Exercise Two

This is my adaptation of the second exercise from "Backyard Dogs," Clean Run July, 201.  I added the A-frame because I wanted to see how Belle would do when I was trailing behind her.  I was quite surprised that I didn't end up further behind her than I actually did.

Luckily, I used a second camera to determine whether or not Belle managed to get into the yellow because when we were running, I would have sworn she missed the first two by quite a bit.

I was also pleasantly surprised that I was able to rear cross the A-frame.  It wasn't pretty, and it added a second or two to Belle's A-frame time, but at least she did it.  (I did an entire post about my inability to rear cross the A-frame in February.)

 

By-Passing Obstacles - Exercise One

At the left is a sequence I adapted from Clean Run's July, 2011 "Backyard Dogs" article.  (The original course called for two jumps instead of a tunnel.)  Each exercise offered a chance to see if your dog could by-pass an obvious obstacle when the course called for it.

With the first exercise, I wanted to determine which was faster wrapping right or left at #3.  I quickly discovered that although I could wrap Dusty in either direction at #3, getting him from #5 to #6 was only possible when I did a landing side front cross at #5, and it was much easier for me to do that when Dusty wrapped left at #3.

After I watched the video, I gave myself a dope slap for not trying an off-side arm to hold Dusty's attention when I tried running with him on my left past the tunnel.

 

Elite Chances Practice

It was fairly cool, but exceptionally muggy when the dogs and I went out this morning.  I spent a little time working Dusty over cavaletti in an effort to get him to trot instead of pace.  Apparently, getting your dog to do a slow trot while you walk at a fast past for 20 minutes three times a week is a very good way to build up their endurance.  Unfortunately, Dusty much prefers to pace, so I am working on getting him to trot on command.

After warming up over the cavaletti, we then worked on the Chances course I set up Saturday.  I did a little tweaking to soften the line to the A-frame and we ran it in reverse.  Belle was up first and we tried it from the "bonus line."  On our first attempt, I released her and said "A-frame," but since I failed to turn her, she ended up taking the tunnel.  The second time, I waited to say "A-frame" until she had taken the second hoop.  Unfortunately, I kept moving to my left and pulled her off-course when she completed the A-frame.  The third time, I caught myself, but not before Belle had already started moving in the wrong direction after the A-frame.

One of the reasons, I chose this particular course is that I knew Dusty would have a difficult time getting from the A-frame to the #5 hoop.  There are basically three different options I could try with him.

1. Hang back and let him creep down the A-frame into a 2o2o.  That way, I would have room to move toward the #5 hoop without crossing the line.
2. Go with Dusty and try to send him from the line.
3. Take small steps and try to reserve some room for myself to move forward after Dusty completes the A-frame.

I felt the second option had the lowest likelihood of success.  Being up against the line would remove all my options for movement forward.  Additionally, Dusty is too handler focused and is not very likely to move forward just because I fling out an arm.

I like the third option, but didn't try it.  I don't think it would work with Dusty simply because his A-frame performance is highly dependent upon my motion :-(  This is a major training issue, and at this point in Dusty's life, I really don't want to take it on.

I went with the first option.  Since what goes up must come down, once Dusty is on the A-frame, I can be reasonably sure that sooner or later he will get to the bottom.  Once he's there, I can release him and move forward toward #5 without crossing the line.  At least that's the plan.  However, even this will take some work as you can see in the video.  One good thing about the 2o2o is that I could practice on just the release to the hoop without having Dusty do the complete A-frame, which is a real plus in my book.  I also tried starting with him to see if that would give him more momentum than if I took a lead out.  It might ultimately help, but it didn't seem to make much difference right now.


Note the red hoop on the course map above.  By simply adding one obstacle to this course, I increased the number of sequences that could be worked using the box embedded in this course.  I devoted yesterday's training session with Dusty to working the box and introducing the cavaletti.

 

Pandora's Box

Belle can begin working a limited number of contacts so I decided to set up the mirror image of an Elite Chances course from last August:

I picked this course because running it in reverse will allow me to work with Dusty on moving forward after stopping on the A-frame.  Also, I can devise several other sequences on this course with a minimal amount of equipment moving.  (I chose to set up the mirror image of the original only because it seems like the A-frame has been on the left side of the ring at the last two or three trials.)

I thought this course was pretty straightforward.  However, I quickly discovered that getting through the box was a challenge.  (An analysis of the original course can be found here.)  Belle and I finally managed it without too much work, but Dusty and I never did get it.  

 
 -------------------------------------------

Since this blog is my agility training journal, below are my observations from watching the video in slow motion.  In Dusty's case, it might well be that once we tried getting through the box unsuccessfully a few times, there was no way we were going to get through it without giving it a rest for at least several hours.

Belle  :19  I veered slightly left to avoid running into a hoop.  Also, I used "over" with no directional and there are to logical "over" choices.

:37  This time I moved in a little and the hoop is not in my way so I can keep moving without veering away from the first jump in the pinwheel.  Also, I used "go."

:40  Not a clue.  I would think an off-side arm would cause Belle to turn left if anything.

:53  I pulled away to indicate #6 before Belle was committed to #5, the first jump in the pinwheel.

1:00  Timing and positioning much better

1:06  This time the off-side arm worked perfectly.

1:10  Lost presence of mind watching the running A-frame and forgot to turn to the closing line.

Dusty  1:36  I stopped moving.

1:56  Perhaps an off-side arm would have helped.

2:04  In my efforts to concentrate on our problems with the box, I decided to reduce Dusty's approach speed and just start at the first hoop.  Since Dusty and I started together, I quickly fell behind and he looked back.  This caused him to curl in toward me and take the off-course jump.

2:13  Dusty is looking at the off-course hoop before he takes the first hoop.  "Dusty" might have turned his head and brought the correct obstacle into his line of sight.  On the other hand, "Dusty" might have caused him to turn his head to the off-course jump as it did at 2:21.

2:28  Looking at off-course hoop before he starts.

2:39  I'm too far behind and Dusty turns left.

2:48  "Over" saves the day.

2:51  I stopped at the line.  Dusty turned away, possibly reading my left arm as a flip away.

3:06  Perhaps my BIG arm signal pushed him away.

3:28  I turned ever so slightly left.  Also since Dusty had just done a pinwheel, perhaps he interpreted "go" to mean "keep going along the curve you're on."