I Tumble 4 'Ya!

We have had a successful week in training.  On Saturday, I practiced with Jefferson for the longest time ever – nearly an hour!  Of course, we ran obstacles and then took a break…practiced jump box exercises…took a break…then, I took a nasty fall, tripping over my own two feet while attempting a crazy front cross at the weaves...so, we HAD to take a long break!  Apparently, Jefferson was not as concerned about my falling as he was in trying to steal smelly treats from my pockets all the while I was sprawled-out, face-down on the field.  Oh, such are the joys of agility training!

Since this weekend, I have not been feeling well and am a bit concerned about being “on” for the upcoming trial.   Jefferson is so attune to my every mood and senses when I am not “in” to running a course.  Hopefully, with a little luck and a prayer...see "Agility Blessing" below (plus Comtrex, Vitamin C and extra sleep!) we will be able to turn “on” team J-Dawg this weekend.    In honor of March Madness, Jefferson will be sporting his new UK leash and a sleek, aerodynamic “do”!   

Agility Blessing

May the tunnels not have too much suction

May the course be fun and fast

May your dogs not stop to say "hello"

to the photographers they pass!

May the table not be too slippery

May the chute house no scary beasts

May all of the yellow parts be touched

with one little toe, at least

May the wind be always at your back

May no bars fall on the ground

May the A-frame have no stop sign on top

May the judge's whistle never sound.

May your dog obey all correct commands

And ignore the ones that are wrong

May your heart be light, your feet be sure

and the bond with your dog grow strong.

At the finish line may great joy abound

regardless of your score

You have your dog, your dog has you

and who could ask for more?

Written by P.J. Hughes

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller

Begin With the End in Mind

I have been competing with Jefferson in dog agility now for a little over a year.  At first, we attended as many classes as we could, and eagerly performed the courses and exercises that were set-up for all the participants.  But, more trials and more experience led me to begin to learn how to identify the specific skills I needed to improve Team J-Dawg. As a result, I develop my own training goals. 

Gone are the days when I “go to the field” and let Jefferson just run around hootie wild, ears flopping and taking random obstacles.  As Stephen Covey’s quote aptly advises, "Begin with the end in mind."  I review our tapes from trials or performances from a recent run-thru and identify a specific skill that we need to polish in order to be successful.  Much like a leadership exercise from my grad school days (and from training to complete half-marathons!), I develop SMART Goals for dog agility.  SMART is an acronym for:                                     Specific  Measurable Attainable  Realistic Timely

This type of goal-setting really helps achieve an objective.  For example, at a recent exercise set-up by my friend, I reviewed the course map and set my own goals for our practice. There were plenty to choose from:  wraps, threadles, weave-pole entries, dogwalk performance, teeter, directionals, running the line, obstacle discrimination, front cross, rear cross, etc.  Rather than let myself feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the exercise, I chose to focus my practice on a few of these items:  weave pole entrance, running dog walk and front crosses.  These are skills that will help strengthen our performance in the upcoming spring trials.  Here is a copy of the great exercise - thanks for sharing, Agility Nerd:-)
 

Since I had set our personal Team J-Dawg training goal, I was more focused and better able to handle the obstacles and accomplish our individual goals.  I worked hard on getting the front cross before the weave poles - after obstacle 3 and made a fast dash to front cross at the end of the running dogwalk - after obstacle 7.  Our team was successful and I was very happy with our progress.  While the other handlers walked the 2nd half (I didn't walk it more than 3 times), I made use of my time by working on a running dogwalk contact in the practice field.  Remember, my training goal for the exercise involved running contacts and getting my front crosses.  So, whenever we ran the 2nd half of the course - obstacles 12- 21 - I still worked on the front cross.  The hardest front cross to execute was after 14 then again after 17.  At one point, I became lost and just handled Jefferson around the closest jump I could find!  We finally were successful (meaning I didn't completely forget where I was going!) and he was accepting of my front cross.  Another huge step of progress was that Jefferson did not shut down and kept on going.  Yay!!   

I am glad that I have learned to set my personal training goals.  It helps me feel more relaxed and not so stressed when handling a complex exercise.  We are still a work in progress...but bring on the front crosses!!

"If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else."  -Yogi Berra

My Running Valentine: What I Learned About Running Contacts

This past weekend, Jefferson and I attended an agility training seminar given by Daisy Peel, national and international championship handler known for her running contacts.  I was excited about learning as much as I could about running contacts and additional agility tips from such an expert in the field…(it sounds like I am referring to a brain surgeon!)  The starting time was 8 a.m. which required the ridiculously early 5 a.m. wake-up alarm so that I could leave by 6 a.m. and arrive in time.  I packed the car with the usual doggie provisions:  Day Tripper portable soft crate; large red water cooler; doggie bag full of essentials; cooler filled with lots of cheese (and a Coke for me!); extra blanket in case it gets cold; a chair to sit in; changes of shoes and an additional sweatshirt; a notebook and pen to take notes; and 2 bags of Wellness soft treats.   Dog agility participants are like the boy scouts – always prepared!!

