Theory Review for Agility Foundations

In reviewing dog agility theory, it has been iterated to me that a sport dog should maintain a lean physique, in order to avoid stress on organs and joints, and in order to avoid injury, as well as an ability to stay at peak output potential.  One wouldn’t expect, for example, to see a heavy marathon runner, so we should not expect our dogs to run well with extra weight either.  

It occurs to me this principle is best applied to myself as the handler as well, so while Jackie seems to have a body type (much like my previous Border collie Prissy did) that tends toward the lean-to-almost-skinny side, my own fitness level is best to be looked to as well, which I am actively working on by increasing exercise and being aware of diet choices. 

An exception to the lean rule is with a puppy; they don’t need to be rolly polly, but puppies should have a bit of extra weight because they are growing. In general, one should be able to feel an adult dog’s ribs, to feel their hip bones, and feel where their shoulder blades come together behind their withers.

Continuing the dog agility theory, the toe nails of agility dogs (really all dogs) should be kept short in order to maintain biomechanically correct movement as the dog runs, jumps, and moves over an agility course.  It is important to make a game of trimming their nails, with one snip and then a big fuss and a piece of cheese, another snip and another piece of cheese, and so forth. To get my dogs’ nail quick (the innervated vascularized core of the nail bed) to recede, I trim the nails very small amounts, frequently. 

Since Jackie is new, the first time I simply touched her paw while petting her and praised her generously then went on petting her.  The next time I saw if I could handle her paw during a petting session, which she consented to let me, and I praised her generously.  While grooming Jackie the first time, I held her paw then gave her a cookie. Then held her nail in my hand in the trim position (without the clippers), and gave her another cookie, and with her consenting I repeated that with all four paws and 18 nails, reinforcing for calm behavior.

The next grooming session, I brought out my guillotine clippers and held then to her paw (but didn’t clip) and gave her a cookie— repeat repeat repeat with reinforcement.  Then I progressed to trimming one nail, just barely into the nail, and reinforced her for lying still.  She was so chill about it all that I proceeded to trim all 18 nails, only just a little and with reinforcement for lying still. We had previously worked on reinforcing settling quietly so Jackie was already familiar. As a result, Jackie is now very willing about letting me trim her nails. (This is the same method I use with horses to teach them to stand quietly while I clip their ears, bridle path, and fetlocks, and pull their manes).

The other foundation that will help an agility dog is to allow her to walk over a myriad of different substrates, surfaces, textures, and elevations.  One can create this at home by laying items on the floor and walking the dog across and through them, and we can find many different surfaces while out hiking and walking in nature.  Not only is it fun, this also allows the dog to become aware of it’s own body while moving, a skill necessary to advance in agility. 

To teach the beginnings of making their contacts, the dog must learn a stand-stay.  The early phase of this for Jackie is, while standing she touches my hand with her nose when I hold it in front of her with my palm facing her, then I turn my palm up, drop a piece of food onto my upturned palm with my other hand, and let her eat the cookie.  Then I swivel my hand back facing Jackie while she’s still standing, when she touches my hand target with her nose I swivel my palm upward, drop another treat in my palm with my other hand, and let her eat it.  Then repeat, repeat repeat to build value for standing still. 

Pearls:

• Maintaining a lean weight is important for agility
• Nails should be kept trim, and over time with frequent trimmings the quick recedes
• R+ can teach an animal to consent to almost anything (in college a saw chimpanzees that would voluntarily stick their arm through their cage for blood draws using R+ operant conditioning; I can closely shave even the inside of a horse’s ear while he stands sleepily after teaching this method)
• Jackie is working on body awareness that will help her to navigate various surfaces and elevations, and stand-stay that will become correct contact behavior later

Jackie looking trim while being trimmed on the stainless grooming station

Dressage Lesson

Recently I’ve been riding Piper, a talented and patient off-the-track-Thoroughbred mare, in lessons with Lindsay Cooper at Kismet Sporthorses.  Today Piper and I did counter-canter loops for the first time which was great big fun.  In order to control my pelvis, it first starts with my shoulders.  By keeping my shoulders down and back, my elbows at my sides (think T. rex arms), and my torso tall, I can then influence my pelvis by moving with the horse.  Today we worked on my position, and bringing my inside shoulder back as I rise in rising trot, and by bringing my inside shoulder back as the horse’s withers come up (toward me) in canter.

