Bottom!

Had another good contacts class with Gracie.  We worked on the A-frame more, the dog walk just a little higher up, and the teeter with more tip.  The tables holding the dog walk up higher stuck out on one side and not the other so we could practice running close and with a tiny bit of distance (1-2ft.).  Gracie did great at everything!  She seemed the tiniest bit nervous on the teeter the first couple of times, but that cheese on the target at the end of the teeter was apparently worth it.  I did notice Gracie coming a little to close to the edge of the A-frame on the way down.  I think it was because of treats in my hand so I need to be careful about that.

I had asked the instructor for some extra contact help and she obliged, giving a very informative talk and demo on how to teach contacts.  A classmate whose dog has rock start contact behavior also gave me some tips.  The process goes like this:  First the dog has to know how to touch a target and want to touch it whenever they see one.  Then have the dog walk over a short board to touch the target with their nose and have their front feet on the ground (don't worry too much about their back feet yet).  Once the target touching at the end of the board is solid, then you can work on the back feet.  There are a couple of ways to teach the dog where they need to put their back feet.  If they know how to back up, you can back them onto a board.  My classmate said she would pick up her dog's back end and put her back feet on the board.  I'm a bigger fan of letting a dog figure it out more on their own, but do think this could help to start off.  Start the dog off on a flat board then start making it steeper to help the dog work up to the angles of the dog walk and A-frame.  In class we practiced having the dog jump onto the contact from the side near the bottom.  That way there's less speed involved but the dog can still work on generalizing the behavior to the actual obstacles.  This can also be practiced on stairs, a board, a board leaned against stairs, or just about anywhere that the dog can get their back feet a little higher than their front feet.  I've been using the stairs in my apartment building on our way outside and a board propped up against a foot stool (I'd make it steeper, but it's kind of slippery).  Finally, to add some speed it's best to work with two people (can be done with one if the dog will wait at one end of the obstacle).  The dog is held or waits at one end of the obstacle while the handler walks to the other end and faces the dog.  When the dog is released, it should drive towards the handler who can help them get into the proper position.  This should help prevent dogs from creeping slowly down the downside of the contact.  Ok, that wasn't the final thing, oops!  Finally (for real), you can proof the behavior by running past the obstacle while the dog stops in position and waits to be released, hang back til the dog is in position, or add some lateral distance.

Hopefully with all this help I'll be able to teach Gracie a great 2 on 2 off contact behavior.  Maybe I'll even change my mind about Gidget's running contacts (she doesn't stop at the bottom of a contact, just keeps running), she is gaining speed so stopping her may become necessary, we'll see.  Happy agility!

Long Tunnels!

Our second to last tunnels class was today and it was fun as usual.  We did a front cross similar to that of last week's except with two long tunnels.  No problem for Gracie!  Then we did more work with a straight tunnel and the chute, except the instructor held the dog at an angle to the tunnel and we'd release them into the tunnel.  We worked with the chute held up just a bit since Gracie wasn't quite to the point of running through the flat chute last week.  I ended that drill with a flat chute and Gracie took it no problem!  Gracie did have issues looking at the tunnel when I released her so she'd run to me and not the tunnel.  I just had to wait for her to glance at the tunnel before releasing her and that took care of the problem.  Next was some rear cross work with a short straight tunnel.  We'd start tunnel-dog-handler and the handler would flip the dog into the tunnel then turn and meet them at the other end so that the dog ended up on the opposite hand that they were flipped with.  No troubles for us here, except Gracie wanted to go ahead into the tunnel before I flipped her.

Lastly we had a mini tunnel course!  Nothing fancy, just two tunnels connecting to the front cross drill we did earlier.  The second tunnel was a yellow tunnel, one I remember Gidget having an issue with early on, and Gracie went in the first time and turned around and came back out.  I have no idea why... can I blame the yellow?  Anyways, no issue our second attempt.  We even ended the course with a rear cross!  Next week we're being tested with a full tunnels course.  I can't wait!  Happy agility!

Messy Agility Runs

Had class with Gidget last night and our runs were less than pretty.  I was a little late, which didn't help, but I was still able to walk the course.  Though I thought the course only went to 14 when it actually went to 16 so I had to change my plans while watching others run.  Other than that we just seemed off.  I do think I need to improve my working relationship with Gidget.  I'm able to work with Gracie for at least a couple minutes before all her meals because she loves her kibble so much.  Gidget doesn't care about kibble as much, I think she only eats it so that Gracie can't get it.  Thankfully their training treats are actually a super soft balanced diet dog food.  It comes in a log and I cut it into discs which I freeze until I need to thaw them and cut them up into little treats.  So I plan on switching part of her meals over to this food so that I can actually practice with her at meals. 

