Tunnel within a Tunnel

The other day we set up the tunnel inside the curve of another tunnel exercise that we practiced in class last week. We have a 6 ft real tunnel and then two kids' play tunnels we put together to be the bigger tunnel. It made the entrances more obvious but we could still practice the skill. The dogwalk was just there to keep the tunnels from rolling backwards.

This was edited down from 9 minutes (you're welcome - LOL) and I did make mistakes but cut those out! I caught on pretty quickly though. The handler should say the dog's name for the entrance nearest her and say tunnel for the farther entrance. The handler should also run straight toward the middle of the smaller curved tunnel for that tunnel. I am thinking mom's handling leaves a lot to be desired! :) (also cut from the video was mom's often repeated "don't eat it" to me for wanting to eat the corn gluten she put on the yard for fertilizer/weed control - I can't help it if that stuff is like manna from heaven to me!)

Last night and tonight I did - get the dumbbell, sit, down, sit, stand, sit, and sit up pretty - all while HOLDING it!! There is hope!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day! (agility-style)

Because the weather was so nice today (64 degrees!) and because my new tricks aren't ready for prime time yet, we decided to do an agility tricky t-day!

Tunnel vs table, the double jump, and me being responsive to my name! Since I love the tunnel so much (that's my 6 ft tunnel in the video even though it looks like 1 foot), mom concentrated more on the table. We edited the video to get rid of the in between parts to make the whole thing a little shorter but we didn't edit out mistakes - I didn't make any!

I am happy to report that the ice in my backyard is completely gone! We are loving this spring preview but aren't naive enough to think it will last!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Tuesday's class

I went to class yesterday even though it was my birthday and I would've rather just been out chasing squirrels or something. Mom says I am still young enough to learn new things so off to class we went.

Class was about backy uppys, serpentine recalls to heel, foundation recalls, and double fronts with some obstacle discrimination thrown in. We warmed up at one jump with the BU, SR, and FRTH. (abbreviations by me). Mom chose to use the triple and double jumps for me just to get me more exposure to them. I did fine and did knock any bars or anything.

Then we had to do sequences that included those handling skills. The first one was jump to aframe but there was a straight tunnel next to the right side of the aframe. Mom knew I would want to take the tunnel and while most people started with a lead out and the dog on their right and just said, "Frame" and the dog went up the aframe, mom ran with me on her left and tried her hardest to block my access to the tunnel (planning to rear cross me as I went up the aframe as there was no room for her to get around the right side of the tunnel). Well I could not be thwarted and took the tunnel any way! Yay for me! I love tunnels! And it WAS my birthday. Then I did double, triple and I was supposed to look at mom and run by the big gaping obvious right end of a curved tunnel and follow her around to the far-away left end of the tunnel. Mom called my name and I blew past her and into the wrong end. But I was very happy about it - I had a huge grin on my face (and I have to say again it was my birthday)! Jenn was NOT happy about it and she said to mom (and I quote) "He is extremely unresponsive to his name!" Well. So there.

I also ignored mom on a serpentine recall involving a 180 and preferred to go and do the chute! Yes, somehow the chute and I have become good friends!

At the end of class we did a timed experiment to see what would be the fastest way for each of us teams to handle a 180 - backy uppy was first, then serpentine, then the double front. It was fun and of course I was fastest with the double front. This will be a good exercise to try again in our yard and to video for you guys some day! We will try to remember.

After class I got to go to my favorite pet store and they gave me lots of treats and I got a new bully stick - I love to chew on them and they are really helping to clean my teeth! Also they had a Nino Ottosson Dog Magic game out on the floor of the store and I got to play with it -

I had it figured out in no time and had a blast moving those silly bones out of the way and getting the FOOD underneath. Mom was glad she didn't have to bother to buy me a new toy!

It has finally warmed up around here - today was 59! So most of the snow is gone and we just have a little ice in the grass where the sun never shines on it to melt it. Our yard is all soupy muddy puddley now. But in the very back of the backyard the ground is drier so mom set up my table with a straight tunnel right next to it and we practiced jump to either table or tunnel and sometimes mom called me off - and guess what? I was responsive to my name! Ha! It felt so great to be outside doing agility again. AND our daffodils are starting to peek up out of the ground. We know winter is not completely over but this is such a nice and welcome break from all that snow and cold!

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

Tuesday's class

Today was the last class for this session so we ran a course! It started out double, tunnel (tunnel, dogwalk discrimination). Mom did a lead out and was easily able to show me the tunnel. I ran like a pro! No sniffing. No problems. When we were done, Jenn said she hadn't seen me move like that in a long time! :)

We worked on several tricky sections of the course and tried running them with different handling options. That's fun because it makes you try out things you probably wouldn't do in a trial. We got advice on how to see angles between jumps to make turns tighter, how to move laterally away from the weaves and keep the dogs in the poles, how to work on the tunnel/DW discrimination at the beginning of the course, and how to decide between front cross or rear cross. I did everything well until the end of class when we ran the course again. When mom lead out this time, I stopped to sniff something before taking the first jump. Then I left the table before the 5 seconds was up ( a first for me and it made mom smile) and then I skipped the aframe because mom didn't say "frame". She was testing to see if I would just take it as the next obstacle and I didn't!