In the counter canter loop, my inside shoulder came back-back-back-back in rhythm with the true lead canter, and in the counter canter phase my inside shoulder came forward-forward-forward while we were “bending” along the arc of the counter loop. This allowed my pelvis to follow Piper, and not to block her, so Piper was able to maintain her canter in balance.

With Piper, we want her to gain strength and build muscle, and while she is working on that we want her frame to be allowed to be a bit longer or “stretchier.”  But we ride with the idea that she is going toward carrying weight on her hind legs.  So even while she is stretching to the bit, we want to have the idea and the feeling that she is shifting her weight from her front end to her hindquarters.  Even when a horse is in very collected canter, for example in a canter pirouette, we want to know that in the contact we could stretch the horse toward the bit.  So we ride the greener horses this way, but with the idea that they begin to shift weight to the hindquarters.

Class Is In Session

Jackie had her first agility lesson today! We’ve enrolled in foundations for agility, and today we took our first steps. We worked on settling in a slightly more distracting environment, on the beginnings of body awareness over novel substrates, and body awareness while moving on a wobble board.  We also began stand-stay and continued learning being reinforced for nose-touching a hand target.

Jackie handled the training environment like a champ, and she did great around her classmates, among whom were a Portuguese Water Dog and a beautiful white poodle.  She handled the slightly longer car ride to the training facility very well, and settled nicely in her travel crate.

When we got to Cowtown Dog Sports, we were greeted by a friendly deer. I was glad to observe Jackie’s reaction, which was only very mild, if any, interest in looking at the deer. Today must have been our day for wildlife sighting because on our morning walk we saw a snake along the Trinity river!

Continuing with our red letter day, Gunner had a great report today at his cardiology check-up.  His blood pressure, pulmonary pressure, blood levels, lung function, echocardiogram, electrocardiograph, and radiographs were all stable compared with his last cardiology visit, which is great news.

Do you see a snake here?  Neither did I

Not the biggest snake I’ve ever seen, but certainly not the smallest

Jackie, ready to run:

Jackie being a good girl on the way to her very first agility lesson:

In case you were wondering, deer scat is apparently fascinating and fragrant; Jackie enjoyed sniffing it in the grass. We were greeted at Cowtown Dog Sports by this gentle and curious deer:

Gunner got a good report at the cardiologist today, making it a red letter day! Gunner on his way to see Dr. Rebecca Fields Bennie, his veterinary cardiologist, also his first time in the new travel crate:

Pearls:

• Jackie took her initial steps toward her agility career at our first ever class in Foundations for Agility
• Wildlife sightings seemed to be a theme today
• Traveling with a secured crate is a good idea
• Gunner’s heart condition is stable, and I’m grateful

Inspiration

Today I attended as a spectator an all breed agility trial sanctioned by the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA).  So many great dogs, and interesting to see the differences between ASCA agility and that of the American Kennel CLub (AKC) and North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC).  It was inspiring to see some excellent dog and handler teams.

Jackie’s training is continuing too; we’re currently working on proofing her sit stay, down stay, and recall by taking it outside to add a layer of distractions.  At every opportunity that presents itself, I reinforce Jackie for coming to me at a high rate of reinforcement.  I’ve only just started putting the “sit” cue on a variable reinforcement rate, but for now, especially while Jackie is still learning everything new, I’m keeping cues to a high rate of reward, and of course new skills in process of being learned are reinforced at 100% rate, with occasional jackpots for novel behavior, extra challenge, or extra effort or speed offered.  Eventually we will go to intermittent reinforcement, but for now the cues she knows are still being rewarded at a high rate to keep Jackie’s motivation high, and new learning is reinforced at 100% for the same reason and to ensure clarity.

Gunner is working on handstand.  He already knows the cue “feet” to put his hind feet up on a platform or step since this is how you teach contacts for agility.  We have progressed to walking backwards up stairs and putting his back feet up on a pillow stack and then onto the sofa.  The plan is for this to progress to backing up a platform, and then to straight up a wall until it is a full handstand along a wall with no platform or pillows.  Aside from being a hilarious parlor trick, this is building front end strength and hind end dexterity as well.