A specific thing I think I need to practice with her is something I learned off of Susan Garrett's Success With One Jump DVD.  It involves teaching a dog to find their line at the start line instead of staring at the handler.  I noticed that Gidget was definitely looking at me and not her first jump as we started both of the courses we ran last night.  And what did she do after the first jump?  Go to the wrong obstacle of course.  Both courses started with choices after the first jump.  In the first course the A-frame was the correct choice but she took the tunnel and in the second course the jump was next but she took the teeter.  I can't think of any better way that I could have told her where to go.  I had my opposite arm up, pulling her towards me and the correct obstacle, I called her name, I was facing the correct direction - body and feet!  I just don't know what else I could have done.  Had she been facing the direction that I sat her instead of staring at me though, she would have been more likely to see that correct second obstacle and taken it.  That's all I've got for theories on that one.

I had a lot of notes from class yesterday but the rest of them are a little simpler.  I did a front cross between 6 and 7, though I did consider a rear cross, the front cross seemed faster.  It was a good thing I chose that too because a couple of the handlers that chose rear crosses ended up with dogs in the tunnel after 8 instead of going to the tire.  The front cross positions the handler nicely to keep the dog away from the tunnel and A-frame and take a nice straight line to the tire.

We had a little trouble with the weave entrance at 12.  Gidget and I were just going too fast!  I need to remember to slow down a little sooner and smoother to send her to the weaves.  Also I need to remember not to watch my dogs, as pretty as they are, while we're running.  I need to be looking ahead to the next obstacle, or in a straight away like that, to the end obstacle so that my dogs are getting the info they need and don't feel like they have to check in with me.

13-14-15 is very serpentine like!  Just starting it with a front cross between 13 and 14.

5-6 and 11-12 both involved front cross wraps which I need to work on!  Can't go past the jump, stand up straight, and practice from different angles. 

Lastly!  A front cross was a good idea for 14-15 because a lot of dogs went to the tire when the handler tried to turn the dog to the left into the tunnel. 

Ok, that's the end of our sloppy class night.  Hopefully next week will go better!  Happy agility!

Teeter Time!

At Gracie's contacts class last night we actually got to use a real teeter!  There were stools under each end of it so that it didn't tip more than 10 inches, probably less, but it was still a real teeter!  The goal was to get the dogs to drive to the end of the teeter.  To do this, our instructor got out a target and a can of aerosol cheese.  Boy did the dogs love that!  Gracie had no trouble hopping up and running to the end of the teeter, even tipping it all on her own (the instructor would catch the teeter at first to ease the dogs into tipping it)!  My biggest problem was trying to get her off the teeter and away from the target that smelled like cheese.  Definitely going to use that as a high value reward to work on other issues.  The can would be fairly easy to carry on walks. 

We also got to use the real A-frame at a lowish height.  They put a rug on the up side so that the dogs avoided learning to scramble up the A-frame.  The instructor took a treat and put it at the bottom of the downside to encourage them to run straight down the middle of the downside and keep their heads low.  I'm still struggling with Gracie's "bottom" behavior.  She just doesn't seem to get it and I'm not sure how to clear it up for her.  I can get her into the position with little problem but the only spot she'll offer it without getting off the obstacle is on the wooden board here in our apartment, and even then that's only half the time.  Definately need some help with that.

Now for a not so happy note... I took the girls for a walk today.  The trail wasn't plowed so it was quite a workout for me and the girls pulled more than normal since I couldn't walk as fast as I would on a clear trail.  I still enjoyed the majority of the walk though.  That is until the end.  We were coming around the last bend before we could see our building again and I could hear someone yelling for their dog, but I couldn't tell where they were.  Well we got around the bend and here's this little puggle like dog charging towards us, leash dragging behind, owner struggling through the snow trying to catch her.  I knew the dog was coming to see my dogs and there wouldn't be much I could do to keep Gracie away from her.  So I picked Gracie up.  This worked for a short while, but then Gidget's leash got tangled around my legs (she didn't seem to mind this loose dog) and the other dog barked.  Gracie started growling and barking and squirming.  I could just barely hold on to her.  The lady finally caught up and grabbed the leash, just in time too because I couldn't hold Gracie anymore.  She flew out of my arms and I held her in one spot until the other dog was further away and Gracie had calmed down.  I hate it when this happens, thankfully it doesn't happen too often, but it's still no fun what-so-ever.  In our reactive dog class it was suggested to teach our dogs to sit behind us when this happens but I can't think of anything that would keep Gracie there while some strange dog is bouncing around us.  Then there was the throwing food option, I'd have to have a steak (or just something bigger and tastier than what I normally carry) with me to get most dogs to look away from trying to meet an exciting new dog or person.  I'll have to keep working on better ideas.  Happy agility!

Serpentines and 270s, Oh My!