When we arrived, I set-up Jefferson’s crate by the fence and covered it with my spare blanket.  It was getting colder and the wind was brutal!  Luckily, I wore my fuchsia Patagonia vest, gray North Face fleece jacket and a thick, nubby scarf to keep out the wind.  As I scanned the crowd of agility participants, I couldn’t help but notice that there were only two non-typical agility doggies in the crowd – a mini-schnauzer and my Cocker Spaniel.  Nothing draws attention to you like being a handler of a black and white Cocker Spaniel!!  We did our exercises along with the group – heel to side; crosses on the flat; luring; getting the dog to collect for jumps; etc.  All the while, I was treating Jefferson with his soft, stinky Wellness treats.  “Thank goodness I brought two bags of these treats!”  I thought to myself as I continuously shoved treats in Jefferson’s mouth so he wouldn’t lose interest in the activities.   This is one of the biggest differences in training a non-typical agility breed:  Jefferson will not work for free for four long, cold hours without lots and lots and LOTS of treats! Come to think about it, neither will I...

After lunch, we began our instruction in training running contacts.  Yay!!  Daisy asked if I had trained these, and I had to be honest and say that I had not but had lucked into getting running contacts.  Yes, I did initially train 2o2o but Jefferson approaches the dogwalk and A-frame with such gusto, that I opted to let him just run over both of these contacts.  I want him to stay excited and motivated to run and feel that stopping him at the bottom of the contacts would de-motivate him from running the course with such enthusiasm.  However, running contacts are not for the faint of heart or the handler who doesn’t want to spend the time on marking the behavior.

The training process for running contacts can be broken down into 4 steps.  First, your dog should run across a carpet laying flat on the ground driving toward a target a few feet away from the end.  At this stage, speed and running on the flat is the goal.  Watch the dog’s stride and gait to get separation from all 4 legs.  This probably was the most difficult aspect of running contacts – observing the proper running style from your dog and marking the behavior.  Some doggies run with their legs together and in essence use their front legs in tandem to almost pull themselves up the dogwalk.  This is NOT the desired behavior.  Your doggie should run on the contact exactly like he runs on the flat – legs separated in his gait.  The second step is to have your doggie run across a board (plank from the dogwalk) lying flat on the ground. Again, marking the proper running gait and watching for separation of legs in the yellow portion of the board.  Third, the board is placed at a slight incline so as to have the dog run down the plank at full speed; watching for a proper running stride.  One must be sure to keep the target a few feet away from the end of the board so that the dog continues to drive past the bottom of the plank with a consistent, separated stride.  Lastly, the plank is raised to a steeper angle by placing it on the table.  The dog should run fast down the plank while the handler marks the proper stride length as he gets his paws in the yellow.  Another part of this last step is to move the target to the left and right of center so the dog can get used to adjusting his stride length to make turns off the end of the plank.  One great suggestion here was to let the doggies fail a few times so they will understand what is expected from them.  Here is where Jefferson had a bit of a problem whenever the target was moved too far left or right from center.   This is the portion of the training steps that I plan on spending more time training.  Once all 4 steps are completed, the full-height dogwalk can then be mastered by your doggie.  It helps to add a tunnel at the end so the dog has an obstacle to help drive them forward.  Again, the handler must mark the appropriate running stride as the dog descends the dogwalk plank.

Overall, I learned the proper training methods to use in order to get more consistent running contacts from Jefferson.  Will his performance be 100% reliable?  Probably not but I am okay with that as long as he is having a blast running the course.

On our travels back home from the seminar, Jefferson began whining and pawing at his crate so I pulled over to a Walgreen’s and took him to the nearest patch of grass.  Poor boy had diarrhea from eating so many treats during our training seminar!  It was then I realized I had shoved 2 entire bags of treats into his mouth as well as 4 sticks of string cheese.  

Thank goodness for canned pumpkin…

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion."

 -Henry David Thoreau 

Feeling Like a Freak on a Leash!

This week it seems that Jefferson has been listening to too much of the alternative metal band, Korn…he’s been “feeling like a freak on a leash.”  (Here's the link to the band's official video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRGrNDV2mKc&ob=av3e)  After our run-throughs on Sunday (he ran a great Steeplechase course!), he scurried from me and the leash!  He has not done this erratic ring behavior since last winter and I was confused and frustrated.  It was so upsetting and in my mind, pretty much negated his good-looking Steeplechase run.

My first reaction to his scampering about the field was to yell and scream at him - allowing my frustrations to build.  The questions that went through my mind as I tried to snatch him:  “What is going on?”   “Oh, no - I thought we were past this!”  “What am I going to do now?”  “My dog is crazy!”  Unfortunately, this did happen and nothing good came from my response.  Finally, I caught him and placed the leash around his neck.  We left in short-order and on the drive home I reflected upon our day and searched for a solution.

