and moves out of position earlier - this is really how it should be

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

We decided to play tRicky T-Day today instead of our usual Thursday since that is Thanksgiving Day and we will be too busy eating to do any tricking!

So you know how I have been struggling to open the door - well, mom had the brilliant idea that I should learn to open a door that is smaller and not as heavy - my crate door! We worked on this a little yesterday and then today we videoed. That crate door is easier for me to move and then I figured out to go in there and lie down on my own! Mom doesn't tell me to go in or to lie down! Neat huh? We edited the video so you don't see all 5 minutes of us working on it but the two clips of me getting the door pulled open on the first try are for real (not sneaky edits). Now how can I learn to pull the door closed once I am in there?

For anyone who is worried, don't be, I will be posting about my class later in the week complete with my demo video! I don't have a lot of new stuff to tell so nobody get too excited....

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Sequence from this Tuesday's class

I am finally getting around to posting a video of a sequence from class this week. It is not earth-shattering or anything, but something mom wanted to think about, practice, and hopefully remember. Ok, first of all, imagine that the tire is a teeter and the jump/weaves in the background is the dogwalk (that's how it was set up in class). When everybody ran this, lots of dogs were turning wide after jump #2 (the teeter/tire is #1) and looking at the dogwalk. Most of the handlers were moving laterally after the teeter/tire and sending their dog to #2 and then front crossing close to #3 on the landing side. This was causing the dogs to turn wide and possibly even think that #3 was to be layered. So Jenn said for the handler to send the dog to #2 and move laterally and run close to the take-off side of #4 and do the front cross there (downstream). And Bingo! All of us dogs turned nice and tight and not one of us came through the gap between #2 and 3! I think this is a good skill to have and one that could be easily forgotten or overlooked by relative newbies like mom!

Did you all see me coming over the last jump and kind of swerving and aiming for the side of the jump to go over every time? Why do you think I am doing that?

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Since I live in a house with two violists, I figured it was time I learned how to play too!

I've got the pizzicato down and can hold the bow, so now I just need to put it all together! :)

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Wordless Wednesday

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Tuesday's class

Back to class today! The main subject was like-obstacle discriminations - the two ends of a curved tunnel. We had learned before that to cue the obvious entrance of the tunnel the handler should say, "tunnel" and use the appropriate motion, and to cue the less obvious tunnel entrance the handler should say, "Dog's name," get a head check and then say, "tunnel." It is important to actually say tunnel after the dog's name so that the dog does not think every time he hears his name, he should just automatically enter the tunnel. We are also supposed to practice occasionally saying the dog's name and getting a head check when a tunnel is not involved so as not to pattern train the dog. Remember that the dog's name is only ever used for attention and not as a turning cue.

I did well today! We warmed up with a few extension recalls to heel over one jump and then had to throw in a couple where mom stood to the side of the jump and past the plane and called me to heel next to the jump (I didn't take the jump, I came right to mom!). Then we did the work on the two entrances of the tunnel - I got everyone right! The only thing I missed in the entire class - I had a refusal at the chute because mom moved WAY too far laterally and pulled me off of it!

To end the class we did a skills drill with weave entries - 3:00, 1:00, 12:00, 11:00, and 9:00 - (I think I understand the around the clock thing) and I got all of my entries, of course! :)

There was one sequence we did that we want to practice again so we'll try to video it later this week (it's too difficult to try and explain it with words only). It's raining - our first rain in a long time - so no video today!

Thanks for all the nice and supportive comments about my crash the other day! It's good to know I am not the only jump crasher out there. Just wish we knew what really does cause it to happen!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Crash

This evening we went out to do just a little jumping with two jumps - it was dusk but still light enough to see. I did all of my warm up stuff - heeling, tricks, cookie stretches - and then some foundation recalls over one jump. Then I did two jumps straight in a row, then a few 270's and then jump, forward parallel send (as if in a pinwheel) and back to the first jump. I was flying back to the first jump and crashed over it - knocked the bar and face planted and almost somersaulted. I got right up and came for my treat and mom gave me some and then had me jump again - which I did fine. I went on to do a few more jumps including some doubles.

BUT now mom is worried. Why did I crash that jump so spectacularly? Was is bad lighting, was I going too fast, was it a fluke, am I hurting, is there something wrong with my eyesight? I used to never ever knock bars. Now I am more excited doing agility and go faster (especially in my own backyard). Do I just need to learn how to manage my faster speed? I know lots of dogs drop bars but most don't seem to land on their face!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

For this week's tRicky T-Day we decided to show you a couple of my new cane tricks (it's not really a cane - it's the handle of an old shovel but cane sounds better). These tricks are still in progress but I know them well enough to show you, I guess. Maybe we'll eventually get an entire freestyle routine together - but mom is not a good dancer - just warning you.

We have had AWESOME weather this week! Don't know why we have been so lucky but it's been highs in the 60s with blue and sunny skies! I can't help but think this will be it for the year. It's supposed to be nice all the way through Saturday! On Tuesday we went to the park, yesterday we practiced agility in the backyard, and today we went to the park again. Tomorrow we are going on a hike with dad! Plus we've been raking leaves and cleaning up the flower garden. Wish we could have this weather all year long - I can't imagine ever getting tired of it!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Wordless Wednesday

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

This and That

We've been doing a little of this and a little of that for the past few days. Last week mom started charting some of my training using Sara and Oreo's log layout. It has been interesting - mom forgets to write some stuff down - but it is useful to see what we actually did in a week. For now our columns are labeled agility, strengthening exercises, tricks, walking with cars and other barking issues, and focus/motivation.