I took both girls to a jumpers class last night.  We started with serpentines (3 jumps in a line that have to be taken in an "S" like pattern).  Once Gidget was focused and I started her in the right direction, this was a no brainer for her.  However, serpentines are very new to Gracie.  We broke it down into two jump sets for her.  Out over one jump, back in over the next for a treat by my side.  She caught on very quickly.  A couple of times she thought we were done when we had a couple jumps left and she tried to run off to her kennel.  I can't complain about how much she likes her kennel, it is amusing though.  Luckily she turns right around when I call her name.  Next 270s (2 jumps at a 90 degree angle where the dog has to make a 270 degree turn from one jump to the next) were added into the mix.  Both girls handled this with no problem at first.  When they changed the course so that it was two right angle serpentines with a 270 at the corner, I handled it just fine in one direction but kept screwing it up in the other direction.  Gidget's barking sounded very frustrated with me by the third or fourth time we tried it.  In order to do a 270 the handler's body needs to face the dog's path, more specifically, the gap between the jumps.  I was attempting to do this but just couldn't get it right.  I'd turn too early, or get too close to the second jump forcing myself to turn, I even tried using the wrong hand a couple times.  I just couldn't get it.  When Gracie's turn came up, I managed to not completely mess up after so much practice with Gidget, but it still wasn't pretty.  Thankfully I have super smart and understanding dogs!  Happy agility!

Two Totally Different Dogs

It always amuses me sometimes how different my dogs are.  I've always known every dog has their own personality but I don't usually get to see the little differences in other dogs I've met.  Gracie scarfs down her food as soon as you let her, Gidget has never been that big of an eater.  She loves treats but, until we got Gracie, half the time she wouldn't eat her meals.  Now she does eat her meals just slowly, chewing each kibble carefully.  Gracie will walk right through a puddle, Gidget usually leaps over a puddle or finds a way around it.  Gracie will sniff something and move on, Gidget will sit and sniff the same spot for as long as you let her.  Gracie prefers to curl up in her chair or maybe a few inches away from you on the couch, Gidget curls up on you whenever possible.  There are plenty of other differences, but you get the idea.  I love my girls and all their little quirks... well most of them.  Happy agility!

Tunnels, Tunnels, and a Rear Cross!

Gracie had a good class today.  The instructor was super nice and set aside a special spot for Gracie and the other reactive dog in the class so that we could focus more on what we were supposed to be learning and less on managing our dogs around the other dogs.  It made class much easier and more enjoyable.  I was able to send Gracie to her kennel from 10-15 ft. away and she had to go around a barrier to get to it, and the only way I could practice that sort of thing is with few to no other dogs around.

Lets see, first we worked with a straight tunnel to the chute.  Gracie's still not ready to go through the chute with the fabric down, but we're getting there.  A small chute is definitely on my wish list.  I've seen one that would actually fit in my apartment.  It'd be so nice to be able to practice that more often.  I know Gidget struggled with it for a long time, hopefully it won't take quite as long for Gracie.  Next we did some post turn and front cross review going back and forth between two cones.  Then we moved on to a similar exercise between two small curved tunnels.  That was fun, but those post turns can sure get dizzying.  We did a short sequence of a long slightly curved tunnel with the two short curved tunnels.  It was to start the dogs on long curved tunnels and practice a front cross between the second short tunnel and the long tunnel.  Gracie did well, I just have to remember that she still needs a little more support than I'm used to with Gidget.  I pulled her away from the tunnel entrance trying to set up quickly for the front cross a couple times.  Gotta keep those feet pointing to where the dog should go until their committed then I can move to set up a cross! 

Somewhere in there we started on a rear cross, first without a cone, and then with one.  A couple of posts ago I mentioned my confusion on why I should or shouldn't turn my dog away from me.  This class cleared that up a tiny bit.  We taught this turn away as an intro to the rear cross.  The dog starts by your side, you turn them away from you, and you turn towards them so that they end up on the other side.  Both dog and handler turn in the same direction but the handler is crossing the dog's path behind the dog so that the dog ends up on the opposite side that they started on.  With a cone, the dog starts between handler and cone, turns away from the handler towards the cone, the handler turns toward dog and cone (without going around the cone), and ends up with the dog on the opposite side.  So that's why I learned this turn in foundation with Gidget and the way I use it now is still a rear cross, it's just hard to see it that way.  So in the weaves class on Mon. I was on one side of the weaves with the next obstacle on the opposite side of the weaves.  At the end of the weaves I tell Gidget to turn toward the next obstacle and I turn that direction too, crossing behind her so that she takes the next jump on the opposite side of me from the way we did the weaves.  A rear cross!  It seems kind of exciting to me that the turn move I've been doing is just an almost 180 degree rear cross.  Hmm... I hope this paragraph makes sense to me when I read it again years from now.  Guess we'll see!  Happy agility!