First of all, Jefferson, being such a sensitive soul, is attune to my every mood and does not forget anything…and I do mean anything!  Last month, we practiced a Pairs baton exchange with another dog and handler.  For the first time, Jefferson decided to gallop around the field after the exchange while the other dog was running his side of the course.  I got upset and panicked because I did not want the dogs to run into each other and have a possible altercation.  Instead of being calm, I over reacted and yelled in my finest, high-pitched voice for him to come to me and quit his shenanigans.  I finally caught him and got the leash back around his neck.  But, alas it was too late – I had created a sense of stress and panic for my sensitive pup that he now associates with the end of the run and getting his leash back around his neck.  Identifying the cause is half the battle so I can begin to control my behaviors and reactions when situations do not go as planned.

The good news is that I possess the training tools to work past this behavior and shape the desired outcome.  I immediately went home and began using the clicker to develop Jefferson’s having a positive association with his leash being taken on and off.    I was encouraged that the clicker training was immediately successful in gaining a positive response!  We still have a ways to go before the next trial, but I am confident that we are on the right training path.

Once again, participating in dog agility has a lesson for me to learn.  It is best to keep a calm attitude and avoid yelling and screaming when the circumstances on the agility field and in life do not go as planned.  Chin-up and identify the cause for the mishap: succeed in finding a solution because there is always another day and another trial….. 

"Dogs are our bridge - our connection to who we really are, and most tellingly, who we want to be."

-Patricia B. McConnell, For the Love of a Dog:  Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

Where Is My Cheese: the Power of the Clicker

While taking an 8-day respite from dog agility, I started reading Jane Killion's When Pigs Fly training book on my Nook.  I was curious about the author’s training methods after hearing such positive reviews from a few of my agility friends.   It makes for a quick read and gives wonderful tips and hints on how to shape your dog’s behavior.   The only supplies needed:  a clicker, plenty of cheese and a box.

The first 3 days starting my clicker regiment included “loading” or powering - up the clicker so that Jefferson would associate the clicker with yummy goodies.  Two times a day I performed the following:  click-treat-wait a half second…click-treat-wait a half second…click-treat-wait a half second….up to 20 times!  Needless to say, Jefferson thought he had died and gone to doggie ‘n cheese heaven!!  After this initial exercise, the next 3 day assignment included adding his name to the exercise:  “Jefferson”- click-treat-wait a half-second…”Jefferson”- click-treat-wait a half second…again, up to 20 times.  As a result, Jefferson enthusiastically responded to his name and now associates yummy goodies with my saying his name.  

So far, so good…and now I was excited to learn a fun way to teach Jefferson new skills by using the “shaping” process.   This is when I had the opportunity to use my training “props" – the box.    I found an old Mizuno shoe box and threw it in the middle of the living room floor; grabbed my clicker and about 20 small pieces of cheese; stood and observed to see what Jefferson would do.  Of course, my little chow-hound was licking his lips and crying for some of the cheese so I had to hide my hand behind my back.  Slowly, he turned his head and looked at the box so I “clicked” and gave him cheese.  Again, he looked and walked over to the box so I “clicked” and gave him more cheese. Then, when I wanted to increase the criteria (add more “stuff” for him to do) I waited for him to walk over to the box and nudge it.  “Click” and treat!  This really worked and he caught on in less than 5 minutes.  

Since the box was getting a bit boring for us both (not a lot to do since these new shoe boxes do not have a separate lid), I placed his plush doggie pillow in the middle of the floor and repeated the whole process.  My desired behavior was for him to go to a “down” position on his pillow.  Again, he cried and barked for cheese and offered all kinds of behavior to earn his tasty reward…turning left, right, sitting and going to a down.  But, I patiently waited until he turned his head toward the pillow..."click” and treat.  Another head turn, “click” and treat.  I wanted more, so I waited for him to walk to the pillow, then “click” and treat.  A few more times of this and I increased the criteria and waited for his back legs to get on the pillow, “click” and treat.  Next, a sit on the pillow, “click” and treat.  Finally, he went to a down so I “clicked” added verbal praise and treated with lots of cheese (called a “jackpot” reward as in “Hey, I hit the jackpot in performing this trick!”)  Believe it or not, this also took less than 5 minutes.  What a smart boy!!  I was so thrilled at how easy this game of “shaping” Jefferson’s behavior was and more importantly, how much fun we were having training together.  

Later on last night during an episode of  NCIS featuring an especially good-looking Gibbs (Mark Harmon is such a hottie), Jefferson wanted to keep learning (or should I say eating?) so I clicked during the commercial breaks and had him turning left and right and performing all sorts of fast running downs.  He and I had such a great time during our training sessions!  I am looking forward to transferring the clicker work and behavior shaping to our agility practices.  Oh, the power of cheese…

Mmm...I love cheese!

  

For fun, take this "Cheese profiler test" (Jefferson's profile is "Back to Basics"!) to determine the best cheese to use for training:  http://www.ilovecheese.com/cheese_profiler.asp

“Being in the uncomfortable zone is much better than staying in the cheese-less situation.”
- Spencer Johnson, Who Moved My Cheese?