At the end of class, mom asked some questions about discrimination. Remember last week we talked about calling the obvious end of the tunnel "tunnel" and saying "Ricky" for the less obvious entrance? Well, Jenn said a head check from the dog when you say his name is perfectly normal and what you will get in the beginning. Eventually the dog won't look at the handler in that situation and just know he is to go to the other end. Also for tunnel and dogwalk discrimination, Jenn says teach "tunnel" as the most important verbal and it can actually be the only obstacle the dog knows on a verbal. So then if the dog hears "tunnel" he had better take the tunnel. Then you can put a jump and then the DW and run and have the dog do the DW based on your full out running (to beat him to the other end) and later add the tunnel (at a distance first and then move it closer to the DW) and when you say tunnel, you also usually run slower and the dog learns the difference. Make sense? Don't look for a video of us demonstrating this any time soon - we have to learn it first! LOL!

Next week we have a break from classes and they start again on August 10. Mom and I can't wait because we are learning so much and really understanding more and more every time. It's very fun!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Fun with Discriminations

We will post a little recap about today's class but we wanted to include a video. We haven't made it yet because it has been raining almost non-stop since we got home. So maybe we'll get to it tomorrow!

Yesterday we practiced some dogwalk/tunnel verbal discriminations. It had been awhile and so we videoed it for fun! Some times I get it and some times I don't. We are still using a hoopy thing at the end of the DW so that I run right off the edge. Mom took it away to see what would happen and I jumped from way above the yellow. So far on real DWs at classes and trials, I run all the way to the end. It could be that the angle of the ramps on mine at home is too steep or maybe I am just not confident enough to jump at a trial.

I have been meaning to tell you all and just keep forgetting - at my last trial I earned my first 2 MACH points with my JWW Q! Can you believe it - I was actually 2 whole seconds under SCT! So only 20 double Qs and 748 more points to go!! LOL!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

tRicky T-Day!

This week's trick is a game we have been playing for a while now (probably 3 months or more) and we kept waiting for it to be perfected but it just isn't happening! But through the magic of editing, we made a video showing only the good stuff! :) The object is word discrimination and distance (with a little body language thrown in). Sometimes I think I know better than mom and do my own thing instead of listening to her (but not in the video - LOL!).

We are pretty snowed in here - it's very tough to walk in the neighborhood but we do try. We also try to play in the yard, but that's difficult too. It's not as bad here as lots of other places but it's bad enough! I am just keeping my paws crossed that we can go to practice at the club tomorrow morning - our first agility (other than a jump in the bedroom and a tunnel in another bedroom) since Feb.1st!!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Tricky T-Day

It's Thursday so here is our Tricky T-Day video! This is my newest trick - dig! We used a post-it on the floor for me to target to start out. It didn't take long for me to dig since it's a well-known motion any way. Next mom wants to get me to dig with both paws, but we're not sure how to go about doing that.

On Tuesday we went to our second handling class. It went well and we worked on lateral sends. Mom also asked the instructor what to do about discriminations and the fact that I don't really know (or listen to) the obstacle names. She said the only obstacle I really need to know the name of is tunnel. Mom needs to use her body language to help me to go to the correct obstacle. Then if there are contact obstacle/tunnel discriminations and mom says "tunnel" I had better go for the tunnel!!!! So we are practicing this week - starting out with me standing right in front of the tunnel and then backing up a little and then from different angles. I am doing very well if tunnel is the only thing around. Once another obstacle is near-by then I want to do that one. Guess it will take some time.

Last night was our last novice competition class. We went early and got to practice the chute. I am happy to say I went flying through it. Then when we had the chute in sequences during the class, I also went through with no problem. Now if I can just do that in a trial!

Speaking of trials - we are running on Friday and Saturday this weekend - AKC in the good old horse barn! Two runs per day - JWW and STD. This is my third trial and the first time we are trying to run two days. Friday is supposed to be very hot and humid so mom is worried about how we will hold up. (Although she sees me chase plenty of squirrels in super hot weather so I should be able to do some agility too)!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Class video

We took the Flip camera to class on Wednesday night and one of our former instructors was there and she was nice enough to stay around and video us! It was not our fastest, bestest class ever, but it was neat to have the video. That way mom was able to remember the sequences we did so that we could set them up at home and practice!

In the first half of the class we worked on discriminations (easier ones than last week) and contacts. I did great until we had a sequence with the table - I found a treat that was left over from the puppy class that happens before our class - some little puppy's lost treat became my treasure! My teeter is monumentally slow but did you see how one of my dogwalks was pretty fast?

In the second part of the class we worked on weave entries and 270 and serpentines. I work on serpentines at home, but in class they always seem to be angled differently or something. The 270 is something we haven't worked on much, but we have it set up in the yard right now to practice. (Yesterday I wasn't getting it at all until mom moved the jumps closer together). Any way, mom watched a very good classmate during this half to see how she walked the sequences. This worked out well for mom and theoretically well for me but not practically for me. So mom still needs to figure out how to run the sequences to motivate me. If she just stands there and expects me to run ahead and do all the work, it's just not going to happen right now! So get in there and run and do some front crosses, mom! I also got pretty distracted in the second half of class - I was a little tired from being outside all day long I guess.

Well, we hope you all have a good long weekend! We're still enjoying really nice weather here - although the last couple days have been too hot for me! Thursday evening we went to a bbq/birthday party at a friend's house - very fun. Today we are going out to grandma and grandpa's for another bbq - this time my cousin Wilson will be there! I am really looking forward to seeing him! 

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Advanced Intermediate Agility, Class 1

Last night we went to our first advanced intermediate agility class! It was great to be back in class again. On Wednesday we had gone to practice in the morning armed with new treats (these beef burger bites that we had gotten as part of Johann's giveaway gift). They are full of bad stuff - according to mom - but I love them! I was very motivated to do fast agility on Wednesday morning and that kind of carried over to last night.

This class is divided into two sections - about 6 dogs in each group. So we get to work on longer sequences. Some of the dogs in the class are very experienced and already trialing at excellent level. That was good for mom because she could watch how they handled an exercise and that helped her figure out how to do it.

The first thing we worked on was rear crosses. We have done some of that on our own, but very little in a class. We also had to do tunnel/dog walk discrimination. Mom found out that she is successful if she can block the tunnel opening with her body and send me up the dog walk. Then she did a rear cross while I was on the walk to get where she needed to be. We also want to work on sending me into a tunnel when it is the first obstacle in a sequence. I tend to not be revved up at that point and often balk at getting in the tunnel. But last night I was pretty fast through the chute - the first time through is always a little hesitant and then next time is much better. (but in a trial you only get one chance!) The weaves had entry and exit wires on which confused me the first time too, but then I remembered them and was ok.

Our second section focused a lot on lead out pushes. I have a really good start line stay at the moment, but I don't have a lot of drive when mom does a lead out. Actually though I was better last night because I kept remembering that awesome tasting treat mom had in her pocket! We did more weaves and also the teeter in this section.

Overall it was a lot of fun and more challenging than the last class. We were disappointed that we didn't get put in a group with our cattle dog friend Katie but the instructors probably did that on purpose knowing that Katie's mom and my mom would talk the entire time if they were together!

Gotta zoom!

Ricky

Beginning intermediate agility class 4

What's this photo have to do with agility class? Nothing! Mom just thinks it's cute!

Last night was week 4 of my beginning intermediate agility class. We left the house super early in order to avoid a repeat of last week's late arrival. We got to the class building 30 minutes before. That was ok, actually, because mom and I went for a little walk, did some stretches and a few tricks. Then we got to do the aframe on our own a few times before class started. I did it but not very fast.

When class started, we reviewed what mom needs to do for a front cross, a pull, and a lead-out push. Mom knows what these moves are but thinks they are easier to do in context rather than practicing with one jump sort of in the abstract. But she really understands the purpose of each one now. We also talked about extension and collection.

Our first station last night was weave poles. The instructor really wants me to be able to weave with one wire on for the entry and one for the exit. I was still shying away from the wires, so she took a really long time to help me to be more comfortable. She pushed the wire all the way to the ground and then it didn't bother me at all. Then she gradually raised the height, and I tolerated it being there. She also says that when mom moves more confidently, I behave more confidently too. She thinks the noise in the building and the distractions make me slower and less confident and more wary about what I am doing. So private lessons wouldn't help me to overcome that. This means that we are going to need to repeat this same level class again next month. Ok, as long as it makes me more secure.

Then we went on to teeter and jumps and tunnel. I did three pretty good teeters - with 2o2o at the end. And my jumps and tunnel were fine. But by the fourth time on the teeter, I had had enough and jumped off.

After that it was contacts and dogwalk/tunnel discrimination. Well, I had never seen a tunnel under a dogwalk before. What the heck was it doing there? I didn't like it. I went slowly into the tunnel and even refused to go in - my first tunnel refusal. Mom was so proud (NOT!). So my instructor worked on getting me over that too - she moved the tunnel away a little and had mom work on getting me to do the dogwalk. We also did dogwalk, tunnel, aframe, double jump. I knocked the bar on the double when I went over it at an angle. That's something we can practice at home.

Finally we did jumps - a little quiz on the LOP, pull and FC. Then we practiced doing fast downs on the table. I am good at that! And I stay put while mom walks away from me - so theoretically, she may be able to do a big lead out from the table once we start trialing.

All in all not a bad class. Tomorrow we are going to watch an agility trial and hopefully see some of our instructors (past and present) in action. Should be good for mom to watch and learn and good for me to soak up the sights and sounds.

Gotta zoom!

Ricky