Achieving New Heights!

Today we raised the teeter height a few inches and Jackie loved it! We also played a fun course of hoops and jumps.

Pearls:

• Go slowly whenever you're introducing something new, or changing an element such as adding height to the teeter, this helps Jackie gain confidence in each new version of the obstacle
• Especially when playing with distance, be sure to get your verbal cues out early, well ahead of each obstacle
• Keep moving forward, even when playing with distance

Jackie nailing the new teeter height and playing fun courses with the beginning of distance handling:

Independent and Alongside Weaves

Jackie is continuing to do a great job learning weaves. We played both independent and running alongside weaves today, with great success.

Jackie playing weaves today:

A Better Way to Train 2o2o Contacts

 Pearls:

• A better way to train two-on-two-off (2o2o) contact behavior is to set a plank, cue "Feet!" and then play with moving while Jackie waits in 2o2o to be released
• Always reinforce Jackie at a variable rate of reward so that she stays fresh and energetic for the play
• After each repetition, throw a reset cookie for Jackie to go and find well behind the contact plank, this way Jackie becomes more independent in getting into 2o2o position
• To cue a turn out of a tunnel, give the directional cue "Here!" before Jackie enters a "dog cannon" (a straight tunnel that dogs run through at top speed) 

Jackie playing teeters, turns out of a tunnel, and 2o2o:

Gunner Advanced Rally

 Gunner is doing a great job continuing to play advanced Rally. 

Pearls:

• Reinforce remaining in good heel position while standing
• When making a turn, be sure to keep walking forward through the turn rather than pivoting in place
• For sit/pivot/sit, be sure to remain in place and pivot on one spot

Gunner and me having fun tonight playing Rally:

Running Alongside Jackie Weaves

Today we played running alongside Jackie while she weaves again, and we introduced the verbal cue "Weave!"

Jackie is definitely understanding the assignment!

Here we start with independent weaves and work up to running alongside as Jackie weaves:

Agility Class

 Today we played weaves, wraps, and post turns over a jump.

Pearls:

• Start putting the verbal cue "Weave!" with the weaves obstacle
• Start running, slowly, alongside Jackie as she goes through the weaves
• Practice running alongside Jackie through the weaves with her on both the right and left sides
• "Round round round!" means Jackie collects to make a tight turn to go through (or past if it's a barrel) the obstacle and turn tightly toward me 
• "Loop loop loop" means Jackie collects to make a tight turn to go through (or past for a barrel) the obstacle and turn tightly away from me

Jackie is boogie-ing right along!

Robot Weaves Continue

Jackie playing weaves again today, being reinforced with the treat-and-train robot:

Robot Weaves

The Treat-and-Train robot has been great this week for reinforcing weaves. Jackie was so happy and enthusiastic today!

Here's Jackie enthusiastically playing weaves with the robot:

Jackie Great Job! Handler Critiques

 Jackie has had a step change in her understanding of weaves this week. Today she had 100% error-free success rate from start to finish. Since she was doing such a great job, we stopped and celebrated after six consecutive weaves, three on handler's right and three on handler's left. 

Jackie is also doing a great job with two-on-two-off (2o2o) contact behavior. However, I need to continue my own learning and understanding in order to avoid clumping (trying to teach too many layers of behavior at one time), rather than breaking each behavior down to the absolute simplest form and understanding each layer independently. 

For Jackie's trick title, in the past we have practiced riding a skateboard, where Jackie runs up to a skateboard, gets on it with three feet, then kicks with one hindleg in a pumping motion to propel the skateboard forward while she rides on it. 

So Jackie has been hugely reinforced for experimenting with "pumping" her hindlegs while being on a board (a type of contact really) and for touching the ground with at least one hindleg. Now I'm having to reinforce 2o2o behavior at the agility contacts so that she understands the difference. 

While doing so I should have focused on 2o2o behavior separate from barrel wraps behavior before so she has a very clear understanding of each separate behavior, and only then sequence the behaviors once Jackie has shown she successfully understands each individual behavior. 

Resurrecting the treat-and-train robot to reinforce weaving this week has been helpful! It's a work in progress and we're having fun playing together. 

Jackie having 100% start-to-finish success on weaves today, and too much "clumping" of 2o2o and barrel wraps but still with overall gains:

Weaves and Teeters

 Jackie played weaves and teeters today, and did her first full motion teeter: