Since I get the new homework on Monday afternoons, I guess I might as well have that as the new posting schedule for a little while.

There are a fair amount of failures in these videos. This is hard work for both of us – getting the cues and body language correct for me, and figuring out how to respond in a rewarded manner for him.

Agility

Collecting to side/heel (R/L slowing down). We have started with changing the human angles vs the jump, but we are struggling with the really sharp angles. Once I near or pass the cone, he cuts the corner and comes straight at me. Will need more work here. I’ve had a couple of correct reps (with a clicker to help support his choice of jumping), but he is hesitant and stares at my treat hand while jumping. I have rewarded _everything_ except actually going around the jump, so far (including dropped bars), and it seems this was the right decision. He is pretty sensitive, despite his robust exterior.

Shaping the jump to work on stamina, physique and good form. Still about 50/50 on 8 and 10″ heights.

Repeating Note to self: Measure shoulder height of dog.

Working Finishing turns for the startline setup, every time, trying to alternate left and right side. Drip, drip, drip. Getting smoothness both in cues and behaviours.

The intro to commitment was easy. Transferring it to obstacle focus – not so much. Saturday I finally got more than a millisecond glance at the jump. I have tried to release him the moment he marks the obstacle, in the hopes that the milliseconds will slowly turn to an actual second – as he groks where I want him to look.

The new monthly box contained exactly the kind of toy that Fenris loves to shred and eat, given the chance. A nice, fuzzy fox with a squeak in both nose and tail. I decided this was going to be a tug toy, never out of my hand, if at all possible. We’ll see how many days that lasts. I slipped once, and bought it back with some very close range reps of the Bring Me game.

The new toy did bring us past the initial hurdles (so to speak) on both the lateral and forward sends, but I’m not sure that dangling the toy is a good enough equivalent to what the teacher wants (throw it on the dog’s intended line of movement). Maybe I should attach a line or rope to it, and experiment?

We are getting there, but this takes time. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Other stuff:

The TEAM exercise backups. A couple of sessions, up to about 1.5 m, and a shorter distance on a folded bathmat (smaller target), but still down a ‘chute’ between a wall and a table.

Next Week:

Agility homework: We are now introducing the Front, Back and Blind Crosses. I have done a couple of reps of the Front Cross, as part of a forward send, and I think this will be the easiest – so far. The back cross involves our dreaded Spin/Twist trick, where he’s much better at turning clockwise, so this is going to be more difficult.

I really have to get a video in to the teacher this week, to take advantage of it, but I need a specific question – and I’m not sure what that would be. Disconnects after jump? Recalibrating body cues?

Modifying the weekly plan by our teacher:

Mondays he’s often tired in the morning, but we got through 5-6 jumps at 8″, 3 reps of curved cavalletti, and during the day we worked a few reps of lateral and forward sends, and (since the weekly homework was posted early this morning) a few attempts at the forward cross.

• Tuesday:
  • 5 minute walk to warm up and 2 reps of Cavalettis
  • Collecting, sharp human angles.
  • Lateral sends, increasing human distance
• Wednesday:
  • Warm up 5 min walk, and 2 reps of Cavalettis
  • One jump work–5 jumps each direction (2 at 8″, 3 at 10″)
  • Collecting, start working doggy angles
  • Forward sends
• Thursday: Day off, hike or something else.
• Friday:
  • 5 minute walk to warm up and 2 reps of Cavalettis
  • Front crosses and Forward sends in mix
• Saturday:
  • Vacation starts, and he’s off to the kennel for a week! I’m glad I keep this course for at least a year, because I do feel we’re getting behind!

After that week, we have a week at home, then bringing him to a cottage in the mountains for a week (the final course week). Not taking any gear, but I guess we can rig some sticks!