WEAVES!

 Pearls:

• Your dog needs to be displaying each new behavior a minimum of 4 out of every 5 attempts correctly before you are ready to move on to something more challenging, as in while learning weave poles
• To begin, place two sets (a total of four poles) of 2 x 2 weave poles with a very obvious open channel the dog can run through down the middle of the clear channel. Then as she gets proficient at each step, gradually close the weave channel bit by bit until Jackie has to "wiggle" to get through the weaves
• Show Jackie the entry, then it is her responsibility to weave through each successive pole

Jackie beginning weaves:

Agility small courses, serpentines, and rear crosses

 Pearls:

• Shut up more. It's okay to give one verbal cue, and then use your body language to clearly indicated the dog's line of travel
• Where your feet and body are pointed is important: if I'm pointing at the tunnel Jackie will go in the tunnel; if I'm pointed along the line of the hoop she will go through the hoop
• Run! Jackie takes confidence from me when I am running ahead and clearly directing her line of travel

It's helpful to learn what TO do, but sometimes you just have to say "don't do that!" and learn from your mistakes:

Gunner Advanced Rally Virtual Trial

 Gunner has progressed from Novice Rally to Advanced Rally. Tonight we played the AKC Rally Advanced Virtual Course 5.

Pearls:

• Continue to reinforce for active heeling position
• Continue to reinforce for heel forward in slow pace where Gunner stays walking in heel position
• Reinforce prompt four-on-the-floor sits during call to front

Gunner playing RAV5 with individual cone discriptions:

NADAC VT Agility Trial

Jackie played in her very first agility trial October 1, 2022 at the North American Dog Agility Council Video Tape Agility Trial at Cowtown Dog Sports! 

Pearls:

• Trials are a nice litmus test to highlight things that are going well and new information about behaviors that need strengthening
• The good include: Jackie's stopped contacts are really solid, as are her startlines
• Needs strengthening: my management of Jackie while crating and being in a very stimulating environment; Jackie did well at first but got a little overwhelmed when left alone among other barking dogs. Also we need to work on recalls in a distracting environment
• After each run, remember to quickly make my way to a high value primary reinforcer and give lots of prasie. I did this, but I need to be quicker to the cheese!
• Ideas include getting Jackie out to new and distracting environments like Home Depot and outdoor pubs so she learns how to be comfortable paying attenting to me in stimulating situations
• Remember to keep running forward, smoothly indicating to Jackie her line of travel
• Jackie has come so far and taught me so much, and I am that proud of her!

Jackie's first and second run at an agility trial:

Agility 3.2 Week 1

 Pearls:

• Bring the lotus ball to each training session, since it is a good way to keep Jackie running out ahead of the handler
• Now we can begin using a variable rate of reinforcement for contacts
• At home, continue to practice very basic foundation skills such as building value for hoops and jumps, and building value for playing short sequences
• Practice rear crosses at home: "Back!"

Jackie playing short sequences and discriminations:

Agility 3 Week 1

Jackie has graduated into Agility 3 class! Today we played obstacle discriminations and barrel loops, and played with using the lotus ball to reinforce Jackie for her enthusiasm.

Pearls:

• Cue discrimination obstacles as early as possible
• When cueing barrel loops, pivot on your inside foot and keep your new opposite driving hand up to clearly indicate Jackie's line to her
• Jackie likes chasing a treat tossed on the ground, and is learning to associate the lotus ball with the treats inside

Jackie playing discriminations and barrel wraps:

Agility 2 Week 14 Supplemental

Creatively experimenting with your dog until you come up with what works for each team is an important aspect of educating, and also hugely satisfying. Today we played with creative ideas to generate energy and enthusiasm as well as building value for "Break!" and startlines. 

Pearls:

• The manners minder remote control treat dispenser is a great tool and lends itself to creative ways to build value for cues and behaviors
• Reinforce Jackie for getting excited by beeping and treating with the manners minder while she is playing the "Shwoom!" game. Jackie is reinforced for getting excited, which will teach her it is okay to let go and be excited while she is playing

Building value for "Break!" using the manners minder:

Jackie playing startlines and the "Shwoom!" game:

A little craziness:

Agility 2 Week 14

Jackie gains confidence from chasing me, so for now it is important that I keep running so that Jackie can chase me, and so that she knows the line she is to run. If I keep going without pausing, then Jackie can also keep running while knowing where I want her to go by my advance cues. 

Pearls:

• In order to build value for prompt, enthusiastic startlines, play the 1,2,3 "Go!" game with Jackie, driving her to the manners minder to reward running forward from the start line on cue
• Play with Jackie before starting her run so that she is engaged and enthusiastic
• When running, keep my arm up indicating Jackie's line she is to run
• When cueing a loop around the near side of a barrel, remember to say "Here!" to cue Jackie to turn toward me then "Loop, loop, loop!" to cue Jackie to collect and loop around the barrel

Jackie playing hoops, tunnels, and barrels:

Canine Conditioning Seminar 7/16/22

Jackie and I attended the Canine Conditioning Seminar led by our coach Robin Barber at Cowtown Dog Sports. We learned about proper warm-up and cool-down, several balance and proprioception exercises to begin, the importance of proper form, and how to measure your dog to best track her body condition. It is important to trim your dog's toenails appropriately, about every couple of weeks, for proper balance and correct gait biomechanics. There was an excellent discussion about the role of dew claws and how dogs use their dew claws for running, balance, and stability. An ideal body condition score, from 1 being the most under-ideal to 9 being massively fat, is 4 to 5. However, it is noted that a dog can have an "ideal" body condition score of 4 to 5 and still have plenty of room to improve overall sport-related fitness. 

Pearls:

• Warm-up can include walking, stretches such as bow "Bravo!", moving laterally in full-pass, and sit-down-sit puppy push-ups
• Balance and proprioception exercises should only be introduced gradually and practiced for a few seconds at a time to gradually build your dog's fitness level and confidence
• Body condition is best tracked by keeping a weekly record of your dog's weight, hind legs circumference, waist circumference, and girth measurements
• Photographic tracking of your dog's body condition of front, rear, and both side views is also helpful in determining increased fitness over time
• Cool-down can include walking, treat-stretches, and stretches using a chair or the handler's body to elongate the dog in a full-body stretch

Jackie's initial body condition photos on 7/16/22:

Jackie's primary measurements on 7/16/22 are:

• Weight: 32.7 pounds
• Left hind leg circumference (at the gaskin): 25 centimeters
• Right hind leg circumference (at the gaskin): 23.5 centimeters
• Waist circumference (at the smallest "tuck" area): 43 centimeters
• Girth (where you would place the girth if she were a horse): 58 centimeters
• Measured previously on 9/9/21, Jackie's height at the withers is 19.5 inches

Overall, Jackie's body condition is within the ideal range as she is a 4 on a scale of 1 to 9.  A score of 4 means her ribs are easily palpable, with minimal fat covering, her waist is easily noted viewed from above, and her abdominal tuck is evident. 

Jackie's fitness level can certainly be improved from a dog-sport standpoint, which is our goal going forward. 

Agility 2 Week 13

Obstacle discriminations for the A-frame versus tunnel include clearly cueing Jackie with my driving arm pulling in toward my hip "In!" "Feet!" to indicate the A-frame, and "Go tunnel!" to cue the tunnel. Jackie is also doing well with post turns and wraps, "Round round round!" and "Loop loop loop!"

Pearls:

• Engage with Jackie by playing with her a few moments before the startline, to encourage and enliven her to continue to play
• While Jackie is still in the tunnel, get out the next verbal cue early so she knows where she is going as she comes out of the tunnel