Gunner demonstrates what will become handstand

Between the two of them, I feel like there could be a circus act

Pearls:

• Inspiration was abundant today at the ASCA all breed agility trial
• Jackie is beginning to proof sit stay, down stay, and recall with minor distractions
• Gunner continues to add to his already impressive tricks repertoire 

Jackie’s Crate Arrived

We love these Omlet Fido Studio crates, and Jackie’s one arrived today. Three of them line up nicely to act as a low cradenza in the bedroom, and the dogs seem to really like them as well.

Speaking of beds, I’m working with Gunner to get him used to sleeping with his head propped on a pillow.  While I sincerely hope that Gunner is one of the many dogs with heart disease that do not go on to develop heart failure, dogs that do, often try to sleep in a sitting position on their chest in a sphinx posture if they are having trouble breathing, and can often be restless sleepers.  So I’ve begun experimenting with roll shaped and triangle shaped pillows to get Gunner used to propping himself up comfortably.  

If it comes to heart failure, and of course I hope it doesn’t, however I’d rather Gunner be familiar with and comfortable sleeping propped on a pillow long in advance.  Prissy used to like to prop her head up against the side of her crate or on the armrest in the truck or sofa, and I have observed Gunner and other dogs do this as well.

I like how the three crates together form a low credenza

I’m experimenting with these shaped pillows to get Gunner comfortable with propping up his head to sleep on his chest in the sphinx posture if he wants to do so now or in the future:

So far the best has been this little triangle shaped fox; Gunner uses it to prop up against the side of his crate:

Pearls:

• Omlet Fido Studio crates work well in our space and the dogs like them
• Hoping for the best but planning ahead to get Gunner comfortable sleeping with his head up on a shaped pillow should he want to do so
• Heart disease can kindly consume a phallus

Eureka!

Tomorrow will be four weeks that we’ve had Jackie.  Just now for the first time Jackie really opened up and started truly working for me, and I wanted to sit down and talk about what happened.

I’ve been experimenting with all different forms of reinforcement, and so far the best has been running and play, with the best hand-held treat reinforcement chicken.  Other than while running, which Jackie loves to do, I haven’t yet found a way to really motivate her to focus in the sharp way that I have done previously with Gunner and other dogs.

Today I experimented with cut-up hot dog medallions, which I haven’t used since Jackie’s first few days with us because she was sort of “meh” about them.  Looking back though, Jackie’s been “meh” on a lot of treats, and I think it is because everything has been so new that she’s still acclimating to her life shift.  

Today the hot dogs were a huge success!  We started playing the recall race game outside today, where Jackie starts in a sit-stay in heel position, then sends out to a target on cue, eats a cookie off a ceramic target (I use a small flat Fiestaware saucer because I have literally hundreds of them, and they are the perfect size, sturdy, easy to see in the grass, and easy to clean), then turns around and recalls back to my front for another reward.  We’ve practiced this game indoors, and Jackie always performs it correctly and obediently, but she walks or at best trots out to the target and then back, and has lacked sharp speed.  

Today when we took it outside, Jackie found a new gear, RUNNING out to touch the target and DASHING back to me on the recall.  I placed the target a bit further away, and then a bit further away again, and so on until she could really build up some speed between me and the target. What helped as much as anything is that I had plenty of room outside to make a big fuss and celebrate each “win,” and Jackie really responded to that, running and even leaping with joy around the yard to celebrate.  My enthusiasm at her opening up helped her to open up even more, so we had an awesome positive feed back loop going.  

Passion is key; I need to remind myself to bring my own zest, to celebrate and praise enthusiastically to the point of silliness.  As Jackie truly started working today, my genuine happiness exploded out of me, and Jackie in turn really responded to that zeal.  Lately I’ve been hyper-focused on my own management, on marking exactly the precise behavior I want to reinforce, and accuracy and timing on my part. Today though I was animated and effervescent, using a squealie-high-pitched voice, clapping and running, and Jackie really responded to that energy— of course she did!

These 5 inch diameter Fiestaware plates make great target practice, good thing I have about a million!

Enthusiasm is infectious!