We try to do agility only every other day at most and usually still work on lots of foundation jumping and easy stuff. Yesterday we did agility for targets - I LOVE that - target after the DW = super fast DW. Target after the weaves = super fast weaves. I even practiced a pinwheel sequence with a target at the end (= super fast)! No dog could ever beat me if food targets were allowed in trials - LOL!

For strengthening exercises I am backing up the stairs and doing ball work - but ball work only 2 to 3 times a week and never the same day as agility. Mom also is really careful to warm me up before agility and that includes those cookie stretches that were on AgilityNerd's blog a few days ago.

I am learning a couple new tricks (maybe they will be ready for a video on Thursday) and still perfecting others.

Walking in the morning is still a big challenge for me - some times I can sit and watch a car go by and not bark and other times I just can't. We haven't been able to see any progress on the log yet. We practiced going through the garage past the mower a few times last week and there is marginal improvement there. So many issues, so little time! :)

In focus/motivation, we practice lots of startline stays that don't even include a jump - mom tries to get me to run fast to her - and to work me up she tricks me by saying, "oh boy" or "on man" etc. instead of "OK!" We are also doing the go out to the box trick and a little crate games - which I think are really fun!

The new thing we started two days ago was glove work. Do you all remember the articles in Clean Run last March, April and May titled: Let's Play! A Fail-safe Plan to Teach Your Dog to Love Toys? Well, you take an item that the dog has no association with (in this case a knit glove I have never seen before) and teach the dog through many little steps and lots of reinforcement to love that glove! At first I just have to nose touch the glove when it is presented right in front of my nose and then I get a treat! What could be easier than that? Many repetitions and still so easy! Mom is trying to go slow and not skip any steps. I love the game so far! I play with toys and tug and have fun but I am not at all interested in tugging around agility stuff - in the yard, at class or at trials. I think playing with toys and agility are two completely separate things. So mom is hoping she can change that with the glove!

My class tomorrow was unexpectedly cancelled. Too bad because I was really looking forward to it! Mom and I have to say we are enjoying not going to trials though and having time to relax and just work on our own stuff. We did sign up for a trial on January 2nd. We could be going on January 1st too but decided one day would be enough.

I see that some of you are having cold weather and snow even but here we are lucky this week and it's supposed to be sunny and in the 60s. Don't know what we did to deserve it but we're going to try to get out and enjoy it. Winter is right around the corner.

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

Oreo inspired us to keep working on opening and shutting doors with his tricky t-day videos from a little while ago. I am much better at shutting doors than I am at opening them! Does that say something about me?

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Tuesday's class

I did GREAT in today's class! We started off with a deceleration dogwalk drill - Jenn had our treat and acted as a target and each dog ran the DW to her when it was their turn. We did it about four times, and each time the handler was supposed to stop running farther back from the end of the DW (you know so that eventually the handler can decel and move into position for the next obstacle and the dog would continue and finish the DW on their own). Well, I could've cared less what mom was doing once I knew that my treat was waiting at the end of the DW! I love my targets! I could hardly wait for my turn and kept wanting to take off when the dog before me in line was told to "Walk it!" Mom had to laugh!

After that we practiced some 270 recalls to heel with one jump because the theme of the class was 270s. We were once again glad we had been reviewing recalls to heel - mom knew what to do and how to set me up, etc.

Then we started doing sequences with 270s. First we did the 270 with a pull (no side change). This does not use the recall to heel position. There are 3 parts to the handling of a 270 - first is a forward send to the first jump. The handler should decelerate to indicate a turn but should not move laterally and should not move past the plane of the jumps (see the photo below - the jump bars on the ground indicate the plane the handler should not cross). Dog sends over the first jump then second the handler turns and runs (walks) towards the second jump and this motion pushes the dog around to the back of the second jump, and third - the handler pulls the dog over. Make sense?

The other way to do a 270 is with a front cross (when a side change is necessary) and with a front cross, the handler does use the recall to heel. Everything is the same as above but as the dog comes around the back of the second jump, the handler gets her outside arm up and begins rotating for the FC. When doing a 270 with FC, the handler should not move past the middle of the second jump when she sends her dog to the first jump or she will be out of position for the FC.

Ok, we tried to show you with this video. First we do a couple 270 recalls to heel with one jump. Mom does not like her footwork and wishes she were making her inside leg more obvious to me and making sure she was at a 90 degree angle to the jump. After that, 2 tries at the 270 with a pull - I am such a good demo dog - I do things slowly enough so that you all can see! LOL! And finally we do a couple tries of the 270 with a front cross. Hope we did well enough for you to get and idea. We should've put a jump in at the beginning to possibly increase my speed though.

Mom wasn't sure I would be able to do the 270s with the jumps so far apart but I surprised her and did them all! I got every 270 today and did great dogwalks and aframes and weaves! I jumped 12" and I did the double a few times just for practice and had no trouble with it. Mom is keeping her fingers crossed that I am feeling better finally!!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

More Photos of Me!

We love walking during the Fall - the leaves are gorgeous, flowers are still hanging in there from the summer, the air is clear and dry. Mom and I went to my favorite park a couple weeks ago and took these pictures but haven't put them on the blog until now! The first one is our favorite!

This park is only five minutes from my house - I get to go there all the time and I just love it! We are so lucky!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky