Slo Mo Video - Back Side Jump Handling

The tools we have at our disposal for learning and teaching these days is mind-boggling.  More and more people are using them.  I was very gratified this morning to run across a You-Tube video posted by Steve Schwarz, The Agility Nerd, on all the ways to send a dog to the back side of a jump, in slo mo.  He had posted the same video, without the slo mo feature, a few days earlier, and my mind could not quite grasp it.  Now it's clear as a bell.  You can view his full post, including diagrams, here. Printing out the diagrams really helps.  There are 5 handling maneuvers from the landing side, 3 from the take-off (back) side of the jump.  It depends upon where you want the dog to head next and how much time you have to complete the maneuver.

Here's the stand alone slo-mo video (I was prompted to install the latest Adobe Flash Player for this to work, but it only took a few seconds).  I love the way he made his wings out of fabric, and the way he does little back yard training sessions real quick, isolating a skill.  The variations keep it from being repetitive and boring, and show all the different ways the same obstacle, approached from the same angle, can be handled.  The dog learns to focus on the handler's slightest moves, not just take the obstacle over and over.  Brilliant!



Once I get the moves down, in both directions, without a dog, I'm going to video myself doing them with Maxie and Lucky and post them here.  That should provide some entertainment, as we've never seen some of these moves before!  Then I'll teach them to my students. Thanks, Steve, for sharing and being such a generous teacher.  My cup runneth over.

Upwards and onward,

"If I Knew Then What I Know Now" - Blog Action Day

Thanks, Steve Schwarz (the Agility Nerd) for inviting us agility bloggers to discuss this interesting topic on March 7th, Blog Action Day!

I've learned so, so much since I started training agility with Maxie back in February 2008 when he was only 8 months old.  We trained for 2 years (once a week in class, and short sequences at home) before first daring to compete in April 2010.  Maybe waiting so long is why our novice experience was so remarkable, 6 runs, 6 Q's, 6 1st places in our first 2 trials, and earned our Excellent titles in only 6 trials over 7 months, plus, he loves agility. And now that we're working towards our first MACH and I have a second dog, Lucky Lucy, with Excellent titles, I can honestly say that no awards have been as thrilling to receive as those first ones!  These novice ribbons are still strung across my mantle, and this photo is my screensaver on my laptop.

Ace Maximillion, my first agility dog, a 7 lb. papillon,
posing with his NA and NAJ ribbons, 2010.
6 runs, 6 Q's, 6 1st places

One thing for certain, if I had known then how much money I'd be spending chasing those titles, I might never have gotten started.  Counting the cost of classes, seminars, gas, motels and entry fees, I figure each novice ribbon in this photo cost me about $45!  (The one QQ we earned last weekend cost me, I figure, $385!)  But they were each worth every penny of it in joy, exercise, excitement and the fulfillment pursuing them gave me. 
So, before I list my "If I Knew Then What I Know Now" items, I want to make myself clear on one thing:

RIBBONS & ROSETTES:  I LOVE MY RIBBONS.  And especially those rosettes for titles earned.  I decorate with them!  Arrange doggie portraits!  I remember being very disappointed when Maxie earned both his Excellent titles at the same trial, only to discover that club didn't give title rosettes. I was shocked and I complained.  The club said "we didn't list rosettes in the premium list". I said I didn't read that fine print and retorted, "Would you prefer I don't attend your trials if I'm up for a title because you don't give out rosettes?"  They must have listened, because the next year the trial secretary handed me two rosettes for the titles earned the year before!  I appreciated that, and they hang on Maxie's wall.  After all the countless hours of hard work and money spent getting those titles, the least the hosting club can do is honor your achievement. 

Being chincy in this department is very bad for the sport, especially compared to the Kung Fu and Ju Jitsu classes around here where 8 year olds bring home 2' high gold trophies for mere "participation" in a local event.  I would NOT have handled this differently, even though some competitors say they don't even bother picking up their ribbons, all they want is the sticker to put in their competition record book.  That's their choice, but should not the hosting club's. I'm very proud that my dog club gives out beautiful rosettes. 

Lucky Lucy, my second agility dog, 45 lbs
of love and pure muscle.  She's a
Southern Blackmouth Cur, registered in AKC's
mixed breed program as an All American Dog, who
loves herding, lure coursing, tugging and fetching
 more than she loves agility, unless I'm carrying her ball.

If I Knew Then . . . . . . .

Other than the wonderful "connection" with my dogs, being mentally and physically challenged, and the thrill of chasing after "improvement" eventually measured by Q's and ribbons, agility has been a mixed bag of emotions for me.  I could have saved myself a lot of angst if I'd have known from the start what I know now.  Here's my list:

• I don't listen to other people's conversation before I run.  People can sometimes say very thoughtless things that mess with my focus, at the most inopportune times.
• I don't listen to other people's negative opinions of my dogs, such as "not as good as a pure bred", or "papillons aren't real dogs", or "never going to be a real agility dog".
• I no longer assume that any agility skill comes naturally (running fast, course memorization, pre-competition routine, well-timed crosses, maintaining a tough outer shell).  These are skills that take years of practice to perfect.
• I now realize that agility is an atheletic sport for people as well as dogs, and I have to put in the time and exercise to become good at it.  Here's where my newfound love of football comes in -- those guys practice every day to accomplish the feats they do.  Agility folk practice 3-4 hours a week and wonder why we aren't Q'ing all the time.  That is plain silly!
• I don't expect anyone to be consistently kind, thoughtful, etc.  Some people just aren't.  Others are very nice but preoccupied with their own performance.  Since I lowered my expectations of others, I've been having a much happier experience.
• I don't expect friends and family to follow my career, attend my trials, take my picture, have champagne waiting for me at home.  They are not as into dogs and agility as I am.
• I don't expect to make a ton of intimate friends who remember my birthday and join in my private life.
• I don't assume that just because people don't remember my birthday or visit my house, they don't care about me.  I've noticed that when a dog dies or someone is injured, fellow competitors cry real tears of sadness and come out in force to wish you well.
• I no longer think everyone is watching my runs nor cares how I do.  They don't. They are mostly preoccupied with their own performance.  I don't expect them to notice as my performance improves, certainly never as much as I notice it myself.  This is a very personal intimate journey.
• I am learning not to let one bobble on course cause me to lose focus and throw the rest of the run.  I'm learning to "let it go instantly", stay focused on the next obstacle and "get back in the program", and that this is a learned skill.
• I realize that even the champions NQ a bunch.  It's no big deal to NQ.
• I no longer expect my dog club, or any one teacher, to teach me everything I need to know. It's my responsibility to branch out on my own and learn from many different instructors, including online courses, magazines, blogs, etc.
• I keep a checklist of everything I need to take to trials, one for summer, one for winter.
• I have agility outfits, including socks and underwear, that I don't wear any other time.  They get washed and put right back in the suitcase; a separate toiletries and makeup bag that stay packed.  And so forth.
• As of this year, I have a separate set of crates for home and trialing, so I can keep my car packed.  Packing and unpacking the heavy stuff was wearing me out.
• I take notes on every trialing venue, so next time I visit I know which hotels to stay in, what to take, where to crate, distance from home, directions, etc. I keep a page on this blog called "Trial Site Summaries" which I review whenever I go back to that venue. It's very helpful.
• For the venues I compete in (AKC, USDAA), I fill out a blank entry form for each dog and make about a dozen copies, so I don't have to look up the info and fill one out every time.  I just cut and paste the premium header for each trial in the top slot, check off my classes, and I'm good to go. I also prepare about a dozen stamped envelopes with my return address label affixed at the beginning of the year, so I can grab and mail without spending all morning getting each entry together.

Here are some things I've been doing right from the beginning, and still believe in:

• Video each run and watch them over and over again.  You'll find out you and your dog are doing most everything right.  That's very gratifying.  And that you mostly always make the same mistakes, which you can easily train to remedy once you identify them.
• Don't listen when people tell you you're too analytical or self-absorbed, i.e., watching your videos, analyzing course maps, considering different ways to handle, etc.
• Despite all the scuttlebut, I'va always seen a problem with the "handler is always at fault" didactic. It's value lies in that only if the handler assumes responsibility for the dog's errors is there any chance of correcting the dog's behaviors, and it also minimizes the "blame game".  But I've seen handlers take full blame for sending their dog over the wrong obstacle (too much pushing or pulling, failing to accel or decel), when the video clearly shows the handler was supporting the correct obstacle but the dog just wasn't watching, or felt like taking off for the A-frame or tunnel.  These handlers consistently fail to notice that their dogs are at fault and need more and/or different training.  Result, they stay stuck in the rut they are in rather than dare to expect more from their dogs.
• It's always been okay to take a break.  Sometimes me and my dogs come back from a break doing measurably better than before.

Winnie Pooch/Honey Bear
I just can't decide on a name, but he
answers to either one.

That said, we're on break from trialing for 5 weeks while I play Crate Games, Clicker, fetching and tugging with my new Papillon puppy, and taking him around to socialize him.  Welcome 4 month old Winnie Pooch (Honey Bear) to the Fry family, unless and until I find him another forever performance home.  This little tri-color pap is just too smart, too fiesty, and too eager to learn to let go for a mere house pet.  We are having some fun!