Love how her whiskers pop out

Pearls:

• Even the best reinforcement can be “meh” unless the job at hand is play, not a job
• Hot dog medallions were a favorite today
• The dog’s joy and enthusiasm is mirrored by the handler’s joy and enthusiasm, and vice versa into a positive feedback loop
• Accuracy, precision, clarity— all that is fine and good, but above all it has to be FUN!

Observation of the Handler's Behavior

Gunner has been working on weaving so I previously ordered a set of six weave poles. As someone who has been strongly reinforced by excellent results from using positive reinforcement training, I am always keen to learn new behavior, on my part as much as the animal's with which I'm working. So when Gunner makes a "mistake" (offers a behavior in which I'm not interested-- for example waiving goodbye when I ask for stand) I've simply ignored it, kept moving and either waited for the "correct" behavior I wanted to capture, or gone back a step to ask for something I can then reward.

I recently observed a trainer in action that said the word "oops" when her dog made a "mistake" (by mistake I simply mean the dog offered a behavior in which the handler is not currently interested).  I thought saying "oops" was a nice idea to remind the handler that it's no big deal, to keep moving, and search for the behavior that I will eventually want to reinforce.  

So during our next weave pole session, if Gunner missed a correct entry to the weave poles, or skipped a pole, I simply started saying "oops," not reinforcing, and moving back a step to repeat a behavior that I could reinforce.  Quickly though, Gunner began to offer the "I've been shot in the chest" look: stopping and shrinking, looking dumbfounded and apologetic, when I said "oops."  It was perceived by Gunner as a punishment, which of course goes against everything I'm trying to do here.  It took a few repetitions for me to notice Gunner's "shot in the chest" behavior was linked with the word "oops" rather than just thinking, as I did at first, that he was confused by the task being too hard or that I had asked for too much too soon. 

The "oops" had become a marker for "you didn't do it right and you're not getting a cookie" in the way that "yes" means "you're doing it right and you will now get a cookie."  Since Gunner understands this way of thinking, he learned the meaning of "oops" even before I caught on! But it went too far, and was not just a game of hot-cold (where "yes" means hot- keep going and "oops" means cold- keep trying), rather the "oops" was perceived by Gunner as a punishment that was in turn shutting him down. 

A valuable lesson for me to learn, and I'm glad I noticed it relatively quickly (though not as quickly as my Border collie I must admit). I continue to make a knowing effort to display neutral emotion without any disappointment or other marker if a mistake happens.  Energetic celebrations, jackpots, and precise marking for behaviors that I want; and behaviors that I don't want are met with the same emotion with which I buy a loaf of bread, ignored; then the next behavior I can mark and reward is sought, found, and celebrated.

I like these Trademark Innovations weave poles as they can be configured two-by-two, and later I can add another set to make a full set of twelve weave poles, plus they were relatively cheap (about 50 dollars for the set of six), they came with a canvas carrying bag for clean storage, and they've been perfect for home use:

Gunner, often the smartest one in the room:

Pearls:

• Weave poles are challenging, and I'm grateful Gunner has become my trial-and-error schoolmaster dog
• I'm not at all interested in punishment, and am grateful for a patient and intelligent dog who teaches me to do better
• Some trainers do well with event markers to indicate "cold, keep trying" but my focus remains on rewarding the behaviors I want and ignoring "mistake" behaviors to become extinct 
• There is a plethora of information out there on the world wide web, in books and journal articles, but sometimes you have to get past the lecture and into the lab of life and break some eggs to make an omlet

Long Line

A new experience for me today: I worked with a dog on a long line for the first time.  In preparing for the ongoing training of Jackie, about a week ago I purchased a 30 foot long line.  I’ve worked several horses in long lines, and lunged several more horses with lunge lines, and even written blog posts about equestrian long-lining, however tonight was the first time I’ve worked a dog on a long line.

I LOVE IT. It seems so common sense, but the dog having the freedom to run a fair distance away, and have one hundred percent error free recall practice was brilliant.  Jackie was able to run along with Gunner (Gunner has had off-leash privileges where appropriate for many years now), sniffing and exploring the levee and river banks, and each and every time she lifted to look at me or paused her sniffing to look back, I was able to recall her for a high value chicken reinforcement, thus loading the recall bank with error-free practice.  

