I remembered that I took a couple short videos of Lexi from our last class. (The reason I'm never in any videos is because I'm the only one who ever remembers to videotape!)
Here's one of Jonathan running half of the course with her. You can see him getting frustrated. Being there I felt Jonathan's frustration, but in watching the video, Lexi really had some nice moments! I will say that the beginning was much cleaner the first time he ran. This time, he pushed her out way too far and RFPd to the weaves, when he really shouldn't have had he cued a turn from the beginning.
Here's a video of our trainer using Lexi as an example to show us how to properly cue not only the threadle but the push to a forward send at the end as well.
I like that threadle exercise. Lexi did a good job with Jenn as the demo dog. Is that a comp silver class? Don't take this the wrong way but I think you and Jonathan get too disappointed with yourselves and maybe with Lexi too when things don't go as planned. I know you want to do really well and I understand that but first and foremost it really is a fun game to play with your dog and it seems like that should be the number one priority. You know what I mean? Pleas don't get upset with me for saying this. You can delete this comment if you want and you won't hurt my feelings or anything.
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely right! And I am not offended at all. I know that it's something that I have always struggled with (I played several sports in high school). I've always been really competitive, and get really disappointed in myself.
ReplyDeletePart of the reason that I've kept up with this blog is to try to be more objective about our progress. So I try to come here and vent in the moment, and then come back and look at my thoughts and reactions and realize that we have so much to be grateful for and shouldn't get as frustrated or disappointed as we do.
But you are totally right! We should be out there enjoying every moment...but sometimes we lose sight of that. I always appreciate being reminded of that, and will redouble my efforts to stay positive.
I always watch videos with the sound off because Miley goes crazy trying to bite the computer when she here's agility videos. It really helps you see things in a different way. Lexi was so happy with herself , even though she got the wrong tunnel entrance, but janathan gave her no recognition. I'm not sure if he said anything to her but his body language is not rewarding. I'm sure he was just thinking about what he did wrong and how to change it the next run thur. But I think that effected Lexi and that's why she was a little crazy the next time she started to run. She knew something was wrong but not what it was. I would have run that little section again and rewarded the correct tunnel entrace, then ran the whole thing again. Again, I don't have the sound on, but I would add a verbal for the correct tunnel entrance. Like "in" and "out" for which ever entrance you
ReplyDeleteneed. Lexi is committed to the next obstacle very early, so if your body motion is late, she will get the wrong entrance.
Lexi looks awesome!
Thanks, Diana! You are definitely right that we should give Lexi more feedback on course. I think that's part of what Stuart means when he tells us that we are too passive.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing about this course is that we were aware that everything that happened (except the 2o2o break, I think) was our faults (no feedback, late for cues, etc...) but that's no excuse for not giving her feedback at all. What I didn't show in this video was right after this he put her in the right end of the tunnel and marked it, and then made it a point to catch her eye during the run and she went in perfectly. He just wasn't communicating that to her.
Typically my frustration is with myself, and though Jonathan is less introspective, I suspect the same is true for him.
The times that I get frustrated with Lexi on course are when I'm trying to get her back to start over and she's just jumping around, barking and taking whatever obstacles are close. Not that I should--just one of those things that I need to try to work on getting her attention and asking for a different behavior.
Im not sure this will let me post this because Im not on google chrome. But when i was at a camp with Ann Braue she said, with young dogs if they make mistake like with weave poles, she brings them back, makes them do a few tricks really quick ( like nose touchs, sits ect.. ) so that she can rapid reward and the she puts them in the poles again. You could try something like that. Diana
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