P.S.  I've waited a week and it seems all the bloggers have added their Blog Action Day posts on this topic.  Here are my favorite take-aways.

Upwards and onward!

Jump Wraps

There are many ways to perform a sequence, as evidenced by this "Jump Wraps" video put together by Steve Schwarz.  The video also demonstrates how it's always important to "have the dog's head", holding onto that "psychic leash" I blogged about last fall, which became the basis for my Handling Fundamentals class. You can almost see the leash in this video.

Steve can back wave his dog over a jump while facing the other direction, and he's not afraid of the blind cross either.  Furthermore, he shows that even a border collie can be made to collect, to run at a measured pace rather than full out, using closely placed obstacles and short sequences.

Check this out:



Exercise 1.  I set the first sequence up at my Wednesday night Intermediate Beginners class, thinking to further train all the various maneuvers, but it never got traction.  Not sure why.  We moved on to running segments of an Excellent jumpers course, because it seems students at the lower levels want to run and have fun with their dogs more than they want to train specific handling skills, do their flatwork, etc.  My fear is that bad habits develop this way which can wreck havoc later on if they decide to compete.  It's hard to strike a proper balance in a 1 hour class.

So, I've decided to share this video and blog post with my students, maybe inspire and encourage them to set up these sequences in their own yards and practice on their own time. Most of them have some jumps and weave poles at home, and they can substitute another jump for the tunnel.  There are 7 different handling maneuvers in Exercise 1.  If they did 10 minutes a day without a dog, then 10 minutes with a dog, in no time they would be experts and having more fun pursuing titles than they can even imagine right now.

Upwards and onward!

Tight Turns and Collection

I teach the Post Turn and the Pull Through in my Handling Fundamentals For Beginners class, basically how to get your dog to go over, then wrap around, a jump, either on your same side (Post Turn, or ending up on your opposite side (Pull Through).  After watching videos of many dogs' trialing runs, their wide turns and wasted time on both of these techniques, I became intensely interested in learning to teach Tighter Turns and better Collection.  I found this video, by Steve Schwarz, The Agility Nerd, on YouTube, and I offer it to all my agility friends and students.

This video shows several more variations on that theme, Blind Cross Pull Through, Scoop, etc. -- plus how a seasoned dog trainer uses a tug toy to inspire their dog.  Steve always inspires me because I am also very interested in looking less like an elephant on course.  Steve is incredibly smooth, with minimalist movements.  Watch, and learn.



Roundways and sideways, upwards and onward!

Trialing Environment

The agility trialing environment is noisy, busy, dirty, stressful, and largely unfamiliar.  Long before I ever thought of competing, though, I was volunteering at our club's local trials and matches and bringing Maxie and Willow along for "socialization".  I didn't realize at the time that by crating them near other dogs, parading them up and down the halls and ringside, walking them on leash amidst teeming masses of people and dogs, I was proofing Maxie (and myself) against all the barking canines, buzzers, and excitement.  By the time we began competing, Maxie and I were both used to it.

That worked so well, I began Lucky in the same way.  In fact, I met Lucky at a trial when she was 8 weeks old and didn't even know how to go up and down the stairs of the bleachers.  I've been bringing her to all of Maxie's trials ever since, and she will have her first competition almost exactly 2 years later in the Parker Coliseum (a USDAA trial), the same arena Maxie first competed in.  Already, she isn't nervous a bit in the trialing environment, crates up for long periods without complaint, doesn't bark, is friendly to all, etc.

I've heard I should bring a tape recorder and tape all the sounds that occur at a trial, but since I take videos and play them frequently at home, the incessant barking and other noises are on there for my dogs to hear.  You don't really notice these as much at a trial as you do on the videos in the quiet of your living room, where when my dogs hear them, they often bark in concert.  (They don't do that at a trial.)

Now along comes the Agility Nerd, who posted on his blog this morning, a file you can download of all the new electronic timer sounds used at Agility Trials.  These can be played at home on Windows Media Player or QuickTime to innure our dogs against these loud and unfamiliar sounds.  Here's the link:

http://agilitynerd.com/blog/agility/equipment/farmtek_timer_sounds.html

This is a great addition to my dog training tool kit.  I've been using it this morning and plan to play it several times a day just before each trial.
Upwards and onward!

Jump Chutes

Learned a new term this week - Jump Chutes!  Seems everybody knows about these except me.  Found a website that describes it, and ordered the book:  Suzanne Clothier's "The Clothier Natural Jumping Method" - $13.95 includes shipping.

http://agilitynerd.com/blog/agility/publications/NaturalJumping.html

This method supposedly teaches your dog to perfect their jumping ability by