Since we were out during high traffic time when the weather is finally decent enough for folks to venture outside, any time Jackie got too involved with staring at another dog, bicycle, stroller, horse-and-rider, or whatever, I could easily recall her back to me enthusiastically running the opposite direction knowing full well that I had complete control if she should decide not to recall.  Only twice did I have to give the slightest reminding encouraging pressure on the leash to re-direct her focus to recall to me, and other than that the leash was fully loose.  The brilliant part was that I was free to focus on my actions, because I knew I had the lifeline of the 30 foot leash if anything distracting should occur. 

In addition to the reinforcement of a bite of chicken each time she recalled, the releasing her with an “ok!” to go back to her exploring walk was a huge reinforcement as well. Long have I loved line-driving and long-lining horses, and now I am a convert to long lining my dog as well!

Loving this Hi Kiss purple (of course) long line:

Jackie was able to run alongside Gunner, investigating new smells along the levee:

One hundred percent error-free recall practice, and I can reinforce each time, building toward a strong, reliable recall:

Pearls:

• New experience with a long line for a dog, and I’m a fan
• Completely error-free recall practice establishes a foundation for a solid future recall
• The handler has the luxury and safety factor knowing I can control my dog in the event of anything distracting or unexpected happening in a more distracting environment, while still working to install a strong recall
• The reinforcements of running toward me as I run in the opposite direction, getting a cookie when she gets to me, and being released to continue sniffing, running and exploring are triple reinforcements for the all important recall

Preparing the Basics

Today I enrolled Jackie in basic dog obedience with Robin Barber at Cowtown Dog Sports to begin preparing Jackie for agility foundations.  The class begins in a couple weeks from now, and will be held once weekly for a series of six weeks. 

In preparing for the upcoming classes, we’re working on sit, down, recall, and stay.  Today for the first time I began teaching Jackie to send out to a ceramic target from a sit-stay, touch the target with her nose, and recall back to me. It’s a fun game to practice and reinforce all the behaviors of sit, stay, send to a target, and recall.

I first learned this as a college student as the “paper plate recall” game with my beloved Australian shepherd Roo, who loved this game so much she went on to become the recall race champion in my class.  The dog starts in a sit next to you in heel position, then stays as they watch you walk about twenty feet out and place a cookie down on a paper plate.  Then the handler returns to the dog in heel position, releases the dog with “okay, target!” The dog runs out to the plate, eats the cookie, then the handler recalls the dog back to their front to land in a sit for another reinforcer cookie.

Since Jackie is only just learning the target recall race game, we started indoors with no distractions, and it is going well.  We need to increase speed but she is learning the basics in an error-free environment.

Jackie, reaping the benefits of several dogs before her:

Here is the Recall Race Champion plaque Roo earned.  In 1999, I was very proud of this achievement (still am, truth be told), and it hangs in my study today:

In 1999 I was being introduced to R+ training, with grateful thanks to my Australian shepherd Roo, who went on to become a Delta Pet Society Therapy Dog, which allowed us to visit nursing homes and rehabilitation hospitals together.  Here she is with her faithful sidekick Scarlett; I’ve had a Cocker spaniel my entire life, from in the womb through currently:

Scarlett and Roo, circa 2005

Hurricane Ida

We certainly know what it feels like to survive a bad hurricane.  This week we watched our neighbors and loved ones in Louisiana deal with Hurricane Ida.  Our hearts go out, and we were grateful to be able to team up with our church in Houston to help with donations for recovery.  

Currently we are hosting a dear friend of our family who evacuated from New Orleans to Fort Worth with her sister and two friends and Zeke, her little Maltese/Yorkie cross.  Zeke is such a good boy, and is adorable.  In just a couple short visits we have grown to love his momma and her family and friends.  

Zeke and his momma, whom we have easily grown to love

Rosco and Jackie investigating Zeke.  Before Zeke had to evacuate his home in New Orleans due to hurricane Ida, he was scheduled for surgery to repair a luxating patella. Zeke will have the necessary surgery once he gets back home, and for now he is making good use of his stroller:

Pearls:

• Hurricane Ida has been scary to watch; we are grateful for the safety of our loved ones
• Zeke is adorable; my first experience with a Maltese type and I’m in love
• Zeke’s momma taught me how to make authentic New Orleans bread pudding, and cooked shrimp and grilled oysters, all of my favorite food!